Best Fried Rice in Houston, TX

In Houston, finding delicious fried rice is an adventure worth embarking on. Several eateries across the city offer this beloved dish, each with its unique twist and flavor profile.

One popular option is a local Asian restaurant, where you can find fried rice made with a perfect balance of fluffy grains, tender meat or seafood, and crisp vegetables. The chefs here often use traditional cooking techniques, such as wok frying, to impart a smoky, slightly charred flavor to the dish.

A variety of sauces or condiments might accompany the fried rice, adding layers of complexity to the overall taste. Another hotspot for fried rice enthusiasts is a fusion restaurant that blends Asian and Texan influences. There, you might encounter innovative combinations, such as barbecue fried rice with smoked brisket or shrimp and crawfish fried rice with a spicy Cajun twist.

These creative reinterpretations of the classic dish showcase the city’s vast culinary landscape and celebrate its multicultural heritage. For those craving a taste of authenticity, a visit to a family-owned Asian grocery store with an in-house kitchen is a must.

Here, you can find the best fried rice in Houston, cooked with care and attention to detail. Made in small batches using traditional recipes passed down through generations, this fried rice exudes homemade comfort and nostalgia. Let’s discuss all these places in detail to excite your senses.

Hu’s Cooking

Whenever I crave fried rice, wonton soup, or sesame chicken, this place instantly comes to mind. I have eaten at Hu’s Kitchen a few times, and every time, it makes me happy and satisfied.

It’s an amazing Sichuan restaurant that always gives me an unforgettable experience. As soon as I walked in, I loved the lively atmosphere and the smell of Sichuan spices in the air. The menu has lots of different dishes, each one delicious and fulfilling to the core.

I tried some things from the homemade dim sum menu. The portions were huge. The crispy shrimp egg roll is a must-try. The roast duck looks great even before you taste it. But the most surprising thing was the green bean smoothie. It has a strong flavor that’s perfect for any weather.

They have also added a new dessert, Crème Brûlée, which is homemade. I love how simple and elegant it is, and it’s so delicious. The service was also great; the waiters and staff spoke English, Mandarin, and Cantonese. If you like authentic Sichuan food, you have to visit this restaurant.

I can’t wait to go back and try more of their tasty dishes. I don’t think there is any Houstonian out there who hasn’t tried Hu’s Cooking at least once. I highly recommend that you must give it a try to taste the best fried rice in Houston, Texas. My only advice is not to have takeaways; the food always tastes the best when fresh.

Address: 2502 W Holcombe Blvd, Houston, TX 77030, United States
Phone: +1 713-660-0020

Rice to Meet You

This restaurant has been on my mind for quite a while, but I finally got to try it last week. The name, as you can see, is very catchy, so it automatically raises your expectations. The food was a pleasant surprise. They specialize in clay pot rice dishes, which have a mix of soft and crunchy rice with delicious toppings.

The restaurant is small, with about 8 tables, but it’s clean and the furniture is comfortable. I will definitely come back. I took some pictures, including one of the menu. I ordered the crazy frog leg clay pot, and it was amazing. However, a word of caution: the frog legs were chopped with the bones still in them, so you will need to remove the bones.

Also, the chicken ginseng soup had some chicken bones in it, which is part of the cooking style, not laziness. So, be prepared to remove bones before eating. Make sure to try their milk tea and fruit tea—they’re a highlight. In fact, they can run a milk tea place because their tea is that good. They use the best ingredients from Taiwan for their tea.

The place and service are also worth mentioning. If you’re craving a classic Cantonese dish but don’t feel like dining in, this is the only place in Houston where you can get it. The rice wasn’t as crispy as it would be in the clay pot, but a bit of soy sauce (which they provide) helped.

The pork rib rice noodle rolls were also very tasty. They’re stir-fried and have a nice, strong wok flavor. I’ve also tried the rice noodle rolls with braised beef, and they were just as good. The portions are big, and two dishes can easily feed three regular adults or two foodies. It is indeed the best fried rice restaurant in Houston.

Address: 9888 Bellaire Blvd #138, Houston, TX 77036, United States
Phone: +1 713-777-8838

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Timmy Chan’s

Craving Chinese flavors with an American twist? Their shrimp fried rice is my comfort meal. They also make amazing fried chicken that’s so good that it makes my taste buds happy. The food was hot when it came out! I had a small bite and felt so grateful for the delicious experience. There’s just something special about these local chicken places that always gets me.

It’s on Martin Luther King Blvd, which is known for its unique experiences. The restaurant looked old-fashioned with a 70s-style sign, and it had bars on the windows. We decided to use the drive-thru because the place seemed a bit intimidating. When we got to the window, it was bulletproof, like what you see at a bank. We ordered some dishes, paid cash, and left.

The food smelled great in the car, but when we ate it, it was just okay. Besides shrimp fried rice and fried chicken, the other dishes are quite bland. It was still tasty, maybe because of their seasoning. The portions were big, like what you would get at a diner.

People probably like Timmy Chan’s more for its reputation than its food. A quick note: This place is for cash only, so I don’t want you to wait in line for 10 minutes just to discover this. They undoubtedly cook the best shrimp fried rice in Houston.

Address: 6418 Martin Luther King Jr Blvd Houston, TX 77033
Phone: (713) 733-8289

Wokker

Here is another gem for fried rice. The food at Wokker was really tasty, although it was a bit spicy. The Chicken-n-Greens Dumplings were surprisingly good, served with fresh Plum Sauce. I suggest getting the 12 count instead of just 6. The Jalapeno Bites were also delicious, like a twist on Crab Rangoon, filled with cream cheese, garlic, and jalapenos, and served with Plum Sauce.

For my main dish, the Smoked Chicken Fried Rice was pretty filling, and it came with Kimchi and a Fried Egg, although I skipped those. The drinks are a bit pricey at $4, but you get free refills with the fountain drinks, which is nice because other places charge for each can or bottle.

The only downside is that the restaurant is underground, and there’s no elevator, so it’s not accessible to people with disabilities. Also, they only accept credit cards, and there is no cash. But they do have public restrooms, despite the sign saying otherwise.

I’ve been eating at Wokker since I started working downtown in 2019, and I have noticed that sometimes the food quality is great, but other times it’s not as good. On my most recent visit, we tried the pork belly fried rice, brisket fries, and smoked chicken fried rice. The pork belly fried rice was good, but there was less pork belly than I remember. Still, I would recommend it as the best pork fried rice in Houston. I’m even planning to check out their location in the Heights soon. This is exactly the place where Asia meets Texas.

Address: 1010 Prairie St, Houston, TX 77002, United States
Phone: +1 832-514-0035

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In a Nutshell

Cities are flooded with various Chinese restaurants, but it’s hard to find one that lives up to your expectations every visit. To save you the hassle, I created this list of best fried rice in Houston, based on my experiences with these places. Don’t forget to explore, eat and enjoy.