Do you need a quick, but satisfying lunch? Try this tuna fried rice the next time you have some leftover rice languishing in the refrigerator.
As a Filipina, I eat a lot of rice.
Oftentimes I cook a pot of rice to last us a few days.
If it’s white rice, Tobi will not eat it as he gets hungry after a couple of hours. He needs heartier rice, like brown, red or black, which I also cook often.
But sometimes I really, really need white rice.
After all, white rice is what I grew up on.
So when I make white rice, Becca and I would often have it for lunch when Tobi is at work (as with a lot of other Filipino meals, like tapa, tocino, sisig, sinigang, tinola and the like, that he doesn’t enjoy as much as we do.)
More often than not, I make tuna fried rice. An added bonus is the vegetables in it, so Becca gets something healthy-ish. She loves peas, corn, and carrots, so I often add those in. But you may add other vegetables you want as well, like bell pepper and spring onions.
And don’t limit yourself to white rice; I have made this with red and black rice as well as quinoa.
I always have canned tuna on hand, and often make tuna sisig and tuna lumpia as well.
Here’s how I make my tuna fried rice:
I even made you a video, showing how easy it is to make!
If watching videos is not your thing, continue reading for the process.
Moisten the day-old rice with a tablespoon or two of water. Separate the grains with your fingers.
In a large frying pan, heat around 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until the onion is soft and the garlic is light brown.
Add the carrots and cook until the carrots are cooked to your liking. If I have bell pepper, I also add some diced bell pepper. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Add the tuna and fry for a couple of minutes. Add more oil if needed. Season with a squeeze of lemon, if desired, and some salt and pepper.
Add the rice, peas, and corn. Mix well. Season with 2 tablespoons of toyomansi, (or 2 teaspoons lemon juice and 4 teaspoons soy sauce), salt and pepper. Mix well. Fry for at least 5 minutes, to crisp up the rice.
(For the non-Filipinos, toyomansi is a bottled sauce made up of soy sauce and calamansi juice. Toyo is Filipino for soy sauce. You may find toyomansi at an Asian store stocking up on Filipino items.)
Sometimes, I add an egg as well. To do this, scramble an egg in a small bowl. Season with a bit of salt.
Make a well in the center of the rice and add a splash of oil. Pour in the egg and cook until done to your liking. Mix well with the fried rice.
Top with green onions, if using.
Serve and enjoy.
Pin the recipe for Tuna Fried Rice here:
Other recipes you might enjoy:
Calories
Fat
Carbs
Protein
Tweety
Yields 2
Serves 2
A quick and satisfying lunch made with canned tuna, leftover rice and vegetables of choice.
10 minPrep Time
10 minCook Time
20 minTotal Time
Save RecipeIngredients
- 2 cups day old rice
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 can (180-200 grams) tuna, in brine, drained
- ¼ cup frozen peas
- ¼ cup canned corn
- 1 carrot, diced (around 1/3 cup)
- Cooking oil of choice (I used coconut oil)
- Seasonings:
- Toyomansi, or lemon juice and soy sauce
- Salt
- Pepper
- Optional: sliced green onion for topping
Directions
- Moisten the day-old rice with a tablespoon or two of water. Separate the grains with your fingers.
- In a large frying pan, heat around 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until the onion is soft and the garlic is light brown.
- Add the carrots and cook until the carrots are cooked to your liking. Season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
- Add the tuna and fry for a couple of minutes. Add more oil if needed. Season with a squeeze of lemon, if desired, and some salt and pepper.
- Add the rice, peas and corn. Mix well. Season with 2 tablespoons of toyomansi, (2 teaspoons lemon juice and 4 teaspoons soy sauce), salt and pepper. Mix well. Fry for at least 5 minutes, to crisp up the rice.
- Top with green onions, if using.
- Serve.
