Breakfast Fried Rice with Spinach and Shiitakes
Serves 4.
From “Mostly Meatless” by America’s Test Kitchen (2025). In many cultures for which rice is a staple, it’s common to enjoy the versatile grains leftover alongside some eggs and vegetables, beans, or meat for a quick, filling breakfast (or anytime meal). We took a cue from the one-pan simplicity and endless customizability of fried rice — perfect for pulling together with precooked rice when you need a meal fast—to create a vegetable-forward take. We like to make this with long-grain brown rice, but you can use long-grain white rice if you prefer; day-old grains are preferable because they’re drier than freshly cooked. All rice should be roughly room temperature before stir-frying. We like to serve this with our Gochujang Maple Sauce (see recipe), but you can use sriracha if you prefer.
- 3 large eggs
- ¾ tsp. table salt, divided
- 2 slices bacon, chopped
- 4 tsp. vegetable oil, divided
- 4 oz. shiitake mushrooms, trimmed and sliced thin
- 4 c. (4 ounces) baby spinach
- 4 scallions, white and green parts separated and sliced thin
- 3 c. cooked long-grain brown rice, room temperature
- 1 recipe Gochujang Maple Sauce (see recipe)
- 1 avocado, halved, pitted, and sliced thin
- 1 tbsp. sesame seeds, toasted
Directions
Beat eggs and ⅛ teaspoon salt in bowl until well combined; set aside. Cook bacon in 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly until well browned and crispy, 5 to 7 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to medium bowl. Increase heat to medium-high; add eggs to fat left in wok; and cook, stirring frequently, until very little liquid egg remains, 30 to 60 seconds. Transfer eggs to bowl with bacon.
Add 1 teaspoon oil to now-empty wok and reduce heat to medium. Add mushrooms and ⅛ teaspoon salt and cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are tender and light golden, about 4 minutes. Add spinach and cook until just wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer mushrooms and spinach to bowl with bacon mixture.
Add scallion whites and remaining 3 teaspoons (1 tablespoon) oil to again-empty wok. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add rice and stir until combined, then spread into even layer. Sprinkle remaining ½ teaspoon salt evenly over rice. Continue to cook, stirring frequently and pressing on rice with spatula to break up any clumps, until grains are separate and heated through, 2 to 5 minutes longer. Add scallion greens and bacon mixture, and cook, stirring frequently and using edge of spatula to break eggs into small pieces, until vegetables and eggs are heated through, and mixture is well combined, about 2 minutes.
Divide fried rice evenly among bowls. Drizzle with gochujang maple sauce, top with avocado, and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve.
Gochujang Maple Sauce
Makes about ⅓ cup.
