Make Pork-Fried Rice Even More Flavorful With One Convenient Swap

There are plenty of easy and delicious fried rice recipes to make low-effort meals anytime. It's a great way to use up rice, eggs, and vegetables that might be on the verge of turning to avoid food waste while at the same time creating a comforting meal that's rich in protein. Whether you eat a plant-based diet or include animal proteins in your food, it's as easy as ever to find a fried rice recipe to fit your needs. Much like bulking up your fried rice with the budget-friendly shortcut of hot dogs, you can also streamline a typical pork fried rice recipe by swapping in chopped-up bacon for the pieces of pork. This cuts down on your cooking time while still adding the element of smoky pork flavor to your favorite fried rice.

This is is a great idea because the bacon cooks more quickly and yields a fair amount of grease, which is ideal for frying your rice. With so many different styles and brands of bacon available, it also allows you to fully customize the flavors of your dish. Whether you like your bacon thin and extra crispy, flavored with lots of black pepper, or tender and thick cut, like Tender Belly Signature Dry-Rubbed, Thick Cut Bacon, you can throw it into your pan for an unforgettable fried rice upgrade.

One important tip for making a bacon version of pork fried rice is to cook your chopped bacon pieces first and then remove them from the skillet after reaching the desired level of doneness. This keeps the bacon from overcooking and allows you to stir your vegetables and aromatics into the smoky leftover grease before adding your egg, rice, and, finally, the bacon back into the pot. Try a kimchi fried rice with gojuchang butter and fried eggs for a spicy riff on bacon fried rice that's perfect for an eye-opening breakfast.

If you want to bulk up the protein content in your fried rice while keeping costs down, you can certainly also throw in cut up hot dogs or even cubes of spam for a pork-rich rice that's filled with flavor. On the flip side, try a plant-based version of bacon fried rice with Lightlife Foods Smart Bacon (available on Amazon) and sauteed mushrooms mixed with Just Egg plant-based egg substitute if you still want the flavors of pork without the actual animal products in your food.