Breakfast Fried Rice with Spinach and Shiitakes
By Camila ChaparroPublished on August 3, 2025
Time
30 minutes
Yield
Serves 4
Ingredients
Gochujang Maple Sauce
2 teaspoons vegetable oil 2 garlic cloves, minced2 tablespoons gochujang 2 tablespoons water 1 tablespoon maple syrup 2 teaspoons unseasoned rice vinegar 1 teaspoon sesame oilFried Rice
3 large eggs ¾ teaspoon table salt, divided2 slices bacon, chopped4 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, trimmed and sliced thin4 cups (4 ounces) baby spinach 4 scallions, white and green parts separated and sliced thin3 cups cooked long-grain brown rice, room temperature1 avocado, halved, pitted, and sliced thin1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toastedBefore You Begin
We like to make this with long-grain brown rice, but you can use long-grain white rice if you prefer; day-old grains are preferable because they’re drier than freshly cooked. All rice should be roughly room temperature before stir-frying.
Instructions
- Microwave 2 teaspoons vegetable oil and 2 minced garlic cloves in small bowl until bubbly and fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in 2 tablespoons gochujang, 2 tablespoons water, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, 2 teaspoons unseasoned rice vinegar, and 1 teaspoon sesame oil, then microwave until bubbly and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. (Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)
- Beat 3 large eggs and ⅛ teaspoon table salt in bowl until well combined; set aside. Cook 2 slices chopped bacon in 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly until well browned and crispy, 5 to 7 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to medium bowl. Increase heat to medium-high; add eggs to fat left in wok; and cook, stirring frequently, until very little liquid egg remains, 30 to 60 seconds. Transfer eggs to bowl with bacon.
- Add 1 teaspoon vegetable oil to now-empty wok and reduce heat to medium. Add 4 ounces trimmed and thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms and ⅛ teaspoon table salt and cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are tender and light golden, about 4 minutes. Add 4 cups baby spinach and cook until just wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer mushrooms and spinach to bowl with bacon mixture.
- Add the thinly-sliced whites of 4 scallions and remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to again-empty wok. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add 3 cups room-temperature cooked long-grain brown rice, and stir until combined, then spread into even layer. Sprinkle remaining ½ teaspoon table salt evenly over rice. Continue to cook, stirring frequently and pressing on rice with spatula to break up any clumps, until grains are separate and heated through, 2 to 5 minutes longer. Add the thinly sliced greens of 4 scallions and bacon mixture, and cook, stirring frequently and using edge of spatula to break eggs into small pieces, until vegetables and eggs are heated through, and mixture is well combined, about 2 minutes.
- Divide fried rice evenly among bowls. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon Gochujang Maple Sauce; top with 1 halved, pitted, and thinly sliced avocado; and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds. Serve.
for the gochujang maple sauce
for the fried rice
Time
30 minutesYield
Serves 4Ingredients
Gochujang Maple Sauce
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons gochujang
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 teaspoons unseasoned rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Fried Rice
3 large eggs
¾ teaspoon table salt, divided
2 slices bacon, chopped
4 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, trimmed and sliced thin
4 cups (4 ounces) baby spinach
4 scallions, white and green parts separated and sliced thin
3 cups cooked long-grain brown rice, room temperature
1 avocado, halved, pitted, and sliced thin
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
Ingredients
Gochujang Maple Sauce
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons gochujang
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 teaspoons unseasoned rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Fried Rice
3 large eggs
¾ teaspoon table salt, divided
2 slices bacon, chopped
4 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, trimmed and sliced thin
4 cups (4 ounces) baby spinach
4 scallions, white and green parts separated and sliced thin
3 cups cooked long-grain brown rice, room temperature
1 avocado, halved, pitted, and sliced thin
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
Ingredients
Gochujang Maple Sauce
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons gochujang
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon maple syrup
2 teaspoons unseasoned rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Fried Rice
3 large eggs
¾ teaspoon table salt, divided
2 slices bacon, chopped
4 teaspoons vegetable oil, divided
4 ounces shiitake mushrooms, trimmed and sliced thin
4 cups (4 ounces) baby spinach
4 scallions, white and green parts separated and sliced thin
3 cups cooked long-grain brown rice, room temperature
1 avocado, halved, pitted, and sliced thin
1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
Why This Recipe Works
In many cultures for which rice is a staple, it’s common to enjoy the versatile grains leftover alongside some eggs and vegetables, beans, or meat for a quick, filling breakfast (or anytime meal). We took a cue from the one-pan simplicity and endless customizability of fried rice—perfect for pulling together with precooked rice when you need a meal fast—to create a vegetable-forward take. For the grains, we chose brown rice; not only did it add a fiber boost, but the grains also broke apart easily with little clumping. Just two strips of bacon gave us plenty of smoky flavor; using its fat to quickly scramble a few eggs helped distribute the meat’s irresistible aroma throughout the dish. After cooking the shiitakes, which brought more savoriness and chew, we added fistfuls of spinach so the greens could absorb the umami of the mushrooms. We embellished each portion with avocado slices for a cool, creamy element.
Before You Begin
We like to make this with long-grain brown rice, but you can use long-grain white rice if you prefer; day-old grains are preferable because they’re drier than freshly cooked. All rice should be roughly room temperature before stir-frying.
Instructions
- Microwave 2 teaspoons vegetable oil and 2 minced garlic cloves in small bowl until bubbly and fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in 2 tablespoons gochujang, 2 tablespoons water, 1 tablespoon maple syrup, 2 teaspoons unseasoned rice vinegar, and 1 teaspoon sesame oil, then microwave until bubbly and fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. (Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)
- Beat 3 large eggs and ⅛ teaspoon table salt in bowl until well combined; set aside. Cook 2 slices chopped bacon in 14-inch flat-bottomed wok or 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat, stirring constantly until well browned and crispy, 5 to 7 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer bacon to medium bowl. Increase heat to medium-high; add eggs to fat left in wok; and cook, stirring frequently, until very little liquid egg remains, 30 to 60 seconds. Transfer eggs to bowl with bacon.
- Add 1 teaspoon vegetable oil to now-empty wok and reduce heat to medium. Add 4 ounces trimmed and thinly sliced shiitake mushrooms and ⅛ teaspoon table salt and cook, stirring frequently, until mushrooms are tender and light golden, about 4 minutes. Add 4 cups baby spinach and cook until just wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer mushrooms and spinach to bowl with bacon mixture.
- Add the thinly-sliced whites of 4 scallions and remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to again-empty wok. Cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add 3 cups room-temperature cooked long-grain brown rice, and stir until combined, then spread into even layer. Sprinkle remaining ½ teaspoon table salt evenly over rice. Continue to cook, stirring frequently and pressing on rice with spatula to break up any clumps, until grains are separate and heated through, 2 to 5 minutes longer. Add the thinly sliced greens of 4 scallions and bacon mixture, and cook, stirring frequently and using edge of spatula to break eggs into small pieces, until vegetables and eggs are heated through, and mixture is well combined, about 2 minutes.
- Divide fried rice evenly among bowls. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon Gochujang Maple Sauce; top with 1 halved, pitted, and thinly sliced avocado; and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds. Serve.
for the gochujang maple sauce
for the fried rice
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