Hot Dog Fried Rice
熱狗炒饭 (Re Gou Chao Fan)
Hot dog fried rice is a staple of many Asian American households—and proof that one can make fried rice with just about anything. Popular in Hawaii and on the American west coast, [1] hot dog fried rice is a variation of Yangzhou style fried rice, [2] substituting hot dogs for Chinese sausage. Initially born of a desire to make a familiar meal with the cheaply and widely available protein, hot dog fried rice is a hearty and comforting dish—especially when paired with that all-American condiment, ketchup!
Ingredients
4 hot dogs, sliced
3 eggs
3 cups cooked rice
½ onion, diced
1 cup frozen vegetables
4 scallions, chopped
2 tbsp ketchup (optional)
Vegetable oil
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
Fried rice is generally made from leftover rice, and we’ll be using three cups of cooked rice for this recipe. If you are making rice specifically for this recipe, 1 cup of uncooked rice will make about 3 cups of cooked rice. Make the rice on the drier side, to emulate leftover rice, and be sure the rice has had the chance to cool before using it in the fried rice. Otherwise, the freshly cooked rice will bring too much moisture to the dish, resulting in an unpleasant and mushy texture.
While fried rice is traditionally made all at once in a wok, we will not be able to replicate the high heat of a wok burner on a standard stovetop. Instead, we will use the standard approach when putting together large stir-fries at home—cooking ingredients in stages and combining at the end.
We will start by cooking the vegetables and hot dogs. Heat about 1 teaspoon vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is up to temperature, add the diced onion to the skillet. Fry the onions for about 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until softened. Next, add the sliced hot dogs to the pan. Fry the hot dogs for 2 minutes, tossing occasionally, until the hot dogs are warmed through and have taken on some color. Next, add the thawed vegetables to the pan. You can use whatever assortment of frozen vegetables you’d like, as long as they don’t have a high water content. Peas, carrots, corn, and green beans are all good choices. Continue cooking until the vegetables have warmed through, then stir in the chopped scallions. Remove the vegetable and hot dog mixture from the skillet and place it in a large bowl.
Now it’s time for the eggs. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the skillet, and while the oil is heating, beat the three eggs together. Once the oil is hot, pour the eggs into the skillet. Let the egg just begin to set, then break the egg up into small pieces as it cooks.
Once the egg is fully cooked, about 1-2 minutes, add the cooked rice to the skillet. We want to break the rice up into individual grains, and get a thin film of oil onto as many grains of rice as possible. This prevents the rice grains from sticking, and also helps the rice pick up the fat-soluble flavors in the rest of the dish. I find that the best way to do this within the confines of a skillet is to break the rice up roughly with a spatula, and then press the rice into the skillet. This maximizes the amount of oil the rice picks up from the pan, and also helps break apart any clumps of rice. To prevent burning, keep the rice moving.
Once the pressing step is complete, begin tossing the rice with the eggs for about 2 minutes, until the rice has warmed through, the grains have separated, and the egg is well distributed. Turn the heat down to low, and return the vegetable and hot dog mixture to the pan. Toss the ingredients with the rice until the vegetables are well incorporated. Continue cooking for about 2 minutes, tossing constantly, then remove the fried rice from the heat. Season to taste with salt and liberally with black pepper, [3] stir in the optional (but recommended!) ketchup, and serve.
Substitutions
You can use either white or brown rice in this recipe, as long as it is relatively dry. Short and medium-grain rice varieties work best, but long-grained rice can also be used.
As with all fried rice dishes, the recipe is very flexible—bacon, ham, bologna, or kielbasa sausage all work as substitutes for the hot dogs. Any fresh or frozen vegetable can also be added, as long as it isn’t too leafy (vegetables like spinach and bok choy won’t work well).
You can top your fried rice with toasted sesame seeds or furikake.
[1] Variations of this dish can also be found in Taiwan, the Philippines, and Guam—basically anywhere in the Pacific theatre that the United States has or has had a semi-permanent military presence.
[2] Yangzhou fried rice includes egg, vegetables, scallions, and some form of protein, usually Chinese ham or sausage. Unlike other styles of fried rice, Yangzhou fried rice does not include soy sauce.
[3] Black pepper rarely makes appearances in Chinese cuisine. This is one of the less obvious American influences in this dish.
Recipe
Prep Time: 5 min Cook Time: 10 min Total Time: 15 min
Difficulty: 1/5
Heat Sources: 1 burner
Equipment: rice cooker (optional), skillet
Servings: 6
Ingredients
4 hot dogs, sliced
3 eggs
3 cups cooked rice
½ onion, diced
1 cup frozen vegetables
4 scallions, chopped
2 tbsp ketchup (optional)
Vegetable oil
Salt to taste
Black pepper to taste
Instructions
1. Heat about 1 tsp vegetable oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the diced onion and fry until softened, about 2 minutes.
2. Add the sliced hot dogs to the pan and fry, tossing occasionally, until hot dogs are warmed through and begin to color, 2 minutes more.
3. Add the vegetables to the pan and cook for 1 minute until warmed through. Stir in the chopped scallions. Remove the vegetable mixture from the skillet and set aside.
4. Add 1 tbsp vegetable oil to the skillet, and let the oil come to temperature. Beat the three eggs. When the oil is hot, pour the eggs into the skillet. Break up the egg into small pieces as it cooks, 1-2 minutes.
5. Add the cooked rice to the skillet, breaking it up and pressing it into the skillet with a spatula. Toss with the eggs until the rice has warmed through, the grains have separated, and the egg is evenly distributed, about 2 minutes.
6. Turn the heat to low and add the vegetable and hot dog mixture back to the pan. Toss the ingredients with the rice until well combined and the vegetables have warmed through, about 2 minutes. Season to taste with salt and black pepper, stir in the ketchup, if desired, and serve.
