Chicken Fried Rice Recipe
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This easy Chicken Fried Rice recipe is packed with vegetables, chicken, eggs, and rice tossed in a delicious sauce. If you are looking for a quick and tasty 30-minute weeknight meal, this one is perfect for you and your family.
I cannot get enough of Chinese food and usually end up making it at least once a week. Whether it’s a beef stir-fry or General Tso’s chicken, I just love the flavors and the fun techniques that go into every dish.
Chicken Fried Rice
Chicken fried rice is a tasty Asian meal consisting of cooked rice stir-fried with veggies and eggs and tossed in a simple sauce. It is one of the easiest and fastest-to-make recipes out there. It’s most traditional to use day-old rice, but even if you do not have that, recently cooked rice works just as well. You can also swap the rice for noodles in my stir-fry noodles recipe.
In less than 30 minutes, you can have fried rice packed with vegetables, protein, and, most importantly, flavor. One of the best things about this recipe is that it can be tailored to your liking. I often make it with whatever leftover vegetables I have, and you can do the same.
History of Fried Rice
Fried rice was created during the last 6th and early 7th centuries during the Sui Dynasty and featured most of the same ingredients we use now. Depending on where you are located, chicken fried rice can have variations of flavors and ingredients. The main similarity is the short cooking method used to make it. Whether it’s steamed fish or kung pao chicken, Chinese food features some of the oldest cooking techniques on the planet.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Rice – The most common rice to use is Jasmine. However, any long or medium-grain rice will work.
- Onions – White, yellow, red, or sweet onions may be used. Whole garlic cloves are also used.
- Carrots – While fresh carrots are preferred, frozen or canned will also work.
- Celery – A few celery ribs will add great flavor and texture to the rice.
- Peas – These can be fresh, frozen, or canned.
- Cooking Oil – Any neutral-flavored oil, like avocado, will work. For more Asian flavors, use sesame seed oil. Lard or clarified butter will also work.
- Eggs – Large eggs that are chilled or at room temperature are OK.
- Oyster Sauce – is the main ingredient in flavoring the rice. Vegan options are also available, usually at local grocery stores.
- Soy Sauce – Any good shoyu works for this. You can also use a low-sodium soy.
- Honey – This will add just enough sweetness to balance out the sauce. You can substitute it with regular or brown sugar.
- Wine – Sherry wine is used, but Shaoxing or dry vermouth will work as a substitute.
- Mushrooms – All mushrooms, such as cremini, button, shiitake, oyster, and maitake, are good to use.
- Green Onions – These are added to the rice and served as a garnish.
- Others – Some other good ingredients are corn, tomatoes, sprouts, baby corn, or edamame.
How to Make Chicken Fried Rice
Prepare the rice: First thing I do is cook the rice ahead of time, then fluff it with a fork and set it aside. It turns out even better when I use chilled leftover rice from the day before.
Cook the chicken: I add three tablespoons of oil to a large wok, turn the heat to high, and wait until it smokes lightly. Then, I add the thinly sliced chicken breasts and stir fry them until they are cooked all the way through.
Deglaze the chicken: Once the chicken is cooked, I pour in the sherry, soy sauce, and honey to deglaze the pan. Then, I stir fry for about 1 minute before setting the chicken aside.
Cook the vegetables: I place the wok back on the burner over high heat, pour in the remaining oil, and stir fry the vegetables for 2 to 3 minutes, just until they are tender.
Cook the eggs: I pour the whisked eggs into the wok with the vegetables and stir fry until they are cooked through and look like scrambled eggs.
Add chicken and rice: I return the cooked chicken and rice to the wok and stir for 2 to 3 minutes, breaking up any chunks of rice as I go.
Finish the rice: I pour in the oyster sauce, soy sauce, peas, sliced green onions, salt, and pepper. Then, I stir until everything is well combined and the rice turns brown, and I serve it with a few extra sliced green onions on top.
chef tip + notes
I highly recommend for making my Chicken Fried Rice is to always wait until the oil in the wok is smoking before I add any ingredients. If the oil is not hot enough, the food does not cook the way it should and the flavors fall flat. When the oil is smoking, the chicken browns beautifully, the vegetables stay crisp, and the rice takes on that delicious stir fry taste that makes this dish so good.
- Use the right pan: I often use a large nonstick or carbon steel skillet for this recipe, and both work perfectly.
- Cook quickly: Everything in this dish cooks fast, even the chicken, so I always have my ingredients ready to go.
- Vegetable texture: I like my vegetables cooked al dente, tender yet still slightly crunchy for the best stir fry texture.
- Choose your oil: I usually cook with canola, peanut, sunflower, or sesame oil, and each one brings a nice flavor.
- Add some heat: When I want spice, I serve it with sriracha, add sambal on top, cook in spicy peppers, or sprinkle with chili flakes.
- Avoid sticking: If food sticks to your wok, seasoning it properly makes all the difference, and I explain how in my cast iron restoration post.
Make-Ahead and Storage
Make-Ahead: You can make this recipe up to 1 hour ahead. Keep warm in the wok, covered over low heat before serving.
How to Store: Place covered in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. You can also freeze covered for up to 3 months. Thaw for one day in the fridge before reheating.
How to Reheat: Place your desired amount of fried rice in a hot wok over high heat with a small amount of oil until smoking, and stir-fry the fried rice for 2 to 3 minutes or until hot.
More Quick Weeknight Meals
Video
Chicken Fried Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons cooking oil
- 2 7-9 ounce thinly sliced boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons sherry
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 6 tablespoons soy sauce
- 4 peeled medium diced carrots
- 3 medium diced celery stalks
- 1 peeled medium diced yellow onion
- 6 medium diced cremini mushrooms
- 3 finely minced garlic cloves
- 5 whisked large eggs
- 4 cups cooked Jasmine rice
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 cup peas
- ¼ cup sliced green onions
- sea salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- In a large wok over high heat add 3 tablespoons of cooking oil. Once it begins to smoke, add in the sliced chicken and immediately spread it out to cover as much surface area as possible to brown.
- Cook, the chicken for 3-4 minutes or until cooked throughout.
- Add in the sherry, honey, and 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and stir fry for 1 to 2 minutes. Set the chicken aside on a plate.
- Place the wok back on the burner on high heat and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of cooking oil. Once it smokes. add in the carrots, celery, onions, mushrooms, and garlic and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Pour in the eggs and tilt the wok to spread the whisked eggs around and cook like you would when making an omelette or scrambled eggs by moving them around with a spoon or spatula.
- Add the chicken and rice back into the wok and break up any large chunks of rice, and stir-fry for 2-3 minutes.
- Pour in the oyster sauce, remaining 4 tablespoons of soy sauce, peas, green onions, and salt and pepper and mix until combined. The rice should be brown.
- Serve.
Looks delish! If I have leftover white rice, should I add any other or more ingredients for flavor?
Thanks so much!
what do you mean exactly? Leftover rice from?
I make this about once a week. In fact, I’m making it again tonight. So good!
I loved this recipe. Looking in my fridge last night, I had leftover rice and turkey. Substituted turkey for chicken. Everyone loved it. This will be my go to post Thanksgiving recipe! Thanks Billy!
This was delicious!
Shopping tomorrow yes thank you Chief Billy😋😁🤩👋
Yes to morrow be wonderful thank youChief Billy😁😋🤩👋
Love this fried rice!!!
Excellent and easy! I prepped ahead then was able to throw together and have on the table quickly! win win
I made this for the first time tonight. Not crazy about the celery, so I will probably not use it again. I did not have oyster sauce and I will get some for my next time. Overall, we very much enjoyed the dish.
Very tasty
yes indeed!