Leftover salmon fried rice is incredibly versatile 15-minute dinner for busy weeknights! Feel free to use any vegetables you have on hand. To prevent dry salmon, add it at the very end and cook it until just heated through.

Dinner in 15 minutes is possible, if you’ve got some leftovers!! Today, we’re turning leftover baked salmon and rice into a delicious salmon fried rice!
This fried rice is super basic, yet surprisingly delicious!
How to make this fried rice:
It couldn’t get any easier than this! All you need is a large non-stick skillet (if you have a wok, great! Use that!) and a few basic ingredients.
Feel free to use any kind of vegetables for making fried rice. There’s no rule to only use carrots and peas, folks! Here I used colorful sweet peppers and sugar snap peas, because that’s all I had on hand. And they add such fantastic colors to the dish!

2 tips for great fried rice:
- Heat the skillet really well before starting. Even before adding the oil!
- Cold cooked rice is the key to fluffy fried rice. I always cook extra when I cook plain rice as a side dish. (Click here for my foolproof stovetop method cooking white rice.)

What type of salmon is best:
You can use any leftover baked salmon for this stir-fry.
Also, hot-smoked salmon is another great option, if you don’t have any leftover salmon!!
What type of rice is best for fried rice?
- Long grain white rice, such as jasmine, is my go-to rice for making fried rice.
- Basmati rice and brown rice are also good options that give great texture to this leftover steak recipe.
Short grain rice is not ideal for making fried rice, because they’re sticky. However, for a Japanese style fried rice, you can use short grain sushi rice.
Some short grain rice varieties are not suitable for fried rice recipe like rice meant for risottos or paella dishes. Best to steer clear of them for this recipe.

Leftover Fried Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
- 2 eggs
- 3 cups leftover cooked rice Note 1
- 2 garlic cloves pressed or grated
- 1/2 cup chopped bell peppers Note 2
- 1 cup chopped sugar snap peas
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2-3 teaspoons sesame oil
- ½ lb leftover salmon flaked
Instructions
- Heat a large (12-inch) non-stick skillet, or wok, over medium high heat. Add olive oil.
- Once oil is shimmering, add add eggs and scramble quickly until mostly cooked.
- Add cooked cold rice and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Stir in garlic, and then add vegetables. Cook for a minute or so.
- Then stir in the soy sauce and sesame oil.
- And finally add salmon. Mix and cook until salmon is heated though. Serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
* Disclaimer: All nutrition information are estimates only. Read full nutrition disclosure.
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