Mayo Corn Fried Rice

By Eric Kim

Updated Sept. 18, 2024

Mayo Corn Fried Rice
Chris Simpson for The New York Times. Food stylist: Maggie Ruggiero. Prop stylist: Sophia Eleni Pappas.
Total Time
15 minutes
Prep Time
5 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Rating
5(310)
Comments
Read comments

This fried rice tastes and smells like movie-theater popcorn and is a celebration of summer corn. Fried rice without oil is not only possible, it’s delicious. In this recipe, a smidge of mayonnaise stirred into cold, day-old white rice results in separate grains. When fried, this lubricated rice toasts and browns beautifully with zero oil splatter and not using oil lets the corn shine. What you’re left with is pure-tasting fried rice, where the rice and vegetables are the stars, not the cooking fat. This smart trick comes from the chef Brendan Liew, as documented in his cookbooks “Konbini” and “Tokyo Up Late” (Smith Street Books, 2024 and 2022).

Featured in: The Simple Secret to the Best Fried Rice? Mayo and Corn.

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Ingredients

Yield:2 servings
  • 2cups cooked white rice, preferably cold and day-old
  • 1cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
  • ½yellow or white onion, diced
  • 2tablespoons mayonnaise
  • 1teaspoon soy sauce
  • Salt
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (2 servings)

435 calories; 13 grams fat; 2 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 3 grams monounsaturated fat; 7 grams polyunsaturated fat; 75 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 4 grams sugars; 8 grams protein; 709 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Add the rice, corn, onion, mayonnaise and soy sauce to a large bowl, season with salt, then stir to combine, breaking up any clumps of rice as needed.

  2. Step 2

    Heat a large nonstick skillet over high, then add the rice mixture. Cook, stirring just a few times, until the onion and corn are charred in spots, 5 to 7 minutes. Taste and add more salt, if needed. Serve immediately.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
310 user ratings
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Comments

BV

Nice recipe. I made it with brown rice, pushed it all aside to fry two eggs in the same pan at the end, and topped it with lots of green onions and, best of all, peanuts for crunch.

Your Name

Mayo is mostly oil. This is not making fried rice without oil as the intro implies. It's making fried rice with a different kind of oil. As someone who's made lots of fried rice, I can't say that mine has splattered oil. To each his or her own, though.

Jo

I like to add fresh corn to my fried rice as well except when I add corn I also like to add lettuce for some fresh crunch to balance the heaviness. Add it at the very end then turn off the fire so that it doesn’t completely wilt. Top with a crispy fried egg to make a meal of it.

eame

As one commenter said, "meh". This is nothing to write home about. I like the taste of the onion and the texture aka, crunch of the corn. Definitely topping w/ a bit of soy and some chili crisp oil elevates this dish. I wish I had some green onions, that distinctness is missing. I made this cause I had fresh ears of corn that I needed to use. But I can otherwise take it or leave it.

ALS

I had some paneer cheese that needed to be used, so I cubed and fried that first, then added it into the fried rice at the end. I thought it was a really good combination. Used fresh corn. Leftovers were delicious for lunch the next day.

Cindy C

My husband hates mayo so I subbed in butter. Worked great, tasted delicious.

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