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My easy Chicken Fried Rice recipe will have you making better than take out dinners in a snap! Learn how to make this easy fried rice, with tender, sticky rice, chicken and veggies in under 30 minutes!
For more take out meals at home, try my Copycat PF Chang’s Chicken Lettuce Wraps and Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup.
I love this chicken fried rice recipe because it’s a complete meal all made in just one pan, and it’s a great way to use up leftovers! Chicken Fried Rice is one of our favorite Asian inspired, better-that-takeout meals, rivaling favorites like Crockpot Orange Chicken and Beef and Broccoli.
Why I Love This Recipe
This recipe is one of my family’s favorites, and I love it because it’s a simple fried rice recipe that can be made with chicken or any protein, and it’s easy to customize with ingredients I always have on hand.
Fried rice is on the menu a few times a month because it’s one of the best ways to use up leftovers. For the veggies, I tend to mostly use frozen mixed vegetables because they are quick, but if I have an abundance of fresh carrots, broccoli, or zucchini, I’ll throw those in as well.
It’s super easy to make but the recipe moves fast, so make sure to prep all the ingredients before you start cooking.
recipe walk-through
Ingredient Notes
- Eggs – Whisked lightly. You can cook the eggs first and then set them aside to add back in later, or cook them after the rice is added. Just make a well by pushing the rice to the sides and pour in the egg. This is an easy way to incorporate the eggs.
- Frozen Vegetables –Â Like carrots, frozen peas, corn, etc. This is the easiest way to add veggies. If you have fresh veggies on hand, saute or steam them in advance then add them at the end. You can add just about any vegetable to your rice.
- Cooked Rice – Anytime I make rice as a side dish, I make extra so I can save it for fried rice. Cool it, then freeze it so you always have some on hand. If you don’t have any ready to go and have to cook it the day of, pour the hot rice onto a lightly greased sheet pan and pop it in the fridge about 45 minutes before you plan to cook.
- Chicken – Another great use of leftovers! I always have some leftover chicken, so I can toss it into my rice. If you need to cook some, try my recipes for Poached Chicken or Stove Top Chicken Breast. Or shred up a rotisserie chicken. I typically only use the white meat because the dark meat is a little too greasy.
How To Make Chicken Fried Rice
See the recipe card below for full, detailed instructions
If needed, cook some chicken using your favorite recipe, or dice up a rotisserie chicken. Salt and pepper are the only seasonings you need.
In a large wok or deep skillet, cook the eggs over medium heat, then transfer to a plate.
Turn the heat to medium-high. Add the chopped onion and cook until softened, then add the minced garlic along with any frozen vegetables you plan to use. Cook until warmed through. With each addition, I like to add a little more butter so that flavor is incorporated throughout the dish.
Add some more butter to the skillet, then add the chilled rice. It’s going to feel like a lot, so stir very gently at first. Stir to combine the rice and vegetables, breaking up the clumps of rice as you go.
Press the rice down in the skillet. As it sits, it will brown a little on the bottom and get crispy bits of rice. I usually repeat this step a few times so I can incorporate a lot of the little crispy bits.
Add the chicken and egg to the skillet and stir to incorporate.
Add soy sauce, sesame seeds, and black pepper and stir well to incorporate. Taste and adjust seasonings as needed.
Garnish with sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds if desired. Serve immediately.
Serving Suggestions
You really can make this a meal all on its own with the rice, veggies, and a protein. But I sometimes serve fried rice with some of our favorite Asian-inspired recipes, like Cream Cheese Wontons, Sweet and Sour Chicken, and Egg Drop Soup.
Frequently Asked Questions
I have used all kinds of rice, from Botan to Jasmine to regular long grain rice, and all have worked well. Most seem to prefer the fluffier Jasmine rice but my family really loves the stickiness of the Botan. I consider it a personal preference – we eat all types of rice and just use what we happen to have leftovers of.
You can also opt to use brown rice or even cauliflower rice.
Long grain white rice is cooked at a ratio of 2:1, 2 cups of water to 1 cup of dry rice. This ratio will give you about 3 cups of fluffy cooked rice. So in order to get 4 cups as the recipe calls for, you’ll need 3 cups of water and 1.5 cups of dry white rice.
Storage Tips
Storage and Reheating
Storage: Store leftover rice in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Freezing: Store in a freezer-safe plastic bag or airtight container and freeze for up to 4 months. Thaw fully before reheating.
Reheating: Place fried rice in a microwave-safe dish and cover with a damp paper towel. Microwave for 60-90 seconds, stirring a couple of time for even heating. Or you can reheat in a pan on the stove top; add a little oil if the rice seems dry.
Recipe Tips
- Save the leftovers anytime you cook white rice. I stick mine in the freezer and then add the leftovers together to make fried rice.
- Frozen veggies don’t need to be thawed, you can toss them in the pan and they will cook rather quickly.
- For some heat, add some sriracha or a pinch of red pepper flakes.
More Asian-inspired Recipes
- Ground Turkey Teriyaki Rice Bowl
- Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken
- One Pan Egg Roll in a Bowl (Crack Slaw)
- How to Make Your Own Crab Rangoon
- Chinese Lemon Chicken
- Szechuan Chicken Stir Fry
Chicken Fried Rice
Ingredients
- Olive oil
- 3 Large eggs
- 2 tablespoons Butter divided
- 1 pound Boneless, skinless chicken breasts diced
- 1 Small onion diced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1 ½ cups Frozen vegetables carrots, peas, corn, etc.
- 4 cups Cooked and chilled white rice
- 3 tablespoons Low-sodium soy sauce
- Black pepper
- Sesame seeds optional, for garnish
- Sliced green onions optional, for garnish
Instructions
- Heat a wok or large, deep skillet over medium heat and add a teaspoon of olive oil.
- Whisk in the eggs and cook, stirring often, until set. Transfer to a plate.
- Turn heat up to medium-high. Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 tablespoon of butter to the skillet. Season chicken with salt and pepper and add chicken to the skillet. Do not crowd (overlap). Cook chicken until no longer pink; 3-4 minutes per side. Transfer to the plate with the eggs.
- Add onion to the pan and cook until translucent; about 2 minutes, stirring often to avoid burning. Stir in garlic, then add frozen vegetables and cook until heated through. Season with a pinch of salt.
- Add cold rice to the skillet and stir to combine with the vegetables. Press down into the pan to brown the rice lightly for a couple of minutes, then stir and repeat a few times.
- Chop chicken into bite-sized pieces and add to the skillet along with the scrambled eggs. Stir to heat through.
- Remove from heat, then stir in 1-2 tablespoons of soy sauce. Use more or less based on your liking.
- Garnish with sesame seeds and sliced green onions and serve immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.
Awesome! You have to try it.