Chicken Fried Rice

Quick and easy 30 minute dinner recipe that’s made in one skillet! Use up your leftover rice and chicken when you make Chicken Fried Rice. So easy and full of flavor making it even better than takeout.

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Skip the takeout and make homemade chicken fried rice instead! I love to make our favorite Chinese takeout recipes at home, and fried rice is always a hit.

Let’s face it – ordering out gets really expensive for our family of five, so it’s a lot less costly to make copycat recipes at home! Chicken fried rice is an easy one to try, and it’s a great way to use up leftover chicken and frozen veggies buried in the freezer.

We love this as a side dish with beef and broccoli or orange chicken. Sometimes I air fry some frozen egg rolls, too! If you’ve never made chicken fried rice, you are going to love this easy recipe. It’s the best!

Why This Chicken Fried Rice Recipe Works

• It’s a quick 30-minute stir fry recipe perfect for weeknight dinners.
• You don’t need a wok – a skillet works great! Plus, you only need one pan to make it. I always love fewer dishes to clean up.
• It’s so easy to adapt this chicken fried recipe with other ingredients. You can swap the meat, veggies, and you can use different kinds of rice to make it.

What is the Best Rice to Use in Fried Rice?

This dish is all about rice so use long grain rice or Jasmine rice. I like to use white rice, but brown rice will work, too!

For the best fried rice, you should use leftover cooked rice. Leftover cold rice is a little dry and not sticky, making it great for this dish. When I have this recipe in my meal plan, I cook the rice a day before or use leftovers from another meal.

If you don’t have leftover rice, you can make a fresh batch but allow it to fully cool. For the best results, spread it out on a baking sheet while it’s warm so it can dry out. This will keep it from getting mushy when you make the dish.

You can also use cauliflower rice for this dish to make it lower-carb. Cauliflower rice doesn’t have the exact same texture, but it works great! As you learn how to make chicken fried rice, you’ll find what ingredients are your favorites and what works for your dietary restrictions.

What Ingredients Do I need for Chicken Fried Rice?

• Peas and carrots – Some frozen peas and carrots are a great way to add veggies into this chicken fried rice.
• Soy sauce – For a less salty dish, use low sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos.
• Butter – I recommend using unsalted butter to make the stir fry sauce.
• Sesame oil – I like to use a combination of sesame oil and vegetable oil or canola oil to pan fry the rice. The sesame oil adds a delicious flavor!
• Eggs – Whisk the eggs in a small bowl. They cook right in the pan with everything else.
• Onion – Diced white onion adds loads of flavor to this dish. Yellow onion would work too.
• Vegetable oil – You need some cooking oil to make fried rice. I use vegetable oil, but any other neutral oil would work too.
• Minced garlic – Toss in some fresh minced garlic to add loads of flavor to this easy dish.
• White rice – Day-old rice is the best to use in this recipe. It won’t become mush when you make chicken fried rice.
• Chicken – Dice up some juicy chicken or shred it up. My Instant Pot shredded chicken breasts would work — even canned chicken is good too!
• Green onion – Fresh green onions are a tasty garnish and add some pretty color too.

How to Make Chicken Fried Rice

Heat the oils in a large skillet or wok over medium heat. Add the onions, peas and carrots and sauté them until the onions turn translucent. 

Add the garlic and continuing cooking until he garlic is fragrant. This should only take about a minute. Add the rice and chicken to the pan and stir to combine. 

Push the rice mixture to the sides of the pan to make room in the middle to cook the eggs. Pour the whisked eggs into the spot you cleared in the skillet.

Scramble the eggs with a spatula. Once they are cooked, stir them into the rest of the ingredients.

Add the soy sauce and butter. As the butter melts, stir everything together so it’s evenly coated.

Then add soy sauce and stir to mix. Season with salt and pepper and garnish the rice with green onions if desired.

What is the secret to good fried rice?

For the best chicken fried rice, use cooked cold rice! When you chill leftover rice it dries out so it’s firmer. This means it won’t get mushy when you make the fried rice. That’s the secret!

How to Store Leftover Chicken Fried Rice

Transfer leftovers to an airtight container and allow to cool completely before closing the lid for storage.

FRIDGE: Store in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until warm.

FREEZER: You can store leftovers in the freezer too. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw before reheating.

What type of meat is best to use in Fried Rice?

There are a lot of options – cooked chicken, beef (like steak or even ground beef), and ham are common. I’ve seen versions made with ground turkey and ground chicken, too! Or, leave out the meat and make vegetarian fried rice. You can go the seafood route too and use some shrimp with that savory sauce.

What other vegetables can you use?

Try diced bell peppers, red onion, scallions, cauliflower, even green beans! Fresh vegetables will take longer to cook, so I usually stick frozen ones. I’ve seen versions with nuts, too, like cashews!

How long does chicken fried rice keep?

If you use day-old leftover rice, your fried rice will keep for two to three days in the refrigerator. It might get a little dry, so add a little more soy sauce when you reheat it.

I know your family is going to love this easy chicken fried rice recipe! Everyone will think you ordered takeout – it’s that good. Give it a try soon and let me know what you think – Enjoy!

More Take-Out Inspired Recipes

• Baked Sweet and Sour Chicken is healthier than a restaurant version but with the same delicious flavors!
• Skip the Panda Express drive-through and make my copycat Chow Mein! It’s so easy.
• Easy Egg Roll in a Bowl has everything you love about egg rolls but served up bowl-style instead without the deep frying.
• Make these easy Egg Rolls and skip the take-out. This recipe is so much tastier anyway!
• Steak Fried Rice is a great way to use up that leftover steak from the weekend cookout.

Did you make this? If you snap a photo, please be sure tag me on Instagram at @julieseatsandtreats or #julieseatsandtreats so I can see your yummy treat!

 

5 from 18 votes

Chicken Fried Rice

Use your leftover chicken and rice to make this easy 30 minute Chicken Fried Rice bursting with flavor.

Prep:10 minutes mins

Cook:15 minutes mins

Total:25 minutes mins

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Ingredients

• ▢ 2 Tablespoons sesame oil
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
• ▢ ½ cup diced onion
• ▢ 1 ½ teaspoons minced garlic
• ▢ 2 cup frozen peas and carrots
• ▢ 3 large eggs whisked
• ▢ 4 cups cooked cold white rice
• ▢ 1 lb cubed and cooked chicken about 2 cups, ½ inch cubes
• ▢ ¼ cup soy sauce
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons butter
• ▢ Sliced Green Onions optional for garnish

Instructions

• Heat sesame oil and canola oil in a large wok or frying pan over medium heat. Add onions, peas and carrots and saute until onions are becoming translucent. Add garlic to the frying pan and cook for about 1 minute or until fragrant.
• Add in rice and cooked chicken and stir to combine.
• Push the vegetable mixture to the side of the pan. Pour the eggs into the empty side of the pan and scramble the eggs with a spatula. When eggs are fully cooked combine with vegetables.
• Then add soy sauce and stir to mix. Season with salt and pepper and garnish with green onions if desired.
• Serve immediately.

Tips

What is the secret to fried rice?
For the best chicken fried rice, use cooked cold rice! When you chill leftover rice it dries out so it’s firmer. This means it won’t get mushy when you make the fried rice. That’s the secret!

What type of meat is best to use?
There are a lot of options – cooked chicken, beef (like steak or even ground beef), and pork are common. I’ve seen versions made with ground turkey and ground chicken, too! Or, leave out the meat and make vegetarian fried rice.

What other vegetables can you use?
Try diced bell peppers, red onion, scallions, cauliflower, even green beans! Fresh vegetables will take longer to cook, so I usually stick frozen ones. I’ve seen versions with nuts, too, like cashews!

How long does chicken fried rice keep?
If you use day-old leftover rice, your fried rice will keep for two to three days in the refrigerator. It might get a little dry, so add a little more soy sauce when you reheat it.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 664kcal (33%), Carbohydrates: 56g (19%), Protein: 34g (68%), Fat: 34g (52%), Saturated Fat: 11g (69%), Polyunsaturated Fat: 8g, Monounsaturated Fat: 13g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 223mg (74%), Sodium: 1039mg (45%), Potassium: 517mg (15%), Fiber: 3g (13%), Sugar: 1g (1%), Vitamin A: 7160IU (143%), Vitamin C: 11mg (13%), Calcium: 77mg (8%), Iron: 3mg (17%)

© Julie's Eats & Treats ®

We are not dietitians and recommend you seek a nutritionist for exact nutritional information. The information in the nutrition box is calculated through a program and there is room for error. If you need an accurate count, I recommend running the ingredients through your favorite nutrition calculator.