Air Fryer Egg Fried Rice

Simple and quick to make in the air fryer, this egg fried rice is one delicious side that's loaded with flavor. Perfect to serve up with your favorite Chinese meals.

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A serving spoon in a dish of egg fried rice.

Last Updated on December 14, 2021 by Betty Davies

This easy air fryer side dish recipe is great to serve up with all of your favorite Chinese meals. Made with just 5 ingredients, this egg fried rice is simple and quick to make in the air fryer and full of flavor. Seasoned with soy sauce, ginger and garlic it’s a great way to make the most of leftover rice.

Overhead shot of air fryer egg fried rice in a baking dish with some served on to a plate.

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Skip the Chinese takeout this week and whip up a batch of this delicious egg fried rice quickly and easily with the help of your air fryer.

Light and fluffy scrambled eggs are mixed with rice and seasoned before a short cook in the air fryer. Super simple but extra delicious, this is one basic recipe that might just change your life, and I don’t say that lightly!

Be sure to try my Garlic Chili Fried Rice and Tomato Basil Rice too!

Why you will love this recipe!

Quick and easy: Ready to serve in around 15 minutes, this is a great last minute rice side that is so effortless to make.
One dish: You only need one dish to make this rice in, so even clean up is a breeze. Use an oven proof dish that fits into your air fryer.
Simple ingredients: You only need a few basic pantry staples to whip up this recipe, and it’s a delicious way of using up leftover rice.
Dietary info: This air fryer egg fried rice is dairy-free and vegetarian. It’s also easy to make it gluten-free.

Air fried egg fried rice in a red baking dish with a spoon.

Ingredients

Rice: For best results use cooked cold rice. Ideally you want to cook the rice the day before. This recipe is made using basmati rice, but jasmine or long grain white rice will also work well.
Eggs: The eggs are cooked and scrambled before being mixed with the other ingredients.
Oil: A little oil is added to the rice so you get some nice crispy bits. Canola, vegetable, sesame, olive or avocado all work well.
Soy sauce: For a salty and umami flavor. If gluten-free, you can substitute with tamari.
Seasonings: Salt, pepper, ground ginger and garlic powder.

How to make egg fried rice in the air fryer

Be sure to scroll down for the full recipe!

Add the eggs and salt and pepper to a heat proof baking dish that will fit in your air fryer (photo 1).
Scramble the eggs on the stovetop (photo 2).
Add the other ingredients to the eggs and mix (photo 3).
Cook in the air fryer and garnish with green onions (photo 4).

Four step by step photos to show how to make the recipe.

Recipe Variations

This air fryer fried rice is easy to adapt to your tastes with different seasonings like paprika or chili flakes. You can also add in some frozen mixed vegetable like carrots and peas, or, make it a fuller meal by adding in some cooked chopped chicken.

Frequently Asked Questions

What size air fryer do you need to make this recipe?

I made this recipe in my smallish 6qt basket air fryer. The dish I used meant that I had to remove the basket and place it directly into the basket base, but it still came out great. This recipe will easily serve four as side dish. If you have a larger air fryer you can easily double the recipe.

What type of dish do you use?

Any dish that you would put in the oven can be used in the air fryer, to be safe, use one that is oven proof up to 420F because we scramble the eggs in it directly on the stovetop. I used my 7.5 inch Staub casserole dish which worked perfectly. Small metal tins and pans will also work well.

Can you use ready to serve rice?

Ok, here’s a secret! Those packets of ready to cook rice you get from the store work really well if you don’t have chilled rice on hand.

Ideally, you want to cook up the rice the night before and let it chill in the fridge. This allows it to absorb moisture and the grains separate rather than clump together, in a pinch, you can chill it for a couple of hours, otherwise, ready to serve packaged rice will work a treat!

How long do leftovers keep?

Once made, this air fryer egg fried rice will keep well covered in the fridge for around 3 days. Reheat it in the air fryer at 350F for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring halfway.

Close p of the fried rice in a baking dish with a spoon.

Serving Suggestions

This air fryer fried rice is great served up alongside your favorite Chinese inspired main meals. Try it with:

Recipe Notes and Tips

For best results use cooked and chilled rice. The recipe doesn’t work well with just cooked rice and it should be cold when mixed with the other ingredients.
Preheat the air fryer before placing in the dish. If your air fryer doesn’t have a preheat function, let it run for 5 minutes at 350F.
Stir a couple of times during cooking, this will help to heat and cook the rice evenly.
Different air fryer models can run a little differently. Make sure that the rice is piping hot before serving.

Air fryer egg fried rice garnished with sliced green onions.

This simple egg fried rice recipe comes out so good in the air fryer. Give it a try and I promise that you’ll be making it a lot!

More Air Fryer Side Dishes

If you’ve tried this recipe, be sure to leave a star rating and a comment below!