Filipino Spam Fried Rice Recipe

Filipino spam fried rice is one of my childhood favorites. So easy and simple to make, you can have this tasty dish ready in no time.

One of the simplest dishes my parents would whip up when I was a kid was Filipino spam fried rice. We always had all the ingredients on hand. So this became a quick meal that we kids rarely skipped and ate readily. For those with no aversion to canned meats, read on about how you can give this tasty dish a try!

Sizzle Pork And Mmm (SPAM)

Did you know? I didn’t. I found it out here. SPAM became a huge staple during WWII as a means to feed troops. Eventually because of WWII and the occupations that followed, SPAM was absorbed into many cultural diets, particularly Asian cultures and Pacific Islands, such as the Philippines. 

We love SPAM

I know there’s a big divide between those who like SPAM and those who do not. In my childhood house and in my current house, it’s unanimous – WE LOVE SPAM! When I was little, I had it cooked 1 of 3 ways. When my husband was little, his dad came up with “greasy grimy gopher guts” which most of the kids enjoyed, my husband being one of them. Later on, I introduced him to the Filipino ways of SPAM cuisine: scrambled eggs and spam, fried spam, and spam fried rice! Mmm…

Filipino SPAM fried rice ingredients

This is one of the easiest recipes I know. And with or without some ingredients, the result is still delicious. In general, you will need the following:

• SPAM
• rice
• eggs
• peas and carrots (optional)
• soy sauce (optional)

I know, I know! What’s fried rice without soy sauce or sesame oil or onions or garlic? Like I said, we usually made this with what we had on hand. So if you want to add onions and garlic, go for it! If you want to hit it with some sesame oil, I’m not stopping you! (I love adding a touch of sesame oil to my copycat Benihana fried rice.) And we always had Filipino soy sauce growing up, so that’s what I use now. If I don’t have it, obviously any soy sauce will do.

First…

You’ll need to cut the SPAM into cubes. Sprinkle with a little sugar. And fry it until crispy and the sugar slightly caramelizes. Then remove it from the pan and set it aside.

Scramble an egg or two, remove from the pan, and set that aside.

Next…

If you’re adding vegetables like peas and carrots, then you’ll want to cook them until soft.

Then add the rice with about a tablespoon or two of soy sauce, which again is optional. And fry the rice and veggies for a few minutes.

Finally…

Add the eggs and spam and mix to thoroughly combined. Continue to fry for a few more mintues.

And there you have it…

Filipino SPAM Fried Rice!

I could eat this entire pan!! This just brings me back to my childhood and such fond memories growing up…

Your turn

Like I said, all you need is a can of SPAM, some day old rice, and eggs. Everything else is just a nice add on. So you don’t have to have it. So try this out! And let me know in the comments what you think!

Other Filipino Dishes

My mom’s Filipino pork lumpia

Filipino Beef Picadillo/Giniling