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This delicious sweet potato and rice recipe combines classic comfort food with a nutritious twist. This sweet potato fried rice is made with fresh sauteed veggies, immunity-boosting garlic, ginger, turmeric, and some fresh herbs for good measure. It’s super savory, satisfying, and simple to put together.
If you like sweet potatoes, then this is the recipe for you. Fried rice gets a little makeover with the addition of chunky sweet potato strips and slices of mushrooms. The anti-inflammatory benefits of turmeric are amplified by the addition of black pepper, which boosts turmeric’s effectiveness 1000x!
There are lots of variations for this recipe if you want to give it a plant protein boost such as baked tofu or cooked lentils. If you enjoy sweet potato recipes like this one, you’ll want to try sweet potato pasta sauce with spaghetti and sweet potato soup.
Why This Recipe Works
- It’s not your ordinary fried rice recipe! Flavored with turmeric and the addition of sweet potatoes creates a wonderful blend of flavors.
- Quick and easy enough for weeknights.
- Healthy, delicious, and wholesome ingredients.
What Goes Into This Recipe
Want to know what you need to make fried sweet potato rice for dinner tonight? Here’s what you need:
- Sesame oil: Cooking sweet potato fried rice with sesame oil layers in amazing flavors right from the start. You can use another vegetable oil but it likely will change how the dish tastes. However, if you swap it out, try adding some sesame seeds on top to add back some sesame flavor.
- Aromatics: Fresh garlic cloves and fresh ginger are essential to this dish.
- Turmeric: Adds unique flavor to this dish.
- Veggies: We will be using a combination of onions, mushrooms, and sweet potatoes.
- Rice: Use white or brown rice but make sure to cook it ahead of time and chill it if possible.
- Soy sauce: Adds salty, savory flavor to the fried rice. You can swap with coconut aminos or tamari for a gluten-free option.
- Vinegar: Choose from rice, apple cider, or balsamic vinegar when making this rice and sweet potato recipe.
- Cilantro and basil: Adding a handful of chopped herbs adds a punch of flavor to the final dish! I highly recommend not skipping it!
Love fried rice? Check out this fried brown rice recipe too!
How To Make Sweet Potato Fried Rice
- 1) Grab your largest skillet or a wok and heat one-half tablespoon of sesame oil. Add the garlic, ginger, turmeric, and red onion to the oil and cook for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- 2) Add the mushrooms and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until lightly browning.
- 3) Add the sliced sweet potato and stir to coat with oil and seasonings. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water to the pan and cover the skillet with a lid. Let the sweet potato cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until tender.
- 4) Transfer three-quarters of the veggies to a bowl.
- 5) Add the cooked rice to the remaining veggies in the skillet, along with half a tablespoon of sesame oil.
TOP TIP: A big pan is essential. You want to have plenty of room for the rice to move around and crisp up.
- 6) Add the soy sauce, vinegar, salt, and pepper to the cooking rice and stir to coat.
- 7) Let the rice and veggies cook uncovered for 2 to 3 minutes until the rice is beginning to crisp up a bit.
- 8) If you’re adding any protein, add it here to heat and incorporate it into the rice.
- 9) Add the rice and veggies from the bowl back to the skillet and stir to heat through.
- 10) Stir in cilantro or basil if using and serve immediately.
Expert Tips
- Use a large pan or wok. To get a nice crisp fried rice you want to have plenty of room for all the rice to get heated quickly.
- Cook your rice in advance, up to one day is best, and chill it. Cold rice works better for fried rice since it doesn’t become overly mushy.
- Slice the sweet potatoes thin so they cook more quickly.
- Add your favorite plant protein from the variations to make this dish heartier.
FAQs
Yep! Most definitely. They make a winning pair when cooked in this fried rice dish.
Turmeric is an anti-inflammatory spice so including it in your diet may help to reduce inflammation. It has been used for centuries as medicine in many different cultures.
Variations
There are so many different ways you can change up this sweet potato and rice recipe. Mix some of these variations in or simply add them on top of your sweet potato rice bowl.
Here are some ideas:
- Marinated tofu cubes
- Tempeh
- Cooked lentils
- Bean sprouts
- Toasted peanuts
- Peas
- Edamame
- Add some crispy tofu right at the end!
More Sweet Potato Recipes
Photos by Alfonso Revilla
Healthy Sweet Potato Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon of sesame oil divided
- 4 garlic cloves chopped
- 2 Tablespoons of fresh chopped ginger
- ½ teaspoon of ground turmeric
- 1 cup of red onion thinly sliced
- 2 cups of thinly sliced mushrooms
- 2 cups of thinly sliced sweet potatoes
- 2 cups of cooked rice (brown or white)
- 2 Tablespoons of soy sauce
- 1 Tablespoon of vinegar (rice, apple cider, balsamic)
- ¾ teaspoon of salt (or more to taste)
- ½ teaspoon of black pepper
- ¼ cup of fresh cilantro chopped, optional
- ¼ cup of fresh basil chopped, optional
- Optional Add-ins: baked tofu cubes, cooked lentils, bean sprouts, toasted peanuts, peas
Instructions
- In your largest skillet, heat ½ tablespoon of sesame oil and lightly saute garlic, ginger, turmeric, and red onion for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add mushrooms and saute until lightly browning, 2 to 3 minutes. Add sweet potato and stir to coat. Add 2 to 3 tablespoons of water and cover the skillet, let sweet potato cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until tender.
- Transfer 3/4 of the veggies to a bowl, and add rice to the remaining veggies in the skillet, along with half a tablespoon of sesame oil. (You want to have plenty of room for rice to move around and crisp up). Add soy sauce, vinegar, salt, and pepper. Stir to coat.
- Let cook uncovered for 2 to 3 minutes until rice is beginning to crisp up a bit. Add any of the optional add-ins, or leave as is. Add the rice and veggies from the bowl back to skillet and stir to heat through. Stir in cilantro or basil if using and serve immediately.
Notes
- Use a large pan or wok. To get a nice crisp fried rice you want to have plenty of room for all the rice to get heated quickly.
- Cook your rice in advance, up to one day is best, and chill it. Cold rice works better for fried rice since it doesn’t become overly mushy.
- Slice the sweet potatoes thin so they cook more quickly.
- Add your favorite plant protein from the variations to make this dish heartier.
Nutrition
Disclaimer: Although plantbasedonabudget.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Plantbasedonabudget.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
Very tasty! One of my new staple dishes because it has flavor and was easy to make. You blessed me, thank you!
Love this! This fried rice is definitely something special!
This turned out great. My add in was a cup of frozen peas. I will be making this often.
Love that addition! Bet it turned out extra amazing!
Sweet potato in fried rice! Never thought of that but it looks amazing
What a unique variation to fried rice! The sweet potatoes add a lovely layer of sweetness. So good!
This fried rice recipe is delicious … will be making it again soon!
So glad you enjoyed it! So so good!
This healthier take on fried rice is just what I needed! It’s just as delicious too!
It’s definitely a great way to mix up your usual fried rice recipe! So good!
This is the perfect recipe to make when you want to get rid of leftover veggies and rice, such a good one!
Definitely! It’s a go-to for leftover rice in our house too!
Love this take on fried rice!