This vegan fried brown rice with tofu scramble is easy to make and packed with vegetables and plant-based protein.

A bowl of vegan fried brown rice with veggies and scrambled tofu.

This easy, healthy fried rice recipe is made with simple ingredients and is completely vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free and can be oil-free. Make this dish with whatever veggies you have on hand for a quick, weeknight meal.

Fried Brown Rice Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this tasty and nutritious dish:

  1. Rice. I used brown rice but any rice works, or you can use another cooked grain such as farro or quinoa.
  2. Tofu. You’ll need one package of firm or extra-firm tofu. To season the tofu you’ll need turmeric, soy sauce, garlic powder, salt and pepper.
  3. Veggies. I used peas, corn, carrot, celery, onion and garlic. You can chop ’em all up yourself or use a frozen stir-fry mix.
  4. Seasoning. For flavouring, I used a bit of sesame oil to cook the veggies then the dish is seasoned with soy sauce (or gluten-free tamari) and black pepper. Nice and simple. If you’d like to add some heat, add 1-2 tsp sriracha (or more!) or 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes.
Two bowls of vegan fried brown rice with a few pieces of green onion scattered around.

How to Make this Recipe

To make this recipe, first you’ll to cook the brown rice and prep the scrambled tofu. Then it’s just a matter of cooking everything up. If you already have brown rice or another grain cooked and ready to go, this recipe takes just 15 minutes to make. If you need to cook brown rice, you’ll need to account for that.

Before you Start: Cook the rice if you haven’t already. You can use brown rice, white rice or another whole grain of choice. Be careful not to over cook it and make sure you drain off any excess water when it’s done.

Make the Tofu Scramble

First, you’ll want to season the tofu to get it ready for adding to the fried rice. There is no need to cook it beforehand.

You’ll need turmeric, soy sauce, water, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Crumble the tofu into a bowl, add the seasonings and set aside.

Crumbled firm tofu mixed with turmeric in a white bowl.

Cook the Veggies

Next, cook up the celery, carrot, onion and garlic. I used a little sesame oil but you can use water or vegetable broth to cook if you want to keep the recipe oil-free.

Quick Tip: Cut the carrots into a small dice so they’re able to cook as quickly as the rest of the veggies. For a small dice, cut them in half, then into quarters lengthwise, then dice each quarter.

Carrot, onion, garlic and celery in a skillet with sesame oil.

Mix and Serve

Finally, add the peas, corn, cooked rice and tofu scramble to the skillet, heat through and serve!

Quick Tip: Spread the mixture evenly across the pan then let it sit for a few minutes without stirring. This helps it get nice and brown on the bottom! Mix the brown bits back in, repeating once or twice.

Vegan fried brown rice in a large skillet with a wooden spoon.
Two bowls of vegan fried brown rice sitting on a white surface.

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Two bowls of vegan fried brown rice sitting on a white surface.

Vegan Fried Brown Rice with Tofu Scramble

5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star 5 from 4 reviews
  • Author: Deryn Macey
  • Prep Time: 10 mins
  • Cook Time: 15 mins
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 4
  • Category: Main Dish
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Vegan
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Description

This filling and nutritious vegan dish features tofu scramble as a stand-in for eggs. You’ll love this simple recipe for a quick and healthy weeknight meal. 


Ingredients

For the Scrambled Tofu:

  • 1/2 a 350 g package of firm or extra-firm tofu
  • 2 tsp turmeric
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce or gluten-free tamari
  • 3 tbsp water

For the Fried Rice:

  • 1 cup uncooked brown or white rice
  • 1/2 tsp sesame oil (omit and use broth or water for an oil-free recipe)
  • 1/2 a small white onion, diced, approx. 1/2 cup
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 ribs celery, finely chopped, approx. 3/4 cup
  • 1 large carrot, peeled and diced, approx. 3/4 cup
  • 3/4 cup fresh or frozen corn kernels
  • 3/4 cup fresh or frozen green peas
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce or gluten-free tamari
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper or more, to taste

Instructions

  1. Cook the rice according to package instructions. Once cooked, drain off any excess water. Set the cooked rice aside.
  2. Crumble about half of the package of firm or extra-firm tofu into a bowl then add the rest of the scrambled tofu ingredients and mix well until all the bits of tofu are coated. Set aside.
  3. In a large skillet or wok, heat the sesame oil over medium-high heat.
  4. Add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes.
  5. Add the carrot, celery and garlic and cook for 5-6 minutes until the carrots are softened.
  6. Add the cooked rice, crumbled tofu, peas, corn, soy sauce and pepper. Stir to combine.
  7. Let the mixture sit for 1-2 minutes without stirring to allow it to brown and crisp on the bottom. Stir and repeat 1-2 times until everything is heated through.
  8. Serve right away. Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 5 days.

Notes

Cooking time does not include time to cook rice.

For spicy fried rice, add 2 tsp of sriracha or 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes when you add the soy sauce.


Nutrition

  • Serving Size: 1/4 of recipe
  • Calories: 304
  • Fat: 5 g
  • Carbohydrates: 55 g
  • Fiber: 6 g
  • Protein: 12 g