Pork Fried Rice

The best lightened-up Pork Fried Rice that's easy in less than 20 minutes with pork tenderloin, tons of veggies, and cooked brown rice. This dish takes out a favorite Healthy Fried Rice and turns it into a meal with the addition of pork.

When I first moved to Southern California, I was excited, but I was also a little apprehensive. Any move to anywhere would be like that I think. I had lots of questions, but of course, at the top of my list was "Where will we eat?"

Now, I'm happy to say that, overall, I have pretty much fallen in love with living in Southern California. The weather is amazing, there is so much to do, the produce and food scene turned out to be incredible, but I still felt as though we are missing one thing — good ole East-Coast-style Chinese food.

Though there are some incredibly delicious restaurants just about everywhere you look, I just can't seem to find a restaurant that can satisfy my Chinese food cravings.

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Out here Panda Express seems to be the reigning king for American-style Chinese food and in my eyes, it can't even compete with my beloved New England Chinese restaurants.

The dish I probably miss the most is good pork fried rice, so of course, I just made my own. While this version is definitely a healthier take, it satisfies my craving every time. Now, if only I could find some duck sauce…

How do you make Pork Fried Rice?

Making Pork Fried Rice is easier than you think. The first thing you want to do is cook your brown rice according to package directions, then set that aside for "frying" up later.

Then, heat up a pan (or wok if you have one) over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, whisk the egg and egg white together and then add your salt and pepper. Add the oil to the pan or wok, then add the eggs and scramble them up. Be sure not to overcook them.

Next, add the strips of pork to the pan and cook them for 2-3 minutes on each side and they are cooked through. Set those aside. Add the rest of the vegetable oil and sesame oil to the pan. Add in your vegetables, garlic, and ginger and cook for another couple of minutes until the vegetables begin to soften.

Finally, add in the rice and cook another 2-4 minutes. Make sure you stir it often so that the rice gets crispy. When you have your rice as you like it, add back in the pork, the scrambled eggs, and soy sauce. Stir together 1 more minute and serve!

Is Fried Rice good for you?

The short answer is "no," the fried rice that you'd get in a typical Chinese restaurant isn't good for you. It's delicious, but it tends to be loaded with lots of oils and fats that make this dish unhealthy.

This lightened-up version uses very little and pan cooks the rice to get that crispy texture without actually having to fry the rice in tons of oil.

I've also added a lot of veggies to this version (and please, feel free to add even more) to make this dish packed with extra nutrition. This version is much healthier than any restaurant version, and you can feel good about yourself after eating it, too.

What is Fried Rice?

Fried rice is a dish that consists primarily of eggs, veggies, and some cooked rice that gets stir-fried in lots of oil in a wok or frying pan. The rice is supposed to be "fried" so that it has a nice crispy texture.

Lots of fried rice dishes come with a protein such as pork, chicken, beef, seafood, or tofu. It's popular in East, Southeast and South Asian communities. It's also one of those dishes that is made up of leftovers (my favorite!). You know, take your leftover rice, pork, veggies, and throw all those together with some oil and eggs and use up all those leftover ingredients that have been lingering in your fridge.

For other, healthier fried rice dishes, try my:

• Easy Chicken Fried Rice
• Healthy Fried Rice
• Shrimp Fried Rice with Asparagus
• Beef and Broccoli Fried Rice
• Egg Fried Rice

Can you make Pork Fried Rice without eggs?

Yes, you most certainly can skip the eggs in fried rice if you are allergic, don't have them in your fridge, or simply don't like them.

Just skip the second step of whisking and cooking the eggs in the hot skillet/wok. Skip right to step three of cooking the pork and through the rest of the step. When it's time to add your final ingredients back in, you'll just only add the soy sauce and pork and cook through.

Once I made this healthier version of Pork Fried Rice, I never went looking for a restaurant version again!