My son and I had our morning walk and dropped by the library this morning. I didn’t notice the time, and before I knew it, it was already past 11.
Then I got a message from my husband, he was heading home for lunch. It’s early Autumn and the cool weather made our walk extra cozy. His office is just a 15-minute walk from our place, so we’ve gotten used to these surprise lunches together.
I didn’t have time to overthink lunch, so I went for my go-to pantry buddy: canned salmon. I opened the freezer and pulled out chopped spring onions, some imitation crab sticks, and leftover rice (because as Asians, we always have leftover rice, right?).
I honestly can’t stress enough how much of a lifesaver frozen chopped veggies are. I buy spring onions in bulk, chop them all up, and stash them in the freezer. It makes quick meals like this so doable.
From chopping to serving, this fried rice came together in under 20 minutes and the kitchen smelled so good, my husband thought I made something fancy!
What you’ll need
- 2 cans of salmon (1 smoked, 1 in olive oil)
- 1 small white onion, chopped
- A handful of chopped spring onions (fresh or frozen)
- 3–4 sticks of imitation crab, chopped (to make this more fancy)
- 4 cups of leftover medium grain or jasmine rice
- 2 eggs, scrambled
- Soy sauce (to taste)
- Salt and pepper (to taste)
- Optional: frozen mixed vegetables (if you have some)
Instructions
Start by scrambling the eggs in a hot pan with a little oil. Once cooked, set them aside.
In the same pan, add a little more oil, add the canned salmon—both the smoked and the one in olive oil. Break them apart gently with a spatula and let them cook for a minute or two.
Sauté the chopped white onion and spring onions until they’re soft and fragrant.
Toss in the imitation crab and mix everything together.
Add the leftover rice. Stir well to combine everything evenly.
Drizzle soy sauce around the edges of the pan. You’ll hear that happy sizzle! Give everything a good mix.
Sprinkle more chopped spring onions, then add the scrambled egg back into the pan.
Season with salt and pepper to taste. If you have frozen mixed veggies, this is a great time to stir them in—I ran out, but it still turned out great.
Serve warm. I paired it with a simple Filipino cucumber salad on the side, and it balanced everything so nicely.
Final Thoughts
I hope you get to try this Canned Salmon Fried Rice. It’s quick, easy, and made with simple ingredients you probably already have in your pantry. Perfect for those busy days when you still want to put something warm and homemade on the table.
