Chicken Fried Rice Recipe - Easy Chicken Recipes (2024)

Home Chicken Breast Recipes Chicken Fried Rice

Becky Hardin

4.65 from 324 votes

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This authentic easy Chicken Fried Rice recipe is better than takeout and it’s quick and easy to make!Loaded with fresh veggies, this homemade version is healthier, while still being filled with flavor. It’s also great for meal prep, and the leftovers taste delicious!

Chicken Fried Rice Recipe - Easy Chicken Recipes (1)

Table of Contents

Why You’ll Love this Chicken Fried Rice Recipe

  • Healthy. This homemade version still has all of the flavors you would expect from a restaurant-style dish, but it is a lot healthier thanks to a few simple swaps.
  • Flavorful. Sesame oil, soy sauce, and mirin infuse this rice with so much flavor.
  • Easy. This recipe takes just 30 minutes to cook and only 10 minutes of prep.

How to Make Chicken Fried Rice

Here is a quick summary of how to make chicken fried rice. You can find details, tips, and ingredients in the recipe card below.

  1. Cook the rice according to package directions and let cool completely. Then, break up with your hands into individual grains.
  2. Stir-fry the rice for a few minutes to soften it back up, then remove and set aside.
  3. Cook the chicken fully, then remove to a cutting board and cut into chunks.
  4. Cook the onion, carrot, scallions, and garlic, then add the rice and peas to the pan and stir to combine.
  5. Add the cooked chicken, soy sauce, sesame oil, and mirin to the pan and cook for 2-3 minutes.
  6. Push the rice to the sides of the pan, then add the egg and beat with salt and pepper. Scramble until cooked to your liking.
  7. Stir the egg back into the rice and cook until everything is well-mixed.
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Variations on Fried Rice with Chicken

This fried rice is filled with peas, carrots, onion, and scallions, but it’s such a versatile recipe!

You can easily add in different vegetables depending on what you already have on hand. Sweetcorn, broccoli, or red peppers would all be wonderful additions. You could even add in a few handfuls of spinach at the end to add some greens. Frozen vegetables work really well here, but you can also use fresh.

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How to Store and Reheat

Store leftover chicken fried rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave in 30-second increments until warmed through. You may want to add a splash of water to rehydrate the rice.

How to Freeze

Freeze chicken fried rice in an airtight container or Ziplock bag for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Serving Suggestions

Looking for the perfect pairing for this recipe? This makes a great side dish or main if you’re really craving it. We have some ideas to help you recreate a takeout meal at home!

Try Homemade Cashew Chicken, Chicken Egg Rolls, Honey Sesame Chicken, or Crab Rangoon.

Top Reader Review

  • “This was very easy and flavorful… I will definetly make it again… Thank You For Sharing It!!!” – Kathy Cifrodella

Chicken Fried Rice Recipe - Easy Chicken Recipes (4)

4.65 from 324 votes

Easy Chicken Fried Rice Recipe

This easy homemade chicken fried recipe is just like takeout, but healthier! Fry up rice with chicken, peas, carrots, and lots of flavorful ingredients, mixed with egg to give it that perfect texture.

Prep: 10 minutes minutes

Cook: 30 minutes minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 servings

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Ingredients

  • 2 cups cooked white rice Jasmine or Basmati
  • 10 teaspoons canola oil or vegetable oil; divided (3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon)
  • 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast
  • 1 yellow onion diced
  • 1 carrot peeled and diced
  • 3 scallions thinly sliced diagonally
  • 2 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 cup frozen baby peas
  • 3 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon mirin
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 2 large eggs lightly beaten

Instructions

  • Cook the rice according to package directions. After cooking, pour it on a plate and set aside to cool completely. Once the rice has cooled completely, break it up with your hands into individual grains.

    2 cups cooked white rice

  • Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet (or wok), over high heat, until smoking. Add the rice; cook and stir for 3-4 minutes, or until the rice just begins to turn a little darker. Transfer the rice to a small bowl and set aside.

    10 teaspoons canola oil

    Chicken Fried Rice Recipe - Easy Chicken Recipes (5)

  • Turn the heat to medium, heat 1 tablespoon of oil, and place the chicken breast in the skillet. Cook for 3 minutes on each side. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board, cut it into very thin slices, and then cut the slices into thirds.

    1 boneless, skinless chicken breast

    Chicken Fried Rice Recipe - Easy Chicken Recipes (6)

  • Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in the skillet and add the diced onion, carrot, scallions, and garlic. Cook, stirring continuously, for 2-3 minutes, or until the carrots are just lightly tender and the onions are translucent.

    1 yellow onion, 1 carrot, 3 scallions, 2 cloves garlic

    Chicken Fried Rice Recipe - Easy Chicken Recipes (7)

  • Add the rice and peas and stir to combine.

    1 cup frozen baby peas

    Chicken Fried Rice Recipe - Easy Chicken Recipes (8)

  • Add the cooked chicken, soy sauce, sesame oil, and mirin, stir and cook another 2 minutes.

    3 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce, 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, 1 tablespoon mirin

    Chicken Fried Rice Recipe - Easy Chicken Recipes (9)

  • Season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.

    Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • Push the chicken rice mixture to the sides of the skillet and add 1 teaspoon oil to the middle of the skillet.

  • Add the lightly beaten eggs and season with salt and pepper. Scramble the eggs and stir to combine with the chicken/rice mixture.

    2 large eggs

    Chicken Fried Rice Recipe - Easy Chicken Recipes (10)

  • Cook, stirring continuously, 3-4 minutes, to give time for the flavors to meld.

Notes

  • Don’t overcook the final dish, or you’ll end up with tough rice and soggy veggies.
  • Use free-range / organic eggs and chicken.
  • Be sure to fully cook the chicken all the way through to 165°F.
  • Dice and cut up veggies ahead of time, so they’re ready to cook before dinner.

Storage:Store chicken fried rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition Facts

Easy Chicken Fried Rice Recipe

Amount Per Serving

Calories 376Calories from Fat 144

% Daily Value*

Fat 16g25%

Saturated Fat 2g13%

Trans Fat 0.1g

Polyunsaturated Fat 5g

Monounsaturated Fat 9g

Cholesterol 131mg44%

Sodium 869mg38%

Potassium 517mg15%

Carbohydrates 36g12%

Fiber 4g17%

Sugar 6g7%

Protein 21g42%

Vitamin A 3068IU61%

Vitamin C 21mg25%

Calcium 58mg6%

Iron 2mg11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Author: Becky Hardin

Course:Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine:Chinese

Did You Make This?We love seeing what you’ve made! Tag us on social media at@easychickenrecipesfor a chance to be featured.

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Chicken Fried Rice Recipe - Easy Chicken Recipes (17)

Meet Becky Hardin

Becky Hardin founded Easy Chicken Recipes in 2018. She has been creating trusted, easy, and delicious recipes on the web since 2012. Becky is known for simple dinner ideas, delicious crockpot recipes, creative chicken meals, and so much more. We have built a team of recipe developers, testers, and writers that love to create trust chicken recipes for every family.

Reader Interactions

Leave a Review

  1. Chicken Fried Rice Recipe - Easy Chicken Recipes (18)Susan Soucie says

    I really love this recipe. I’ve made it several times and each time it gets better. The last two times I’ve made it, I fried the rice in the pan before adding the other ingredients. Also I use shrimp instead of chicken. We both just love shrimp so much and it works great in this recipe.

    Reply

    • Chicken Fried Rice Recipe - Easy Chicken Recipes (19)Becky Hardin says

      Sounds amazing, Susan! Thanks so much for sharing!

      Reply

  2. Chicken Fried Rice Recipe - Easy Chicken Recipes (20)Sylvia says

    Chicken Fried Rice Recipe - Easy Chicken Recipes (21)
    I love this recipe every other recipe I find for fried rice doesn’t have the amount the only thing is there wasn’t enough Soy sauce and we had to keep adding

    Reply

    • Chicken Fried Rice Recipe - Easy Chicken Recipes (22)Becky Hardin says

      I’m happy to hear you enjoyed it, Sylvia!

      Reply

  3. Chicken Fried Rice Recipe - Easy Chicken Recipes (23)Jenifer Hyde says

    Chicken Fried Rice Recipe - Easy Chicken Recipes (24)
    A bit of a long process but we’ll worth the effort

    Reply

    • Chicken Fried Rice Recipe - Easy Chicken Recipes (25)Becky Hardin says

      I’m happy to hear you enjoyed it, Jenifer!

      Reply

  4. Chicken Fried Rice Recipe - Easy Chicken Recipes (26)Sylvia Danielsen says

    Chicken Fried Rice Recipe - Easy Chicken Recipes (27)
    I love this recipe I would only say it doesn’t call for enough soy sauce

    Reply

    • Chicken Fried Rice Recipe - Easy Chicken Recipes (28)Becky Hardin says

      Thanks so much for sharing your experience, Sylvia!

      Reply

  5. Chicken Fried Rice Recipe - Easy Chicken Recipes (29)Jan Desey says

    Way too much rice, I suggest just 1 cup.

    Reply

    • Chicken Fried Rice Recipe - Easy Chicken Recipes (30)Becky Hardin says

      Hi Jan, this recipe calls for 2 cups of cooked rice, which is just 2/3 of a cup of raw rice! Hope this helps!

      Reply

Older Comments

Chicken Fried Rice Recipe - Easy Chicken Recipes (2024)

FAQs

What gives Chinese fried rice its flavour? ›

To give your dish that signature fried rice taste, you'll need to drizzle in sesame oil and soy sauce, but feel free to use as much or as little as you wish. You can even mix in things like garlic powder, ginger root, or Sriracha sauce and chili pepper for a bit of a kick.

What is the best rice for fried rice? ›

The fine, long grains of jasmine rice with its delicate flavour are perfect for fried rice. Precook the rice at least 30 minutes, but preferably one day, before making fried rice and keep it uncovered in the fridge.

Is chicken fried rice unhealthy? ›

It depends. Many fried rice recipes (especially chicken fried rice from takeout chains) have a large amount of fat, sugar, and salt. However, this recipe makes healthy swaps, like brown rice and minimal cooking oil, and packs in the protein and veggies, to make healthy chicken fried rice possible.

What is the secret ingredient in fried rice? ›

The mirin will not only deglaze the pan, picking up the savory bits left by the chicken, but it will also impart a gentle, sweet undertone to the pan-fried vegetables. Of course, you can always add mirin directly to the rice as you're frying the rice. This would be akin to adding salt, soy sauce, or MSG.

What makes chicken fried rice taste so good? ›

Choosing the right seasonings and sauces for your fried rice is important. The key sauces in fried rice are soy sauce, oyster sauce, and fish sauce in fried rice. All three add unique flavors to the rice, but it can be easy to go overboard. Make sure you add small amounts of each and regularly taste your rice.

What is the difference between fried rice and Chinese fried rice? ›

In Fried Rice, most quick-service restaurants (QSRs) use long-grain white rice like Basmati, whereas Jasmine Rice is used in Chinese Rice. If you love rice unconditionally, you should definitely try out Fried Rice varieties (available in veg & no-veg) from Hong's Kitchen.

Which spice is good for fried rice? ›

The Perfect Nigerian Fried Rice
  • 2 bay leaves.
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary (optional)
  • 2 Tasty Cubes.
  • 1 teaspoon salt.
  • 1 teaspoon white pepper (substitute other ground pepper)
  • 2 teaspoon curry powder (divided)
  • 1 teaspoon thyme.

What is the best oil for fried rice? ›

Sesame oil is a perfect choice for a wok-fried dish, like fried rice or pan-fried noodles. It will also impart a nutty flavor that works well with many Asian sauces and ingredients.

What compliments best with fried rice? ›

What To Eat With Fried Rice
  • Grilled chicken and baked chicken are easy, perfect main dishes to serve this tasty side with.
  • Fish such as baked cod or grilled salmon taste great with this perfect side dish.
  • Either potstickers or Chinese dumplings will pair perfectly with this Asian side!
May 16, 2023

Can I eat chicken fried rice every day? ›

Fried rice is not a nutritionally balanced meal on its own, and you should enjoy it in moderation as part of a varied and balanced diet. Adding a variety of vegetables, lean protein sources, and whole grains can help to improve the nutritional value of fried rice.

How often do Chinese eat fried rice? ›

Today in China fried rice is eaten more out of choice than necessity. Typically it is served as a meal-in-one dish enjoyed for lunch by one or more people, or as a simple dinner, perhaps with a soup or a vegetable dish.

What are the disadvantages of fried rice? ›

Eating high-fat food such as fried rice could cause several digestive issues such as feeling bloated, heartburn, and slow digestion. Digesting high-fat and high-caloric food is harder at night, causing the body to store the excess calories as body fat.

How to make rice taste like Chinese restaurant? ›

IMPORTANT NOTE: if you want it to taste like true restaurant style, you need to put the rice only in a pot over high heat and stir it around for about 5 minutes or so before cooking. it helps the grains of rice to stay separate (more like restaurant style) and less sticky.

What spice gives Chinese food its flavor? ›

Popular herbs like ginger, garlic, scallions, star anise, cinnamon, and Sichuan peppercorns are frequently used in Chinese cooking because of their therapeutic properties, in addition to their ability to improve the flavour, aroma, and texture of food.

How to get smokey flavor in Chinese fried rice? ›

You can introduce smoky flavours to your rice by considering other methods such as using a flavoured oil to fry your rice with so perhaps a combination of butter and peanut oil in which you fry off smoked bacon first.

What makes Chinese food taste Chinese? ›

When it comes to taste, Chinese cuisine incorporates sweet, sour, spicy, salty, and bitter elements. Many ingredients help to achieve this. For instance, vinegar can add to the dish's sourness, while soy sauce can be used to add a hint of sweetness and more saltiness.

References

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