Steak and Asparagus Fried Rice (With Whole30 Option)

Steak fried rice is a delicious way to make use of leftover steak. Toasted fried rice is tossed with juicy steak strips and tender asparagus for an easy one-pot dish that’s ready in just 30 minutes.

Easy Steak Fried Rice

I get my love for fried rice (by which I mean any type of rice fried up) from my dad. That man can turn a bowl of rice and some seasoning into deliciousness in no time at all! I created this steak and asparagus fried rice while trying to repurpose some leftovers for dinner after one of my husband’s grilling sessions (I season all the meat and he grills)!

We had leftover steak, sausage, asparagus, and some other grilled veggies. I cooked rice and added the leftovers to it and viola! I’ve finessed the recipe into a dish that doesn’t require leftovers but just know that you can do so much more with leftovers than just serving them as is.

Why You’ll Love This Steak Fried Rice Recipe

• Better at Home: Skip the hibachi or even takeout because you can make restaurant-quality steak and fried rice from the comfort of home!
• Convenient: This is an affordable meal that can be made using leftover rice and steak. It’s also a great way to use up produce in your refrigerator before it goes bad.
• Versatile: Prepare fried rice with leftovers, or make it entirely from scratch. Swap any of the veggies, add sauce, or make it Whole30 compliant. There are so many ways to customize this recipe.

Steak Fried Rice Ingredients

What I love most about fried rice is how adaptable the recipe is. So if there’s a listed ingredient that you don’t have or don’t want to use, there is something else to substitute it with!

• Jasmine rice: Jasmine rice is perfect for making fried rice. If you’ve never used it give it a try, you won’t regret it. It doesn’t clump together like short-grain rice.
• Rib-eye steak: This premium cut of beef is known for its rich flavor, tenderness, and marbling.
• Seasoning: The first thing I do when preparing this dish is season my steak. I LOVE McCormick’s Montreal Steak. It’s what I put on steaks when I want a simple but flavorful steak. Add onion powder and garlic powder when preparing the rice.
• Soy sauce: This adds mouthwatering umami flavor.
• Asparagus: Be sure to get the really skinny asparagus, it will make a difference in whether it stays crunchy or not. Cut them into 2-inch pieces.
• Carrots: Julienned and cut into 2-inch pieces.
• Green onions: Chopped and separated (white part from green part).
• Fresh ginger: Peeled and chopped ginger adds an aromatic quality to the rice.
• Orange bell pepper: Julienned and cut into 2-inch pieces.
• Brown sugar: Balance out the savory flavors by adding a touch of sweetness.
• Olive oil: Use some for the steak and the rest for the rice.

See recipe card for quantities.

How to Make Steak Fried Rice

Preparing the Steak

For this dish, I use a lovely piece of ribeye steak, which is my steak of choice. I season the steak and add olive oil. I let this sit for about 15 minutes while I prep everything else.

Rice Cauliflower and Jasmine Rice

Warm about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pot large enough for cooking rice. Then add the rice, soy sauce, garlic powder, onion powder, and about 3 cups of water. I don’t add salt because there will be plenty of salt in the soy sauce and steak seasoning.

To cook the rice, bring it to a boil then reduce the heat to low and let it steam until the rice is fully cooked. Then fluff the rice up with a fork. Follow the directions on the back of the rice to know how much liquid you will need to cook the rice as this may vary depending on the brand. You could probably also cook your rice in a rice cooker if you have one.

When on Whole30, I use riced cauliflower or frozen cauliflower. I detail why I prefer frozen over fresh cauliflower rice in this Chicken Fried Rice Recipe.

Bring on the Veggies

Next, prep your veggies. I use half a bunch of asparagus and cut it into 2-inch pieces, after slicing off the thick, hard part of the stems at the bottom. Then I julienne 2 carrots and cut them into 2-inch pieces. I also julienne an orange bell pepper and cut them into 2-inch pieces too.

Then, I chop my green onions into small pieces and cut the green stems into diagonal pieces, because I’m fancy like that. Finally, I peel and chop the ginger into 1-inch pieces (2-inch pieces of ginger would be a bit too much). If you don’t love biting into pieces of ginger (the way I do), you can grate it or chop it up into tiny pieces.

To cook the steak, I use my trusty cast iron skillet, but a large frying pan will work just as well. Warm 2 tablespoons of olive oil with medium heat. When really hot, add the steak. I cook the steak for about 4 minutes on each side so that it can be medium (it will cook some more when I add it to the veggies and I don’t want it to overcook). When it has cooked for a total of about 8 minutes, remove it from the heat and let it rest for 10 minutes on a cutting board, before cutting it into strips that are about 2 inches in length.

Bring it together

Add the chopped veggies (reserving the green parts [stems[ of the green onions, for later) to the same pan you used to cook the steak. The pan juices make your veggies tastes even better! Then add a tablespoon of brown sugar and a tablespoon of soy sauce. I sautéed the veggies for about 5 minutes, tossing them around every minute or so in order to avoid burning.

Next, add the steak to the cooked veggies. Let that sauté for a few minutes, then add rice and the cut green onion stems. I tossed it all together until the rice, meat, and veggies were mixed well together. Finally, I sautéd (fried up) the rice mixture for an additional 3 to 5 minutes. The end results were simply delicious! I hope you give this dish a try the next time you feel like spicing up your fried rice!

Making Steak Fried Rice Whole30 Compliant

When on Whole30 I skip the soy sauce and brown sugar and use a compliant coconut aminos teriyaki sauce instead. I’ve even started doing this when not on a round, as I am trying to be mindful of soy and refined sugar in my diet.

Storage

Store leftover fried rice in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat it in the microwave or on the stove over medium heat.

Tips for the Best Steak Fried Rice

• Cut all the veggies roughly the same size so they can cook at an even rate. I use a mandolin slicer for my carrots and peppers. Those things are the best kitchen tools for perfectionists!
• I cooked this meal in a cast iron skillet but you can also use a wok. That’s the tool most fried rice recipes use but any large pan will do.
• Make sure the pan isn’t overcrowded. If too much is in the pan, the ingredients won’t cook evenly. Some portions may burn or be overcooked while others are undercooked.
• Using precooked day-old rice is perfect for this recipe. It’s not necessary but it’s a great shortcut. The rice has less moisture so they toast up beautifully in the pan for extra flavor and texture.

How to Make this Steak Fried Rice Recipe Whole30

When I am on a Whole30 round and craving some of my family’s favorite meal I just swap out noncompliant ingredients with compliant ones and enjoy the same flavorful meal as when not on a round. Check out these pointers then scroll to the bottom of the page for a Whole30 Cauliflower Steak Fried Rice recipe.

• Seasoning: McCormick’s is Whole30 compliant. It is gluten free and all of the listed ingredients are compliant. But if you want to make your own steak rub, try making a teriyaki steak marinade. I season my steak with coarse salt, granulated garlic, ground ginger, Chinese 5 Spice, and Whole30-compliant Teriyaki sauce.
• Rice: This recipe is one of those that I’ve adjusted to be Whole30 compliant just by swapping rice with riced cauliflower
• Sauce: Use compliant teriyaki sauce instead of soy sauce and sugar.
• Oil: Instead of olive oil, you can use sesame oil. It adds a subtle nutty, toast taste that complements the soy and ginger.

Recipe Variation

• Cut of Steak: You can use flank steak or sirloin steak as substitutes if necessary.
• Vegetables: Feel free to add more veggies or swap any of the listed ones for other vegetables like corn, peas, or mushrooms. You can also use frozen mixed vegetables if that’s what you have.
• Egg: Add some protein by mixing scrambled eggs into the steak fried rice.
• Spicy: Add red pepper flakes or sriracha for a kick of heat.

Frequently Asked Questions

Whole30 Cauliflower Steak Fried Rice

The Whole30 Cauliflower Steak Fried Rice Recipe: