Japanese fried rice, known as “Yakimeshi” in Japan, is such a flavourful and delicious recipe that is super easy to make! This is because it doesn’t require any special ingredients, and you can create it with things you probably already have in your kitchen.

Yakimeshi Japanese fried rice in a shallow bowl hold by two hands

What is Yakimeshi?

Yakimeshi, which literally means “fried rice”, is another staple dish for Japanese people just like Nikujaga(Japanese Beef & Potato).

Fried rice ingredients- rice, eggs, chopped green shallots, chopped bacon, and salt

Make the most of your leftovers

It’s a particularly cheap dish to make with leftovers because you can use nearly any vegetables or meat, then all you need to do is cook the rice (or use leftover rice too!).

the first 4 steps of making Japanese fried rice process in 4 photos

Midweek Quick Dinners

It’s a common dish we make during the week because it’s so quick and easy. Usually we always have leftover rice that needs to be used, so it’s the perfect midweek meal!

the second 4 steps of making Yakimeshi Japanese fried rice in 4 photos

Simple lunch on Weekends

My Mom often made this fried rice for lunch on Saturdays. My mother was kindergarten teacher, and schooling in Japan used to be 6 days a week. So, she had to work Saturdays. Yakimeshi, the Japanese fried rice, was something she could quickly make for us because we always had leftover rice.

The third 4 steps of making Yakimeshi Japanese fried rice in 4 photos

As good as take away fried rice

This recipe is as good as the Japanese fried rice Yakimeshi from Japanese restaurants or take away stores. One reason is because the rice grains are separated perfectly so each single rice grain is fried individually. (We describe this as “Para para”, which means it has a loose, crumbly texture)

the last 4 steps of making Yakimeshi Japanese fried rice in 4 photos

Is your home cooked Yakimeshi soggy and mushy?

Have you ever thought when you cook Japanese fried rice Yakimeshi, that it never tastes the same as the takeaway store? Why is that? Fried rice sounds so simple and easy to cook. Are your Yakimeshi rice grains sticking together, soggy or mushy?

Yakimeshi Japanese fried rice served from a frying pan to a shallow serving bowl with a wooden spatula

The reason that restaurants’ Yakimeshi is so good

It’s because the rice is cooked on a very high temperature and constantly flipped like a chef does with a wok.

Yakimeshi Japanese fried rice from the top view with a glass of water

But I don’t have a wok and muscles!?

I don’t have a big wok nor the muscles either, to keep flipping the rice by tossing my wok around. But wait! There is an amazing trick for people like me who have no muscles, and don’t have a gas cooktop with a high temperature setting (which gives you have greater control over the frying temperature)

Yakimeshi Japanese fried rice scooped by a ceramic spoon

My secret weapon

My trick to getting super tasty and non-sticky fried rice, is to add Japanese Kewpie Mayonnaise. I know! I use a lot of mayonnaise for many recipes. I read a tweet somewhere about the technique of using mayonnaise in making pancakes which went viral recently. I thought that finally the world is catching up with using mayonnaise for everything!

Japanese mayonnaise being added to the rice in a rice bowl

This is not a paid ad by the way, I’ve just really loved this mayo ever since I was little. I hope you try it out in the fried rice and enjoy the recipe!

Science behind my secret

The egg yolks and emulsified vegetable oil coat each grain of rice when it is fried with mayonnaise. So the Japanese mayonnaise really separates the rice grains. The amazing thing is, that you can’t even taste the mayonnaise and it makes the fried rice much richer in flavour.

Japanese fried rice Yakimeshi being cooked in a skilet

Never failed, foolproof Yakimeshi Japanese fried rice

I have been using this trick and it never fails to achieve that “para para” (which means it has a loose, crumbly texture) fried rice, just as if the Yakimeshi was cooked at a restaurant.

Yakimeshi Japanese fried rice served in a blue rice bowl with a bowl of miso soup

Variations of Yakimeshi Japanese fried rice

Check out other fried rice ingredients I have shared on Chopstick Chronicles. For example, Kimuchi Fried rice, Ketchup Rice, Black sesame Chahan, Sobameshi (this is heavenly carb loading), Japanese curry fried rice.

black sesame fried rice in a skillet and a spatula

If you liked my recipe for Japanese fried rice “Yakimeshi”, please rate it and leave a comment below. Also, don’t forget to follow me on Youtube, Pinterest, Facebook and Instagram to keep up to date with all the latest happenings on Chopstick Chronicles. Don’t forget to use the hashtag #ChopstickChronicles so I see your wonderful creations!