This vegetable Thai fried rice is bold, filling, and packed with flavors! The perfect weeknight dinner that is easy to prepare and ready in 15 minutes. It also happens to be vegan too!

Fried rice is a staple food in our household! It is not only quick and simple to make, and the variations are endless. This vegetable Thai fried rice is our current favorite, although we also love making Manchurian fried rice and gochujang fried rice!
🍚The best rice for frying
Here are some helpful tips on how to prevent your fried rice from turning mushy and clumpy:
- Use medium or long grain rice - Basmati, brown rice and Jasmine rice are some varieties that are perfect for frying as they fluff up perfectly without turning mushy.
- Rinse rice thoroughly before cooking - This helps remove excess starch on the rice that cause them to clump together more. I usually rinse my rice at least 3 times, or until the water is no longer cloudy.
- Cooking rice - I highly recommend following the cooking instructions on the package, as water ratio and cooking time will differ from rice to rice. If it turn out to be mushy, chances are that you had added to much water. Take note of it and reduce the amount of water used next time.
- Drying them - Most fried rice recipe usually calls for day old rice, but freshy cooked rice will work too! The trick is to spread it out on a large plate right after cooking and place it under a fan. Let it cool completely before using.
- Breaking them up - If using refrigerated rice, remember to break clumps of rice using your hands before adding it into the pan.
🌽What you will need
📃Ingredients notes and substitutions
- Rice - I am using brown rice, but you could use Jasmine rice for a more authentic version.
- I highly recommend using rice that has been refrigerated overnight.
- If using freshly cooked rice, spread it out into a large plate and let it cool to room temperature before using. Check out the section above, ‘The best rice for frying’ for more detailed information.
- Oyster sauce - Use vegetarians ones to keep this dish vegan. If you do not have it on hand, feel free to use more soy sauce in place.
- I am using Lee Kum Kee ones. Although it is labeled as '' stir-fry sauce,'' it is essentially vegetarian oyster sauce and contains mushroom extracts.
- Feel free to substitute it with more soy sauce, but you might need less of it.
- Chilies - I am using bird's eye chili that has been deseeded to reduce the spice level. However, if you want it to be super spicy, leave the seed on!
🔪How to make
Here is a quick rundown on the steps involved in making vegan Thai fried rice. The full detailed recipe will be in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Heat a non-stick wok/pan. Start by frying garlic and chili until fragrant. Next, add carrot in and cook until it has softened slightly.
Stir in corn and peas and cook for a couple of minutes before adding rice. Fry until all ingredients are hot.
Turn off the heat, and stir in green onion and sauce. Give your vegetable Thai fried rice a taste, adding salt to taste, if needed. Serve and enjoy while warm!
✔Helpful tips
- Prep ingredients ahead of time, and keep them near you while cooking. Frying rice is a relatively quick process and requires constant attention.
- I highly recommend using a non-stick wok to make this recipe. Alternatively, use a non-stick pan that is large enough to ensure that all ingredients cook properly.
- Go light on the liquid seasoning to avoid mushy fried rice. If you find this dish too bland for your liking, I recommend seasoning with salt instead of more soy sauce/oyster sauce.
🥕Substitutions and add-ins
Rice - As mentioned above, you can use any kind of cooked short or long-grain rice to make this vegetable Thai fried rice. You could also substitute some of it with cauliflower or broccoli rice for a lower-carb version.
Veggies - Feel free to substitute any veg used in this recipe with whatever you want! Some that work great in fried rice include French beans, bell peppers, or even frozen veggie mix.
Spice-free - Simply omit the bird's eye chilies.
Add a source of protein - To make this more filling, try adding some plant-based proteins like baked or pan-fried tofu, seitan chunks, or your favorite veggie mince. You could even scramble in some eggs if not vegan.
Toppings - Top with toasted nuts like cashew and peanuts, chili flakes, or more chopped green onion.
🍛How to serve
Although this vegan Thai fried rice is pretty filling and hearty, it also pairs well with other dishes! Here are some ideas:
- Asian main dishes - Tofu sisig, Hunan tofu, or Pad Pak Thai
- Curries - You can serve it with curries like this Chinese vegetable curry or vegan Madras curry.
- Appetizers - Vegan lumpia, tofu egg rolls, and wakame seaweed salad are some of my personal favorites!
- Drinks - You could serve it with Thai iced tea or herbal teas like this lemon barley water.
❔Commonly asked questions
The major difference between the popular Chinese fried rice and this Thai version is that the Chinese version usually uses soy sauce as the main flavoring, while the latter uses oyster sauce and fish sauce. Chinese fried rice also usually contains more veggies than Thai ones.
However, in this recipe, we will be using a splash of soy sauce in place of fish sauce to keep this dish vegan.
This vegan Thai fried rice is moderately spicy, as bird eye’s chili is added. To make this dish less spicy, deseed your chili before using it, or omit it entirely.
Restaurant-made Thai fried rice is usually not vegan as animal proteins like chicken and eggs are often added. Even the meatless version might not be vegan-friendly due to the addition of oyster sauce.
To make this dish vegan, we will omit the chicken and eggs and use vegetarian oyster sauce instead of the regular ones.
🍽More vegan fried rice
If you did make this recipe, do leave a rating and comment down below, we love hearing from you! Subscribe to My Plantiful Cooking to get new recipes delivered straight to your inbox! Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to get the latest updates. 😉
📖 Recipe
Vegan Vegetable Thai Fried Rice
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari/shoyu
- 1 tablespoon vegetarian oyster sauce or regular oyster sauce*
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1-2 bird's eye chilies deseeded and chopped**
- 1 medium carrot diced
- ½ cup frozen peas thawed
- ½ cup corn kernels
- 3 cups cooked rice ***
- ¼ cup chopped green onion
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine together soy sauce and oyster sauce. Stir to mix and set aside.2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon vegetarian oyster sauce
- Heat up ½-1 tablespoon of neutral-tasting oil in a non-stick wok/pan over medium high heat. Once pan is heated, add garlic and chili. Fry for a minute until fragrant.3 cloves garlic, 1-2 bird's eye chilies
- Next, add in carrot and cook for a few minutes, or until softened. Toss in peas and corn, and fry for another minute.1 medium carrot, ½ cup frozen peas, ½ cup corn kernels
- Add rice into the wok along with the sauce. Toss and fry until everything is hot.3 cups cooked rice
- Remove from heat, and stir in green onion. Your vegetable Thai fried rice is ready to be served.¼ cup chopped green onion
Notes
- If you do not have it on hand, feel free to use more soy sauce in place.
- I am using Lee Kum Kee ones. Although it is labeled as '' stir-fry sauce,'' it is essentially vegetarian oyster sauce and contains mushroom extracts.
- I highly recommend using rice that has been refrigerated overnight.
- If using freshly cooked rice, spread it out into a large plate and let it cool to room temperature before using. Check out the section above, ‘The best rice for frying’ for more detailed information.
Nutrition
Nutrition info calculated is just a rough estimate and is provided as a courtesy. Bear in mind that value will vary based on variables like specific brand or type of product used. To obtain the most accurate representation, it is highly recommended that you calculate it on your own with the actual amount and type of ingredient used.
Brittany
Just found your blog and drooling over the recipes. Haven't made anything yet, but plan to try lots of your recipes!
Meesha
Thanks for your kind comment! It really made my day😊
Kaye
very yummy, quick and easy rice , thank you so much, just what i was looking for
Meesha
Gald to hear that! 😊