I Am... How to Make Cheesy Potato Balls
Hello crispy, crunchy, creamy, cheesy potato balls! If you love cheese and cheese pulls, this is cheese pull heaven. It’s everything you never knew you wanted, in one portable, pick-up-able, potato-y package. I love me some cheese pulls. Give me ALL the cheese, especially when it’s melted and especially when it gets gooey and pull-able. There’s something so visceral about stringy melted cheese. Cheese makes everything better and these smooth and fluffy mashed potato balls stuffed with mozzarella cheese is no exception. They are essentially a take on croquettes.
What are croquettes?
Croquettes are little stuffed balls or cylinders that are coated in breadcrumbs and deep-fried. They’re usually made with béchamel or potatoes and can have a multitude of fillings. Croquettes are originally from France but nowadays they’re eaten almost everywhere. I love croquettes! There’s nothing better than mashed potatoes coated in crispy panko then deep fried to a satisfying golden crunch.What are cheesy potato balls?
These little cheesy potato balls are essentially a croquette stuffed with cheese. A deep fried cheese stuffed mashed potato ball, that melts in your mouth. The outsides are crispy-crunchy and the insides are filled with creamy mashed potatoes and a molten core of cheesy goodness. These cheesy potato balls were inspired by two different things: LA’s famous Porto’s potato balls and those Korean cheese balls you see in mukbang. If you’ve been to LA then I’m sure you know about Porto’s Bakery, the Cuban bakery famous for their papas rellenas potato balls. They’re stuffed with picadillo (a Cuban meat dish) and are SO good. Mike and I always make a stop when we’re in the area to stuff our faces on potato balls and cubanos. The other inspiration for this cheesy potato ball is the Korean mozzarella cheese ball. Korean cheese balls are chewy, crispy doughnut-type deep fried cheese balls that are super popular with mukbangers (those youtubers who eat INSANE amounts of food). Cheese balls are usually sold alongside Korean fried chicken. They’re really cheesy and melty and are great for cheese pulls. I combined the deliciousness of a mashed potato ball with the gloriousness of a cheese ball and here were are: cheesy potato balls! They hit all the right notes and even though we’re in the middle of a heat wave right now, I made the commitment to deep fry these guys at night so we could have a decadent after dinner snack, just because.How to make cheesy potato balls
1. Peel and boil the potatoes
Start by peeling your potatoes and then cutting them into large, even chunks. After your potatoes are peeled, place them in a large pot and cover with COLD water. Starting with cold water ensures that your potatoes cook evenly. If you add potatoes to boiling water, the outsides will cook faster than the insides. Add a generous amount of salt and turn the heat up to medium high. When the potatoes and water come to a simmer, set a timer for 15 minutes. The potatoes are done when fork tender. Poke a fork into a chunk. If it slides through easily, it’s done. Drain the potatoes well.2. Mash the potatoes and cool them
I usually like to push my potatoes through a sieve so they’re extra light and fluffy but for these potato balls it doesn’t matter so much, so just give them a light mash making sure they don’t have any lumps. Stir in just 1 tablespoon of cream - you want a stiff potato so it’s easier to shape - and season with salt to taste. Spread the potatoes out to cool. You can make the potatoes the day before and keep them in the fridge overnight if you want to make the potato balls in two steps. Just make sure to take the potatoes out of the fridge and let them come to room temp because they will be easier to shape.3. Shape and fill the potato balls
Use a ice cream/cookie scoop to scoop out about 2 tablespoons of potato then pat into a round patty. Cup your hand and place a cube of cheese inside and bring the potatoes up and around the cheese to cover making sure that potato surrounds all of the cheese. You want the cheese to be totally encased in potato otherwise the cheese will leak out while you’re frying. Lightly roll the potato ball between your hands.4. Coat the potato balls
Prep a breading station with three bowls: flour, whisked egg, and panko. Use your right hand to pick up a ball and roll it in flour, then put it in the bowl with the egg. Use your left hand to roll it around in the egg until it’s coated. Place it into the panko and use your right hand to roll it around until it’s completely covered in panko. Using different hands for the wet and dry ingredients will keep your hands from clumping up.5. Deep fry the potato balls
After all the balls are coated, heat up the oil on medium high heat. You want the oil temperature to be between 350°F and 375°F. When you add your potato balls, the oil temp will drop, so aim for 375°F to start with. I use an instant read thermometer to make sure I’m in the right range. If you don’t have a thermometer, you can check if your oil is ready with an uncoated wooden spoon or uncoated chopsticks. Just put the spoon/chopstick into the oil. If:- Nothing happens, the oil isn’t hot enough
- The oil starts bubbling around the chopstick/spoon steadily, you’re ready to fry.
- If there are too many bubbles and it looks like it’s boiling around your chopstick, your oil is too hot
So satisfying to make and eat
These cheesy potato balls look impressive but they are actually really easy to make and even easier to eat. If you have leftover mashed potatoes, this recipe becomes even quicker, but I recommend making mashed potatoes just for this purpose - more on that later.Ingredients for cheesy potato balls
Potatoes
The best potatoes to use for potato balls are Yukon golds. Yukon gold potatoes are a dense, rich, and fluffy potato that will hold up to boiling without getting too water-logged. Waxy potatoes like red or white potatoes end up being gummy so avoid those. If they don’t sell Yukon golds at your grocery store, russet/Idaho potatoes will work too. You can use leftover mashed potatoes too - I’ve done that for croquettes in the past but in this case a stiff potato works best for containing the cheese when deep-frying. If your mashed potatoes have too much butter and cream/milk, the cheese will tend to ooze out while you’re deep-frying.Cream
There’s a very small amount of full fat cream in the potatoes – adding too much extra liquid will make the potatoes too loose to shape into balls. The cream adds body, flavor, and creaminess. If you don’t have cream, you can use milk.Salt
It’s important to salt both the water you cook the potatoes in as well as salting the mashed potatoes. Taste them and salt according to taste. We like to use sea salt or kosher salt instead of table salt because it’s easier to pinch and add to dishes.Cheese
The best cheese for cheesy potato balls is mozzarella, hands down. Mozzarella is the best for meltability and stretch. It adds a delicious mild creamy flavor and pairs well with potatoes. You can use mozzarella string cheese cut into small cubes or shredded mozzarella cheese, which is what I used. I recommend using cut up string cheese because it’s easier to wrap into the potato balls. If you use shredded mozzarella, squish up the mozzarella into little balls before wrapping with potato. Other cheeses will work as well, but cheese pulls will vary.Flour
Flour is the first step in a three-step battering process. All-purpose flour is the gold standard for this.Eggs
You need a whisked egg for the egg wash portion – you could get away with using one but whisking up two eggs gives you more room to coat your potato balls. Make sure you give your eggs a really good whisk so you don’t end up with goopy bits stuck to your potato balls. Pro-tip, don’t throw away your eggs after you’re done, you can scramble them up for a quick snack.Panko
The secret to light and crispy breaded things. Panko is what makes Japanese pork tonkatsu so good. You might think a breadcrumb is a breadcrumb is a breadcrumb, but panko isn’t just breadcrumbs, they’re better! Panko, also known as Japanese breadcrumbs, are fluffier and larger than regular breadcrumbs because they’re made from crustless white bread. They and are dryer and flakier which makes deep-fried panko crusted things airy and extra-crispy. It’s worth it to buy a bag of panko, especially if you love crunch. Panko is sold in most grocery stores in the Asian aisle but it’s cheaper to buy it at an Asian grocery store.Oil
You need about 1-2 cups of oil to deep fry your potato balls. Go for a high smoke point oil as you want the oil temperature to be between 350°-375°F. The best oils for frying are, in order of highest to lowest smoke point: safflower, rice bran, soybean, corn, sunflower, canola, or grapeseed. You want a neutral oil that has no flavor. We usually buy safflower because I think it’s cute, but go for what’s affordable.Tips for making cheesy potato balls
- Room temp mashed potatoes: Cooled down mashed potatoes won’t burn your hands, they’re easier to mold, and they hold their shape better. I made the mash the day before (okay, actually several days before because I forgot about them) and then just popped them out on the counter to bring them up to room temp. Bringing the potatoes up to room temp is also key because you don’t want to deep-fry cold balls as the outside will color but the cheese inside won’t melt.
- Same sized balls: Using a cookie scoop or a measuring spoon will keep your potato balls the same size meaning they’ll all finish cook at the same time. Plus your potato balls will look nice and professional. Maybe you can start a cheesy potato ball food truck!
- Consistent heat: It’s inevitable that your oil temp will rise and fall when you’re adding stuff to the oil. Try to keep it at the same consistent temperature. I use an instant read thermometer to check obsessively because I’m type-A like that.
Time to eat!
Now that you’ve fried up your balls it’s time to eat! Be careful because the cheese can be really hot. We like to eat these as is, pulling them apart so you get the cheese pull effect. You can have them plain or with ketchup or hot sauce. They’re essentially a snack food but if you like, serve them up with some Korean fried chicken! PS - Do you have extra panko? Here are some other recipes that use it too! Easy oven-fried tonkatsu, air fryer chicken strips, cheddar cheese broccoli tots, and quail scotch eggs.Cheesy Potato Balls
- 2 large russet potatoes (peeled and cubed)
- 1 tbsp cream or milk
- salt (to taste)
- 40 cubes mozzarella cheese (1/2" cubes)
- 1 cup flour
- 1-2 large eggs (lightly beaten)
- 1.5 cups panko
- High heat oil for deep frying (such as grapeseed)
Add the potatoes to a large pot and cover with cold water. Add a generous pinch of salt to the pot. Bring to a boil and cook potatoes on medium high, uncovered, until the potatoes are fork tender, about 20 minutes. Drain well and mash. Stir in the cream and salt to taste. Set aside to cool.
When the potatoes are cool (you can make them the day before then take them out of the fridge to come to room temperature for 1-3 hours) use a ice cream scoop or measuring scoop to scoop out 2 tablespoons of potato. Shape into a ball and then flatten slightly and place a cube of cheese in the middle. Bring the mashed potato up around the cube of cheese, enclosing it. Roll gently into a ball shape. Repeat as needed.
Set up a breading station with three shallow dishes. One with flour, one with lightly beaten egg, and one with panko. Working gently, with one ball at a time, dip the ball into flour, shaking off excess, then coat in egg wash. Roll in panko to coat completely. Set aside on a plate or tray and continue to coat all of the balls in panko.
In a deep sided, heavy bottomed pot, heat up 2 inches of oil over medium heat until it reaches 375°F. Gently place the potato cheese balls in the hot oil, being careful not to overcrowd, turning occasionally and maintaining oil temperature of 350°F, until the breading is golden brown and crisp, 2-3 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer to paper towels to drain. Let cool slightly and enjoy hot while the cheese is still stretchy.
Variations: Add garlic powder, onion powder, bacon, or green onions to the mashed potatoes. Change up the cheese.
I used shredded cheese because it’s what I had in the fridge but it’s a lot easier to just cube up mozzarella or string cheese and wrap that.
Recipe makes about 40 balls
I Am... Easy Chicken Enchiladas
If you’re looking for a cozy, warming, filling, all-in-one dish, enchiladas are it. Corn tortillas wrapped up around a super savory meaty filling, smothered in homemade enchilada sauce and topped off with cheese, what could be better? I first fell in love with enchiladas in New Mexico. Mike and I were on a road trip and boy oh boy did I fall hard for the the land of enchantment – which handily happens to be the state slogan. One of the best meals we ate was at Mary & Tito’s: the enchiladas (extra chile please!) are something I still dream about. If you love enchiladas that are plump, juicy, full of filling, with a lot of sauce and cheese, this is the enchilada recipe for you!
How to make enchiladas
They may seem complicated, but if you can roll up a tortilla, you can enchilada!- Prep the sauce. We’re going to go all out and make a homemade green enchilada sauce but if you’re in a hurry, you can used jarred enchilada sauce - you can find both red and green sauce in the Mexican aisle at the grocery store.
- Make the filling. Don’t go rolling up just plain meat inside your enchiladas! You want the filling to be flavorful, juicy, and moist. Give your filling an extra boost by mixing in a good amount of enchilada sauce and cheese.
- Roll. Lightly heat up your tortilla, the spoon some filling in the center. Roll the tortilla up tightly and place it seam side down in an oven safe baking dish.
- Sauce. Spoon on some extra enchilada sauce and finish with generous amount of cheese.
- Bake. Bake the enchiladas until they are heated through and the cheese is melty and delicious.
- Top and enjoy! Finish everything off with some toppings: cilantro, onions, salsa, sour cream, extra chiles. Enjoy hot!
Ingredient notes
Enchilada sauce - enchilada sauce is surprisingly easy to make, especially because a blender does all the work for you. That being said, you can use store bought sauce if you’re in a hurry. Chicken - I like to air fry the chicken because air fried chicken is so easy and good, but you can also use leftover rotisserie chicken or baked chicken too. Cheese - A blanket of melty cheese on top as well as cheese inside the enchiladas make these guys extra cheesy comfort food. Tortillas - I like to use corn tortillas, which is traditional, but enchiladas with flour tortillas are popular too and flour tortillas are a lot softer, making them very easy to roll. If you are using corn, be sure to heat up the tortilla first (preferably in a nonstick pan, or if not, a microwave) to make them soft and pliable. Toppings - What are enchiladas without toppings? Sour cream is a must. I also like a squeeze of lime, diced red onions, sliced avocados, and chopped cilantro.Red vs green enchiladas
Generally, there are two kinds of enchiladas: red or green. Red enchiladas have red enchilada sauce, made from dried red chile peppers. Green enchiladas have green chile sauce, made from roasted green chile peppers. We’re going to make green enchiladas because I am obsessed with green chile!What is an enchilada?
If you haven’t had the pleasure of having one before, an enchilada is a rolled corn tortilla stuffed with meat (or beans or vegetables), covered with sauce, and baked. Enchiladas are originally from Mexico, but a lot of people associate them with American Tex-mex, even though you can find them across the entire Southwest.Variations
I love chicken enchiladas, but to be honest, you can fill these with almost anything, including all the meats: seasoned ground beef, barbacoa, carnitas, chicken tinga (shown below), al pastor, or carne adovada.What to serve with enchiladas
- who doesn’t love Mexican rice?!
- quick and easy homemade salsa verde
- better than store bought tortilla chips
Best Chicken Enchiladas
From scratch green chile enchilada sauce makes this the best ever chicken enchiladas.
- 1 lb tomatillos (paper skins removed)
- 4 Anaheim chiles (or Hatch, when you can get them)
- 1/4 medium onion (roughly chopped)
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 cup fresh cilantro (roughly chopped)
- 1 tsp dried oregano (Mexican preferred)
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 4 cups cooked shredded chicken
- 2 cups shredded cheese (of choice, divided)
- 18-20 small corn or flour tortillas (or 8-10 big ones)
- fresh cilantro (chopped, optional, to serve)
- lime wedges (optional, to serve)
- hot sauce (optional, to serve)
Make the enchilada sauce: set the oven to broil. Wash and dry the tomatillos and chiles. Toss with a bit of oil and toast on a foil lined baking sheet until charred, flipping once, about 15-20 minutes.
When the tomatillos and chiles are done, remove the tomatillos from the baking sheet, placing in a blender. Carefully wrap the foil up around the peppers so they are in a little package so they can steam. Let steam for 10 minutes and then peel off the skins and remove the stems and seeds. Add the peppers to the blender, along with the onion, garlic, cilantro, oregano, and cumin. Blend until finely chopped. Taste and season with salt.
Set the oven to 375°F and lightly oil or use non-stick spray on a baking dish.
Add 2 cups of the green enchilada sauce to a bowl with the shredded chicken and 1 cup of cheese. Mix well, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Lay a tortilla flat (warm them up in the microwave briefly if they need to be more pliable) then spoon on some filling in the center. Roll up tightly and place seam side down into the prepared baking dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas and chicken mixture.
Top generously with the remaining enchilada sauce and cheese. Bake in the oven until cheese is melted and bubbly, 20-30 minutes. Top with cilantro and serve with hot sauce and lime.
I Am... Easy Rustic Vodka Sauce Recipe
Vodka sauce isn't just to booze it up, it really makes your pasta better. Let’s back up a bit. Just what exactly is vodka sauce? It’s pink, it’s pretty, and it really does have vodka in it. It’s little bit retro (it was super popular in the 70s and 80s) and something you almost always see at classic old school Italian American pasta places. Vodka sauce is rich, luscious, and is one of the best homemade pasta sauces you’ll ever learn to make. If you’ve only ever had the jarred stuff before, you’re in for a treat. Vodka sauce, like so many beloved foods, has somewhat of a murky beginning. Some people say that it’s completely Italian American and some say it originated in Bologna, Italy.
A more rustic style vodka sauce
American vodka sauce tends to be on the more creamy side, but I like my vodka sauce with a more Italian bent: easy to make with a few good ingredients that you can taste. So this version is more of a rustic style with chunks of veg you can see, much more olive oil, and not too much cream. There's a lot of time spent simmering but very little time actually making the sauce. I set timers for every step so there's not a lot of watching the stove (although I stay in the kitchen to drink and chat). It's important to get good olive oil and canned tomatoes if you can.Secrets of restaurant pasta
As we mention in our cookbook, That Noodle Life, the secret of good pasta is pretty simple. You need a good bronze die cut pasta (that's the kind that looks sandy), cook it to 2-3 mins less than the time on the package, drain but don't rinse, and finish in the sauce for 2-3 minutes. It might seem like a lot (and your arm won't like it) but in the final minute, the pasta and sauce goes from watery to creamy and it clings to your pasta like nothing else. To avoid your pasta breaking, gently stir it with a silicone spatula or silicone covered tongs.How to make vodka sauce
- Render the pancetta (or prosciutto). Cut the pancetta into cubes. Add to a medium pot along with a good glug of olive oil (1/4 cup) over low heat. You're basically shallow-frying your pancetta here. Remove the pancetta and set aside, so it remains crispy.
- Make your soffrito. I like to add the garlic in first for 2-3 minutes let the edges brown a touch. Stir in the onion and carrots and cook until slightly soft, about 15 minutes. Good soffrito takes time, so don't rush it.
- Add the vodka. This is the fun part! Stir in the vodka, scraping the pan a little to deglaze, and let it cook down and reduce by half. This takes about 10 minutes on our stove. Don't smell it for the first 5 minutes or your nose will burn up (unless you are a functional alcoholic).
- Add the tomatoes. Add the tomatoes and let everything come to a simmer. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then let simmer for 30 minutes to form the sauce.
- Finish with cream. Stir in the cream and continue simmering until the sauce emulsifies and becomes a beautiful rosy orange, about 15 minutes. Taste and finalize your seasoning.
- Sauce your pasta. Saucing pasta in the pan for at least 2 minutes will emulsify the sauce and prevent a thin watery finish. Some say this is the most important step to a really good pasta dish.
Ingredients for vodka sauce
- Pancetta. Pancetta is Italian smoked pork belly. It adds smokiness, salt, and umami to the sauce. I'm not as picky about pancetta vs prosciutto as other people and honestly it's an optional ingredient. Leave it out if you would like a cleaner brighter sauce, or are vegan/feeding vegans.
- Onion and carrots. Soffrito is the base of Italian sauces and this one is no different. Cook it low and slow to create the flavors that your sauce will build on.
- Garlic. Some Italians say that technically it's a sin to add garlic to many sauces, but it'll be our little secret because I love garlic.
- Vodka. The quality of the vodka isn’t so important here, so if you aren’t a drinker and don’t have a usual brand of vodka, just buy the cheapest one you can find. See below for brand recommendations.
- Whole tomatoes. Try to buy an organic can of diced or crushed tomatoes. Be careful of buying expensive cans of san marzano from Italy, a lot of them are fake.
- Heavy cream. The cream is what gives the sauce body and that classic orange vodka sauce color.
What is vodka sauce?
Vodka sauce is a tomato based cream sauce that is made with vodka. The vodka adds a distinctly sharp, bright flavor and helps emulsify the cream and tomatoes together. It’s a super comforting sauce that comes together quickly and pairs perfectly with pasta.What does vodka sauce taste like?
Vodka sauce is creamy and rich. It’s luxurious and silky on the tongue thanks to the cream and sweet with a bit of acid from the tomato. As the sauce cooks over a low flame, the tomatoes caramelize and turn jammy, melding and combining with the vodka. The vodka flavor isn't anywhere to be seen, but the alcohol carries so many more flavors than you'd get with just water or even white wine. The tomato is dominant, with a hint of brightness and herbaceous pepperiness.Is there vodka in vodka sauce?
Yes, there is vodka in vodka sauce. Lots of sauces have alcohol added to them: the alcohol bonds with fat and water, so food become smells and tastes better. Simply said, food cooked with alcohol becomes more aromatic and flavorful. Most authentic Italian sauces have wine and in this case, we switch out wine for vodka.What brand of vodka should I buy
Honestly it doesn't matter too much because vodka should be colorless and tasteless. Smirnoff tends to win the double blind taste tests in those categories, and if you would prefer a bit of an upgrade, I have a soft spot in my heart for Stoli, Titos, and Costco Kirkland brand. But really, any vodka will do, make sure it's one you like to drink, since we'll only need 1/2 a cup of it.Can you make vodka sauce without vodka?
Yes, you can absolutely make vodka sauce without vodka. It won't be exactly the same, but it will still taste pretty close. To substitute vodka, add a squeeze of lemon and some extra pepper.Is vodka sauce vegetarian?
Most vodka sauce recipes out there are vegetarian. This recipe has pancetta (Italian cured pork belly) in it but you can leave it out to make a vegetarian version.Can you add meat?
If you love some protein in your pasta sauce, you can definitely make this sauce with meat. Actually, this recipe already has meat in it: pancetta. Pancetta is cured pork belly and it is absolutely delicious (and by far the best meat for pasta sauces). It adds smokiness, saltiness, and umami to the sauce. The pancetta gets crisped up and when you get a bite with a little nugget of salty, porky goodness it’s like winning the lottery. Pork and tomatoes are a classic Italian combination because they compliment each other perfectly. If you don’t have pancetta, you can substitute it with bacon. You can also do vodka sauce with ground pork, ground beef, and especially with chicken, which is probably the second best option.Make it spicy
If you love spicy pasta, this vodka sauce is the perfect vehicle. Just add a generous pinch of crushed red pepper flakes in when you’re cooking the garlic and onions - adding the pepper flakes to hot oil blooms them and releases and amplifies their spicy flavor.Which pasta shape is best?
This creamy, spicy, delicious sauce will pair well with any pasta, but we especially love it with short pasta. Penne alla vodka is the classic but you could use any short pasta you love.- Farfalle: Bow ties for the win! Some say bow ties (or butterflies, depending on who you are) are for kids but I say they’re for everyone! Farfalle actually traditionally go with a cream or tomato sauces so they’re perfect with vodka sauce, which is a combo of both.
- Fusilli: Fusilli are curly twirly corkscrews that is perfect for cream sauce. The grooves grape the sauce and they’re just a fun shape.
- Rigatoni: These tubes have nice ridges that the creamy sauce can cling to. They look almost like penne but are bigger and have straight instead of diagonal edges. I really like vodka sauce with rigatoni. Pictured below are calamarata, which are like a distant cousin of rigatoni.
- Shells: Um, shells might be the perfect shape for every sauce because of the little scoop inside where the sauce can snuggle up. More sauce equals more life, amiright?
Easy Rustic Vodka Sauce
An easier, more Italian forward version of the sauce everyone loves
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1/4 lb pancetta (or prosciutto, cubed, optional but highly recommended)
- 1 carrot (diced)
- 1/2 onion (chopped)
- 4 cloves garlic (sliced)
- 1/2 cup vodka
- 14 oz canned tomatoes (diced or crushed recommended)
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 14 oz pasta
- Parmigiano Reggiano cheese (to taste)
Heat the olive oil over medium-low heat in a medium sauce pan. If using pancetta, fry your pancetta until crispy, about 5 minutes, then remove.
Add the garlic and fry until the edges are very slightly brown.
Make the soffrito: stir in carrots and onions and cook until soft, 15 minutes.
Add the vodka and reduce by half, 10 minutes. Increase the heat if your sauce doesn't come to a simmer within about 1 minute.
Stir in the canned tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add the cream and reduce the heat to low. Continue simmering for 15 minutes, then remove from the heat.
At the same time, bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, add pasta. Cook 2-3 minutes less than the package time.
Optional: for a more rustic feel, use a masher to crush your sauce into a paste.
When your pasta is done, drain but don't rinse, then transfer the pasta to the saucepot. Stir with a soft silicone spatula for 2-3 minutes, or until a thick sauce coats your pasta.
Transfer pasta to dishes, then top with pancetta (if using), grated cheese, and pepper flakes to taste.
Estimated Nutrition doesn't include pancetta (but does include 3.5oz of dried pasta per serving).
I Am... Larb Moo Pork Larb Recipe – Thai Pork Salad
If you’ve been to northern Thailand or Laos, you’ve probably had larb moo, or meat salad.
What is larb
Meat salad might not sound very appealing, but it’s incredible. Think: juicy minced pork, fish sauce, lime juice, roasted rice, and fresh herbs. Paired with sticky rice balls, it’s absolutely addictive. It’s unofficially the national dish of Laos and incredibly popular in the Isan region of Thailand. Larb is classic street food, fast, easy, fun, and most importantly, delicious.How to make larb
- Toast the rice. Use a small pan over medium low heat, shaking often, 2-3 mins. Then grind in a mortar and pestle or spice grinder.
- Brown the pork. Using a skillet over medium high heat, brown the ground pork until it's cooked to your desired doneness (we prefer it on the juicier side but some prefer it well cooked and dry).
- Stir in the rice powder and chili flakes. Mix well to evenly coat the pork.
- Add the remaining ingredients. Sugar, fish sauce, lime juice, shallots, green onions, cilantro, and mint.
- Mix well and adjust to taste. Enjoy hot over rice!
How to serve
Larb is usually served with vegetables, lettuce to wrap, and sticky rice - so good! We had ours with both lettuce cups and sticky rice. Sticky rice recipe here!Toasted Sticky Rice
The essential ingredient in larb is the toasted sticky rice. It gives everything a nice crunch and roasted toasty fragrance. If you don’t have sticky rice, you can easily toast up some uncooked Jasmine rice instead.How to toast rice
Toasting rice is pretty easy: just pop uncooked rice into a dry pan and toast over medium low heat, while shaking occasionally. After a while, the rice takes on some color and starts to smell amazing - kind of like popcorn. Take your time while you’re toasting, be careful not to burn. Toasting the rice is probably the longest part of this recipe. After that you’re just 10 minutes away from porky, herby heaven. The next time you’re looking for a quick and easy dinner that’s a bit different, I hope you try this larb. It hits all the right notes: sweet, spicy, salty, and sour.Serve larb with:
- Thai Sticky Rice
- 15 Min Khao Soi Coconut Curry Chicken Noodle Soup
- Thai Basil Chicken
- Thai Curry Stir Fry Udon
- Better than Take Out Peanut Free Pad Thai
Larb Moo (Thai Pork Salad)
Larb: the best kind of salad, with a mix of textures and flavors.
- 1 tbsp uncooked rice (preferably sticky or jasmin)
- 1 tbsp neutral oil
- 1 lb ground pork
- 1 tbsp chili flakes
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tbsp fish sauce
- 1 lime (juiced, plus extra wedges to serve)
- 1-2 shallots (sliced)
- 1/2 cup fresh cilantro (chopped)
- 3 green onions (sliced)
- 20 leaves fresh mint (washed)
- Thai sticky rice (or lettuce, to serve)
In a small pan, toast the rice over medium low heat, shaking the pan often, about 2-3 minutes.
Once golden brown, let cool slightly and move to a mortar and pestle. Crush it into a fine powder. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
In a skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat. When hot, add the pork, and brown, breaking into pieces.
Remove from the heat, and stir in the toasted rice powder and chili flakes, then add the sugar, fish sauce, and lime juice. Stir in the shallots, green onions, cilantro, and mint.
Mix well and adjust to taste. Serve with hot Thai sticky rice and enjoy immediately!
I Am... Homemade Carnitas
Easy peasy carnitas. Alongside barbacoa, tinga, and birria, I think carnitas is the best taco filling you can make at home. Whenever we’re too tired to cook, or just want to have a homemade taco night, carnitas is the answer.
What is carnitas
Carnitas is juicy and succulent pork that’s been slow braised and confit-ed in its own fat along with spices, then pulled apart and crisped to perfection. It’s simply the best (pork based) taco filling.How to make carnitas
Making these carnitas is super easy, barely an inconvenience. All you need is an instant pot and to follow these steps:- Brown the pork. Cube up your pork and season well with salt and pepper. Preheat your instant pot on the saute high setting, with enough oil to cover the bottom of my instant pot. Sear the pork cubes on 2-6 sides (depending on your level of meticulousness) for 1-2 minutes per side. I generally sear 2 sides. It takes about 2 batches to brown 3.5lbs of pork shoulder. Long tongs and a splatter shield is highly recommended here.
- Add your braising liquid. For the instant pot you’d ideally have about 1” less liquid than the top of the pork cubes. More on the braise in the ingredients section below.
- Cook at pressure. Close the lid of the instant pot. You may need to open the release valve to get it to close as it may still be hot the browning step. Cook at high pressure for 45 minutes, then quick release.
- Shred and crisp. This is an important step that you shouldn’t skip. Using two forks, shred the cubes of pork completely. Transfer to a cast iron skillet or other pan. Working in batches, form a thin layer of meat about 1/2” thick and crisp for 4-5 minutes on medium heat. Once you’re done, add about 1/2 cup of the braising liquid in. Mix it up, and you’re done. Enjoy on tacos, in burritos, or any other way you’d like.
Ingredients
The ingredients for this carnitas are pretty straightforward. Some notes:- Well marbled pork shoulder. We skip the pork fat in this recipe, so you’re looking for a nicely marbled piece of pork shoulder to replace that fat. Save yourself some time and opt for the slightly more expensive boneless cut as well.
- Coke. Believe it or not, coke is a pretty traditional ingredient. I’ve made carnitas without coke and it’s no contest, carnitas made with coke is far better than without.
- Mexican oregano. Mexican oregano is a different species of oregano that is more floral than conventional oregano. I love it a lot more. Dried Mexican spices tend to be much cheaper than conventional ones too. This one will be easy to find in the Mexican aisle, so there is no reason not to try it.
Instant pot carnitas
An instant pot is definitely the best way to make these. But, it’s not the only way. You can also make these with any of these other methods below. The major difference is that it’ll take closer to 6-10 hours to achieve the right texture without pressure.Stovetop carnitas
It’s the same process for stovetop carnitas. The best pot for stovetop carnitas is a large dutch oven or a stock pot that’s not non-stick.- Brown the pork. Cube up your pork and season well with salt and pepper. Add enough oil to cover the bottom of your dutch oven and place over high heat. When the oil is just about smoking, sear the pork cubes on 2-6 sides (depending on your level of meticulousness) for 1-2 minutes per side. I generally sear 2 sides. It takes about 2 batches to brown 3.5lbs of pork shoulder. Long tongs and a splatter shield is highly recommended here.
- Add your braising liquid. On the stovetop (as well as in the oven and crock pot) you’d ideally have just enough liquid to cover the top of the pork cubes.
- Simmer. Simmer for 4-6 hours at the lowest possible temp your stove supports, about 1 bubble every 30 seconds. You’ll need to keep an eye on the liquid level. Check back about once an hour and add hot tap water as needed to keep the liquid level stable.
- Shred and crisp. This is an important step that you shouldn’t skip. Using two forks, shred the cubes of pork completely. Transfer to a cast iron skillet or other pan. Working in batches made of a thin layer of meat about 1/2” thick, crisp for 4-5 minutes on medium heat. Once you’re done, add about 1/2 cup of the braising liquid in. Mix it up, and you’re done. Enjoy on tacos, in burritos, or any other way you’d like.
Oven carnitas
Oven carnitas are a bit of an upgrade over stovetop. It’s the exact same process, but instead of simmering, you braise in the oven at 200ºF for 4-6 hours. Because it’s in an oven, evaporation should be low and you won’t need to baby it as much. It’s also impossible for it to roll over into a boil.Crock pot carnitas
Crockpot carnitas are awesome and generally what the crockpot excels at. The only issue is, the crockpot can’t sear and takes a good 4 hours to come to its ideal temp. What I like to do is do all the searing and getting up to temp on the stove, then transfer to a crockpot on low for the remaining time. If for whatever reason you don’t have a stove handy, you can do this without the searing step. Just assemble everything into your crock pot. Cook on high for 2 hours and then switch to low for 6 hours.Why make carnitas
If you’re asking, why can’t I just order it from my local Mexican place? The answer is, you can, but carnitas is expensive and pork is (relatively) cheap. This carnitas recipe is just as good and it costs just the price of pork shoulder. Plus, there's the satisfaction of making it yourself.How to make carnitas tacos
So now you have carnitas! The best thing to do with them is to make tacos. Below is everything I know about making good tacos:The right amount of meat and importance of crisping
In general, but especially for tacos, it’s very important to crisp, then finish your carnitas with a little braising liquid. Specifically for tacos, one of the biggest differences between a great taco and a sad one is how dry the filling is. I don’t think anyone likes a dry taco. You might even want to add a little more than the half cup I recommend.The best tortillas and the importance of warming your tortillas
Another tip for really good tacos are your tortillas and how you warm them. After all, they’re what holds your tacos together. I like to use locally made uncooked corn tortillas or flour tortillas and cook them myself. Whole foods often carries really good local tortillas, even uncooked ones in the fridge section. If you are in a place without access to good locally made tortillas, some of the best mass-produced tortillas around are La Tortilla Factory and Santa Fe Tortilla Company. With store bought tortillas, you need to warm them to make them pliable and delicious. The best way to warm tortillas is to wrap 6-12 at a time in a damp paper towel and microwave for 30 seconds. You can also buy a tortilla warmer instead of the paper towel thing. Of the major, major brands, Mission Foods is probably the way to go. For me, the best tortillas come from Sonora - Southern Arizona and New Mexico. Anything you can get from around those parts is going to taste insanely good.Taco toppings
Last but not least, great tacos need great toppings:- Chopped onions, fresh cilantro, and lime wedges are standard and non-negotiable. Is it even a taco without these? I also like to have extra sliced jalapenos on the side as well.
- Queso fresco adds a cheesy umami to your tacos.
- Pickled shallots add a bright tart note.
- Freshly made pico de gallo is a game changer for me. The important detail is to make it fresh that day and let it sit for 15 minutes to let the flavors meld. I always try to make some before we have tacos. Pico de gallo in our house is just chopped roma tomato, 1/2 small onion, jalapeno, cilantro, the juice of a half lime, and a little salt to taste.
- Finally, hot sauces are an excellent optional but not really optional thing. For us, we don’t really make these, we buy them locally from our favorite restaurants. Hot sauces are made differently everywhere, and I’ve found restaurants pretty much beat anything that’s available commercially. We usually get a salsa roja, salsa verde, and a salsa picante. Basically, a red sauce made of chipotle, a green sauce of mostly tomatillos, and a spicy sauce of mostly habeneros. If you don’t have a good Mexican restaurant nearby, I recommend the Aardvark Habanero and Aardvark Serrabanero as a pretty decent substitutes.
The Best Carnitas Recipe
Super easy, 100% foolproof and juicy, delicious carnitas that might even be as good as your favorite taqueria’s.
- instant pot
- 3 lb pork shoulder/butt (cubed, well marbled)
- 1 medium onion (chopped)
- juice of 1/2 orange (about 1/4 cup)
- 1/2 cup coke (coke zero preferred)
- 2 sticks cinnamon
- 2 tbsp oregano (Mexican preferred)
- 2 tsp ground cayenne pepper
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 bay leaves
Cover the bottom of your instant pot with high heat oil (about 2tbsp) and preheat on saute high. Cube the pork and season with salt and pepper, keeping an eye on the instant pot to make sure it’s not smoking.
Brown 2 sides of your pork cubes, in batches if needed,
Add the rest of the ingredients and set to high pressure for 45 minutes, then quick release.
Using two forks, shred the cubes of pork completely. Transfer to a cast iron skillet or other pan. Working in batches made of a thin layer of meat about 1/2” thick, crisp for 4-5 minutes on medium heat. Once you’re done, add about 1/2 cup of the braising liquid in.
Mix it up, and you’re done. Enjoy on tacos, in burritos, or any other way you’d like!
I Am... Air Fryer Chicken Wings
Air fryer chicken wings coming in hot! Do you love chicken wings? Do you love your air fryer? To me, chicken wings and the air fryer are a match made in heaven. These air fryer chicken wings are faster than going to the bar, ordering, and waiting for them to fry your wings. Even better, they’re super juicy, taste amazing and only take 20 minutes in the air fryer. And they’re not deep fried!
Chicken wings in air fryer, a match made in heaven
To me, the air fryer is the best option for juicy crispy chicken wings. Air fryers circulate hot air and oil all around the wings to get a perfectly crisp shell while keeping the insides extra juicy. Baking wings in the oven takes an hour, but air fryer chicken wings only take 20 minutes from start to finish which means your wings don’t have a chance to dry out.How to make air fryer chicken wings
- Lightly pat your chicken dry. Moisture is not your friend when you want a crispy chicken wing, so be sure to pat your wings dry with a paper towel.
- Lightly oil. Lightly oil the chicken by tossing it with oil or spraying it with spray oil. This will promote even browning.
- Coat the chicken. This is where the magic happens. Toss the wings in a large bowl with a bit of baking powder, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
- Air fry. Lightly spray (or brush) the air fryer basket with oil. Arrange the wings in a single layer, with some space in between each wing.
- Flip. Flip the wings and fry again.
- Toss. Enjoy the wings as is or toss with sauce!
How long to cook chicken wings in air fryer:
It takes 20 minutes to cook wings in the air fryer. Cook your wings for 15 minutes at 400°F, flip them and cook them for another 5 minutes at 400°F. If you want extra crispy wings, let them rest for 5 minutes then give them another 5 minute blast at 400ºF to get them extra crunchy. Wings cook based on wing size and how packed your air fryer is, if your wings are extra big, add an extra 5 minutes to the cook time.Basic air fryer chicken wings recipe
The key to really tasty air fryer chicken wings is a well seasoned base. You know how wings taste super good and flavorful at restaurants in way that never seems achievable at home? The secret is seasoning your wings before you sauce them. It’s layers on layers of flavor, all the way down! For these wings, I coated them in a bit of baking powder, along with some salt, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper. The result was unbelievably juicy, crisp, and flavorful. This basic seasoning mix of salt, garlic, onion, and pepper is the perfect base layer for all other sauces. It will make your wings extra: extra flavorful, extra saucy (because the sauce will have something to cling to), and extra delicious.Extra crispy air fryer chicken wings
The secret to extra crispy air fryer chicken wings is baking powder (not baking soda) and salt. Basically, the pH of the baking powder makes the surface of the wings brown more easily. A bit of salt draws out any extra moisture off the surface of the skin and your air fried chicken wings end up crispy and golden.Buffalo wings vs other sauces
These wings are 100% good enough to eat naked, on their own. But variety is the spice of life too, amirite?! Air fryer chicken wings make the best ever buffalo wings. Buffalo wings are super simple: equal parts Frank’s Red Hot and melted butter. We like to mix it up and use other hot sauces too, like sriracha buffalo or Crystal buffalo. Truth is, we almost always reduce the amount of butter or leave it out entirely for a healthier twist. We made these specific wings with just Secret Aardvark Habanero Sauce (the best hot sauce ever) and they were phenomenal. You can also make these wings:- Korean wings - in small pan, heat up 1 tablespoon each of ketchup, gochujang, honey, and brown sugar, 1/2 tablespoon of soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, and grated ginger, along with 2 cloves crushed garlic. Read more about Korean Fried Chicken here.
- Pok Pok fish sauce wings - combine 1 tablespoon each of lime juice, fish sauce, and sugar, along with 1 clove crushed garlic and 1/2 sliced Thai bird’s eye chili. Let sit for 10 minutes for the flavors to meld before tossing. Read more about Pok Pok Style Fish Sauce Chicken Wings here.
- Honey garlic wings - Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a small pan over medium heat and add 8 cloves of crushed garlic and cook until soft but not brown. Stir in 2 tablespoons honey, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon water, bring to a simmer, then toss with the wings.
- Ranch Wings - Ranch is a must for dipping and let me tell you, tossing wings in ranch powder is a pro move. For the recipe, check out this whole post on ranch wings.
- Vietnamese wings - this is a dry toss that is out of this world, believe me. It's the ultimate umami wings. I could eat pounds and pounds of these wings and never get tired of them. For more information, check out this post on Vietnamese air fryer wings.
Frozen chicken wings in the air fryer
Can you make frozen chicken wings in the air fryer? Surprisingly, you can! You’ll need to cook the wings a bit longer and they won’t come out as crispy, but if you’re in hurry, it’s a pretty amazing party trick.To make air fryer frozen chicken wings:
- Toss the wings in the baking powder spice mix and lay the wings out in a single layer in the air fryer basket.
- Set the air fryer to 400°F for 15 minutes, flip, and cook for another 10 minutes.
- Flip them again, give them a spray with some oil, and cook for 5 minutes.
- Give them one final flip, spray, and cook for a final 5 minutes.
How many wings can I make at once?
You can make about 1 pound of wings at once, depending on how big the wings are. If you’re a wing lover, look into getting a rack for your air fryer because you can triple your wing making abilities. If you're buying a rack, whether online or offline, don't forget to check the diameter so you can be sure it fits in your air fryer!Which air fryer do you have?
We've used a lot of air fryers and this one is our new daily driver and it's been awesome. The window is more than just fun (though it is too!) it's also great to see your food frying so you can make sure everything is A-OK.Can I make these in an oven?
Yes, you can bake them in the oven, it takes 45 minutes @ 400ºF. Stick them on a wire rack on a foil lined baking sheet and flip them half way through. If you have convection mode, it means you have a giant air fryer! Just follow the same instructions as with an air fryer, maybe with an extra 5 minutes in case the oven temp is not as accurate.Tips for the best air fryer chicken wings:
- Season your chicken
- Dry the chicken as much as possible, the drier the chicken, the crispier
- Don’t crowd the air fryer
- Use tongs to flip your wings instead of shaking the basket
- For ultimate crisp ones, double fry: let the chicken rest after frying, the pop it back into the air fryer for an extra 5 minutes
More Air Fryer Recipes!
Air Fryer Chicken Wings
The best way to make chicken wings, period.
- air fryer
- 1 lb chicken wings
- 1 tsp baking powder (not baking soda)
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp onion powder
- 1/2 tsp freshly cracked pepper
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt (or to taste)
Optional Buffalo Wing Sauce
- 1.5 tbsp hot sauce (optional, see notes)
- 1.5 tbsp butter (melted, optional, see notes)
Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. In a bowl, toss the wings in oil.
Mix the baking powder, garlic powder, onion powder, pepper, and salt together in a small bowl. Add to the wings and toss to coat evenly.
Spray the air fryer basket with oil or lightly brush with a thin coat of oil. Arrange the chicken in a single layer and air fry at 400°F for 15 mins. When the 15 minutes is up, flip the chicken and air fry for another 5 minutes.
Remove the chicken immediately. Enjoy as is or toss with your sauce of choice!
Check out the post for more sauce ideas than just basic Buffalo!
Nutrition facts are for wings only and don't include sauce.
I Am... Vietnamese Coffee
Nothing is more refreshing or more energy life giving than an icy cold Vietnamese coffee. Sweet and creamy, with a huge kick of intense coffee flavor. This is the caffeine hit I want all day, every day. After Brazil, Vietnam is the largest producer of coffee in the world and it’s no surprise that Vietnamese coffee culture is fierce. Cafes line the streets and morning, noon, and night, you’ll see people drinking coffee. It’s just a way of life. After pho and banh mi, I think Vietnamese coffee might be the most well known Vietnamese culinary export.
What is Vietnamese coffee?
Dark, intense, rich, and deep, Vietnamese coffee is coffee made from Vietnamese grown coffee beans, strong and flavorful, often cut with sweetened condensed milk and drunk hot or cold. Nowadays, lots of people think Vietnamese coffee is just regular old coffee with sweetened condensed milk in it. If we’re going to be purists: true Vietnamese coffee is made from robusta coffee beans (or a mix of robusta and arabica) grown in Vietnam. Robusta beans are bitter, less acidic, and have twice as much caffeine as the more commonly used Arabica beans. Robusta beans produce a very dark, very strong coffee that’s beautifully balanced out by sweetened condensed milk. For the sake of simplicity in this post, we’ll define Vietnamese coffee as coffee made from beans grown in Vietnam and or coffee served with sweetened condensed milk. We’re using Vietnamese grown beans and if you want a truly authentic cup, you should use them too ;)What does Vietnamese coffee taste like?
In a word: delicious! I am addicted to that sweet milky coffee-forward flavor. It tastes like how you imagine coffee to taste. Deliciously dark and deep with a hint of roasty caramel, sweet milkiness, nutty buttery-ness, with just a touch of chocolate notes.How to make Vietnamese coffee
- Get the coffee equipment ready. Gather your phin, the ground coffee beans, sweetened condensed milk and a mug or glass. I like to use a heatproof glass because aesthetics.
- Boil the water. To be specific, you want the water between 195°-205°F. Essentially boil it and remove from the heat.
- Preheat the phin and cup. Pour a bit of water through the filter. It’ll run right through and warm the filter and cup. Carefully pour the hot water out.
- Add the condensed milk to the cup. Spoon some condensed milk (if using) into the cup. Add the body of the phin back on top, leaving the filter and lid to the side.
- Bloom the coffee. Scoop in 1 heaping tablespoon of fine coffee grounds and use the filter press to lightly press down on the coffee. Pour in about 1 tbsp hot water over the filter. Let bloom for about 30-40 seconds.
- Brew the coffee. Slowly pour more hot water into the phin until it reaches the top then cover it with the lid. Let the coffee brew, it should take about 3-5 minutes and it should drip through slowly.
- Enjoy! When the coffee is done brewing, remove the phin. Stir it up and pour over ice or add more hot water if desired.
Hot vs iced Vietnamese coffee
In Vietnam, coffee is enjoyed both iced and hot, it’s really up to personal preference.- Hot: Simple enjoy the coffee brewed straight from the phin. If you want your coffee slightly diluted, more like an americano, add some hot water.
- Iced: There are two ways of making iced coffee. You can brew the coffee then pour it over ice or you can brew the coffee directly over ice.
Vietnamese coffee ingredients & equipment
Coffee Phin
What is a phin? It’s an individual stainless steel coffee filter that sits on top of a glass. A phin is made of three parts: the body, the press or filter disk, and the lid. Coffee grounds go into the body, the press is placed lightly on top and finally, the lid covers everything. The coffee drips out slowly into the waiting cup at the bottom. It’s kind of a mix between pourover and a French press. And of course, if you would like a black phin like you see in the photos, a similar one is available here.Coffee beans
Some people say that it’s the condensed milk or way it’s been brewed that makes Vietnamese coffee Vietnamese coffee, but really it’s the beans. Lots of Vietnamese roasters roast with butter for extra richness. For a true Vietnamese coffee, try to find a bean that’s grown and roasted in Vietnam. Contrary to popular belief, Cafe du Monde coffee (which is often used in Vietnamese restaurants) are not actually Vietnamese beans. There are a variety of Vietnamese beans on the market and lots of them are sold online.Sweetened condensed milk
Contrary to popular belief, Vietnamese coffee doesn’t need to have sweetened condensed milk in it. In fact, Mike drinks his Vietnamese coffee black (ca phe den) and so do a lot of other people. I’m a huge fan of sweetened condensed milk – sometimes I eat it with bread. My preferred brand of sweetened condensed milk is Longevity Brand. You can find it online or in Asian grocery stores. After opening, use a rubber spatula to scoop it into a clean container with a lid and pop it in the fridge. I like to get mine in a squeeze bottle so I can squeeze to my heart’s content. Sweetened condensed milk will keep in the fridge forever. If you’re just at a regular grocery store, go for Eagle Brand, Carnation, and Nestle’s La Lechera sweetened condensed milks. I especially like the tubes that they sell now (Eagle Brand, La Lechera) because it’s so easy to squeeze out, no can opener needed.Cheater’s Vietnamese Iced Coffee
When you want Vietnamese iced coffee and you want it fast, here is a quick and easy way to make it, no phin needed! Here's how:- Make a cup of very strong coffee, either espresso (at least 2 shots) or extra strong brewed coffee.
- Stir in 1 tablespoon sweetened condensed milk or to taste then top off the glass with ice.
- The hot coffee will melt the ice. Top it off with cold water if desired. Enjoy!
Starbucks Vietnamese iced coffee hack
This is a trick I use when we’re on the road and I need a sweet and creamy Vietnamese ice coffee but I don’t have any sweetened condensed milk handy. You can adjust the shots of espresso and pumps of white chocolate mocha as needed based on your caffeine and sweetness needs. When I want it to taste almost exactly like a Vietnamese iced coffee, I order an Iced grande quad espresso with 3 pumps white chocolate mocha.Egg Coffee
Egg coffee or cà phê trứng is a specialty of Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam. Whisked egg yolks, condensed milk, and strong coffee come together in a perfect cup. Egg coffee’s beautifully layered with contrasting flavors: bitterness from the coffee, sweetness from the condensed milk, and richness from the whipped egg yolks. It’s like drinking a liquid tiramisu.How to make egg coffee
Brew a cup of Vietnamese coffee, without any sweetened condensed milk. The fluffy, creamy egg topping will add all the sweetness you need. While the coffee is brewing, make the sweetened egg cream by whisking together egg yolks and sweetened condensed milk with a milk frother. I like this one because it whips up eggs incredibly fast. You can use it to make dalgona coffee too! Once your sweetened egg cream is whipped up and your coffee is brewed, gently spoon the cream on top of the coffee. Enjoy sipping as is, or use a small spoon to stir everything together.Where to buy already brewed Vietnamese coffee
If, after reading all this, you feel like you want to try a cup of Vietnamese coffee but don't want to make it yourself, there's another option. Just hit up your local banh mi deli. They’ll always have Vietnamese coffee on the menu.Frequently Asked Questions
- Where is the black phin from? It was a limited edition thing from a friend who owns a Vietnamese coffee shop, unfortunately you can't get it anymore but if anyone knows where else you can get one, please leave me a comment!
- Vietnamese coffee is too sweet for me Pro tip, when you order it at Vietnamese bakeries or restaurants, you can ask them for less condensed milk if you like your coffee on the less sweet side.
- Can you drink it black? Yes you can and lots of people do. It’s called ca phe den and it’s pretty common actually!
- Why use sweetened condensed milk? Back when coffee started to become really popular in Vietnam, fresh milk wasn’t as readily available as sweetened condensed milk. Fresh milk is much more perishable and sweetened condensed milk was so much easier to store and use. Now the combination of strong and sweet is synonymous with Vietnamese coffee.
What to serve
Vietnamese Coffee
Sweet and creamy, with a huge kick of intense coffee flavor.
- coffee phin
- 1 tbsp Vietnamese coffee (ground)
- 1-2 tbsp sweetened condensed milk (optional)
For egg coffee
- 2 egg yolks
Boil some water until it reaches 205°F. Preheat the filter and cup by pouring hot water through it. Carefully pour the water out. Optionally add 1-2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk to the bottom of your cup.
Remove the filter and add 1 heaping tablespoon of fine Vietnamese coffee grounds. Use the filter to gently tap down the grounds flat.
Pour about 1 tablespoon of hot water over the filter press to bloom the coffee. Let it bloom for 30-40 seconds.
Slowly pour more hot water into the filter, until it reaches the top. Place the lid on and let the coffee drip slowly, it should take about 5-6 minutes for all of the water to filter through the coffee.
Stir it up and enjoy! You can also brew it over ice, pour it over ice, or enjoy it with extra hot water.
To make egg coffee
While the coffee is brewing, make an egg foam by combining 2 egg yolks and the condensed milk in a glass. Use a milk frother to whisk until thick and foamy, 2-3 minutes.
Spoon the fluffy egg on top of the brewed coffee. Serve the cup of egg coffee in a bowl of hot water, if desired. Sip the coffee as is or stir before enjoying!
Estimated nutrition for coffee with 1 tbsp condensed milk. Black coffee is essentially 0 calories.
I Am... TikTok Scrambled Pancakes
So wrong it’s right? Scrambled pancakes are trending on TikTok. They look like scrambled eggs but they’re topped with syrup and fruit and people are eating them up. Are they any good? Make scrambled pancakes with me and I’ll tell you my true thoughts. I love TikTok viral recipes as much as any basic girl, but when I first saw scrambled pancakes my reaction was a hard no. A little while later, Mike asked me if I heard of them. I told him I thought they look extremely unappetizing. Then he showed me kaiserschmarrn and my curiosity sparked.
What are scrambled pancakes?
Scrambled pancakes, as the name implies, are pancakes, that are scrambled. You add regular pancake batter to a pan and instead of letting it bubble and cook into a perfect round, you use a spatula to push the batter around, breaking it up into pancake curds. The pancake pieces continue to cook until the outsides brown and turn slightly crispy and the insides cook up soft and fluffy. From there, you serve them topped with your favorite pancake toppings.How do you make scrambled pancakes
- Make your batter - start with making your favorite pancake batter. I like a thicker pancake batter because a thin one won’t give you as fluffy curds.
- Pour into the pan - heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat and add either butter or oil (or the best of both worlds, which is both). When the pan is hot and ready, pour in the pancake batter.
- Scramble - once the pancake batter is in the pan, let the bottom set for a couple of seconds, then grab a silicone spatula and start scrambling, pushing the batter around and making pancake curds, just like how you would scramble eggs.
- Cook - once you break up the pancake batter into little pancake bits, continue to cook and crisp up the outsides, shaking the pan and flipping as needed. When the scrambled pancake bits reach a golden brown, they’re ready to serve.
- Serve - scoop the scrambled pancake on a plate or into a bowl and dust with a generous amount of powdered sugar and any desired toppings. Dig in!
Scrambled pancake ingredients
- all purpose flour - super simple classic all purpose flour is the base of all pancake recipes. sugar - some pancake recipes don’t include sugar, but I find that a bit of sugar is just what pancake batter needs, especially if you’re not partial to adding a whole lot of toppings.
- baking powder and baking soda - lots of pancake recipes only use baking powder, but a combination of baking powder and baking soda gives this pancake scramble lightness and lots of loft. The buttermilk activates the baking soda, giving these pancakes extra volume.
- egg - one large egg is what you’ll need for these pancakes. You can add to the buttermilk straight from the fridge.
- buttermilk - buttermilk pancakes are superior to all other pancakes. Buttermilk adds heft, fluff, and tenderness. If you don’t have buttermilk at home, simply make some by pouring out 1 cup milk, removing 1 tbsp of the milk, and adding either 1 tbsp white vinegar or lemon juice to the milk. Stir the milk and vinegar/lemon juice and let it sit for 5-10 so it can thicken and buttermilk itself, then use it in the recipe.
How do you make sure the insides of scrambled pancakes are done?
After scrambling the pancakes, when the pancakes are in little pieces, be sure to continue cooking until the outsides are golden brown. You can grab one of the larger pieces and break it open to check if the insides are ready. You want them to be fluffy and soft inside, so be careful not to over cook. One to two minutes of stir-frying the pancake bits should be enough time to ensure they’re ready.What do scrambled pancakes taste like?
Unsurprisingly, they taste like pancakes. But, the difference is in the texture. Because they’re scrambled, they get more crispy edges compared to regular pancakes. Plus, because they’re smaller, they don’t have as much of a doughy center. Instead, they’re a little more fluffy on the insides. When dusted with icing sugar, they taste a little like a healthier (is that possible?) funnel cake thanks to the form factor. They’re soft and sweet with craggily pancake edges.What is kaiserschmarrn?
Kaiserschmarrn is an Austrian-Hungary pancake dish that is essentially scrambled pancakes. They are commonly thought of as shredded instead of scrambled, but the cooking process is pretty much the same. The name translates to “Emperor’s Mess” and that comes from the fact that Austrian Kaiser Franz Joseph I was especially fond of them. Classically, kaiserschmarrn is a dessert or a light lunch, instead of breakfast and instead of using a spatula to break up the pancake batter, two forks shred the batter in the pan. Think of it this way: kaiserschmarrn is scrambled pancakes grandpa.The best kitchen tools for scrambled pancakes
- non-stick pan - some people believe cast iron is best for pancakes, but I really believe in non-stick or ceramic. You never use high-heat for pancakes and the release you get from non-stick and ceramic can’t be beat. We’ve been looking to get some new non-stick skillets and this one and this one both look great. If you have a crepe pan or flat top grill, those will work great as well.
- silicone spatula - silicone spatulas are one of my most used tools. You could use a flipper to scramble your pancakes, but silicone spatulas are absolutely superior because they can stand up to heat, scoop and bend, and go in the dishwasher.
- sieve/strainer - for the perfect dusting of powdered sugar, you need a fine mesh strainer or sieve. It’s the difference between clumpy spooned on icing sugar and that ethereal, polished look of a light, even dusting. Any fine mesh strainer or sieve will do but I’m partial to this one which I also use for matcha.
Tips and tricks for scrambled pancakes
Use a mix of butter and oil
A mix of butter and oil with give you the best combination of flavor and browning. The oil prevents the butter from browning too quickly and the butter gives you a nice caramelized crust and flavor.Don’t use too much batter
Even though we’re making a scramble, it’s best to not fill the pan with batter. If you add too much pancake batter to the pan, it will be harder to brown the outsides of the pancake bits and thoroughly cook the insides. Instead, add the same amount of batter as you would when making a regular size pancake.Let the bottoms set
Letting the bottoms of the pancake set and slightly brown will give you larger pancake curds, which means your scrambled pancakes will be fluffier. Don’t immediately start scrambling the batter - unless you want tiny pancake bits for your scramble.Finish with butter
Once your pancake scramble is almost cooked through, if you want to add some extra flavor and you’re a fan of the crispy edges on pancakes, finish with butter. When the pancake scramble is kind of set but pale and not yet golden, add a generous pat of butter to the pan. When it melts, make sure all of the pancake scramble bits have a light coat of butter and continue to cook until the butter browns the edges of the pancake bits.Blackstone griddle scrambled pancakes
If you have a blackstone griddle, I’m jealous. Scrambled pancakes are absolutely the BEST thing to make on a griddle. Heat the grill to medium-high, make sure you have an adequate amount of butter or oil and then go ahead and pour out ALL of your pancake batter on the grill. Use your spatula to spread the batter out and flip and break up just like scrambled eggs. Because you have such a large surface, you can really make sure the pancake scramble cooks perfectly with crispy edges and fluffy middles.What to put on top of scrambled pancakes
I love a simple dusting of powdered sugar. At the table, berries such as strawberries, blueberries, and raspberries are a delicious add on. Freshly squeezed lemon juice and granulated sugar is stunning. Oh, and pure maple syrup is always a good thing.Are scrambled pancakes good?
Yes! I am happy to report that I was wrong to be put off by scrambled pancakes. It looked and felt wrong but it was so right. I think it depends on which photo slash video you saw first. I like my scrambled pancakes in larger curds, not tiny overly-cooked brown bits. Once you figure out your scrambled pancake preferences, I’m pretty sure you’ll love them too. To be honest, I’m not the best at flipping pancakes and if you’re anxious about that, scrambled pancakes are an absolute win. That’s it - happy scrambled pancake making! I never thought I would be into them but here we are. Am I going to be making scrambled pancakes over regular ones? Maybe no. Am I going to enjoy a bowl of scrambled pancakes now and again? Definitely, yes! They’re fun, spoonable, and a little quirky, why not!? xoxo stephMore viral-ish recipes to make
Scrambled Pancakes
They’re fun, spoonable, and a little quirky.
- 1 cup all purpose flour
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 tbsp butter (or oil for the pan, as needed)
In a large bowl or large liquid measuring cup, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda.
In a separate small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the egg and buttermilk, until the egg is completely incorporated.
Add the buttermilk-egg mix to the dry ingredients and use a fork to gently combine, making sure most of the large clumps of flour break up and incorporate. Some small lumps are okay and will help keep your pancake scramble fluffy. Let the batter sit and hydrate for 10 minutes.
Heat up a large non-stick pan over medium-high heat. Add just a touch of oil and a small amount of butter to the pan. When the butter and oil are hot, stir the pancake batter, then add a generous amount of the pancake batter to the pan.
Let the pancake sit for 20 to 30 seconds to form a slight crust, then use a silicone spatula to scoop under the pancake and fold it up over. Cut and push the batter around the pan, making large pancake curds.
Continue to cook the pancake scramble, flipping and shaking the pan as needed, until the outsides of the pancake scramble bits turn golden brown and the insides cook through. Remove from the pan, serve, and repeat with any remaining pancake batter.
Serve dusted with powdered sugar and desired toppings. Enjoy!
I Am... How to Make Crispy Air Fryer Roasted Brussels Sprouts
If you love deep fried Brussels sprouts, you’re going to love air fryer Brussels sprouts! I’ve been air frying ALL the things. I’m in love with that crispy crunchy texture that the air fryer gives vegetables. It’s funny because I thought our main use for the air fryer would be for frozen french fries, but more often than not we’ve been air frying vegetables. It’s been all vegetables, all the time. Okay, and chicken, because I’m obsessed with air fried chicken. Anyway, after the air fryer broccoli success, I knew the next vegetable I had to do was Brussels sprouts. I love how Brussels sprouts taste when roasted and I wanted to do a air fryer comparison. The result: crispy burnished leaves with tender sprouts. They’re not as soft when you air fry, unless you add extra time, but I really like vegetables with a bit of bite, so I don’t mind at all. I especially loved that I was able to have a vegan keto roasted Brussels sprout snack so quickly.
Why you should make Brussels sprouts in the air fryer
If you haven’t air fried Brussels sprouts yet, please do!- Air fryer Brussels sprouts are sweeter, crunchier, and more flavorful
- Air frying Brussels sprouts is so much faster than roasting
- You won’t heat up your whole house
- It saves energy because it’s a small appliance compared to an oven
- You don’t need a lot of oil
- You can season the sprouts in infinite ways
How to make the crispiest Brussels sprouts: air fryer edition
- Trim and halve the sprouts. Cutting the sprouts in half means the insides will get tender in a short amount of time. It’ll also give your sprouts more surface area and more crisp.
- Toss with oil. Toss with a bit of oil so the sprouts get a nice golden color and crisp up evenly. Season with salt and pepper.
- Air fry. Air fry, stopping every so often to give the air fryer basket a shake.
- Dress. While the sprouts are cooking, make a quick dressing. When the sprouts are done, toss in the dressing and enjoy immediately!
What are some sauces I can dress my brussels sprouts with?
I kept it simple and just enjoyed the sprouts as is, but you can make a sauce to dress the sprouts up. Dress them while they’re hot!- Garlic butter: mince 2 cloves of garlic and heat with 1-2 tbsp butter over low heat.
- Creamy dijon: whisk together 1 tbsp olive oil with 1-22 tsp dijon, and 1-2 tsp apple cider vinegar.
- Lemon dill butter: melt 1-2 tbsp butter over low heat and mix in 1 clove minced garlic with 1 tbsp freshly chopped dill and the zest of 1 lemon
- Balsamic butter: melt 1-2 tbsp butter and whisk with 1-2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- Honey mustard: whisk together 1 clove minced garlic with 1 tbsp honey and 1/2 tbsp whole grain mustard and olive oil
- Honey garlic: heat up 1-2 tbsps honey with 2 tsp soy sauce and 1 clove garlic. Read more
- Vietnamese fish sauce: whisk together 1 tbsp neutral oil with 1 tsp fish sauce, 1 clove garlic, 1 tsp sugar, and a pinch of pepper flakes. Read more
- Spicy chili oil: mix together 1 tbsp soy sauce with 1/2 tbsp Chinese chili oil and 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar. Read more
- Miso: wisk together 1 tbsp neutral oil with 1-2 tsp miso, 1 tsp rice vinegar, pinch of sugar
The best air fryer?
If you're wondering which air-fryer we have, it's this one. I don't know if it's the best on the market because it's the only one we've used, but it works great. It's quiet and easy to clean and really big (which is good because you can put a lot of food in it and bad because it takes up a lot of room in our place). Happy air-frying! xoxo stephAir Fryer Brussels Sprouts
Crispy air fryer Brussels sprouts in just minutes.
- air fryer
- 1/2 lb Brussels sprouts
- oil (or cooking spray)
- salt and freshly ground pepper
- 2-4 shallots (quartered, optional)
Prep your sprouts by washing and throughly drying. Trim the bottoms and cut in half.
Place the sprouts in the air fryer basket and lightly mist with cooking spray or toss with a small amount of oil. Season with salt and pepper. Add the shallots, if using.
Turn the air fryer on at 400°F for 5 minutes. Shake and flip the sprouts, then set it again for 5 minutes at 400°F. At this point the sprouts will be crisp and tender with some charred leaves. Remove from the basket and enjoy!
I Am... Instant Pot Chili
Instant pot chili is the way to go! Chili is one of those foods where everyone has a favorite style – it’s one of those regional things that people fight to the death over. Beans/no beans, vegetables/no vegetables, tomatoes/no tomatoes, ground meat or stew meat?! White chili, green chili, chicken chili, vegan chili, Cincinnati chili, serious competition chili, the list just goes on and on. I love cooking in the Instant Pot, especially soups and stews. The Instant Pot keeps all the delicious smells inside the pot, which means that the flavors stay in the food! Plus I love how quickly Instant Pot chili can come together (30 mins!) because sometimes I just don’t want to be waiting hours for a chili to stew. This version is extra special because it's somewhat based on Texas competition style chili, which means, no beans and two spice dumps. I think it's the best chili around. It's definitely worth the two spice dumps, and you can add beans if you need to.
How to make instant pot chili
- Cook the onion. Lightly sauté the onion in the Instant Pot insert with a bit of oil over high heat until soft, but not brown.
- Brown the meat. Add the ground beef the insert and brown, breaking up. Use a potato masher to help you break everything up. If there’s a lot of fat, drain most, but not all, of it off.
- Add the liquids and the first spice dump. Add in the tomatoes, tomato paste, and broth, along with the first spice dump then set the Instant Pot to high pressure for 30 minutes. Quick release when the Instant Pot is done.
- Add the second dump. Stir in the second dump of spices and simmer slightly on high to reduce if needed. Done!
Can I make instant pot chili in a crock pot or on the stove?
- For the crock pot: Use a skillet to brown the onions and meat, then add to the crock pot with the chicken stock, tomatoes, tomato paste, and first spice dump. Cook for 6-8 on low or 3-4 hours on high, stirring in chicken stock if the pot gets too dry. Stir in the second spice dump right before serving.
- For the stove: In a large pot, brown the onions and meat, then add to the crock pot with the chicken stock, tomatoes, tomato paste, and first spice dump. Bring to a simmer and cook, covered, for 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally, adding in chicken stock if the pot gets too dry. Stir in the second spice dump right before serving.
Chili powder vs chile powder
You might be wondering, what’s the difference between chili powder and chile powder, besides the “i” and the “e”:- Chili powder with an “i” is a blend of spices and ground up chile peppers to make chili stew that you can buy at the store.
- Chile powder with an “e” is ground up chile pepper (like ancho, cayenne, habanero, ghost, jalapeños, etc) and ideally nothing more.
Our chili powder recipe
- 1 tbsp green chile powder
- 1 tbsp Chimayo chile powder
- 2 teaspoons ancho chile powder
- 1 tsp smoked paprika
- 1 tsp dried Mexican oregano
- 1/2 tsp coriander
- 1 tsp black pepper
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 ground bay leaf
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp cumin
Chili spice dumps
You might notice that the spices are added twice: once at the beginning and one at the end. It's not just being finicky! Adding your chili spices, called “dumps” in the pro chili competition world, is usually done in two batches so you can get the maximum flavor notes and subtleties from the spices. Some spices will get muddled when cooked for too long, so adding them in at both the beginning and the end means you get the full flavors.What even is chili, anyway?
If you ask a Texan (and the International Chili Society) a real chili is “any kind of meat or combination of meats, cooked with red/green chili peppers, various spices and other ingredients, with the exception of beans and pasta which are strictly forbidden.” Yup, that’s right: no beans! When many people think chili, they often think of beans, but for me, I’m a Texas chili lover all the way. I love the pureness of Texas chili: perfectly seasoned, tender ground beef swimming in a pool of smoky, spicy, garlicky, roasty tomatoes and broth.Beans vs no beans
There’s a saying in Texas: If you know beans about chili, you know chili ain’t got no beans. That’s because the chili that we all know and love is an offshoot of chile con carne, which originated in Texas/Northern Mexico where it butts up against Texas. Traditionally, chile con carne is a spicy stew with meat and chile peppers and no beans. Nowadays, what we call chili is essentially a stew/soup made with meat (or not meat), beans, tomatoes (or no tomatoes), and spices, but if you want to stay true to the original, the beans are out.No beans about instant pot chili
This is a chili no beans recipe. Of course, if you love beans, feel free to add them in. Personally, I love the way Texas style chili tastes: hearty, meaty, heavily spiced but not spicy, just the right amount of heat, with a stick-to-your ribs feeling you just don’t get with chili with beans. If you've never tried chili with no beans, you owe it to yourself to try it today! Unless you're just in the mood for the bean-ful chili you know and love, which is totally ok too.How do I make chili less spicy?
This is an easy fix - you can still enjoy a super flavorful bowl of chili without the spiciness of chile powders. Just make your own chili powder seasoning and reduce (or leave out entirely) all the spicy chile powders!Tips to make the best instant pot chili
- Let your ground meat sit out at room temp for 15 minutes before cooking it. If you let it come to room temp before browning, less water will cook out during the browning process, making the outsides crisp and in the insides tender.
- Do two spice dumps: this makes sure that your chili is perfectly spiced without any muddled flavors
- Chili tastes more delicious the next day - it’s science! Resting your chili overnight melds and redistributes the flavors throughout and lets the chili thicken a bit.
- Toppings! Don’t forget the toppings because sometimes that’s the best part! I love crunchy Fritos, the freshness of green onions, sometimes a squeeze of lime, shredded cheddar, sour cream, cilantro, sliced jalapeños, and avocados. The chili you see above is orange because of all the sour cream in it and it's the best thing ever.
Instant Pot Chili
Maybe the best thing you could ever make in your Instant Pot
- instant pot
Instant Pot Chili
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1/2 cup medium onion (diced)
- 1 lb ground beef (lean preferred)
- 14 oz crushed tomatoes (one small can)
- 6 oz tomato paste (one small can)
- 1 cup chicken stock (no sodium preferred)
- 1 bay leaf
Spice Dump 1
- 1 tbsp chili powder (store bought or our mix above)
- 1 tsp onion powder
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
- 1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
Spice Dump 2
- 2 tbsp chili powder (store bought or our mix above)
- 2 tsp ground cumin
- 2 tsp onion powder
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp ground cayenne pepper
- 1 tbsp hatch chile powder (optional)
Add the oil to the Instant Pot on saute high. When hot, add the onion and cook, stirring, until soft, but not brown. Add the meat along with salt and pepper (to your preference) to the pot and cook, breaking up. You can use a potato masher to help break up all the meat. Cook just until the beef breaks up and the meat is no longer pink.
Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste, chicken stock, bay leaf, and first spice dump. Put the lid on, set the pressure to high and cook time to 30 minutes. Quick release the pressure when cooking time is completed.
Give the chili a stir, and add in the second spice dump, tasting and adjusting with salt and pepper as needed. Enjoy!
For the crock pot: Use a skillet to brown the onions and seasoned meat, then add to the crock pot with the chicken stock, tomatoes, tomato paste, and first spice dump. Cook for 6-8 on low or 3-4 hours on high. Stir in the second spice dump right before serving.
For the stove: In a large pot, brown the onions and seasoned meat, then add to the crock pot with the chicken stock, tomatoes, tomato paste, and first spice dump. Bring to a simmer and cook, covered, for 1-2 hours, stirring occasionally. Stir in the second spice dump right before serving.
I Am... Egg Fried Rice
Egg fried rice is my favorite. It’s kind of silly, because it’s the most basic of all fried rice, but there’s something about eggs and rice that just go together. Egg fried rice is delicious in it’s simplicity: soft scrambled eggs, perfectly crisp and fluffy rice, all accented by aromatic green onions. I season my egg fried rice with garlic and ginger and just a hint of white pepper. Simple comfort food at it’s best! I could eat egg fried rice all day everyday and never tire of it. If you love egg fried rice too, read on for all the tips and tricks to making the best egg fried rice of your life.
How to make egg fried rice
- Prep all the ingredients. Because fried rice is about speed cooking on high heat, it's helpful to have everything prepped and ready to go. Slice up the green onions in one bowl, lightly beat the eggs in another, and make a simple seasoning in a last bowl (more on that below).
- Season your rice. See below for my specific seasoning mix. Stirring the seasoning mix into cold rice has several benefits. It seasons the rice, breaks it up so that all the grains are separate, and hydrates everything so you don’t have dry rice kernels. The heat of frying the rice evaporates the chicken stock and you’re left with flavor coating each rice grain. The oil in the seasoning mix also helps you not use as much oil when frying. It’s genius! I can say that because Mike invented it. I love this method so much. Trust me, it works!
- Fry. Heat up a bit of oil in a wok and add the whites and light green parts of your green onions. Stir briefly then add the lightly beaten eggs. You want to fry your eggs so that they’re just set. When they’re done, remove them from the wok.
- Crisp. Add a tiny bit more oil, turn the heat on high and add all the rice and cook, stirring occasionally until the rice is hot, toasty, and crisp. You don’t need to move the rice around too much, the goal is to let it crisp up. When it’s hot and toasty, add the eggs back in and mix everything up. Stir in the green parts of the green onion and it’s time to eat!
Egg fried rice seasoning
I mix up a bit of chicken stock (you can use water if you don’t eat chicken) with oil, garlic power, ginger powder, salt, white pepper, and a bit of sugar. Using garlic and ginger powder gives you all the flavor without chopping or tiny bits. I love garlic and ginger powder because it’s simply garlic and ginger, dehydrated and ground up.The right kind of rice
You'll hear that good fried rice is made with day old rice, and that's certainly one way to do it, but most Chinese restaurants don't have time or fridge space for that. What they do is make rice on the drier side (1:1 water to rice ratio) and spread it out on a baking sheet to dry it quickly. You can also fry the rice in the wok on low at first to dry out the rice before turning up the heat to crisp it. This is a more traditional Japanese method, and it's the method we use at home.Egg fried rice ingredients
- rice: cold, day old rice is best, but if you have to use fresh rice because you’re desperate, you can do it: be sure to spread it out and try to cool it down so it’s not hot and steamy. More on what kind of rice you want below.
- eggs: this is an ultra luxurious egg fried rice with a 1 cup of rice to 1 egg ratio. You can use less egg if you like but the fluffy eggs are the best part!
- green onions: Slice up two big bunches of green onions, keeping the greens and whites/light green parts separate.
- seasoning: We’ll be using chicken stock, ginger, garlic, and white pepper to season. There’s also just the tiniest bit of sugar - it adds contrast and accents the rice so you get the barest hint of sweetness. Note: if you don’t eat chicken, you can use a bit of water with an extra pinch of salt.
What kind of rice do I use for fried rice?
To be honest, you can use any kind of rice for fried rice! At home we mostly use Koshihikari or Kokuho Rose, but growing up, fried rice was day old jasmine rice. Now, I totally prefer fried rice made from Japanese rice. The kernels are so plump and chewy. If you haven’t tried it, please do, it’s a whole new world of fried rice, especially if you’re looking to make a Din Tai Fung fried rice copycat. Din Tai Fung uses Nishiki rice, a Californian grown medium grain rice that is super similar to Kokuho Rose or Calrose.Do I need a wok for fried rice?
The answer is yes and no. You don’t need a wok, but if you have one, use it. A wok, with its different heat zones, due to its cute round shape, is ideal for frying and tossing, perfect for fried rice. If you use a wok, you’re going to get some wok hei, that essential smokey essence you get when you get when you use a wok over hot heat. Chinese people are crazy about wok hei, which means “wok breath” and if you want that authentic fried rice flavor, a wok is how you’re going to get it. A good carbon steel wok is usually not too expensive and will last you a lifetime. If you have a gas stove, you’ll want a wok that is perfectly round on the bottom. If you are on electric or induction, you need to get a flat-bottomed wok. In either case, it’s best to get a pre-seasoned one so you don’t need to remove the handle and season it yourself. If you don’t have a wok, using a cast iron or non-stick pan is perfectly acceptable, just make sure it it’s big enough and remember that with non-stick, don’t turn up the heat as much. Of the multiple kinds of non-stick pans out there, a ceramic/non-teflon coating is your best bet.How much oil do I need for fried rice?
If you want delicious, restaurant quality fried rice, you’re going to need oil. Hot oil helps the rice move around and distributes heat and flavor. Fried rice shouldn’t be oily, but it does have oil in it! Having said that, please don’t go overboard, no one likes super oily fried rice.What to add to egg fried rice
I love the simplicity of egg fried rice, but the beauty of it is that you can essentially add anything to it to customize it for your very own. Go the classic Din Tai Fung route and top with with some plump and juicy shrimp, or add in cubes of bbq pork, or diced chicken. Pictured: ham and egg fried rice.What to serve with egg fried rice
- green and crisp garlicky gailan
- quick and easy homemade char siu
- home style classic Chinese tomato eggs
- juicy Taiwanese popcorn chicken
Egg Fried Rice
If you love egg fried rice, read on for all the tips and tricks to making the best egg fried rice of your life.
- Wok
- 1/4 cup chicken stock (no sodium preferred)
- 1 tsp salt
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp ground white pepper (optional)
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 4 tbsp neutral oil (divided)
- 2 bunches green onions (sliced)
- 6 large eggs (lightly beaten)
- 6 cup rice (cooked, day old jasmine preferred)
In a small bowl or liquid measuring cup, whisk together the chicken stock, salt, ground ginger, garlic powder, white pepper, sugar, and 1 tablespoon oil. Mix the sauce into the cold rice, breaking up the rice, until you coat all the the grains of rice. Set aside.
In a bowl, whisk together the eggs with a pinch of salt.
Heat up 1 tbsp of oil in a wok or frying pan and add the white parts of the green onion, and fry for 30 seconds.
Add the eggs to the hot wok and scrabble the eggs until mostly set, but slightly runny. Remove from the word and set aside.
Heat up 1 tablespoon of oil to the wok and add the rice, stirring occasionally, until the rice is crispy and hot.
Add the eggs back into the wok, mixing and breaking up so everything is evenly distributed.
Add the remaining green onions, toss, and enjoy hot!
I Am... Elote (Mexican Street Corn) Recipe
If you love corn, you’ll fall in love with elote: grilled corn on the cob smothered with mayo and topped with cheese, lime, and chile. It’s smoky, sweet, creamy, tangy, corny deliciousness. It’s fresh corn season! I keep seeing buckets of fresh corn for sale and when I do, I can’t resist making elote. I love, love, love street food at home and elote is no exception. It’s easy to make and so worth it. Let’s do it!
What is elote?
Elote, aka Mexican street corn, is a way of preparing corn on the cob. Fresh ears of char-grilled corn covered in mayo or crema (a type of Mexican sour cream) and then topped with cotija (Mexican cheese), chile, and a generous squeeze of lime. It’s the perfect snack or BBQ grilling side dish.How to make elote
- Grill - Griller’s choice: husked or unhusked, it’s up to you. Grill the cobs over hot until the corn starts to char and the kernels are juicy, sweet, and almost bursting.
- Mix - Make the sauce by mixing mayo or creama with lime juice and lime zest.
- Slather - When the corn is ready, generously slather each ear with the sauce.
- Dust - Cover the smothered ears of corn with cotija, chopped cilantro, and a sprinkle of chile powder.
- Serve - Enjoy immediately with any extra sauce and toppings on the side.
Elote ingredients
Now that you know what it is, it’s time to make it. Here’s what you’ll need:- corn on the cob - fresh sweet corn, best from May through September. The sweetness and crunch of corn work beautifully with the tangy, savory, spicy flavors.
- mayo or crema - this is what’s going to give your elote richness and flavor. Both mayo and crema are popular for elote, but mayo is more of a common fridge item. That being said, crema, or Mexican sour cream, is delicious! It’s a slightly thick, drizzlable tangy sauce that tastes a little like sour cream.
- limes - use the whole lime! The zest adds a delightful zing and squeezes of fresh lime juice bring everything together.
- chile powder - spicy, sweet, and just a little heat. Use your favorite chile powder. Chile powder will give you smokiness and heat. That is, don’t use a chili spice mix, but ground up chile peppers. We like chipotle chile powder, ancho chile powder, or even Tajin. Usually, we go with chile powder so we can control the salt content ourselves, but you can also try Trader Joe’s Everything but the Elote seasoning blend or other seasoning blends.
- cotija cheese - crumbly, salty, a little bit firm, there’s nothing quite like cotija, a Mexican cheese. Made from cow’s milk, it comes in young or aged and the difference is mild with more moisture and dryer and firmer. You can usually find it in the cheese area. If you can’t, a passable substitute is parmesan.
- cilantro - fresh cilantro adds a nice herby-ness and aroma.
How to choose the best corn on the cob
Look for cobs with bright green, tightly wrapped, slightly damp husks. The little fluff at the top, called a corn silk tassel should be a golden light color with silky, distinct strands. When you gently squeeze the cob, it should feel firm and plump.What kind of cheese for elote?
The gold standard for elote is cotija, a firmish white Mexican cheese that’s mild and salty. It comes both young and aged and both are delicious, with the younger being a bit more mild and the aged having more flavor. If you can’t find cotija, you can also go with queso fresco, which is mild and milkier. If you don’t have access to either, parm or mild feta is delicious as well.What kind of chile powder for elote?
In Mexico, they typically use chile pequin. Pequin peppers are tiny and cute but pack a punch. For the powder, dry pequin are ground into powder. It’s citrusy and nutty, smoky and spicy. You can find it online in Mexican grocery stores, or sometimes in the international aisle.Do you need to cook corn before grilling?
Nope! You can eat fresh corn raw. Of course, just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. That being said, you don’t need to cook corn before grilling. If you’re wondering why we are grilling corn if you can eat it raw, it’s because corn tastes even better cooked. Grilling makes the corn sweet and tender while adding smokiness.Can you make elote without a grill?
Yep! You can simply boil, steam or microwave your corn and skip out on the grilling. Your corn won’t have a signature smoky grilled flavor but it will still be delicious. You can also grill/char corn on a grill pan or in a frying pan on the stove. Simply heat a frying pan or grill pan over medium-high and cook, turning the cobs, until slightly charred.Elote in a cup
Most corn-on-the-cob eaters know the pain of corn floss. No more! Elote in a cup aka esquites has all the deliciousness of on the cob without the pesky undignified gnawing. Elote en vaso or corn in a cup is super popular. Little cups of steaming hot corn dressed with lime, creama, cheese, and spice spooned up and sold on the streets of Mexico. Simply cut the corn off the cob before dressing it and you’ll have corn floss no more.How to cut corn off the cob
I like laying corn flat on a cutting board and cutting. The kernels stay intact and it’s not at all messy. I think it’s the safest way to cut corn off the cob.- Place the ear of corn flat on a cutting board
- Use a chef’s knife along one side of the ear of corn and cut off the kernels.
- Flip the flat side so it’s on the surface of the cutting board and is stable. Cut off another side, flip and continue until all the corn is off the cob.
- That’s it! Hope you get a chance to enjoy some elotes this summer! I’ll be enjoying mine out of a bowl (not a cup, a cup is too small) to avoid cornfloss.
Elote (Mexican Street Corn)
- 4 ears corn
- 1/4 cup Mexican crema (or mayo)
- 1 lime (zested and juiced)
- 1/3 cup cotija cheese (crumbled, about 3oz)
- 2 tbsp cilantro (chopped)
- 1/2 tsp chile powder (or to taste)
Shuck the corn, removing the husks (or leaving them on if desired). Grill over high to medium-high, flipping as needed, until tender and charred, about 8-10 minutes.
Mix the mayo and crema together with the lime juice and zest.
Remove the charred, cooked corn from the grill. Brush or generously spoon on the sauce then top with cotija, cilantro, and chile powder to taste.
Enjoy!
