Filipino Garlic Fried Rice | Sinangag

This filipino garlic fried rice is a favorite for breakfast! You can eat this on the side any time of day really, but this is most enjoyed at the start of your day. Easy, garlicy, and delicious!

Filipino garlic fried rice is hands down a favorite for us! If this is something we have for breakfast, it’s already a good day!

With a sunny side-up egg and corn beef or tocino on the side, this is the perfect pairing and quick to make. There is very little ingredients that go into garlic fried rice, so this recipe is ideal for anyone and is so much better than regular white rice.

Once you learn how to make this, the combinations are endless and is another item you can add to your breakfast menu.

This post will go over everything you need to know to create this filipino garlic fried rice.

Recipe difficulty: Extra Beginner
There are only 5 ingredients in this recipe and you’re done! Nothing is complicated in making this garlic fried rice! I’ll also share some tips on making rice if you don’t have a rice cooker!

Sam’s Pro Tips for this Filipino Garlic Fried Rice

• How to make the perfect rice? So no joke, I did not grow up with a rice cooker! We have always made our rice stove top. People are usually surprised when I say this, but there was no need! My mom always cooked the perfect rice, that there wasn’t a need to buy another appliance. The trick with rice is not to rush it! After you wash your rice, put the rice in a saucepan over medium heat. Your water level should not be more than your fingertip above the rice. Let the rice cook until the water is nearly gone. Once the water is almost gone, lower the fire to the lowest setting and cover. The steam in the pan will continue to cook the rice. Turn the fire off after about 3-4 minutes. It is so easy! Honestly, when I was first learning it did take me a couple tries but once you know the process, you won’t forget! My husband now even cooks rice this way after he learned!

• What are some time save options? You can use leftover rice, which makes this garlic fried rice recipe a breeze. Another option is to buy the garlic cloves already peeled. This garlic fried rice recipe uses a whole head of garlic, so having the garlic cloves already peeled is a huge help! My mom has a quick trick for mashing the garlic all at once! Put the peeled garlic in a Ziploc or sandwich bag, and smash it all together with a meat tenderizer. Literally takes like two minutes! You end up with some smaller pieces than others, and it gives the garlic rice a nice variety.

Key Ingredients – Filipino Garlic Fried Rice

Below are some key and optional ingredients for this recipe:

• Jasmine rice: So I only use Jasmine rice for filipino garlic fried rice. I have never tried to make this with another kind of rice. Jasmine rice is a long-grain rice and cooks beautifully on stove stop as discussed in the Pro Tips section above. I would recommend this kind as I’m not sure instant rice or another kind of rice will yield the same flavor and consistency. When cooking the rice, also try to make sure it’s not mushy as you will get weird clumps when you try to stir fry it.

• Garlic: A whole head of garlic is used for 1.5 cups of rice. This ratio gives the perfect balance and will not over flavor the rice. I love buying garlic cloves already peeled as it’s such a time save. One garlic head will usually yield 10-15 cloves of garlic. By using a meat tenderizer to smash the garlic cloves in a bag, you get a different variety of sizes which I like in the rice.

• Olive oil: I think of olive oil as your glue in this recipe. I know that kind of sounds weird, but by coating the rice with the olive oil is what makes all the flavor stick to the rice. The oil also gives the rice the right consistency in the pan when it’s sautéed with the garlic.

• Salt and Pepper: The quantity I use can definitely be adjusted, but 1) I find that it’s so easy to remember and 2) the ratio tastes really good with the garlic fried rice. So my ratio is 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon ground pepper. I find this works the best with this garlic fried rice recipe and gives the rice so much flavor. Please feel free to adjust according to preference, but this is how we like it!

• Optional – Add a scrambled egg: You can add other toppings you want, but I have seen this recipe with an egg scrambled in. Typically, when serving garlic fried rice, sunny-side up eggs are already on the side. However, if you want more egg this could be an option. While the garlic is still cooking, scramble the egg in and cook before adding the rice. This will give you some nice bigger pieces than breaking the eggs on top of the rice. Also, not sure if this happens to you too, if I try to cook the eggs after breaking it on top of the rice, I feel like it makes my rice mushy. So if using, cook the egg before!

More Variations to this Recipe

There are a few ways you can variate this filipino garlic fried rice. Here’s how:

• Variate the ingredients: There are so many ways you can change this dish! The way I listed is the most traditional, but you can use another type of oil besides olive oil, or include peas, soy sauce, butter, or any other topping you will like. I just like to keep it simple, so I don’t really add anything else.

• What can I pair with this dish? Remember how I said earlier garlic fried rice is usually eaten with breakfast? Commonly, you can have garlic fried rice with egg, tocino, spam, corn beef, and more! These are just some of the favorites. It’s the perfect combination with a sunny side-up egg and meat of your choice. So yummy! For more favorite filipino food, check out our Filipino Bistek as a main dish!

• Filipino Bistek Recipe | Steak and Onions
• 13 Clove Creamy Garlic Chicken Recipe That is Super Easy
• Best Shrimp Scampi Recipe with Pasta
• Juicy Bacon Pork Chops with Apples

Frequently Asked Questions

How to make garlic fried rice filipino style?

Only 5 ingredients needed for filipino garlic fried rice: cooked rice, a head of garlic, olive oil, salt and pepper.

How long is rice good for after cooking?

Rice usually stays fresh for 3 days in the refrigerator.

What rice is good for fried rice?

Long-grain rice is good for fried rice, such as Jasmine rice.

How many cloves does a head of garlic have?

Depending on the size of the garlic, there are about 10-15 cloves.

This post was all about how to create this filipino garlic fried rice.

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