Thai Omelette with Jasmine Rice and Bacon Recipe
This Thai omelette with jasmine rice and crispy bacon is a filling breakfast or quick dinner. In Thailand, omelettes with various add-ins are often served over rice as a complete meal – here’s a version for bacon lovers that combines familiar flavours with a touch of exotic flair.
This Thai omelette with jasmine rice and bacon combines familiar “breakfast” flavours with a gently exotic twist from fish sauce and spring onion. Rice fried together with bacon and enclosed in an egg mixture makes the dish a bit like baked fried rice in pancake form. It’s hearty, homely street food that works both in the morning and late at night after a long day.
Chef's tips
Use cold, previously cooked rice – ideally from the day before – so the grains fry nicely and don’t turn to mush. Fry the bacon over medium heat until it’s really crispy and has rendered its fat, as this fat “greases” the whole omelette and adds flavour. If you’re afraid of flipping the pancake, cover the pan with a lid and let the eggs set gently – it’s better to cook a little longer over lower heat than burn the bottom.
How to serve
Serve cut into squares or triangles, sprinkled with fresh spring onion, with a bowl of sweet chili sauce or plain ketchup for traditionalists. It goes great with strong black tea or a glass of cold beer if you’re serving it as a late dinner on a Friday night. At my place it often appears on the table after a weekend barbecue, when there’s some rice and bacon left to use up the next day.
Ingredients
- eggs - 4 pieces
- smoked bacon in thin slices cut into small pieces - 80 g
- jasmine rice preferably slightly cooled - 200 g
- soy sauce - 1.5 tablespoons
- fish sauce optional, for deeper flavour - 1 tablespoon
- spring onion chopped - 2 pieces
- garlic finely chopped - 1 clove
- oil if the bacon is fatty, you can use less - 1 tablespoon
- black pepper - 0.25 teaspoons
- ketchup or sweet chili sauce for serving, optional -
Preparation
- Heat the oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Add the bacon pieces and fry for 4–5 minutes, stirring, until golden and crispy and the fat has rendered.
- Add the garlic and fry for about 30 seconds, until very fragrant but not browned.
- Add the cooked jasmine rice, breaking up any clumps with a spoon. Fry for 2–3 minutes, stirring, until the rice is heated through and lightly fried.
- In a bowl, beat the eggs with the soy sauce, fish sauce and pepper. Add most of the chopped spring onion, reserving some for sprinkling on top.
- Reduce the heat under the pan to medium-low. Spread the rice and bacon in an even layer in the pan.
- Pour the egg mixture over the rice, gently moving the pan so the eggs spread evenly. Fry for 4–5 minutes without stirring, until the bottom is golden and the top is almost set.
- If your pan is small, you can gently slide the omelette onto a plate, place the pan upside down over it and quickly flip to fry the other side for another 1–2 minutes. If you’re worried about flipping, cover the pan with a lid and cook until the top is set.
- Cut the finished omelette into triangles or squares. Serve sprinkled with the remaining spring onion, with ketchup or sweet chili sauce on the side.
Storage
Store any leftover omelette in the fridge, tightly covered, and eat within 24 hours. It’s good cold or gently reheated in a pan; avoid microwaving for too long so the eggs don’t become rubbery.
