Thai Basil Shrimp Fried Rice
This recipe for gluten free shrimp fried rice is easily made gluten free by using gluten free soy sauce (Tamari). It is a very adaptable recipe based on your protein of choice. We love to cook with shrimp, but feel free to use beef or chicken (or just veggies) instead.
This recipe uses brown rice, but it works just as well with white rice. Our pantry is often stocked with both; however, I go back and forth between which rice best suits my mood of the day.
Fried rice is a lifelong favorite food. I mean, is there anything more delicious? I’ve been ordering fried rice since I could talk and have fond memories of being very small and sitting on my grandfather’s lap, sharing a plate of pork fried rice, our favorite dish (true story).
This dish is my most-ordered item whenever we have takeout and to this day, I happily admit to eating leftover fried rice for breakfast (microwaved in a Pyrex pie plate no less) on more than one occasion when I was a teenager (and more recently). My passion for fried rice is real. And I am now overjoyed we make it deliciously gluten free at home.
Seth’s recipe for gluten free fried rice includes shrimp and Thai Basil which creates an incredible level of flavor. However, if you’re not a shrimp fan (feel free to use beef or chicken) or are just going to use regular basil, that’s OK. This recipe will still be delicious.
The most important part of cooking fried rice is to make sure you’re using cold, pre-cooked rice. It needs to be cooked and cold so that it fries up correctly in the pan. Fresh, hot rice will not work, unfortunately.
I’d recommend making the rice a day ahead and keeping it in the fridge. Alternatively, if you’re home and have time, then make it the same day, but several hours before you’re going to make the fried rice.
Finally, this gluten free fried rice recipe uses Naked Shrimp from North Coast Seafoods, which is a Boston-based seafood company that ships incredible-quality seafood (frozen) to your door, next day (orders placed Monday-Thursday before 2pm EST)!
The Naked Seafood product line includes shrimp, cod, salmon, and scallops. There are NO Preservatives, NO Additives, NO Antibiotics, NO Phosphates in any of their products. How awesome is that? And right now, receive 15% off of your order by using the code GLUTENFREEMOLLIE at checkout. Enjoy!
Thai Basil Shrimp Fried Rice
Recipe by Seth Drury.
Servings: Three to Five (depends on if it’s being served with anything else)
Time: Twenty Minutes (plus time ahead to cook rice)
INGREDIENTS
4 tablespoons peanut oil
1 pound Naked Shrimp from North Coast Seafoods (once defrosted, pat dry before cooking)
Salt and pepper
1 medium yellow onion (thinly sliced)
3 cloves of garlic (sliced)
1 jalapeno or hot pepper of your choice (thinly sliced)
1 tablespoon ginger (minced)
5 scallions (thinly sliced and divided)
1 cup brown rice (cooked and cooled - make ahead and store in the fridge)
1 pound snow peas (stems and strings removed)
2 eggs (lightly beaten)
1 tablespoon gluten free soy sauce (also labeled Tamari)
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 roma tomato (diced)
1 cup Thai basil leaves (regular basil can be substituted as needed)
PREPARATION
Note: Fully prepare all ingredients before you begin cooking. Combine garlic, pepper, ginger, and the white and light green parts of the scallions in one small bowl. Combine soy sauce, fish sauce, and rice vinegar in another small bowl. Having all of the ingredients ready to go in the order in which they are listed makes the cooking extremely quick and easy.
Thai basil can be hard to find in the grocery store unless you are growing your own (which we recommend!), so feel free to use standard basil as a substitute. It won’t have quite the same flavor, but will still be delicious!
Heat a wok over high heat until it just starts to smoke, then swirl in 1 tablespoon of oil and add the shrimp. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook, stirring continuously, until the shrimp are just fully pink and opaque, then immediately transfer to a plate.
Return the wok to high heat, swirl in another tablespoon of oil, and stir fry the onion for about 1 minute (it should just start to soften and get some little brown bubbles).
Add the bowl of aromatics (garlic, pepper, ginger, etc.) and continue stir frying for 30 seconds.
Reduce the heat to medium-high and add 1 tablespoon oil and the rice, mix it together then press the rice into a thin layer around the wok. Leave the rice undisturbed for about 2 minutes to develop a crust, then repeat twice (reducing the heat if necessary, to avoid burning the rice).
Mix in the peas, then make a well in the center and add the last of the oil and the eggs.
When the eggs are just about set add the sauce, shrimp, and tomato and stir fry for another 30 seconds, remove from heat and stir in the basil leaves.
Serve immediately and garnish with the remaining scallions.
Yes, you will want seconds.
Thank you for making one of our recipes! Please be sure to share it on social media with the hashtag #gfmdrecipe and tag me (@glutenfreemollied).
Enjoy!