Introduction

These days, I feel like everyone eventually figures out that bacon really does make everything taste better, and this Garlic Bacon Fried Rice Recipe is definitely one of the best examples. Like a lot of my dishes, it takes simple pantry ingredients and turns them into a dish that you can proudly call lunch or dinner. I’ve made a lot of fried dishes, but this one is stands out because of its unique smoky flavor mixed with a classic garlic fried rice.

How This Garlic Bacon Fried Rice Recipe Is So Flavorful

This Garlic Bacon Fried Rice Recipe is simple and extracting the most flavor from the ingredients used, especially the bacon. I like to cook the bacon in a cold pan with a little bit of water, which allows the fat to render slowly before becoming crispy, which will ultimately yield a stronger “bacon” flavor. After removing the bacon from the heat, the leftover rendered fat becomes the flavor base for the entire dish and is what gives the rice that signature rich and smoky flavor.

Spoon lifting garlic bacon fried rice with crispy bacon and scallions coated in a savory sauce.

Why The Sauce Is So Important For This Garlic Bacon Fried Rice Recipe

Bacon is delicious, but sometimes the flavor can feel a little overpowering, but the sauce in this Garlic Bacon Fried Rice Recipe helps balance out the flavors. The soy sauce provides another layer of saltiness while the honey brings that sweetness that compliments the smoky flavors of the bacon. As the rice cooks, the sauce gets absorbed into every rice grain and the flavor is dispersed evenly throughout the dish and makes each bite a flavor explosion!

Garlic Bacon Fried Rice Recipe Ingredients

Bacon – The star of the show. It provides both the crispy texture and the rendered fat that flavors the entire dish.

Day-old rice – Essential for proper fried rice texture. It will stay separated and absorb the sauce without becoming too mushy.

Garlic + scallions – These aromatics build the foundation of flavor. The garlic adds that classic aromatic flavor while the scallions bring a slight bite of freshness.

Sauce (soy sauce, honey, Shaoxing wine, oyster sauce, white pepper) – The magical sauce that seasons the fried rice, adds a little bite of sweetness, and gives the whole dish that signature umami flavor.

How to Make Garlic Bacon Fried Rice

Slice the scallions and separate the whites and greens, mince the garlic, and cut the bacon into thin strips.

Knife slicing fresh scallions on a cutting board for garlic bacon fried rice preparation.

In a small bowl, mix soy sauce, honey, Shaoxing wine, oyster sauce, and white pepper.

Soy sauce mixture being prepared in a bowl for garlic bacon fried rice.

Place the bacon in a cold pan with a splash of water and cook until crispy and the fat has rendered, then remove and set aside.

Bacon cooking in a pan with water to render fat for garlic bacon fried rice.

In the bacon fat, cook the garlic and scallion whites until fragrant.

Garlic and scallions sautéing in bacon fat to build flavor for garlic bacon fried rice.

Add the day-old rice and break it apart, letting it fry slightly before mixing. Return the bacon to the pan along with the sauce and toss everything together. Finish with the scallion greens and cook briefly before serving.

Scallion greens being added to Garlic Bacon Fried Rice to add balance to the richness and for colorl

What to Serve with Garlic Bacon Fried Rice

This Garlic Bacon Fried Rice Recipe is very flavorful on its own, so I like to serve it with some lighter sides to help balance out. A few of my favorites are:

A fried egg. With the richness and lightness of a fried egg, it almost feels like you’re eating breakfast!
Poached chicken. If you’re a fan of extra protein, I like to add some lightly poached chicken breast on top to make this a more complete meal.
Steamed greens. Adding steamed greens is always a great way to add some freshness to your meal.

How to Store Garlic Bacon Fried Rice

This Garlic Bacon Fried Rice Recipe is one of the easiest meals to store because all you need to do is throw it in an airtight Tupperware and then put it in the fridge. When you want to reheat your meal, a pan is the best if you want to replicate the texture of a freshly made fried rice. However, I understand that may not be the most convenient, especially if you store this for meal prep. The most convenient way to reheat your fried rice in this case is just to microwave for 2 minutes with a paper towel on top to prevent the food from “popping” and getting all over the microwave.

Garlic Bacon Fried Rice Substitutions

This Garlic Bacon Fried Rice Recipe is flexible, and you can make substitutions depending on your preferences and what you have available. A few of my favorite substitutions are:

Pancetta. If you don’t want to slice bacon, pancetta is often found cubed already at the grocery store and has a very similar taste profile to bacon.
Turkey Bacon. A lighter alternative that has a lot of similar smoky notes.
Brown or cauliflower rice. Adds a nuttier flavor profile and has a chewier texture while still soaking up all the sauce. Cauliflower rice is great for a low carb option, just make sure that you cook out all the moisture before adding the bacon and sauce.