Super easy spam garlic fried rice Filipino style! Loaded with garlic, spam, herbs, and spices, this spam fried recipe will be a favorite for anyone! Also includes an optional vinegar-based sauce on the side to spoon over the rice!
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Garlic fried rice is a traditional favorite in Filipino cuisine, but spam garlic fried rice takes this beloved dish to a whole new level!
The spam mixed with the garlic, egg, herbs, and chili spices is so addicting, that you will have no problem eating this Filipino spam fried rice by itself!
As a bonus in this recipe, we love spooning our vinegar-based sauce over the rice when serving that makes eating 1½ cups of rice so easy to do in one sitting! (I know, right? Two people can totally eat 1½ cups of this spam rice without realizing!)
This post will go over everything you need to know to create this spam garlic fried rice.
Recipe difficulty: Toss and serve beginner level
There are many Filipino spam recipes, but you literally cannot go wrong with this recipe! The beauty of fried rice is you can toss in whatever you want, and the flavors will all come together. No need for perfect cutting or dicing as the different shapes makes this dish mouth-watering. The prep work for the spam rice and eggs will be where most of your time is spent, rather than the actual cooking of the recipe. So good!
Sam’s Pro Tips for this Spam Garlic Fried Rice
The Perfect Rice
- How to make the perfect rice? This tip is very similar to our Filipino Garlic Fried Rice Recipe. 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! You can also use a rice cooker or an instant pot to cook the rice, just follow the directions for the appliance.
When to Mix?
- Don’t mix the eggs on top of the rice! This is a tip I know I found out the hard way! If you try to scramble the eggs on top of the rice, it makes the rice mushy! The spam rice and eggs become very hard to fix at this point! Scramble the eggs in the pan after the spam is cooked and removed for the best flavor, as the eggs will absorb some of the flavor from the spam. Don’t try to rush it and mix it all together!
- Make sure to fully mix everything together for the flavor to develop! After the oyster sauce, chili sesame oil, and pepper is added, mix everything together thoroughly so that the rice is evenly coated. You’ll see the rice darken to a light brown color after mixing and every grain of rice browned and separated. This ELECTRIC SKILLET makes it super easy to toss your ingredients together. You have room to toss and maneuver without making a mess in your kitchen!
Time Save Options
- What are some time save options? Use leftover Jasmine rice if you made a whole pot of rice! Another option is to buy the garlic cloves already peeled. For mashing the garlic all at once, put the peeled garlic in a Ziploc or sandwich bag. Then 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 spam garlic rice a nice variety.
Key Ingredients – Spam Garlic Fried Rice
Below are some key and optional ingredients for this recipe:
Rice
- Jasmine rice: So, I usually only make my spam garlic fried rice with Jasmine rice. I have never tried it with another type of rice! Jasmine rice is a long-grain rice, very common in Asian spam recipes. Make sure to cook the rice evenly and not mushy, as you will get unattractive clumps when making this spam fried rice recipe.
Toppings
- Spam: Only one can of Spam is needed for 1½ cups of rice mixed with the seasoning and other ingredients. You can use Lite Spam if you wish, but get the real deal! Don’t try to get the generic version of Spam as the flavors in this recipe work best with the actual thing!
- Eggs: Love fried rice recipes with scrambled eggs! Three scrambled eggs will be mixed with the rice and spam to add to this dish! Make sure to cook the eggs in the same pan you cooked the spam in for the eggs to absorb some of the flavor from the spam.
- Garlic: One whole head of garlic will be used! This is very similar to the Filipino Garlic Fried Rice recipe. Fresh garlic works the best in this recipe and gives the rice so much flavor! As discussed in the Tips section, mash the garlic in a Ziploc bag to get a mix of crushed and whole pieces to toss with the rice.
- Green onion: The green onion is added as the last step. Totally adds a level of freshness and vibrant color to the spam garlic fried rice! The green onion will simmer in the spam rice on the low setting for only 5 minutes so that it’s not overly crunchy.
Condiments and Spices
- Chili sesame oil: One of my favorite condiments! Definitely adds a little kick to this dish, and since this is oil-based, the chili sesame oil will help coat the rice to absorb all that flavor! Start with one tablespoon and then season to preference. I totally always add a lot more at the end for that chili flavor!
- Oyster sauce: We love using oyster sauce in this Filipino spam recipe as the oyster sauce is both tangy and sweet! It complements the saltiness of the spam perfectly and only a tablespoon is needed!
- Pepper: Surprised? This is the only seasoning I use in my garlic rice! Pepper the rice to preference, and you will have a perfectly seasoned rice that is very economical.
Vinegar Sauce (Optional)
- Vinegar: We use the Datu Puti Cane Vinegar in this sauce! This will give that kick because of the acidity and taste great with the rice.
- Garlic: And even more garlic is added! Only one clove minced is added to the vinegar for added flavor.
- Hot sauce: Put a couple drops of your favorite hot sauce into the vinegar and mix well! So much spice!
- Pepper: And even more pepper is added! Everything combined in the sauce and served with the spam garlic fried rice is super delicious!
More Variations to this Recipe
There are a few ways you can variate this spam garlic fried rice. Here’s how:
- Use soy sauce instead of oyster sauce. If you don’t have oyster sauce, or would rather use soy sauce, switch out the measurements provided for the oyster sauce with the soy sauce. You definitely don’t need both as this spam rice and eggs will become overly salty.
- Add pineapple chunks: To turn this Filipino style spam rice to Hawaiian spam fried rice, try adding drained pineapple chunks for added sweetness. If you tried this option, let me know in the comments below!
- What can I pair with this dish? The beauty of this spam garlic fried rice is you can eat this at anytime of day! Breakfast, lunch, or dinner! Serve with a sunny side up egg or even more spam on the side! Such a favorite comfort food!
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If you loved this recipe, check out our 20-Minute Shrimp and Pineapple Fried Rice with Sriracha for your next fried rice recipe!
Frequently Asked Questions
What can I do with a can of Spam?
There are so many options with Spam! Try it mixed with rice, in a sandwich, or even in a musubi.
How long does spam garlic fried rice last?
Spam garlic fried rice lasts 3-4 days in the refrigerator for optimal flavor.
Can you eat Spam with rice?
Yes! Season the rice with your favorite seasonings and herbs and add the cubed spam.
Greg says
Not a big fan of spam but this is actually is one of my favorites!! You’ve got to try it!
sam says
It’s the best!