Chicken fried rice is everyone’s favorite Chinese take-out dish! Crispy rice with salty and rich flavors, juicy chicken, sweet vegetables, and delicious pieces of scrambled egg. See my easy step by step recipe tutorial below including all the tips you’ll ever need to make it perfectly! If you would like something more truly authentic than my Americanized version, then perhaps try something from Woks of Life.
What you need to make this recipe
Chicken – I use diced chicken breast to give the dish an authentic taste and feel but you can absolutely use chicken thighs instead or any leftover shredded chicken you might have.
Rice – Make sure your rice is pre-cooked and cold. If you use hot freshly cooked rice it’ll have too much moisture in it and it’ll turn mushy instead of crispy. I recommend cooking the rice the day before or use a package pre-cooked ice!
Soy sauce – Soy sauce gives the dish color, flavor, and seasoning! Taste the rice at the end and add more to taste.
Sesame oil – You don’t need a lot of sesame oil it’s strong but it adds so much flavor giving the rice a bold and authentic taste!
How to make Chicken Fried Rice
1. Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet and scramble the eggs then remove and set aside.
2. Next, add the chicken and fry until cooked through, set aside.
3. Add the sesame oil, onion, and carrots and cook for around 5 minutes.
4. Add the garlic and frozen peas and heat through.
5. Move the vegetables to one side of the skillet and add the rice, chicken, soy sauce, egg, and fry for a few minutes.
6. Season with more soy sauce and garnish with green onions, serve.
Pro tips for making this recipe
- Traditionally chicken fried rice is made in a wok but a deep-sided skillet will work just as well!
- If you haven’t prepared the rice in advance you can use packaged pre-cooked rice instead.
- Make sure to not overcook the egg at the first sage as it will be added for further cooking at the end (egg can overcook and dry out fast).
- For best results, I recommend using free range and organic chicken and eggs.
- Make sure your skillet is always nice and hot especially before adding the rice so it gets nice and crispy.
- Looking for variations? You can use turkey or ham instead of chicken and if you’re looking for a low carb version of this why not use cauliflower rice instead of regular rice!
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the best rice to use?
Make sure to use long grain rice such as basmati or jasmine rice and make sure it is cold, pre-cooked rice. Don’t use hot or warm rice because it’ll contain too much moisture.
How can I make this healthier?
This chicken fried rice is so much healthier than any take-out you can order but to make it even healthier make sure to use low sodium soy sauce to control the amount of salt that goes into the dish. You only need a little oil to fry the chicken and veggies so make sure to stick to the amount stated in the recipe and don’t overdo it. If you want to go a step further you could also use brown or wholegrain rice instead of white.
What can I serve this with?
I have so many delicious Chinese and Asian inspired dinner recipes that would be perfect alongside this fried rice. Check out my Kung Pao Chicken or Sweet and Sour Chicken!
What can I do with leftovers?
Leftovers will keep well in the fridge for 3-4 days and can be eaten hot or cold. If re-heating the rice make sure it is piping hot throughout before serving.
If you love this recipe try these out!
If you’ve tried this Chicken Fried Rice then don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing from you!
Chicken Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons veggie oil or butter
- 2 tbsp sesame oil
- 3 eggs whisked
- 1 lb chicken breast diced
- 2 medium carrots peeled and diced
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 1/2 cups frozen peas
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- salt and black pepper to taste
- 4 cups cooked and chilled rice
- 4 green onions thinly sliced
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce plus more to taste
Instructions
- Heat a tablespoon of butter or oil in a large skillet over high heat then add the whisked eggs, scramble and set aside.
- Warm two more tablespoons of butter or oil in the skillet then add the chicken. Season with salt and pepper and cook until cooked through and slightly browned.
- Remove chicken and set aside then add the sesame oil, onion and carrots and cook for about 5 minutes while stirring.
- Once softened add the garlic and cook a minute or until fragrant then add the frozen peas and continue stirring until warmed through.
- Move to the side then add the rice, chicken and egg. drizzle with soy sauce, mix, and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes to fry the rice.
- Season with more soy sauce to taste then add the green onion and serve.
Notes
- Traditionally chicken fried rice is made in a wok but a deep-sided skillet will work just as well!
- Make sure to not overcook the egg at the first sage as it will be added for further cooking at the end (egg can overcook and dry out fast).
- For best results, I recommend using free range and organic chicken and eggs.
- Make sure your skillet is always nice and hot especially before adding the rice to get it crispy.
- Looking for variations? You can use turkey or ham instead of chicken and if you're looking for a low carb version of this why not use cauliflower rice instead of regular rice!
