This Arroz Chino Boricua (Puerto Rican Chinese fried rice) is loaded with shrimp, chopped spam, scrambled eggs, and veggies, finished with fresh lettuce. Easy, flavorful, and ready in just 10 minutes!
Arroz Chino Boricua is the Puerto Rican take on Chinese fried rice, and it's a dish that often surprises people who have never been to Puerto Rico. All across the island, Chinese restaurants serve it with a slight Boricua twist. Most famously with cubed spam mixed in, finished with a handful of fresh chopped lettuce, and almost always accompanied by a side of crispy fries.
Whenever I have leftover white rice, there are a few dishes I always reach for, arroz mamposteao, arroz con cilantro, and of course, arroz chino. Today, we're making arroz chino con camarones, or shrimp fried rice, loaded with chopped spam, juicy shrimp, scrambled egg pieces, carrots, green peas, scallions, and onions. Everything gets stir-fried quickly, coming together in about 10 minutes, with a final handful of fresh lettuce tossed in at the end for that classic Boricua touch.
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Ingredients to Make the Best Arroz Chino Boricua
- precooked white rice
- shrimps
- spam
- garlic
- eggs
- mixed frozen peas and carrots
- scallions
- onions
- lettuce
- butter
- soy sauce
- oyster sauce
- sesame oil
- salt and pepper
See my recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements and instructions.
Step By Step Instructions
Step 1: Cook the Shrimp
- Add butter to a wok or large skillet over medium heat and allow it to melt.
- Season the shrimp with salt and pepper, then add to the skillet.
- Cook on both sides until fully cooked, about 5 minutes (Image 1).
- Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside.
Step 2: Cook the Spam
- Add the cubed spam to the same skillet and stir-fry for a few minutes until lightly browned. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
Step 3: Scramble the Eggs
- Add the beaten eggs to the skillet and break them up with a spatula. Cook them until no longer runny (Image 2 & 3). Remove them from the skillet and set aside.
Step 4: Cook the Vegetables
- Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the skillet sauté the onions until translucent.
- Stir in the peas and carrots and cook briefly (Image 4).
- Add the garlic and cook for 15 seconds.
Step 5: Add the Rice
- Add the chilled rice to the skillet (Image 5).
- Cook for 1-2 minutes without stirring, then stir and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
Step 6: Season the Rice
- Stir in the oyster sauce and soy sauce (Image 6).
- Cook for 2-3 minutes, then drizzle in the sesame oil.
Step 7: Combine Everything
- Return the shrimp, spam, and eggs to the skillet. Stir well to combine all ingredients (Image 7 & 8).
- Taste and add additional soy sauce if needed.
Step 8: Finish and Serve
- Stir in the scallions.
- Just before serving, add the chopped lettuce.
Cathy’s Expert Tips
- Use chilled rice - Use precooked cold rice. Warm rice makes your fried rice mushy. Leftover refrigerated rice works best.
- Lettuce - Adding chopped lettuce at the end gives the dish its signature Puerto Rican touch, yum!
Recipe FAQ’s
You can, but it needs to be cooled first-preferably refrigerated for at least an hour or frozen for 15-30 minutes. Warm rice tends to become mushy when fried.
Medium grain, long grain, or jasmine rice all work well. Chilled, leftover rice is the most important factor for perfect fried rice.
Most grocery stores carry it in the Asian section, or you can find it at a local Asian market. It adds a fragrant, nutty flavor you don't want to skip!
Other Rice Dishes You Will Love
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📖 Recipe
Arroz Chino Boricua
Ingredients
- 3 cups precooked white rice chilled
- 1 pound large shrimp peeled and deveined
- ½ can spam cubed
- 5 ounces mixed frozen peas and carrots
- 3-4 scallions rinsed and chopped
- ½ white onion chopped
- ½ head lettuce rinsed and roughly chopped
- 4 garlic cloves minced or 4 teaspoons garlic paste
- 4 eggs whisked
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1-2 teaspoons vegetable, corn, or light olive oil
- 3-4 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 1½ teaspoons oyster sauce
- 4 tablespoons butter
- salt and pepper to season shrimp
Instructions
Cook the Shrimp
- Add butter to a wok or large skillet over medium heat and allow it to melt.Season the shrimp with salt and pepper, then add to the skillet.Cook on both sides until fully cooked, about 5 minutes.Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside.
- Season the shrimp with salt and pepper. Add to the skillet and cook on both sides until fully cooked, about 5 minutes.Remove the shrimp from the pan and set aside.
Cook the Spam
- Add the cubed spam to the same skillet and stir-fry for a few minutes until lightly browned. Remove from the skillet and set aside with the shrimp.
Cook the Egs
- Add the eggs to the skillet and cook until no longer runny. Remove to a bowl and set aside.
Cook the Veggies
- Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the skillet and sauté the onions until translucent.
- Stir in the peas and carrots and cook briefly. Add in the garlic and stir fry for 15 seconds.
Add the Rice
- Add the chilled rice to the skillet and break apart. Cook for 1-2 minutes without stirring. Stir again and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
Season the Rice
- Stir in the oyster sauce and soy sauce.Cook for 2–3 minutes, then drizzle in the sesame oil and stir again.
Combine Everything
- Return the shrimp, spam, and eggs to the skillet and stir well to combine all ingredients. Taste and add additional soy sauce if needed.
Finish and Serve
- Stir in the scallions.Just before serving, add the chopped lettuce.
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