By Melissa Pette

Okay, so this one’s inspired by Chinese fried rice, but Ticos totally made it their own. You’ll find it on just about every menu at local Chinese spots here, usually paired with something super savory. But real talk: nothing beats a big pan of homemade shrimp fried rice, that smell alone is worth it.

The key? Use leftover rice. Freshly cooked rice just gets mushy and weird. Day-old rice, perfect texture.

Here’s what you’ll need to feed two people, and yep, you can find everything at any supermarket in Costa Rica.

• 4 tablespoons of cooking oil.

• 5 cups of cooked rice (leftover rice is best).

• About 250g of peeled and cooked shrimp.

• 4 garlic cloves, minced.

• 1 small white onion, chopped.

• 2 eggs.

• 3 tablespoons diced red bell pepper.

• 3 tablespoons sliced green onion.

• 1 can of peas (drain'em).

• 2 tablespoons of Lizano sauce (don’t skip this,  it’s the Tico magic).

• A handful of chopped cilantro.

So, let’s get cookin’!

Heat up your wok or big frying pan and toss in the garlic with the oil. Cook it until it’s golden and crispy, then scoop the garlic out and leave the oil in the pan, flavor bomb unlocked.

Turn the heat up high. Crack the eggs into the pan and scramble them. Just as they’re about done, throw in the rice and stir it all around for like 3 minutes.

Now toss in the shrimp, crispy garlic, onion, bell pepper, green onion, and peas. Stir-fry that goodness for another 3–5 minutes, or until everything's hot and happy.

Add that Lizano sauce, as much or as little as you like. Stir one last time.

Serve it up in a bowl, top it with sliced avocado, because avocado makes everything better, and hit it with a little chopped cilantro. Boom!

Here’s a tasty veggie version with the same flavor vibes, just no shrimp. Still super satisfying and full of color and crunch:

Here’s what you’ll need for two people:

• 4 tablespoons cooking oil.

• 5 cups cooked rice (again, day-old is the move).

• 4 garlic cloves, minced.

• 1 small white onion, diced.

• 2 eggs (or skip 'em for vegan, add tofu instead!).

• 3 tablespoons red bell pepper, diced.

• 3 tablespoons green onion, sliced.

• 1 can of peas.

• 1/2 cup chopped carrot (optional but adds a nice crunch).

• A handful of chopped cabbage or spinach (if you want some greens in there).

• 2 tablespoons Lizano sauce (mandatory for that Costa Rican flavor).

• A handful of chopped cilantro.

• Sliced avocado, for topping.

Let’s do this!

In a wok or big frying pan, heat up your oil and fry the minced garlic until golden and crispy. Scoop it out and set aside, but leave the garlicky oil behind.

Turn the heat up, crack in the eggs (if using), scramble them, and right before they’re fully cooked, toss in the rice. Stir-fry it all together for about 3 minutes.

Add all the chopped veggies: onion, bell pepper, green onion, peas, carrots, and whatever leafy greens you're using. Throw the crispy garlic back in. Stir-fry for another 3–5 minutes until everything’s cooked and smelling amazing.

Splash in that Lizano sauce, season to taste. Stir it up one more time.

Dish it into bowls, top with avocado slices and a sprinkle of cilantro.

It’s colorful, comforting, and straight-up delicious, no meat needed. Want to make it heartier? Add crispy tofu or even some sautéed mushrooms.

Have a "pura vida" weekend!

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Feel free to share your own recipes by emailing a horizontal photo of your dish to food@amcostarica.com. You can find more tasty Costa Rican recipes over on the AM Costa Rica Food page.

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