Vegan Fried Rice
Ligia Lugo
Published:
January 6, 2026
Last Modified:
February 18, 2026
Crunchy carrots, sweet green peas, and savory scrambled tofu are tossed with fluffy white rice. Simple seasonings, sesame oil, and soy sauce finish off this vegan fried rice recipe with a flavorful bang!
Over the years I’ve enjoyed recipe testing and developing my own versions of takeout favorites like Vegan Orange Tofu, Vegan Empanadas, and my Olive Garden copycat Pasta E Fagioli Soup.
One glaring gap though: fried rice! So I whipped together my own homemade Vegan Fried Rice, complete with crunchy veggies and tofu scrambled eggs.
There are a few key ingredients that make this dish taste like it came from your favorite Chinese take out restaurant. Sesame oil adds a deeply nutty flavor, soy sauce gives savory funk, turmeric for earthy depth and bright color, and don’t underestimate the power of a thinly sliced spring onion to take the flavor of a simple bowl of fried rice to the next level.
I‘ve been known to make a big batch of this over the weekend and then use it as the base for meal prep all week long!
Ingredient Notes
For the Tofu:
- Olive oil – Quality olive oil is a must for cooking! I used plain olive oil, not extra virgin as we will be stir frying over moderate-high heat in this recipe.
- Firm tofu – Firm tofu is a necessity for getting the right “scrambled tofu” effect. Make sure to stay away from silken tofu as it will be too soft to cook this way. Before cooking, take it out of the package and drain away any liquid.
- Turmeric – Turmeric powder gives a great pop of flavor and color to your tofu, giving your dish that classic fried rice look!
- Salt – Tofu is inherently quite bland so a bit of salt is key to imparting some flavor into it.
- Nutritional yeast – Delivers a nicely savory, super umami taste. Use your favorite nutritional yeast or refer to our Best Nutritional Yeast taste test and review for our top picks!
For the Rice:
- Onion – Diced onion adds a savory flavor and great crunch to your vegan fried rice. diced
- Garlic – Peel and finely mince fresh garlic for best flavor.
- Frozen peas – This is a great time to use frozen peas as the heat of the stir fry is just right for cooking them perfectly. Careful not to cook them too long though as they will become overly mushy.
- Carrot – Use peeled, freshly diced carrot OR if your supermarket carries bags of frozen peas and carrots, grab one of those.
- Cooked rice – You’ll need 3 cups of cooked white rice. I recommend using long grain rice such as basmati rice or jasmine rice and to avoid short grain rice or brown rice as they just end up having a different texture. If you have leftover rice this is a perfect time to make use of it, or cook it fresh according to package directions. You’ll need about 1 cup uncooked rice to produce the 3 cups cooked.
- Soy sauce – Use whatever type of soy sauce is your go-to, whether light, dark, or low-sodium. If you need a gluten-free soy sauce alternative use coconut aminos or tamari sauce.
- Spring onions – Interchangeable with scallions or green onions, you’ll want to thinly slice your spring onions and use mostly the green and light green portions for your fried rice. Save any white parts or developed bulbs for another use.
- Toasted sesame oil – Toasted sesame oil is non-negotiable for this fried rice! It gives a nutty, roasty flavor that brings this entire dish together at the end.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Prep tofu. Wrap the drained tofu in paper towels, place a cutting board or baking sheet on top, and then place a heavy object (such as a large can of tomatoes, small cast iron skillet, or a bowl filled with water) on top of the board. Leave it in this position for at least 15 minutes. Heat olive oil in a skillet, wok pan, or sauté pan over medium-high heat. Crumble the tofu into the hot oil and cook, stirring often, for about 2 minutes.
- Season tofu. Sprinkle the tofu with turmeric, salt, and nutritional yeast.
- Cook tofu. Continue cooking, stirring often, for another 2 minutes. Then transfer the scrambled tofu to a bowl and set aside. Wipe the skillet and return it to medium heat.
- Sauté veggies. In the same skillet, heat another drizzle of olive oil then add diced onion, minced garlic, frozen peas, and diced carrots. Stir fry the veggies until they are tender but not mushy, about 4 minutes.
- Add rice. Add the cooked rice to the stir fried veggies and give everything a good stir to separate any clumped rice grains. Then stir in soy sauce and sliced spring onions.
- Cook rice. Stir and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Add tofu. Return the cooked tofu to the fried rice mixture, then drizzle with sesame oil and stir everything together.
- Garnish and serve! Scoop your vegan fried rice into serving bowls and serve warm, garnished with a few slices of spring onion and fresh chopped parsley!
Tips From Ligia
If using leftover rice from the fridge:
Gently warm the chilled rice in the microwave before adding it to your stir fried veggies. Day old rice has a tendency to create crunchy clumps, and by pre-warming it just a bit, it will more readily incorporate into your fried rice.
How To Store
Refrigerating Transfer your leftover fried rice to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
Freezing I recommend dividing rice into portions for 1 or 2 (that way you can defrost as much as you need at any given time), package it into freezer-safe containers or zip-top freezer bags, and freeze for up to 4 months.
Thawing Transfer your fried rice from the freezer to the fridge the night before you need it, and let it defrost overnight.
Reheating For best texture, heat the rice in a lightly oiled skillet over medium heat, stirring often, until hot and sizzly. For a quick n’ easy approach, just place the rice in a microwave-safe dish or bowl and reheat on high for 30 second increments, stirring in between, until hot.
Vegan Fried Rice Recipe
Ingredients
For the Tofu:
- 1 Tbsp olive oil
- 12 oz. firm tofu drained
- ¼ tsp turmeric
- Salt to taste
- 1 ½ Tbsp nutritional yeast
For the Rice:
- 2 Tbsp olive oil
- ½ onion diced
- 1 clove garlic minced
- ¾ cup frozen peas
- 1 carrot diced
- 3 cups cooked rice
- 3 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 spring onions thinly sliced
- 2 tsp toasted sesame oil to drizzle
Instructions
- Wrap the drained tofu in paper towels, place a cutting board or baking sheet on top, and then place a heavy object on top of the board to press for at least 15 minutes. Then heat the olive oil in a wok or skillet over medium-high heat and crumble the tofu into it. Cook, stirring often, for about 2 minutes.
- Season with turmeric, salt, and nutritional yeast.
- Continue cooking and stirring for another 2 minutes, then transfer the scrambled tofu to a bowl and set aside. Wipe the skillet and return it to medium heat.
- Heat another drizzle of olive oil then add the onion, garlic, peas, and carrots. Stir fry until the veggies are tender, about 4 minutes.
- Add the cooked rice to the pan and stir to combine, separating any clumps of rice. Add the soy sauce and sliced spring onions.
- Stir and cook for another 2 minutes.
- Add the cooked tofu, then drizzle with sesame oil and stir until well mixed.
- Scoop your vegan fried rice into serving bowls and garnish with additional spring onion and chopped fresh parsley if you like.
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