SPAM Fried Rice is a Hawaiian fried rice recipe that is served as a side dish and even as a breakfast fried rice in Hawaii. If you've ever wondered what to cook with SPAM, this Fried Rice Recipe is SO ONO (delicious to eat).
Serve this recipe with all of your favorite Hawaiian Food Recipes.
Over the years I've pretty much perfected this Hawaiian rice recipe. So many people that have lived in Hawaii and have had Spam Fried Rice tell me that this recipe is the most authentic one they have found.
When I moved to Hawaii my first experience with Spam (the wonder ham in a can) involved eating it on toasted white bread with ketchup and mustard.
We were staying in the military commons waiting for our housing assignment and furniture delivery from California. I was a kid, and my palate was maybe less developed than it is now. But, I liked Spam.
Find what you're looking for
- What You’ll Love About This Recipe
- Recipe Notes
- What you need to make SPAM Fried Rice
- How to cook SPAM Fried Rice
- FAQs and Expert Tips
- What is Spam Musubi?
- Hungry for more fried rice recipes?
- More Hawaiian Recipes To Try
- When you visit Hawaii there are a few must-eats:
- Spam Fried Rice Recipe - Authentic Hawaiian
What You’ll Love About This Recipe
- Authentic. This recipe is an Authentic Hawaiian recipe. I have hundreds of people tell me that this recipe is just like the kind they had in Hawaii.
- Comfort food. This spam and recipe is true island-style comfort food.
- Easy. Making fried rice is super easy and fast. It's the perfect easy dinner recipe.
Recipe Notes
It's best to use leftover rice for this recipe. So plan ahead and make sure you have some in the fridge.
What you need to make SPAM Fried Rice
- Leftover rice. Fried rice always starts with leftover rice. It should be refrigerated overnight for the best results. I like Nishiki Sushi Rice or Calrose Botan rice.
- Spam. One can of Spam. I like the original.
- Eggs. I mix eggs with a pinch of sugar and a little bit of soy sauce.
- Veggies. Frozen peas, sweet onion, carrots, fresh ginger, and garlic. Also, one bunch of green onions. Some people like to add in frozen carrots and corn.
- From the Asian section. Mirin, soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice wine vinegar.
- Optional ingredients. Sriracha or ketchup for topping off your fried rice.
How to cook SPAM Fried Rice
Step 1 - Make sure you have leftover rice.
This recipe used 4 to 6 cups of day old rice. You can adjust the rice to goods ratio to your liking.
Step 2 - Make the Sweet Egg
Mix the egg with the sugar and soy sauce. Add a little oil to a small skillet on low heat. Cover the skillet and cook the egg until it is cooked through. Then set aside and dice the egg.
PRO-TIP: If you don't want to dirty a seconds skillet, you can create a well in the middle of the fried rice at the end and just scramble the egg in the center of skillet.
Step 3 - Fry the spam
Start by dicing the spam and then frying it in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it's a light golden brown. Remove the spam from the skillet and set it aside.
Step 4 - Sauté the mirpoix
Add the carrots, onion, ginger, and garlic to the large skillet or a wok. Sauté the veggies until they are slightly soft and fragrant, about 4 minutes.
Step 4 - Add the rice
Add the rice and a little sesame oil to the pan. Sauté the rice in the oil and break it up with a spatula or wooden spoon.
Step 5- Add the frozen peas and carrots
Mix in the frozen peas and make sure they are sufficiently warmed.
NOTE: This is when you would add in the frozen peas and carrots and or corn, if you're using them.
Step 6 - Add the remaining ingredients
Remove the fried rice from the heat. Add the mirin, rice wine, and soy sauce to the pan. Mix well. Add in the spam and diced egg. Stir to incorporate. Add the diced green onion.
Serve immediately.
FAQs and Expert Tips
Use day-old rice to make fried rice.
Refrigerated day-old rice is a little bit dried out and works better when making fried rice because it can absorb the liquid from the soy sauce and mirin without getting too mushy.
Yes, Fried spam is definitely good!
You can eat it with rice and eggs. I like to add sriracha and furikake for a super yummy breakfast treat.
The only way I have ever cooked spam is by pan frying it.
Typically I will cut the spam in slices and brown it on each side. This method is best for making one of my favorite breakfasts, rice and spam with over-easy fried eggs.
Sliced spam is also used to make Spam Musubi.
To make Spam Fried Rice you will dice the spam and then brown it in a frying pan or wok.
What is Spam Musubi?
My absolute favorite Spam treat was – and still is – Spam Musubi. Spam Musubi is a thick slice of fried spam, sometimes in a teriyaki sauce. It's perched on a brick of rice and wrapped in a sheet of Nori. There are a lot of different versions, but all basically follow this formula. It's magic!
Hungry for more fried rice recipes?
My two favorite things to eat with spam fried rice is my Furikake Fried Chicken and my Spicy Asian Cucumber Salad.
More Hawaiian Recipes To Try
When you visit Hawaii there are a few must-eats:
- Shave Ice
- Spam Musubi
- Spam and eggs with furikake
- Lau Lau
- Poke
- Leonard's Malasadas
Not necessarily in that order.
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Spam Fried Rice Recipe - Authentic Hawaiian
Equipment
Ingredients
Steamed Rice:
- 3 cups Nishiki rice sushi grade
- 4 cups water
Hawaiian Mirepoix
- 2 carrots shredded or finely diced
- ½ sweet onion finely diced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger finely grated
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- vegetable oil
Da Flava:
- 1 can SPAM diced
- 2 tbsp mirin
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 16 oz bag frozen peas
- 1 bunch green onions sliced
Optional Equipment
Instructions
- Make the rice according to directions. Store in the refrigerator overnight before using it in this recipe. NOTE: Fresh rice will get mushy in this recipe. It's always best to use cold rice.
- Lightly beat eggs with 1 tsp sugar and 2 tsp of soy sauce. I usually cook this like an omelet and then dice it.
- Dice the Spam. Brown the spam in a little oil. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Add the Hawaiian mirepoix to the pan, saute until tender and fragrant.
- Add the sesame oil and rice to the pan. Mix well.
- Add frozen peas (and/other frozen vegetables if desired). Mix in and make sure they are sufficiently warmed through.
- Remove the fried rice from the from heat.
- Add the mirin, rice wine, and soy sauce to the pan. Mix well.
- Add in the Spam and diced egg. Stir to incorporate.
- Add the diced green onion.
- Serve immediately.
Laura's Tips + Notes
- Leftover rice. Fried rice always starts with leftover rice. It should be refrigerated overnight for the best results. I like a short-grain white recipe like Nishiki Sushi Rice or Calrose Botan rice.
- Spam. One can of Spam. I like the original.
- Eggs. I mix eggs with a pinch of sugar and a little bit of soy sauce.
- Veggies. Frozen peas, sweet onion, carrots, fresh ginger, and garlic. Also, one bunch of green onions. Optional: add in frozen carrots and corn.
- From the Asian section. Mirin, soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice wine vinegar.
- Optional ingredients. Sriracha or ketchup for topping off your fried rice.
Sooo good! Did not have mirin or sesame oil :(, instead sautéed the rice with butter and it turned out delicious :). Excited to try with the mirin and sesame oil next time!
Thank you so much for leaving a review!!! I am so happy to hear about your kitchen adventures. Hopefully, Spam Fried Rice will be on your regular recipe rotation from now on.
The BEST spam fried rice recipe and I know you lived in Hawaii, yours tastes just like some I had on vacation. Thanks, Laura for a go-to fave in our home.
excellent recipe, I did not have the correct rice, so I used jasmine. much better than the last spam rice I made. this one is a keeper. thank you!
Thank you for the 5 stars too!
excellent recipe, I did not have the correct rice, so I used jasmine. much better than the last spam rice I made. this one is a keeper. thank you
Thank you Rob, for the awesome review. I'm so happy to hear how much you loved this recipe! 💜 It brings me so much joy to share my food love with you.
We loved it! The family decided that spam is too salty for them (first time for them) so I'll be switching out for ham next time. Enjoyed the flavor, texture, and colors 🙂
Thanks for the review Kimber. Spam is definitely on the salty side. Ham is delicious in this recipe. You can also use chicken or shrimp.
I Love Spam and am excited to try something new. This recipe looks awesome. Question is -- can I use Jasmine rice vs the one you have listed?
Cecilia,
Jasmine rice would give you a significantly different flavor than the original recipe. This fried rice recipe is meant to use short-grain sticky rice. However, that being said, just because it turns out different doesn't mean that it won't taste amazing!
If you do give it a try, I would love to hear how you like it with Jasmine rice.
Hi Cecelia,
I’ve only used Jasmine rice for this recipe so I can’t speak to how it tastes made with Nishiki rice. My family, coworkers and neighbors absolutely love when I make it. I’m always asked to bring this for pot lucks. There are never leftovers. I’m all about using what I have on hand, and I always have Jasmine rice in my pantry.
Ok it’s official, As a former Naval Officer and world traveler. I deviated from my normal fried rice recipe. Served this one up to my family who promptly advised its was the best darn fried rice they had since our last visit to Ohahu (last year).
Thank you for sharing this recipe and some memories. Incidentally I served mine with some macadamia nut pancakes with mango compote just like we would get on the island!
Randy,
Thank you so much for the rave review! I am so glad that you and your family were able to relive your visit to Oahu! It's my goal to serve up recipes that make people happy!
Your macadamia nut pancakes sound amazing. I'd love to hear about the recipe!
💜 Laura
So Yummy just made it - they keep coming back for more!
I don't have Mirin...can I omit it or will it not taste right?
If you don't have any mirin, just add about a tsp or sugar to the rice wine vinegar. Mirin is a sweeter rice wine. A little sugar will give you a similar flavor. However, if you leave it out, this rice will still be delicious.
Such a delicious and EASY to make recipe! And right now, we're stocked up on Spam!! So this recipe is perfect!
Ive never eaten spam. After seeing this recipe im giving it a try. Thanks for giving me a new food adventure.
Michelle
I can't wait to hear how it comes out. AND how you like your first recipe with SPAM!
Lave this post! Can I quote in my blog please!?
https://google.com
Yes, definitely Angela.
All content can be used if credit is given and link to the original recipe is provided. Content should not be copied or reposted. Thank you!
I made this for a pot luck at work once and now I’m asked to make it again! It is so good and EASY to make and bring in to work.
That is exactly the reaction I always get! Thank you for sharing.
I used to eat this as a child, at my best friends Hawaiian restaurant, but never had the recipe so havent ate it in about 25 years. This recipe was perfect, it taste 100% authentic. I made for my family and they devoured it which was a surprise considering they dont like vegetable or spam...lol
Kai, I'm so glad that this recipe helped you relive your childhood. It takes me back every time. Thank you so much for sharing! And who doesn't like SPAM? LOL I'd love to know the restaurant. 😀
I loved spam growing up, haven't thought about it in years. May have to give this recipe a try, it sounds great!
Thanks, Barbara! If you haven't had spam in awhile, this recipe is a super tasty way to get reacquainted.
Now I know what to do with the cans of spam my father in law gave me!!! Recipe loooookkss so good!
I think its funny that your father-in-law gave you spam. I would love to hear the story behind that.
Thanks for linking to my recipe here. 🙂 Awesome post!