Scallop Fried Rice with XO Sauce (Cơm Chiên Sò Điệp với Sốt XO)

If you’re looking to bring a taste of restaurant-quality Asian cuisine into your own kitchen, this Scallop Fried Rice with XO Sauce is the perfect recipe to try. Combining tender, juicy scallops with the bold, umami-rich flavours of XO sauce, this dish is a true celebration of texture and taste. Each bite is packed with savoury notes, a hint of sweetness from the carrots and onions, and a subtle aromatic lift from garlic and dried chives.

XO sauce, a luxurious condiment originating from Hong Kong, is the star ingredient here. Made from dried seafood, cured ham, and a blend of spices, it adds a deep, complex flavour that transforms simple fried rice into something truly special. Even if you’re new to XO sauce, you’ll be amazed at how it elevates the entire dish.

This recipe is also wonderfully versatile. It’s a great way to use up leftover rice, and you can easily adapt it based on what you have on hand. While fresh green onions or cilantro are classic garnishes, dried chives work beautifully in a pinch, adding both colour and a gentle herbal note.

Whether you’re cooking for a weeknight dinner or looking to impress guests at your next gathering, this scallop fried rice is sure to be a hit. It comes together quickly, making it ideal for busy evenings, yet it feels special enough for any occasion. Serve it hot and enjoy a delicious, satisfying meal that brings the vibrant flavours of Asian cuisine right to your table.

Ready to get started? Let’s dive into the recipe and discover just how easy and rewarding homemade Scallop Fried Rice with XO Sauce can be!

Q&As on Scallop Fried Rice with XO Sauce

1. What is XO sauce?

XO sauce is a luxurious and flavourful condiment that originated in Hong Kong’s Cantonese cuisine in the 1980s. It’s made from a premium blend of dried seafood – most notably dried scallops (conpoy) and dried shrimp – combined with cured ham, garlic, shallots, chili, and oil. The ingredients are slowly simmered together, resulting in a rich, savoury, and slightly spicy sauce with a deep umami flavour and a hint of sweetness.

The name “XO” comes from the world of fine cognac, where “XO” stands for “extra old” and signifies high quality and prestige. Although there’s no cognac in the sauce itself, the creators wanted to evoke a sense of luxury and exclusivity, suggesting that this sauce is a gourmet, top-shelf ingredient. XO sauce quickly became popular in upscale Cantonese restaurants and is now widely used to elevate stir-fries, noodles, seafood, and even fried rice.

In this recipe, we use Lee Kum Kee XO sauce, which is known for its authentic taste and convenience, bringing restaurant-quality flavour right into your home kitchen.

2. Why is XO sauce so expensive?

XO sauce is considered a premium condiment, and its higher price reflects both the quality and rarity of its main ingredients. The sauce is made with generous amounts of dried seafood, especially dried scallops (conpoy) and dried shrimp, which are both labour-intensive to produce and costly to source. These ingredients are highly prized in Chinese cuisine for their deep umami flavour and rich aroma.

As mentioned, XO sauce also uses some premium ingredients that can be hard to find. For example, authentic XO sauce should be made with artisanal Jinhua ham from Zhejiang Province in China. However, due to import laws, this ham is almost impossible to find outside of Asia, making the sauce even more exclusive and expensive when made traditionally.

In addition to these specialty ingredients, XO sauce is slow-cooked with aromatics like garlic, shallots, and chili, all simmered in oil to develop its signature taste. The combination of high-quality, hard-to-source ingredients and the careful, time-consuming preparation process is what makes XO sauce more expensive than most other sauces.

3. Why is cold rice preferred when making fried rice?

Cold rice is preferred for making fried rice because it has had time to dry out and firm up, usually after being stored in the fridge overnight. This means the grains are less sticky and won’t clump together when stir-fried, giving you that perfect, separate texture that’s the hallmark of great fried rice. Freshly cooked rice tends to be too moist and soft, which can result in a mushy dish. So, for the best results, always use rice that’s been cooked the day before and chilled – your fried rice will turn out beautifully every time!

4. Can I replace the scallops with other proteins, such as chicken, beef, or shrimp?

Absolutely! While this recipe is specifically for Scallop Fried Rice with XO Sauce, you can definitely substitute the scallops with other proteins to suit your preferences or what you have on hand.

• Chicken: Diced chicken breast or thigh meat works wonderfully. Just make sure to cook it thoroughly before adding it to the fried rice.
• Beef: Thinly sliced beef, such as sirloin or flank steak, can be stir-fried quickly and adds a rich, savoury flavour.
• Shrimp: Shrimp is another excellent choice. Like scallops, shrimp cooks quickly, so be careful not to overcook it.

When substituting, keep in mind that different proteins may require slightly different cooking times and seasoning adjustments. For example, beef might benefit from a marinade, while chicken might need a bit more seasoning to match the flavour profile of the scallops. Feel free to experiment and adjust the recipe to your liking!

5. Can I add more veggies, such as mushrooms, peas, corn, etc., to this recipe?

Yes, you absolutely can add more vegetables if that’s your personal preference! Fried rice is a very versatile dish, and many people enjoy incorporating a variety of veggies.

However, for my own preference, I prefer to keep this particular recipe relatively simple. The luxuriously rich taste of the XO sauce, along with the main protein (scallops), is something you won’t want to distract your taste buds from. Adding too many additional vegetables might dilute the overall flavour profile and take away from the star ingredients.

That being said, if you enjoy a veggie-packed fried rice, feel free to experiment! Just be mindful of balancing the flavours so that the XO sauce and scallops remain the focal point of the dish.