Vegan Thai Basil Fried Rice. Thai Veggie Fried Rice with easy ingredients, marinated tempeh and basil. Vegan Glutenfree Nutfree Recipe.
This easy fried rice is a favorite to order from Thai places and also to make at home. It is full of flavor from the sauces and basil. Use up your veggies and add some tempeh, tofu or chickpeas for the protein and done.
Garlic and chilies are cooked on high heat, then veggies, then basil and marinated tempeh. For the flavor profile of oyster sauce and fish sauce usually used in thai fried rice, I use soy sauce, pineapple juice, vegan oyster sauce and molasses. Add some wakame for a fish-y flavor. Once the tempeh is cooked, toss in the rice. garnish with more basil and serve.
More Asian recipes from the blog
- Massaman Curry Veggies
- Celery Black Pepper tofu
- Pad thai
- Lentils & Veggies in Thai Peanut Sauce
- Garlic Vegetable Fried Rice
If you make something from the blog, please do tag me #veganricha on Instagram or on social media! Leave me comment on this post too.
Prep the tempeh and marinate. I made a sauce mixture of ingredients to sub fish sauce + oyster sauce. Vegan fish sauce adapted from Rika’s brilliant vegan fish sauce. Cook up garlic and veggies. Add tempeh and basil, sauces, the rice. Mix up and serve hot.
Vegan Thai Basil Fried Rice
Ingredients
For the sauce marinade:
- 2 to 3 Tbsp low sodium tamari or soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp water
- 1 Tbsp or more sugar
- 2 Tbsp pineapple juice or orange juice
- 1/2 tsp (0.5 tsp) garlic powder
- 1 tsp rice vinegar
- 1 Tbsp vegan oyster sauce optional
- 1 tsp molasses
- 8 oz (226.8 g) Tempeh cubed to 1/2 inch cubes or use Tofu
For the Fried Rice:
- 2 tsp oil
- 5 cloves of garlic chopped
- 1 to 2 hot green or red chilies finely chopped
- 1/2 (0.5 ) onion thinly sliced
- 1/2 (0.5 ) red bell pepper thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup (32 g) thinly sliced carrots
- 1/2 cup (62 g) other veggies like sliced zucchini mushrooms, broccoli etc
- 1/2 cup (50 g) chopped green onions divided
- 1/2 cup (12 g) thai basil leaves I chop these up for more flavor
- 2 cups (316 g) or more cooked rice I use basmati
- salt and black pepper to taste
- black pepper or red pepper flakes for garnish
Instructions
- If using Tempeh, steam the tempeh for 11 to 12 minutes. Drain. (optional)
- Mix all the sauce ingredients in a bowl. Add tempeh or tofu to marinate. (marinate for atleast 15 minutes).
- In a skillet, heat oil over medium high heat. When the oil is hot, add garlic and chilies and cook for a minute or until just turning golden. Add the bell pepper and mix in. Add onions, zucchini, carrots and other veggies. Cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the sauce with the tempeh. Cover and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until the sauce thickens slightly. Add half of the green onions and basil and mix in. Cook for a minute.
- Add in the rice, black pepper to taste and toss well. Cover and cook for 1-2 minutes. Add more soy sauce if needed and mix in. Taste and adjust salt and spice. Add salt if needed. Garnish with black pepper or red pepper flakes and green onion or cilantro. Serve hot!
Notes
Sauce variation: Add a tsp of mushroom flavored dark soy sauce or plain thick dark soy sauce to the marinade.
Add shredded sea weed (like wakame) for a fish-y flavor profile. Nutritional values based one serving
Sue says
October 22, 2015 at 7:56 amYum! This looks delicious. Sorry your day wan’t great. I hope today is better.
Richa says
October 22, 2015 at 8:52 amThank you Sue. Bad eye day after eye appointment 🙂 Its a better day already!
Lori Munn says
October 22, 2015 at 1:19 pmABSOLUTELY DELICIOUS and we were missing about 3 ingredients. Still so YUMMY!!!
Richa says
October 22, 2015 at 1:26 pmAwesome!!
Lori says
October 22, 2015 at 1:30 pmI made a comment that this was absolutely DELICIOUS even though we lacked 3 ingredients. Just love your recipes!!!
Just did not see my comment so reposting 🙂
Richa says
October 22, 2015 at 2:03 pmit went into comment moderation. now posted 🙂 Thanks! so glad you loved it!
Phoebe @ Feed Me Phoebe says
October 23, 2015 at 2:24 pmYUM I love some good stir-fry! Thanks for this GF + vegan recipe!
Pasha Davidson says
October 23, 2015 at 4:43 pmMade this tonight. I couldn’t find Thai basil leaves, so I left them out. Other than that I followed the recipe to the letter. The directions really helped me and it turned out so good!!
Richa says
October 23, 2015 at 5:04 pmAwesome! try it with some thai basil too!
Vanitha Sujith says
December 29, 2015 at 12:04 amThe addition of the Thai Basil makes this different from all the other fried rice I’ve made. Simple yet flavoursome!
Richa says
December 29, 2015 at 10:29 amThai basil fried rice is available in some Thai restaurants. I remember really liking it when I wasn’t vegan. This is the egg free, fish sauce free version that I make now.
Vanitha Sujith says
December 29, 2015 at 12:05 amMy new favourite herb – Thai Basil. Yummy!
Neeta says
January 12, 2016 at 5:30 amThis recipe is unbelievable, Richa!! I have made it so many times & it is better than any Thai restaurant.
You are my hero(ine)!!!
Richa says
January 12, 2016 at 10:27 amAwesome!!!!
Nina says
February 8, 2016 at 2:29 pmThis was incredible! I love the fantastic amount of garlic in this and loads of basil. So goooooood!!! We did all the veg you suggested – carrots, zucchini, mushrooms, broccoli. Thanks!!
Nina says
February 8, 2016 at 2:40 pmAnd we just did with regular basil…and was scrumptious!
Richa says
February 8, 2016 at 3:03 pmAwesome!!
Christine Baker says
February 24, 2016 at 12:43 amJust cooked this, I used to do the chicken version but since becoming vegan this is just as good.
Richa says
February 24, 2016 at 10:22 amawesome!
Marie says
May 21, 2016 at 10:20 amMy son is allergic to both soy and coming, so we can’t do soy sauce or coconut aminos. Do you think salt & vinegar would work instead?
Richa says
May 21, 2016 at 10:46 amyou can do a different sauce fries rice. like peanut sauce ? i have a peanut sauce fried rice recipe on the blog.
Nandini says
July 24, 2016 at 4:40 pmHi Richa
Was looking for a vegan basil fried rice recipe and came across your blog. I tried it and it turned out wonderfully (way above my expectations). Cant wait to try out your other recipes too.
Cheers!
kathy says
October 17, 2016 at 2:28 pmCan you think of something I can use instead of soy sauce to keep the Thai influence? I am on an extremely low-sodium diet. I know there is low sodium soy sauce, but is there anything else I could use to substitute?
Richa says
October 17, 2016 at 4:40 pmHave you tried coconut aminos? that might work for the flavor. Or some tamarind paste.
Shefalika Naik says
September 10, 2017 at 11:48 amHi Richa – love your recipes. Can you please share how I would make this in the instant pot? Thanks! Shefalika
Richa says
September 11, 2017 at 2:07 pmYou can cook the garlic onion and veggies on saute for 2 minutes, then add the tempeh along with the marinade and manual for 1 minute. Quick release and mix in the cooked rice and mix in. Taste and adjust flavor and let sit for 2 minutes before serving. You can also possibly put some soaked uncooked rice with the tempeh, but the overall flavor and texture will be a bit different from fried rie kind of dish.
SUE says
February 13, 2018 at 10:28 amThis was so good I’m making it again three days later!! It’s quick, easy and delicious ☺. Thanks Richa.
Richa says
February 13, 2018 at 2:14 pmAwesome! Yes i love this one with tofu, tempeh or whatever.
Monica S says
April 12, 2019 at 6:12 pmI was very skeptical because I’ve heard that fish sauce is key for anything “Thai”. This recipe proves them all wrong! I made this for dinner, and the whole family enjoyed it.
Thank you!
lazysmurf says
April 17, 2019 at 12:25 pmI had been looking for a vegan Thai fried rice recipe for a while and tried several, this has been the best for sure.
Richa says
April 17, 2019 at 1:21 pmawesome! thanks!
Kiran says
April 20, 2020 at 5:29 pmHi Richa,
I just made it. It was really easy and it tasted so good.
Thank you for the wonderful recipe.
Vegan Richa Support says
April 24, 2020 at 11:21 amGlad you enjoyed it!