Bagoong Fried Rice is a delicious fried rice with umami-rich sautéed shrimp paste and aromatics. This dish is easy to whip up in under 20 minutes, perfect for a quick and satisfying dinner.
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What is Bagoong Fried Rice?
Bagoong Fried Rice, also called Binagoongan Fried Rice, is a flavorful dish that combines rice with bagoong alamang, a savory shrimp paste. It is super flexible, so you can easily adjust the ingredients to suit your taste.
While it might remind you of Thai shrimp paste fried rice, Filipino bagoong fried rice is usually simpler and really lets the bagoong's bold flavor shine through without too many extra ingredients.
Ingredients you'll need
Notes and substitutions
- Rice: For bagoong rice, long-grain white rice like Jasmine or Basmati works best. These varieties are drier and hold their shape well. While you can use different types of rice, try to avoid very sticky ones. Day-old or leftover rice from your fridge is perfect because it's drier and less likely to turn mushy when stir-fried. If you're working with freshly cooked rice, spread it out on a tray to let it cool and dry slightly, achieving a texture closer to that of day-old rice.
- Chinese sausage: A dried, hard sausage made with pork and pork fat, seasoned with soy sauce, sugar, and various spices. It has a sweet and savory flavor and a firm, slightly chewy texture. If unavailable, you can practically use any type of protein, like Spam, tocino, tapa, chorizo or other sausages, and leftover cooked meats.
- Sautéed shrimp paste: This is also known as ginisang bagoong alamang, made with small shrimp or krill that have been salted, fermented, and then sauteed with aromatics and seasonings. Start off with just a little and then tweak to suit your taste. Its intense flavor means a little goes a long way.
How to make this recipe
Step 1: Fluff the rice
Fluff your day-old rice with a fork to separate the grains and get rid of any clumps. If you're starting with freshly cooked rice, just spread it out on a tray and let it cool for a bit. This step helps keep the rice from turning mushy when you stir fry it.
Step 2: Brown the sausage
In a large skillet or wok, cook the sausage pieces over medium heat until they start to brown a bit. Watch them closely since the sugar in the sausage can caramelize and burn quickly.
Once they're nicely browned, either take them out of the skillet or move them over to the side of the wok.
Step 3: Sauté the aromatics
If needed, add a little more oil into the frying pan, then sauté the garlic and onion until softened.
Step 4: Add the shrimp paste
Stir in the sautéed shrimp paste and heat it through for about a minute, mixing it with the aromatics.
PRO TIP: Start with a small spoonful of shrimp paste, and add more as needed. Its flavor is quite intense, so you won't need much.
Step 5: Add rice and sausage
Toss in the rice and sausage pieces, mixing them into the sautéed ingredients at the bottom of the pan to combine everything well.
Step 6: Combine and season
Cook until everything is thoroughly heated through and well combined. Season with salt and ground pepper to taste, then turn off the heat.
Serve your Bagoong Fried Rice with optional garnishes like scrambled eggs cut into thin strips, cilantro, cucumber, tomatoes, or green mango slices.
Recipe FAQs
While day-old rice is best for its drier texture, you can definitely use freshly cooked rice. Just spread it out to cool and slightly dry before using, to prevent the fried rice from becoming mushy.
If you don't have sautéed shrimp paste or ginisang bagoong alamang, you can try anchovy paste or fish sauce as alternatives. However, keep in mind that these substitutes will change the authentic taste of the dish.
Filipino dishes with shrimp paste
- Pork Binagoongan: Pork sautéed until golden brown and simmered in bagoong alamang.
- Kare-Kare: A stew typically made with oxtail, simmered in a peanut sauce with annatto, served with a side of bagoong alamang.
- Pinakbet: A vegetable stew with bitter melon, eggplant, okra, squash, and yardlong beans, seasoned with bagoong alamang.
- Ensaladang Talong: A refreshing salad of grilled eggplant, tomatoes, and onions, dressed with vinegar and bagoong alamang.
- Ensaladang Mangga: Mango salad with onions and tomatoes, often mixed with sautéed shrimp paste.
- Bagoong Guisado: Shrimp paste sautéed with aromatics, served as a condiment or side dish.
- Laing: Taro leaves simmered in coconut milk and bagoong alamang, often with chili peppers.
Other rice recipes you may like
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📖 Recipe
Bagoong Fried Rice Recipe
Equipment
- Wok, large skillet, or sauté pan
Ingredients
- 4 cups day-old rice see note
- 2 Chinese sausage links small-diced; see note
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- ½ onion finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons sautéed shrimp paste (ginisang bagoong alamang) see note
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional garnishes: scrambled eggs, green onions, cilantro, cucumber slices, chopped tomatoes, sliced mangoes
Instructions
- Break up the day-old rice with a fork to separate the grains and make sure it is free of lumps. If you're using freshly cooked rice instead, spread it out on a tray and allow it to cool for a few minutes. This helps to prevent the rice from becoming mushy when fried.
- Cook the sausage pieces over medium high heat until they are lightly browned. Once browned, remove them from the skillet and set aside.
- Add a bit more oil if necessary, then sauté garlic and onion until they are softened.
- Stir in the sautéed shrimp paste and heat it through for about a minute, mixing it with the aromatics.PRO TIP: Use a small amount of sauteed shrimp paste first, then add more if needed. Its flavor is quite strong, so a little goes a long way.
- Add the rice and sausages, then toss to combine with the sautéed mixture. Cook until everything is thoroughly heated through and well combined. Turn off the heat.
- Serve your Bagoong Fried Rice with optional garnishes like thinly sliced scrambled eggs, scallions, cilantro, cucumber, tomatoes, or mangoes.
Notes
- Rice: For bagoong rice, long-grain white rice like Jasmine or Basmati works best. These varietiess are drier and hold their shape well. While you can use different types of rice, try to avoid very sticky ones. Day-old or leftover rice from your fridge is perfect because it's drier and less likely to turn mushy when stir-fried. If you're working with freshly cooked rice, spread it out on a tray to let it cool and dry slightly, achieving a texture closer to that of day-old rice.
- Chinese sausage: A dried, hard sausage made with pork and pork fat, seasoned with soy sauce, sugar, and various spices. It has a sweet and savory flavor and a firm, slightly chewy texture. If unavailable, you can practically use any type of protein, like Spam, tocino, tapa, chorizo or other sausages, and leftover cooked meats.
- Sautéed shrimp paste: This is also known as ginisang bagoong alamang, made with small shrimp or krill that have been salted, fermented, and then sauteed with aromatics and seasonings. Start off with just a little and then tweak to suit your taste. Its intense flavor means a little goes a long way.
Dennis says
Delicious! Thanks for the recipe.
Nora Reyes says
Hi Dennis! Thank YOU!!!