I love fried rice! And I’ve learned a thing or two from the master himself, Uncle Roger. But today, I’m trying something a little different.
We’re taking leftover smoky BBQ pork steak, roasted jalapeños, TSeared Thai red chilies, and charred green onions, then throwing something completely unexpected into the mix.
Over-the-top brown sugar-blackened carrots.
And when I say over the top, I mean it! I roasted these carrots on the barbecue with a generous third of a cup of brown sugar, a little olive oil, and salt. We’re talking hardcore sweetness, smoky flavour, and beautifully blackened edges.
Now, fried rice is traditionally a savoury dish. Sure, a little sweetness can sneak in here and there, but nobody’s expecting a mouthful of brown sugar-blackened carrots!
And that’s exactly why I wanted to try it.
Will that intense sweetness play beautifully against the smoky BBQ pork, fiery chilies, and savoury rice? Or will it completely overpower the dish and turn a perfectly good fried rice into a sugary disaster?
I genuinely didn’t know how this was going to turn out.
Hit or miss? Let’s get cooking!
Spicy BBQ Pork & Roasted Veg Fried Rice Recipe
Ingredients
Brown Sugar-Blackened BBQ Carrots
- Whole carrots — enough to yield approximately 1 cup diced
- Brown sugar — ⅓ cup
- Avocado oil — enough to coat carrots
- Salt — to taste
Spicy BBQ Pork Fried Rice
- Leftover BBQ pork steak or aqny diced — 2 cups
- Day-old cooked jasmine rice — 6 cups
- Eggs beaten — 3 large
- Green onions — 4–5 whites and greens separated
- Garlic minced — 2 large cloves
- Roasted jalapeños chopped — 2–4
- Thai red chilies — 2–4
- Brown sugar-blackened BBQ carrots diced — 1 cup (from the batch above)
- Avocado oil — as needed
- Soy sauce — 2–3 tbsp
- MSG — 1 tsp
- Ground white pepper — 2 tbsp or to taste
Instructions
Spicy BBQ Pork Fried Rice
- Prepare the Rice: Cook the jasmine rice ahead of time, cool it promptly, and refrigerate overnight in a shallow container. Day-old rice dries out in the fridge, helping the grains separate beautifully when stir-fried.
- Coat the Carrots: Leave the carrots whole, or cut them in half if necessary to fit into a mixing bowl or container. Add a little olive oil, salt, and ⅓ cup of brown sugar. Toss thoroughly until the carrots are generously coated.
- Blacken the Carrots on the BBQ or Oven: Roast the carrots on the barbecue, turning as needed, until tender and deeply caramelized with blackened edges. Watch closely to prevent the sugar from burning excessively. Allow to cool enough to handle, then dice into small pieces. Reserve approximately 1 cup for the fried rice.
- Prepare Your Ingredients: Dice the leftover BBQ pork steak, mince the garlic, beat the eggs, and separate the white and green parts of the green onions, chop the green parts. Chop the roasted jalapeños and have all ingredients ready beside the wok.
- Char the Green Onions and Thai Chilies: Heat a wok over high heat until hot. Add a little avocado oil and swirl to coat. Add the white parts of the green onions and the Thai red chilies. Stir-fry until lightly charred and fragrant. Remove the chilies first, followed by the green onion whites. Chop and combine with the roasted jalapeños.
- Stir-Fry the BBQ Pork: Add a little more avocado oil to the hot wok and wait for the oil to shimmer and smoke slightly. Add the diced BBQ pork and stir-fry until heated through and beginning to develop crispy edges, approximately 1 minute.
- Add the Garlic and Blackened Carrots: Add the minced garlic and cook briefly, about 20–30 seconds, taking care not to burn it, then mix in. Add the diced brown sugar-blackened carrots and toss with the pork.
- Scramble the Eggs: Push the pork and carrots to one side of the wok. Pour the beaten eggs into the open space and scramble until just set, then fold them into the pork and carrots.
- Add the rest of the Roasted Veggies: Add the chopped Thai red chilies, roasted jalapeños, and charred green onion whites. Toss to combine with the pork, carrots, and eggs.
- Season with MSG and White Pepper: Sprinkle in the MSG and ground white pepper. Toss everything together to distribute the seasonings evenly.
- Add the Day-Old Rice: Add the cold jasmine rice, breaking apart any clumps with your spatula. Stir-fry over high heat until the rice is hot and the ingredients are evenly distributed.
- Finish with Soy Sauce: Pour the soy sauce around the hot sides of the wok rather than directly over the rice. Toss from the side inwards, thoroughly to distribute the sauce evenly through the rice.
- Add Fresh Green Onions: Add approximately half the chopped green onion tops and give everything one final toss about for about 30 seconds.
- Plate and Garnish: Spoon the fried rice into a serving bowl, garnish with the remaining green onion tops, and serve immediately.
Notes
Final Thoughts — Hit or Miss?
Sometimes the best recipes come from throwing a few unexpected ingredients together and seeing what happens.
This fried rice was all about pushing the boundaries. Smoky leftover BBQ pork, fiery roasted chilies, charred green onions, and those ridiculously sweet, brown sugar-blackened carrots. Not exactly your traditional fried rice!
And that’s what makes cooking fun. You don’t always know how something will turn out until you taste it. Sometimes you discover something fantastic, and sometimes you learn what you’d do differently next time.
The beauty of fried rice is how easily you can make it your own. Swap the pork for leftover brisket, experiment with different roasted vegetables, or dial the heat up or down.
I’m already thinking about a Tex-Mex BBQ brisket fried rice. Now that could be interesting!
So, was this one a hit or a miss? Watch the video for my verdict, and if you give this recipe a try, let me know what you think in the comments.
Until next time, have fun in the kitchen, try something different, and come hungry!