Schezwan Fried Rice (Indo Chinese Schezwan Rice)

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Schezwan fried rice is a zesty vegetarian and vegan stir-fried rice variant that features a bold and spicy homemade schezwan sauce loaded with healthy mix vegetables, aromatics and herbs. This popular but easy Indo Chinese recipe with step-by-step photos and video is simple to make from scratch using wholesome ingredients. I promise you’ll love this delicious schezwan fried rice recipe even more than your favorite takeout!

top shot of schezwan fried rice in a black rimmed triangular bowl with bamboo chopsticks at the side on a checkered black and white napkin

About Schezwan Fried Rice Recipe

This is a hearty, satisfying dish that is easy to make and customize to your preferences. It’s a popular Chinese-based recipe that’s been adapted around the world, and is made using a number of different ingredients and techniques.

Classic fried rice is homemade in a wok or large pan, so that everything gets a great crispy, slightly crunchy coating with a deep smoky flavor.

This schezwan fried rice recipe is completely vegetarian and vegan-friendly, and features lots of veggies and a homemade Schezwan Sauce. It can even be made gluten-free if you prepare your scratch-made schezwan sauce with GF soy sauce!

The spicy schezwan sauce is bursting with spicy and tangy flavors from dry chili peppers, garlic and vinegar.

Make the sauce up to a week ahead of using to help cut back on prep time for this fried rice recipe. Or use your favorite brand of sauce.

(Speaking of making ahead, you can even use leftover rice to prepare this dish!)

You can swap out vegetables, add different plant based proteins, use a wok or pan, include as spicy of a schezwan sauce as you like to prepare. Make absolutely the best schezwan fried rice recipe however you like!

Step-by-Step Guide

How to make Schezwan Fried Rice

Cook Rice

1. Rinse 1 cup of basmati rice or long grained rice, until the water runs clear of the starch.

Then soak the rice in water covering the rice grains up-to 1 to 1.5 inches for 20 to 30 minutes. Drain all the water and set it aside.

rice soaking in water in a green bowl to make schezwan fried rice

2. Bring 3.5 cups water, ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon oil to a gentle boil. Use any neutral tasting oil.

water with oil and salt being heated in a steel pan

3. Add the drained soaked rice.

rice being added to hot water in the steel pan

4. Simmer on a low to medium-low heat, until the rice grains are just cooked or al dente – meaning they should have a slight bite to them.

rice grains cooked al dente shown in a fork

5. Strain the rice grains in a mesh strainer or colander. Then rinse them with water, while gently moving the grains with your fingers. Drain completely.

This method stops the further cooking of rice grains and removes any extra starch.

Cover and set aside at room temperature to let the rice grains cool completely or refrigerate while you prep the veggies and other ingredients.

rinsing cooked rice with fresh water in a colander

Prep and Stir Fry Veggies

6. Chop all the french beans, carrots, cabbage finely. If adding button mushrooms, then slice or chop them. Carrots and cabbage can also be shredded.

Remember to chop the french beans very finely as they take more time to cook than other veggies.

You can also blanch the green beans first and then stir-fry. Another option is to add the beans first while stir frying and later add the other vegetables.

various chopped vegetables on a chopping board

7. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a pan or a wok. Add ½ teaspoon finely chopped garlic and sauté for a few seconds.

You can use toasted sesame oil or any neutral tasting oil for stir frying.

garlic being sautéed in oil

8. Now add all the vegetables listed below including the spring onions and celery.

  • ⅓ cup finely chopped french beans
  • ⅓ to ½ cup finely chopped carrots
  • ½ cup finely chopped cabbage
  • ⅓ cup finely chopped capsicum (green bell pepper)
  • 1 cup chopped/finely chopped or sliced button mushrooms (or chopped cremini mushrooms)
  • ⅓ cup chopped spring onion whites (scallion whites)
  • 1 teaspoon finely chopped celery – optional
veggies added in the pan

9. Increase the heat to medium-high or high and begin to stir-fry the veggies.

Keep on stirring the veggies often, until they start getting lightly browned from the edges. It took about 9 minutes for the vegetables to cook.

Note that the time will vary with the pan thickness, pan size and the intensity of the flame or heat.

vegetables stir fried

10. Now add 2 tablespoons of the schezwan sauce. You can use Homemade Schezwan Sauce or store brought sauce.

schezwan sauce added to stir fried veggies

Make Schezwan Fried Rice

11. Combine and mix thoroughly.

schezwan sauce mixed with veggies

12. Add the rice in portions and gently keep on mixing and combining the rice grains with the veggie coated sauce mixture. Stir gently as you don’t want the rice grains to break.

rice added in the pan

13. Season with salt as needed, ½ teaspoon crushed black pepper (or black pepper powder) and ½ teaspoon rice vinegar.

Tip: Swap apple cider vinegar, lemon juice or white vinegar with rice vinegar.

rice mixed and salt, pepper added

14. Mix and stir fry for 2 to 3 minutes tossing the rice so that the sauce coats each and every rice grain well.

Check the taste and add more salt, pepper and schezwan sauce if needed.

schezwan fried rice ready to be served

15. Garnish with 1 to 2 tablespoons of chopped spring onion greens and serve the schezwan fried rice hot.

schezwan fried rice in a black and white triangular bowl with bamboo chopsticks at the side

Serving Suggestions

Schezwan fried rice is great served alongside any other saucy, spicy foods. Try these other delicious veggie dishes:

It is hearty enough to enjoy on it’s own as a lunch or main dinner dish, with a salad or more vegetables on the side. I love to eat a large bowl of schezwan fried rice with simple sautéed kale and mushrooms or homemade crunchy Spring Rolls.

Expert Tips

  • Perfect Smoky Flavor: The key to any great stir-fried dish is the smoky flavor that comes from using the right stir-fry technique. This requires continuous stirring of ingredients as the dish is cooked over very high heat. The goal is to get a light brown sear on the rice and veggies, but to keep them moving so much that they don’t actually burn. Preferably it is best to use a cast iron skillet or carbon steel wok as they retain heat.
  • Prepping: Be sure to have all your sauces and seasonings prepared before you begin the stir-fry process. You will need to work quickly and keep your eye constantly on the wok or pan as you stir fry, so having everything chopped, mixed, and ready to use is incredibly helpful.
  • Al Dente Rice: The tastiest fried rice dishes use rice that is just cooked and thoroughly cooled before adding to the hot wok. Over-steamed rice will become mushy in the pan, so originally cook the rice until it is al dente.
  • Schezwan Sauce: Prepare a tasty homemade schezwan sauce beforehand and have it ready to use in this schezwan fried rice recipe. If you do not have a sauce prepared, you can use a store brought one.
  • Leftovers: Store cooled leftover schezwan fried rice in a sealed container, and keep in the refrigerator for up to 1 day. Reheat in a microwave or a small sauce pot on the stove. You might want to add a teaspoon or so of water when reheating to get the rice a bit fluffy again.

Variations

  • Swap ingredients: Feel free to substitute or add veggies like zucchini, baby corn, bok choy, Chinese cabbage, kale, spinach, fresh shiitake mushrooms, carrots, french beans (green beans), steamed corn or canned corn. Whatever flavors you like! For more plant based protein you can even include canned garbanzo beans (chickpeas) or cubes of extra firm tofu.
  • Prep the veggies however you like: This can be shredded, julienned or chopped finely. Just try to prep all ingredients so that they are uniform in size so that everything stir fries evenly.
  • More or less spicy: The amount of schezwan sauce to be added depends on the spice level in the sauce and your taste buds so please add as per your own taste. I usually prefer my schezwan fried rice less spicy than what is typically served in Indo Chinese food takeaways and restaurants.

More Indian Chinese Rice Recipes

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schezwan fried rice in a black and white triangular bowl with bamboo chopsticks at the side

Schezwan Fried Rice Recipe (Indo Chinese Style)

Schezwan fried rice is a zesty, hearty vegetarian stir-fry dish that features a bold and spicy homemade schezwan sauce. Loaded with vegetables, this easy recipe is simple to make from scratch using wholesome ingredients.
4.94 from 29 votes
Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 40 minutes
Cuisine Indo Chinese
Course Main Course
Diet Vegan, Vegetarian
Difficulty Level Easy
Servings 3
Units

Ingredients

For cooking rice

  • 1 cup basmati rice or long grained rice, 200 grams
  • 3.5 cups water
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • ¼ teaspoon oil – any neutral tasting oil

Other ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil or any neutral tasting oil
  • ½ teaspoon finely chopped garlic or 2 to 3 small to medium garlic
  • 1 or 2 spring onions (scallions) – finely chopped, reserve the greens for garnishing
  • 1 teaspoon finely chopped celery (optional)
  • 7 to 8 french beans – finely chopped
  • ⅓ to ½ cup finely chopped carrots or 1 medium-sized carrot
  • ½ cup chopped cabbage
  • cup chopped capsicum (green bell pepper) or 1 small capsicum
  • 1 cup chopped button mushrooms – optional
  • 2 tablespoons Schezwan Sauce or add as required
  • salt as required
  • ¼ teaspoon crushed black pepper or add as required
  • ½ teaspoon rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
  • 1 to 2 tablespoons chopped spring onion greens (scallion greens) – for garnish

Instructions
 

Cooking rice

  • Rinse rice very well till the water runs clear of starch. Soak the rice in enough water for 20 to 30 minutes.
  • Drain all the water and keep the soaked rice aside.
  • In a pot, bring water to a gentle boil adding salt and oil.
  • Add the soaked and drained rice to the hot water.
  • On a low to medium-low heat cook the rice without the lid.
  • When the rice becomes al dente or just about cooked, remove the pot from fire and strain the rice.
  • Gently rinse the rice in water so that they stop cooking and don’t stick to each other.
  • Cover the rice and set aside. You can even cover and refrigerate the rice while you prep the veggies and herbs.

Making schezwan fried rice

  • Finely chop all the vegetables. You can even shred the vegetables in a food processor.
  • Heat oil in a wok. Add garlic and sauté for a few seconds.
  • Add the onions, celery and all the vegetables.
  • Increase the heat and stir fry the vegetables on a medium-high to high heat.
  • More finely the vegetables are chopped, more faster they will cook.
  • Keep on stirring and tossing the vegetables continuously, so that they are equally browned and cooked.
  • When the edges of the veggies starts to become light brown, add schezwan sauce.
  • Stir and then add the cooked and cooled rice in portions. Mix and toss the rice with the veggies gently.
  • Season with salt, pepper and vinegar. Stir and toss well so that the sauce coats all the rice grains evenly.
  • Garnish with the spring onions greens.
  • Serve schezwan fried rice as it is or with a side of veg manchurian, mushroom manchurian or gobi manchurian.

Video

Notes

  1. Smoky Flavor:  Stir frying at a very high heat and continuously stirring the ingredients in the wok aids in giving a smoky flavor to the dish. 
  2. Prepping: Be sure to have all your sauces and seasonings prepared before you begin the stir-frying. 
  3. Al dente rice: Another key point is to steam or cook the rice and let it cool completely. The rice has to be cooked al dente, meaning just about cooked.
  4. Veggies: The veggies can be shredded, julienned or chopped finely. You can use a mix of veggies that you like.
  5. Schezwan Sauce: Make your own homemade schezwan sauce or use a good brand. The amount of schezwan sauce to be added depends on the spice level in the sauce and your taste buds so add less or more according to your taste buds and preferences.

Nutrition Info (Approximate Values)

Nutrition Facts
Schezwan Fried Rice Recipe (Indo Chinese Style)
Amount Per Serving
Calories 353 Calories from Fat 90
% Daily Value*
Fat 10g15%
Saturated Fat 2g13%
Polyunsaturated Fat 4g
Monounsaturated Fat 4g
Sodium 1367mg59%
Potassium 341mg10%
Carbohydrates 58g19%
Fiber 3g13%
Sugar 5g6%
Protein 6g12%
Vitamin A 2685IU54%
Vitamin B1 (Thiamine) 1mg67%
Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) 1mg59%
Vitamin B3 (Niacin) 3mg15%
Vitamin B6 1mg50%
Vitamin B12 1µg17%
Vitamin C 23mg28%
Vitamin D 1µg7%
Vitamin E 1mg7%
Vitamin K 45µg43%
Calcium 55mg6%
Vitamin B9 (Folate) 34µg9%
Iron 1mg6%
Magnesium 32mg8%
Phosphorus 121mg12%
Zinc 1mg7%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

This Schezwan Fried Rice recipe from the archives was first published in June 2014. It has been updated on December 2024.

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Welcome to Dassana's Veg Recipes. I share vegetarian recipes from India & around the World. Having been cooking for decades and with a professional background in cooking & baking, I help you to make your cooking journey easier with my tried and tested recipes showcased with step by step photos & plenty of tips & suggestions.

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58 Comments

  1. Hi! I’ve been a huge fan of your recipes ever since I discovered it about 4 years ago! I trust your recipes so much that I’m not even scared to try out something for the very first time, following your instructions :). I’m planning to try this fried rice recipe soon. Just one question- is basmati rice the best for this recipe, or would even jeera samba rice be good enough? I have tried my own fried rice recipes with the latter, and that also gives a nice flavour, which is why I’m asking. Do let me know. Thank you!

    1. thank you ambika for this lovely feedback. for the schezwan fried rice, basmati rice works well. even you can make with jeera samba rice. i have also made pulao, other variety of fried rice and biryani with jeera samba and always loved the results. welcome and happy cooking.

  2. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe. Schezwan rice served by the Chinese food outlets and restaurants is a little different in appearance.Their rice grains are so orange in color. Do they add other seasonings and food color too? Thanks.5 stars

  3. Tried this recipe, it came out great. Over the years I had many Chinese Recipe disasters. But with this recipe ( & the Manchurian veggie) I was able to break that streak. Thanks !

    1. welcome deepa 🙂 thanks for positive views. glad you finally you got the veg schezwan fried rice recipe right.

  4. Dear Ma’am, Thankyou so so much for the recipe. It was outstanding and very tasty. This is the reason why I actually love your site. It always offers the best and mouth-watering recipe. Again, thankyou so much.5 stars

  5. Hi I just had a bad day at cooking and spoilt the dish by adding too much salt, I thought I could use the traditional hack for this and add a little bit of lemon to neutralize it although I know Lemons are never a part of fried rice. Now the problem is the rice is tasting too lemony, is there anything I can do to save my hard work?

    1. hmmm. some more schezwan sauce or red chilli paste can balance the sourness of lemons. cooking disasters happen. with me too they happen especially while baking 🙂

  6. The other day I tried three of your dishes, schezwan rice, schezwan noodles and paneer chilli gravy for dinner. All three turned out superb!My family loved them all. Thanks alot 🙂5 stars

    1. glad to know this swapnil, thank you for your kind words and positive feedback. you are welcome.

  7. Tried it today.. yet to taste.. i made with the sauce available in market. Colour is not as in pictures here.. Probably the sauce from the market is not as colorful as homemade.. thank you fr the recipe..

    1. welcome sandhya. the color depends on the red chilies used. the sauce from the market does not give a deep red color.

  8. Tried it using the chings schezuan sauce, the rice was fantastic..! Hubby n me both Loved it thank you 4 stars

  9. tried it earlier this morning for husband’s lunch box. After tasting a spoonful, we ended up having some of it for breakfast too 😉 haha. Thank you for the recipe,! It’s bookmarked.5 stars

  10. Hi dasana
    I bought schhezwan sauce of Fun food brand ..but the ingredients says tomato paste ,so can I use this still for rice.
    Because u r sauce recipe has chilli. Getting confused!!
    Please help me.

    1. hema, yes you can use. some recipes of schezwan sauce has tomato sauce/tomato ketchup as a ingredient. i have not added as it makes the sauce slightly sweet.

  11. This recipie turned out to be mind blowing thnx for such a wonderful presentation all ur recipies are superb ma’am.

  12. simply superb…. it really worked out because in my house people like spicy stuff, this was spicy ….

  13. Hey dasanna ,

    I made some of your recipes m really my husband enjoyed eating them as he is fond of varieties of food. Also I like the method of explaining recipes into easy steps.

    Thnx n Regards5 stars

  14. Hey dasanna,
    I tried your schezwan rice, paneer Manchurian and paneer tikka for the new year lunch party. And I must tell you that it was awesome. Your method of cooking just made my day and everyone so proud of me for making such dish.. Thanks

    1. welcome nivedita. thanks for sharing your experience. wishing you and your family a very happy new year.

  15. Hi dasanna,
    Ur blog is too good and you explains the recipe so well. I tried many recipes from your blog. And this schezwan fried rice came out very well.. Thank you so much 🙂

  16. I tried the recipe with your schezwan sauce recipe. The taste was very good. Thank you for the recipe.

    I didn’t add sugar in sauce. Is that make any difference in taste of sauce & rice?5 stars

    1. thanks bhumika. sugar add a faint light sweetness. yes a subtle difference is there in the taste too.

  17. Hi,
    This looks yum have never tried making Chinese ever need to try .your post really makes hard work sound very easy.also the kale and mushroom looks quite good request for recipe or post on it too .also I think you are based in India so where did u get the kale from.have been searching for it for quite long.

    1. thanks purvi. i will be adding the kale and mushroom recipe. kale is difficult to get in india. i purchase a few organic veggies locally and online.

  18. Hi dassana,
    I have noticed that on several chinese stalls they cook in iron wok on high flame.. so i also bought one to give that smoky flavor…but things get burnt though it does add smokiness… am i right to use iron wok or it doesnt matter!!.. anyways the dishes you use for serving are lovable..

    1. even i have seen, monika. generally cast iron woks are a good bet. but the material should not be thin, then it will burn up the food. i have an iron kadai and i sometimes use it for stir frying. and never the food has got burnt in it. the serving dishes are a set of ceramic ware.

  19. This is my most favourite rice dish. I never seem to get that smoky flavor though, inspite of frying at high temperature. Will have to try again.
    Even I refrain from using chopper and food processor to cut vegetables. Somehow I feel that when I chop by hand, the final dish turns out better 🙂
    And looks like even you don’t use ajinomoto. I do love the taste it gives to the dish but the harm it does is hard to ignore.

    1. preeti, when we cut vegetables then the energies from us goes into vegetables and probably that makes a difference. thats why we should always cook food with love and devotion. i don’t use ajinomoto, obviously because of the harmful effects. try stir frying at highest flame and you will get the smoky flavor but at the same time stir continuously. needs lot of arm work.