Eating tasty food at home doesn't have to be expensive! This homemade shrimp fried rice costs just $2.30 per serving!
Today's #SundaySupper is all about eating on a budget. Even though the economy is (slowly) rebounding, many people (myself included) need watch their finances carefully. But eating inexpensively doesn't have to mean instant ramen.
This homemade version of shrimp fried rice costs just $2.30 per serving, and tastes even better than take-out. It's primarily a rice dish, and the shrimp is stretched by chopping it, so it appears that the dish contains more than it really does. You could bulk this up even more by adding more veggies, like peas or
The least expensive kind of shrimp is the kind that is sold with the peel on, and the vein still inside. These take quite a bit effort to prepare for cooking, since you'll need to slit open each shrimp and remove the vein. The most expensive shrimps are the peeled, deveined, cooked shrimp.
I went with the middle-of-the-road shrimp: deveined, but raw. It's quick work to pull the peels and tails off, and they cook so quickly, that this meal would be perfect for a busy weeknight. They were on sale at my local grocery store for $12.99 per pound, but since they are sold loose behind the seafood counter, I could get as many or as few as I wanted.
The remaining ingredients are found in nearly every pantry or refrigerator. And if they aren't, they're quite inexpensive to buy.
Shrimp Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 1 cup white rice
- 2 tbsp canola oil
- ½ lb extra-large raw shrimp, peeled and deveined, about 8, also known as 16-20
- ½ cup chopped onion
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- ½ cup chopped carrot
- 1 large egg, lightly beaten
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 scallions, sliced, white and light green parts only, divided
Instructions
- Cook the rice according to package directions, omitting fat and salt. Once cooked, set aside.
- In a deep skillet or wok, heat canola oil over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook until shrimp are pink and opaque. Remove from the skillet with tongs to a cutting board, and roughly chop.
- Add the onion and garlic to the pan, and saute for a minute, stirring frequently. Add the carrot to the pan and saute another 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the rice and stir to break up any clumps and incorporate with the vegetables. Add the egg and cook another minute or so, stirring constantly. Add the soy sauce and about ⅔ of the scallions and stir to incorporate.
- Scoop one quarter of the mixture per person onto a plate, and garnish with the remaining scallions.
Recipe by Food Network
Don't forget to check out the other budget-friendly recipes!
Scrumptious Mains (Breakfast and Dinner)
- Curry Baked Chicken Wings from Chocolate Moosey
- Shrimp Fried Rice from The Redhead Baker
- Spicy Marinated Steak Tacos from Nik Snacks
- Vegan Black Bean Soup from Killer Bunnies, Inc
- Slow Cooker Swiss Steak from Nosh My Way
- Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili from Peaceful Cooking
- Curry Veg Soup from Jane's Adventures in Dinner
- Easy Slow Cooker BBQ Beef from Noshing With The Nolands
- Tortelini and Cannelini Minestrone with Spinach from A Kitchen Hoor's Adventures
- Addictive Korean Beef Bowl from A Mama, Baby & Shar-pei in the Kitchen
- Five Bean Chili from The Foodie Army Wife
- Vaca Frita from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
- Chicken Pot Pie Turnovers from The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch
- Spaghetti Squash Nests with Meatballs from Curious Cuisiniere
- Chicken Meatballs and Spaghetti from Cindy's Recipes and Writings
- Cauliflower Chowder from Flavor Mosaic
- Individual Pumpkin Pie Oatmeal Cups from Peanut Butter and Peppers
- Unstuffed Cabbage Roll Casserole from Yours And Mine Are Ours
- Mac, Veggie and Cheese Casserole from Cooking Chat
- Loaded Sweet Potato Quinoa Chili from Sue's Nutrition Buzz
- Vegetable Fried Rice from Basic N Delicious
- Comforting White Bean-Pancetta Soup from The Weekend Gourmet
- Mujadara with Lebanase Salata from Take A Bite Out of Boca
- Brats and Kraut from Confessions of a Culinary Diva
- Slow Cooker "Hash Brown" Breakfast Casserole {#lowcarb #glutenfree} from Cupcakes and Kale Chips
- French Toast Pigs in a Blanket from Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen
- Gluten Free Spinach and Feta Frittata from Gluten Free Crumbley
Satisfying Sides
- Tender Whole Wheat Bread from What Smells So Good?
- Austin-Style Black Beans from The Texan New Yorker
- Buffalo Chicken Egg Rolls w/Creamy Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce from Daily Dish Recipes
Sweet Treats
- Apple Blackberry Crisp from Hot Momma's Kitchen Chaos
- Brown Sugar Shortbread from Shockingly Delicious
- Rock Cakes from Happy Baking Days
- Incredible White Chocolate Brownies from The Perfect Brownie
- Rocky Road Brownies from Wallflour Girl
- Autumn Spice Truffles from Desserts Required
- Profiteroles with Caramel Drizzle from Food Lust People Love
- Gluten-Free Pumpkin Cake Donuts from NinjaBaking.com
- Carrot Cake Sheet Cake from Pies and Plots
- Risalamande (Danish Christmas Eve Rice Pudding) from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
Sips, Spreads, and Snacks
- Pumpkin Spice Roasted Pumpkin Seeds from Hezzi-D's Books and Cooks
- Budget Friendly Wines for Budget Friendly #SundaySupper from ENOFYLZ Wine Blog
Liz says
Ooh, boy, does this fried rice look amazing!!! I haven't made any in years, but it's time to change that trend!!!
Tammi @Momma's Meals says
I love making my own fried rice! This sounds amazing!
Dorothy at Shockingly Delicious says
Mmmmm...I can taste this now, just looking at your lovely photos!
Betsy @ Desserts Required says
You are speaking my fried rice language with this recipe. I love when shrimp is included. Great tips for how to make it even more budget friendly.
Tara says
The rice looks amazing!! I haven't had shrimp fried rice forever!!
Carla says
I love Chinese food but agree it can be quite expensive! And it's so easy to make at home too. Shrimp is my favorite protein, so I don't mind splurging a bit there (plus in the end, it's cheaper to buy shrimp than to buy take out all the time)/
Laura Dembowski says
Fried rice is such a treat! Love making it at home.
Hezzi-D says
We've been making a lot of fried rice lat4ely. While I love just the vegetarian version, my husband woudl adore yours with the shrimp.
Ala says
Love the money breakdown here--we love making fried rice at home! Happy Sunday, Coleen!
Shaina says
I haven't had fried rice in ages!!! I love it with shrimp, now I'm going to have to go get it soon.
Tracy says
LOVE fried rice and have never made it at home - can't wait to try it 🙂
Katie @ The Perfect Brownie says
Well done! I need an alternative to ordering Chinese takeout. I may be addicted to spring rolls and krab Rangoon (yes, I know they don't really have crab, but I can't help myself).
Martin D. Redmond says
Your shrimp fried rice looks fantastic!
Gwen @simplyhealthyfamily says
We all love fried rice, it's such a simply meal and I usually always have ingredients on hand to toss in. Your recipe looks fantastic, thanks for sharing!
Cindys Recipes and Writings says
Never tried making this at home. Thanks for the recipe!
Julie @ Texan New Yorker says
I love that you did the price per serving breakdown (I did not.) And as I'm such a huge fan of fried rice and shrimp, I'm sure I would absolutely love your dish! Thanks for posting!
Nikki @ NikSnacks says
I love shrimp fried rice. I never make it because what I come up with never tastes anything as good as my favorite Chinese takeout. But with your recipe's help, I think I may try it again!
Tammy Northrup says
I love fried rice and yours looks delicious! Yum!
Sarah says
You can't go wrong with fried rice - it's a definite comfort food here!
Alice says
I love fried rice and I love shrimp so this is an easy choice for us! Plus we do fried rice for lunch with leftover rice often. 🙂
Carol at Wild Goose Tea says
Nothing stopping anybody from making this tasty and easy dish. I like it!
SBO says
This looks amazing, of course! And I love your creativity so keep doing what you’re doing. I like to eat a lot of shrimp.