Cheeseburger Fried Rice
Ground beef, pickles, special sauce, and melted cheese in fried rice — a flavor mashup that shouldn't work but absolutely does.
Prep: 15 min · Cook: 15 min · Total: 30 min · Serves: 4 · Difficulty: Easy · Rating: 4/5 (393 reviews)
INSPIRED BY
Red's Chinese — New Orleans, LA
Inspired by Red's Chinese in New Orleans — proof that the best food comes from fearlessly combining two things nobody asked to be combined.
Story
My husband worked late on a Wednesday and texted me at 5:40 asking if there was "anything weird" for dinner, which in our house is a compliment. I had a pound of ground beef, a container of day-old rice from Sunday's takeout, and a jar of dill pickles. So I made cheeseburger fried rice, which sounds like something a tired person invents at 5:45pm because it is. I first had a version like this at Red's Chinese in New Orleans years ago and didn't believe it would translate at home. It does, but only if your rice is actually day-old and dried out in the fridge. The first time I tried it with fresh warm rice and it clumped into a gummy ball and steamed instead of frying. Cold, separated rice is the whole game. Spread it out the night before if you can. The mistake I kept making was crowding the wok. I'd throw everything in at once and it would just sweat and go soft. Now I cook the beef first and pull it out, scramble the eggs and push them aside, then fry the rice hard over high heat for three or four minutes until some of it gets crispy, and only then bring everything back together. The diced pickles go in near the end so they stay sharp. The cheddar melts over the top off the heat, and the special sauce is just ketchup, mayo, and relish stirred together. A drizzle of that plus green onions, and it genuinely tastes like a cheeseburger you eat with a fork. I'll be honest, my 4-year-old picked out every single pickle and lined them up on the edge of her bowl like little green soldiers, but she ate the rest. My 7-year-old asked for it again two days later. My husband called it "stupid good," which is the highest review I get out of him. It's not authentic anything and a purist would have opinions, but it used up three things in my fridge and took fifteen minutes. Sesame oil at the end is small but worth keeping a bottle around; a teaspoon makes the whole thing smell like a real stir-fry instead of just buttered rice with beef.
By Casey
Ingredients
- 1 lb ground beef
- 4 cups day-old cooked rice
- 1 cup shredded cheddar
- 1/2 cup diced dill pickles
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp special sauce (ketchup+mayo+relish)
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 3 green onions, sliced
- 2 eggs
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
Instructions
- Cook ground beef in a wok or large skillet over high heat, breaking into crumbles. Season with salt and pepper. Remove and set aside.
- Add oil to wok. Scramble eggs and push to the side.
- Add rice and stir-fry over high heat for 3-4 minutes until slightly crispy.
- Add soy sauce and sesame oil. Toss to combine.
- Return beef to the wok. Add pickles and toss everything together.
- Remove from heat. Top with shredded cheddar (let it melt), drizzle with special sauce, and garnish with green onions.
Chef Tips
- Day-old rice is essential — fresh rice is too moist and will steam instead of fry. Spread leftover rice on a sheet pan in the fridge uncovered overnight for the best results.
Cook's Notes
- **Rice tip:** Day-old rice is essential. Freshly cooked rice is too wet and steams in the wok instead of frying. Spread hot rice on a sheet pan and refrigerate uncovered overnight if needed.
- **Beef substitute:** Any ground meat works — turkey, pork, or a plant-based blend. The key is browning it deeply for flavor.
- **Make-ahead:** The beef can be browned and seasoned up to 2 days ahead. Reheat in the wok before adding the rice.
- **Storage:** Fridge 3 days. Reheat in a hot skillet with a splash of soy sauce and a dash of water.
- **Common mistake:** Adding the rice before the wok is hot enough. The rice should hit the pan and sizzle loudly on contact. If it doesn't, the heat isn't there and the rice will steam and stick.
- **Doneness cue:** Each grain of rice should be separated and have some visible toasted spots. If the rice is clumping in wet masses, it's not hot enough or there's too much in the pan.
- **Cheese tip:** Add shredded American or cheddar cheese off heat and toss quickly — residual heat melts it without making it rubbery.