The founders of Allergy Force always avoided Chinese restaurants believing them too risky for their son with peanut and egg allergies. Cross contact was always top of mind. Enter Sharon Wong, founder of Nut Free Wok and author of the Chinese Instant Pot Cookbook. Sharon’s expertise in creating allergy-aware Asian fare opened the door to a whole new world of culinary adventures for their son. In this post, meet Sharon and learn how to make a Top 9 Free fried rice recipe.
When it comes to my blog, Nut Free Wok, it’s a labor of love for me. I’m the daughter of Chinese immigrants. I remember standing next to my mom, who didn’t use written recipes, to learn how to make the dishes our family loved. And I’ve taught my sons how to make many of our favorite family recipes, all adapted for their long list of allergies. For my family, food connects us deeply with home, heritage, and each other. I launched Nut Free Wok in 2014 to share allergy-aware Asian-inspired food both with my sons and my friends, as well as the broader food allergy community.
Fried rice is a beloved dish in my Chinese culture. It’s typically made with leftover rice, adding in small morsels of meat, vegetables, often egg, along with seasonings that bring it all together. I’m sharing my Top 9 Free recipe for Beef Fried Rice with Cabbage and Carrots with you. You’ll see how easy it is to make delicious Chinese food and introduce your loved ones with food allergies to a whole new, exciting food culture.
Try this!
Allergy-Friendly Beef Fried Rice with Cabbage and Carrots
(Serves 4)
Ingredients
- 1 pound 90% (or leaner) ground beef (organic and/or grass fed recommended) (*See notes)
- 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
- 8-oz julienned carrots
- 8-oz shredded cabbage (*See notes for a time saving hack)
- 4 cups rice, cooked (chilled overnight) (*See notes)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce or soy sauce alternative (*See notes)
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese or alternative that works for you (optional) (*See notes)
Instructions
- Heat a large frying pan on medium heat for 3-4 minutes.
- Add oil to the pan, swirl to coat, then add the ground beef.
- Use a spatula or a wooden spoon to break up the ground beef into smaller pieces and brown for 3-4 minutes until 50% cooked.
- Add the carrots and cabbage on top but don’t stir. Allow the ground beef to continue to brown for a few more minutes.
- Stir-fry the beef and vegetables together until the meat is thoroughly cooked and the carrots are soft, another 3-4 minutes.
- Add the rice, gently pressing down on the large clumps with a spatula. Stir fry until the rice is hot. The smaller clumps will eventually separate when the rice heats up.
- Season with soy sauce and garlic powder. (*See notes)
- Serve immediately. (Optional: Serve with grated parmesan or safe alternative on the side).
Notes for Success
1. Meat Variations: If you don’t eat beef, you can substitute ground bison, ground turkey, or ground chicken.
2. Veggie Hack to Save You Time: For convenience, you can use 1 pound of prepared coleslaw mix instead of prepping the julienned carrots and shredded cabbage from scratch.
3. A Word About Rice:
- If you don’t have chilled, leftover rice, you can use freshly cooked rice. The freshly cooked rice doesn’t need to be fried to reheat so omit Step 6 under ‘Instructions’. Just top the rice with the stir fried beef and veggies and mix.
- I use medium grain cal-rose rice because it’s a little sticky and soft. Jasmine or long-grain rice work, too, but are more fluffy.
4. A Soy Workaround: If you cannot eat soy, check out my recipe for making your own soy-free alt-soy sauce. Learn more about more soy sauce alternatives, including some off-the-shelf choices.
5. Seasonings –You Have Options!
- I recommend serving grated parmesan cheese on the side for taste. If dairy-free, you can use your favorite dairy-free alternative, or omit entirely.
- If omitting, and if sesame is safe for you, add a sprinkle of ‘furikake’ (a seaweed and sesame seed mixture from Japan). Be sure to double check the ingredients so you’re not surprised by an allergen.
- Other options for more flavor, depending on your dietary restrictions, could include: oyster sauce (contains molluscan shellfish) or sesame oil (contains sesame) or a sprinkle of ground white pepper.
6. Hungry for More Fried Rice Dishes? Browse more fried rice recipes at my website and take your pick!
“Shared food experiences keep families and friends connected—across time, distance, generations.”
–Sharon Wong, Nut Free Wok Founder
Related Reading:
Why Young Asian Americans Are 40% More Likely to Develop Allergies
Exploring Chinese Food with Food Allergies
I hope you’ll visit Nut Free Wok, my blog about allergy-aware Asian-inspired fare. I write about recipes and cooking techniques, Asian ingredients, as well as food allergy awareness and advocacy issues that span policy, legislation, and the food industry. I love to hear from readers and brands that are nut free and allergy-aware and am open to partnerships, collabs, and interviews. Don’t hesitate to DM me on social if you’d like to connect, or request a media kit. Please follow me on X, Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram.
About the Author: Sharon Wong, founder of nutfreewok.com, is passionate about advocacy, food allergy research and cooking. Her mission is to make a difference on behalf of those living with food allergies so that our food allergic children will grow up in a world with greater awareness, support, and a cure. Through her blog she makes Chinese cooking and culture accessible to people with and without dietary challenges. Plus don’t miss her cookbook – Chinese Instant Pot Cookbook – that can make you the Chinese food chef you never dreamed you could be!
Images: Courtesy of Nut Free Wok