This easy One-Pot Tofu 'Fried Rice' is cooked in a rice cooker or Instant Pot! With this one-pot cooking method, there's no stir-frying needed, and the rice is still infused with the umami flavors from the mushrooms and Asian-inspired sauce. This healthy vegan recipe is packed with plant-based protein. Plus, it's gluten-free, with an option for oil-free.
Did you know you can cook a complete and balanced meal in a rice cooker in less than 30 minutes? This hands-off recipe uses grated tofu, which tastes just like egg in this recipe. Tofu is rich in protein and heart healthy fats, making this Tofu Fried Rice a balanced meal. To pack in more nutrients, I used frozen veggies, but you can use produce you already have on hand. Add some chopped fresh ginger and garlic for extra flavor, and your'e one press of a button away from indulging in a delicious fried rice that tastes just like takeout.
With only one rice cooker pot to clean, and no chopping required, this will likely be your new favorite way to make fried rice on busy weekdays.
This was inspired by my no-chop Simple Tofu Noodles recipe on this site, and pairs well with homemade 7-Minute Chili Crisp.
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👩🏼🌾 Ingredients
- Rice: Jasmine rice is most commonly used in fried rice recipes for its fluffy texture. However, short grain and sushi rice also taste incredible in this Tofu Fried Rice recipe, resulting in a delectable sticky-rice dish. Brown rice is a more nutritious choice over white rice because it contains higher amounts of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. The bran layer in brown rice packs in fiber, which may help regulate blood sugar levels, and promote heart health. However, the lack of the bran and germ in white rice makes it easier on the stomach, so it might be better for those with digestive issues. Plus, white rice is not devoid of all nutrients. It is typically enriched with iron, thiamine, folate, and niacin to replace the nutrients lost in the milling process.
- Extra firm tofu or super firm tofu are best suited for this recipe. Super firm tofu contains the highest amount of protein and comes pre-pressed so it is very convenient, but it is sometimes hard to find. I typically use Nasoya or Wildwood brands.
- Frozen veggies cut down on prep time and are just as nutritious as freshly chopped veggies.
See recipe card for quantities.
🍄 Substitutions
- Rice - Use short, medium, or long grain brown, white, or black rice. Brown and black rice will take longer to cook and require twice as much water.
- Mushrooms - instead of shiitake, use oyster, cremini, or white mushrooms
- Tamari - substitute with soy sauce or a combination of regular soy sauce and dark soy sauce
- Garlic and ginger - omit as desired or use one-quarter teaspoon garlic and one-quarter teaspoon ginger powder instead
- Green onion - use chopped yellow onion or shallots as needed
- Toasted sesame oil - omit entirely or use sesame, or a neutral flavored oil instead
- Tofu -substitute with dry lentils or cooked beans
- Veggies - use fresh veggies you have on hand or add thawed shelled edamame for more protein
- For serving - add a drizzle of coconut aminos and chili crisp
Looking for a high-protein meal-prep friendly recipe? Try my Asian Crunch Salad Jars. Visit my Vegan Asian Recipes page for more easy and healthy takeout inspired dinner ideas.
🍚 Rice to Water Ratio
Use short, medium, or long grain rice to make this rice cooker recipe. Long grain rice tends to cook up light, fluffy and separate when cooked rather than clumping together. Medium grain rice tends to cook up moist and tender while short grain rice tends to clump together when cooked and forms what is called glutinous rice and tastes more like sticky rice.
For white rice, use one cup water for each one cup rice (water:rice, 1:1). For brown or black rice, use 2 cups water for each one cup rice (water:rice, 2:1).
📖 Instructions For Rice Cooker
Rinse the rice: Place the rice in a fine-mesh strainer. Run cold water over the strainer until the water runs nearly clear.
Step 1. Transfer the rice to the interior of a rice cooker. Add the vegetables, mushrooms, ginger, garlic, green onion, rice vinegar, tamari, toasted sesame oil, maple syrup, sriracha, and white pepper.
Step 2. Grate the tofu directly into the rice cooker inner bowl using the largest holes on a box grater. Add 1 cup water, mushroom broth, no-chicken broth, or vegetable broth.
Step 3. Use your rice paddle to combine ingredients. Close the rice cooker and switch it on to cook. Once the rice cooker switches off, or to the warming function, mix the ingredients with a spatula to distribute any remaining moisture evenly.
Step 4. Season the cooked Tofu Fried Rice with additional tamari, coconut aminos, or chili crisp to taste.
💡 Expert Tips
- Stovetop Tofu Fried Rice: Add the ingredients to a medium saucepan. Add 1 cup plus 1 tablespoon cold water, or broth. Bring the water to a simmer. Reduce the heat, cover, and cook over low heat for 15 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the burner and set aside for 5 minutes before fluffing with a fork, and seasoning to taste.
- Chop your ginger and garlic using a cordless electric mini chopper in just 10 seconds! This little gadget saves a whole lot of time.
- Use kitchen shears to snip the green onion directly into the rice cooker.
- Use frozen veggies to save time. They are at least as nutritious as fresh produce.
- Substitute water with no-chicken broth for a Tofu Fried Rice that taste just like chicken fried rice, but vegan.
- I recommend Jasmine rice, but most varieties will work well.
- For brown rice, or a different whole grain variety, add the vegetables about halfway through cooking so they don't become mushy. If you have a clear glass lid on your rice cooker, once the rice grains are half-cooked (plump but still wet), add the vegetables. Cover the rice cooker and let it finish the cycle.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftover One-Pot Rice Cooker Tofu Fried Rice in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat in an oven at 360ºF, microwave, or saucepan.
🙋🏽♀️ Recipe FAQs
The golden ratio in a rice cooker is 1:1. That means 1 cup white rice to 1 cup water. For brown rice, the golden ratio 1:2. That means 1 cup brown rice to 2 cups water.
Add rinsed Jasmine rice, vegetables, mushrooms, ginger, garlic, green onion, rice vinegar, tamari, toasted sesame oil, maple syrup, sriracha, and white pepper to the inner pot of an Instant Pot. Grate the tofu directly into the inner pot using the largest holes on a box grater. Add 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cold water, or broth.
Close the lid and pressure cook for 5 minutes on High Pressure. Let the pressure release naturally (NPR) for 10 minutes and then release any remaining pressure using the Quick Release (QR) method. Open the lid and let the Instant Pot Fried Rice rest for 5 minutes before mixing.
Typically, leftover rice is used to make fried rice. Chilled leftover white rice undergoes a process called retrogradation, in which the starch molecules form crystalline structures that make the grains firm enough to withstand the second round of cooking. Whereas freshly cooked rice becomes mushy, chilled leftover rice holds up well to stir-frying. However, the rice-cooker method of making tofu fried rice uses raw rice. No leftover rice is required.
You can add soy sauce, or any sauce you like to a rice cooker. However, if you are cooking plain rice, if the sauce is a liquid, subtract this amount from the water you are adding. For example, for 1 cup white rice with 2 tablespoons soy sauce, subtract the 2 tablespoons soy sauce from 1 cup water and add 14 tablespoons (¾ cup plus 2 tablespoons) water instead of 16 tablespoons (1 cup).
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📖 Recipe
One-Pot Rice Cooker Tofu Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 1 cup white rice or brown rice
- 1 cup chopped fresh or frozen vegetables
- ½ cup sliced shiitake mushrooms or oyster, cremini (babybella), or white mushrooms
- 7 ounces extra-firm tofu pressed
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 green onions thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon tamari or soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil (optional)
- 1 teaspoon maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon sriracha
- Dash of white pepper
Optional for serving:
- Drizzle of coconut aminos
- Drizzle of chili crisp
- Dash of toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Rinse the rice: Place the rice in a fine-mesh strainer. Run cold water over the strainer until the water runs nearly clear.
- Transfer the rice to the interior of a rice cooker. Add the vegetables, mushrooms, ginger, garlic, green onion, rice vinegar, tamari, toasted sesame oil, maple syrup, sriracha, and white pepper.
- Grate the tofu directly into the rice cooker bowl using the largest holes on a box grater. Add 1 cup water, mushroom broth, or vegetable broth.
- Use your rice paddle to combine ingredients. Close the rice cooker and switch it on to cook.
- Once the rice cooker switches off, or to the warming function, mix the ingredients with a spatula to distribute any remaining moisture evenly. Add more tamari to taste and serve.
Notes
- Instant Pot Tofu Fried Rice: Add rinsed Jasmine rice and remaining ingredients to the inner pot. Add 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons cold water, or broth. Close the lid and pressure cook for 5 minutes on High Pressure. Let the pressure release naturally (NPR) for 10 minutes and then release any remaining pressure using the Quick Release (QR) method. Open the lid and let the Instant Pot Fried Rice rest for 5 minutes before mixing. Add additional tamari or coconut aminos to taste.
- Water: Substitute water with no-chicken broth for a Tofu Fried Rice that taste just like chicken fried rice, but vegan.
- I recommend Jasmine rice, but most varieties will work well.
- For brown rice, or a different whole grain variety, add the vegetables about halfway through cooking so they don't become mushy. If you have a clear glass lid on your rice cooker, once the rice grains are half-cooked (starting to get plump but still wet), you can add in the vegetables and cover the rice cooker again to allow to them cook.
- Storage: Refrigerate leftover One-Pot Rice Cooker Tofu Fried Rice in an airtight container for up to 5 days. Reheat in an oven at 360ºF, microwave, or saucepan.
Nutrition
This information is provided as a courtesy and is an ESTIMATE only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased can change the nutritional information in any given recipe.
Heidi Valdes
Loved this recipe! I make friend rice a lot for my family and this recipe makes it so much easier and the lack is on point! Excellent recipe!
Nisha Melvani
Yay! I'm so thrilled you are finding this an easier alternative to traditional fried rice! Enjoy:)
Debra Walker
This was so good. The two I cook for said it’s one of their favorite meals.
Nisha Melvani
Yay!!! I'm so glad to hear that! Thank you for your comment.
Ellen Allard (Gluten Free Diva)
At your suggestion, I ordered the small Aroma rice cooker with the stainless steel insert. Just made my first batch of brown rice per the instructions in the rice cooker booklet. PROS: the rice grains came out nice and separated, not mushy like when I make it in the instant pot. CONS: I think the amounts of water and rice stated in their instructions is off. Instead, I will try your instructions which states 1 cup each of rice and water - I'd like to try it with brown rice. Is the amount of water the same as the amount of rice, regardless of whether you use white or brown rice? Also, just an aside - though the water amount is listed in your instructions, it isn't listed in the list of ingredients.
Nisha Melvani
Hi. You are correct not to follow the rice cooker instructions. Use the water amount listed in the recipe. For brown rice, add 2 cups water for each 1 cup rice. You can find this in the Expert Tips section of the blog post. Also, we were taught in culinary school and cookbook writing not to include water in the ingredient list, and only include it in the method. Hope this clears things up. Enjoy:)
Flyingmartini
I don't have a rice cooker. What would be a good substitute?
Nisha Melvani
Do you have an Instant Pot? Otherwise, you can make it over the stove top. Instructions fr both methods are in the Expert Tips section and FAQs.
Brooke
Just saw this recipe and had almost everything required to make it, so I went for it. Followed the Instant Pot instructions and I was wary that there was enough liquid, but it worked! The only thing I had to sub was yellow onion instead of green onion, and I do think green onion would be more flavorful. I made it with water, but I'll try broth next time. I wish I'd had this recipe when my kids were younger - it's the kind of thing they would have loved as toddlers, but you can add onto it and make it more interesting/spicy as desired. It's definitely going into our rotation!
Nisha Melvani
I'm so glad you went for it! Thank you for sharing your experience for others to read. My kids do love this one!
Patricia
Hello,
This looks delicious and I have all the ingredients to make it for tomorrow's dinner but I only have an IP, not a rice cooker. Should I follow your instructions and put everything together in the IP and set on the Rice function. Should it be natural release or for how long? Any help would be much appreciated😊
Nisha Melvani
Hi! I just added Instant Pot directions to the FAQs. Please let me know how it goes! Enjoy:)
Patricia
Thank you Nisha!
Nisha Melvani
No problem!
Barbara Zulauf
Question: Is that correct, 1 cup water to 1 cup rice?
Nisha Melvani
Yes, for white rice.