Most fried rice is fine. This one is not fine — it's the kind of dish that makes people stop mid-bite and ask what's in it.
Smoky bacon, caramelized Brussels sprouts, sweet apple, crisp radish, and jasmine rice all coming together with Lucky Cajun Bulgasari — the Cajun-Korean fusion blend that was literally built for a dish like this.
Bold, savory, slightly sweet, and complex in a way that takes about 15 minutes to make. This is bacon fried rice with a Brussels sprout stir fry folded straight in, not two dishes on the same plate.
Why This Works
Chilled jasmine rice is non-negotiable. Freshly cooked rice is too wet and steams instead of frying. Cold rice from the night before or the freezer has the right moisture level to fry properly and develop that slightly crispy texture that makes fried rice worth making — this is how to make fried rice with leftover rice the right way, and it's the one rule that matters more than any other.
Starting with bacon at halfway rendered is the move. You want the fat out of the bacon but the bacon itself should still have some texture when everything else goes in — it finishes cooking with the Brussels sprouts and picks up more flavor in the process.
Fresh ground seasoning is the real secret to how to season fried rice. Most fried rice leans entirely on soy sauce for flavor because the seasoning in the pantry has gone flat. Bulgasari is the reason this isn't just another fried rice — shiitake mushroom, ginger, Korean chili flake, Sichuan pepper, lime powder, and black sesame seeds layered into a savory Cajun base. Open the bag and you smell the shiitake and Korean chili immediately, sharp and alive, not the dusty nothing-smell of a jar that's been sitting for a year. It does more in one teaspoon than most fried rice seasoning does in five ingredients.
The apple is not a gimmick. It adds natural sweetness that cuts through the bacon fat and the heat of the sriracha. The radish adds crunch and a slight peppery bite that stays sharp even after a quick sauté.
Ingredients
- 7 Brussels sprouts, quartered
- ½ cup diced apples
- 3 slices bacon, chopped
- 4 green onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 3 cups chilled jasmine rice
- 2 tsp fresh ground Lucky Cajun Bulgasari seasoning
- 1 tbsp sriracha
- 1 tbsp fish sauce or light soy sauce
- 1 sliced radish
- 1 tbsp chopped garlic
- 1 tbsp chopped ginger
- Oil for high-heat cooking
Instructions
1. Start With Bacon
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a wok or heavy-bottom pan over high heat. Add chopped bacon and cook until halfway rendered — fat released, bacon still has some chew. Don't fully crisp it here.
2. Add Brussels Sprouts
Add quartered Brussels sprouts to the bacon and cook until browned on the cut sides. The bacon fat carries flavor into the sprouts and the browning builds a savory base the whole dish is built on.
3. Add Radish and Green Onion
Stir in sliced radish and green onion. Sauté for 1 minute then push everything to the side of the pan.
4. Bloom the Aromatics
Add a little oil to the cleared center of the pan. Sauté garlic and ginger for a few seconds until fragrant — this should happen fast over high heat. Don't let them burn.
5. Add Apple and Combine
Stir in diced apples then mix everything together and cook for another 2 minutes. The apple softens slightly and picks up the savory bacon and Bulgasari flavor from the pan. Remove everything from the wok and set aside.
6. Fry the Rice
Add more oil to the wok and stir-fry the chilled jasmine rice for 2 to 3 minutes over high heat. The cold rice will start to separate and develop slightly crispy edges — that's what you're after.
7. Bring It Together
Return the cooked vegetables and bacon to the wok. Stir in fish sauce, sriracha, and fresh ground Bulgasari — you'll smell the shiitake and Korean chili bloom the second it hits the hot rice. Toss everything together until evenly combined and heated through.
8. Serve Immediately
Fried rice is best the moment it comes out of the wok. Serve immediately while the texture is still right.
Variations With Other Lucky Cajun Blends
Spicier version: Add an extra teaspoon of Bulgasari or a pinch of Lucky Cajun Voodoo for layered habanero heat on top of the Korean chili base.
Protein additions: This fried rice works with shrimp, chicken thighs, or a fried egg on top. Season any protein with Bulgasari before cooking for a cohesive flavor profile throughout the dish.
Vegetarian version: Skip the bacon and fish sauce. Use light soy sauce throughout and add extra oil for the initial cook. The Bulgasari carries the savory depth even without the bacon fat base.
Salt-free version: Use Lucky Cajun Salt-Free Original alongside Bulgasari for a lower sodium build. Reduce the fish sauce to taste.
FAQ
What rice works best for fried rice?
Chilled jasmine rice, at least a day old. Cold, dried-out rice has the right moisture level to fry properly and develop crispy edges instead of steaming. Long grain rice in general works well for the same reason — it stays separate rather than clumping.
Do Brussels sprouts work in fried rice?
Yes — quartered and browned cut-side down in bacon fat, they add a caramelized, slightly nutty flavor and real texture that most fried rice vegetables don't bring. This Brussels sprout stir fry folded into the rice is the whole reason this dish stands out.
Can I use fresh rice instead of day-old rice?
You can, with a fix: spread freshly cooked rice on a sheet pan and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to remove excess moisture. It's faster than waiting overnight and produces similar results to true leftover rice.
What seasoning goes in fried rice?
Traditionally soy sauce carries most of the flavor, which is why a lot of fried rice tastes one-note. Fresh ground Bulgasari — shiitake, ginger, Korean chili, Sichuan pepper, lime powder, and black sesame — adds layered umami and heat that soy sauce alone can't produce.
Can I leave out the apples?
Yes, but they're doing real work — the natural sweetness cuts through the bacon fat and the sriracha's heat. Leaving them out makes the dish more purely savory and spicy; if you skip them, consider a small pinch of sugar or a splash of rice vinegar to keep that same balance.
Why use chilled rice for fried rice?
Freshly cooked rice has too much moisture and steams instead of frying. Chilled rice from the night before or the freezer has dried out enough to fry properly and develop the slightly crispy texture that makes fried rice worth making. This is the single most important technique in any fried rice recipe.
What is Bulgasari seasoning?
A Cajun-Korean fusion blend built on shiitake mushroom, ginger, Korean chili flake, Sichuan pepper, lime powder, and black sesame seeds layered into a savory Cajun base. It's the only blend of its kind — bold, complex, and built for high-heat cooking.
Why cook bacon only halfway before adding vegetables?
Half-rendered bacon still has texture and will finish cooking with the Brussels sprouts, picking up more flavor in the process. Fully crisped bacon added early tends to overcook and turn bitter by the time everything else is done.
What does fish sauce add to fried rice?
Umami depth and a salty complexity that soy sauce alone doesn't produce. A small amount goes a long way — 1 tablespoon seasons the entire dish without making it taste fishy. Light soy sauce works as a substitute.
Can I add protein to this fried rice?
Yes. Shrimp seasoned with Bulgasari, sliced chicken thighs, or a fried egg on top all work well. Add protein after the rice is fried and before the seasoning goes in.
Is this recipe gluten free?
Use light soy sauce labeled gluten free or tamari in place of fish sauce for a fully gluten free build. Every Lucky Cajun blend is 100% gluten free, sugar free, and filler free.
Why Lucky Cajun
Most fried rice seasonings are soy sauce and whatever dried spice was closest. Bulgasari brings shiitake umami, Korean chili complexity, and Sichuan tingle to a dish that usually relies on sauce alone for flavor. The real secret to seasoning fried rice isn't a special technique — it's using a blend that's still alive when it hits the wok. Fresh ground weekly with a Born-On Date on every bag, the volatile oils that make the shiitake and Korean chili actually taste like something are still active when they hit that hot pan.
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Cold rice. Hot wok. Half-rendered bacon. Bloom the garlic fast.
That's fried rice done right. 🌶️
