Taiwanese Beef Shacha Fried Rice (20 Minutes)
Easy and delicious 20 Minute Taiwanese Beef Shacha Fried Rice is perfect for any weeknight dinner, especially after hot pot night! This fried rice is the ultimate comfort food that takes less than 20 minutes to make. It uses both thinly sliced beef and Taiwanese shacha sauce, both ingredients you might have leftover after Hot Pot night! It is savory, beefy, umami, and super addicting. Top with a perfectly fried sunny side egg to complete the dish!
Taiwanese Street Stall Beef Shacha Fried Rice
You can find Beef Shacha Fried Rice 沙茶牛肉炒飯 at many street vendors in Taiwan, especially at Taiwanese Beer Houses. It is the perfect ending to a night of stir-fried seafood and beers. I will give you a warning if you never tried or smelled shacha before; it is STRONG. I remember smelling it for the first time in grade one. I was so overwhelmed by the spices I couldn’t even stay in the restaurants! But, as I got older, I can’t resist ordering a plate everytime I smell this fried rice cooking in Taiwan.
Ingredients For Beef Sacha Fried Rice
- 1-1.5 lb Thinly Sliced Beef
- 1 cup Corn, Peas, and Carrots
- 3 cups Cooked Rice (Day Old & Cold)
- ½ Onion chopped
- 3 cloves Garlic minced
- 3 tbsp Oyster Sauce
- 2 tbsp Shacha Sauce
- 2 tbsp Soy Sauce
- ½ tbsp Black Pepper
- 1 tbsp Chili Oil optional
What Is Shacha Sauce?
Shacha Sauce 沙茶醬, also known as “Chinese BBQ Sauce” in western culture, is a Taiwanese sauce that’s a Hot Pot must-have. It is a umami-packed, slightly spicy sauce of powdered dried fish or shrimp, fried garlic and shallots, and spices in a base of oil. It has a pungent fishy smell that actually compliments beef incredibly well. As a child, this smell was so overwhelming that I had to leave the restaurant. But now, after giving it a try, I am now obsessed. It is one of my favorite condiments to have with beef!
My favorite brand of Shacha sauce and the ONLY brand that I, and most Taiwanese people know and love, is the one from Bull Head. You can find it at most Asian Supermarkets, and I also linked it on my website.
Cold Rice For Fried Rice
The key to perfect fried rice is using COLD, DAY OLD Rice. It has less surface moisture, and separates easily to get “粒粒分明“ (every grain separated), which is the golden standard for fried rice. Because shacha sauce is mostly oil-based, it doesn’t result in soggy rice as quickly, making it perfect for fried rice. Please don’t use fresh rice, or you’ll get mushy fried rice!
Before frying, I like to break the rice apart with my hands; that way, it cuts down the cooking time, and each grain will get coated in the sauce. For those that are lazy, order take out rice for $1, and fry up Taiwanese Beef Shacha Fried Rice the next day!
How To Make Sacha Beef Fried Rice
- Turn the heat up to medium-high. In a pan, drizzle in oil, and once the pan is hot, add in chopped onions. Saute for 2-3 minutes or until translucent
- Add in minced garlic and thinly sliced beef and saute together for another 2-3minutes.
- Next, add in frozen corn, peas, and carrots and saute. for 1-2 minutes
- Finally, add in rice and pour on the sauce. Saute on high heat for 2-3 minutes or until every grain of rice is coated in the sauce.
- OPTIONAL, but highly recommended, topped with a fried egg
Taiwanese Beef Shacha Fried Rice
By Tiffy Cooks
Ingredients
- 1-1.5 lb Thinly Sliced Beef
- 1 cup Corn, Peas, and Carrots
- 3 cups Cooked Rice (Day Old & Cold)
- ½ Onion chopped
- 3 cloves Garlic minced
- 3 tbsp Oyster Sauce
- 2 tbsp Shacha Sauce
- 2 tbsp Soy Sauce
- ½ tbsp Black Pepper
- 1 tbsp Chili Oil optional
Instructions
- Turn the heat up to medium-high. In a pan, drizzle in oil, and once the pan is hot, add in chopped onions. Saute for 2-3 minutes or until translucent
- Add in minced garlic and thinly sliced beef and saute together for another 2-3minutes.
- Add in frozen corn, peas, and carrots and saute. for 1-2 minutes
- Add in rice and pour on the sauce. Saute on high heat for 2-3 minutes or until every grain of rice is coated in the sauce.
- OPTIONAL, but highly recommended, topped with a fried egg
I’ve just done it and it was amazing! Definitely gonna do this again!