Easy Chicken Fried Rice Recipe - Savory Nothings (2024)

40 minutes mins

| 55 Comments |

4.45 from 140 votes

Jump to Recipe | Updated: | by Nora

This Easy Chicken Fried Rice is one of our favorites: It’s ready in just 30 minutes, full of healthy vegetables and kid-friendly, too.

Easy Chicken Fried Rice Recipe - Savory Nothings (1)

Stir fry dinners are some of my absolute favorites when I need dinner on the table STAT: Quick, full of colorful vegetables and my kids love them. A total win!

This is one recipe I make pretty much weekly, with whatever we have on hand. Right now I especially love making it with frozen vegetable blends, I’ve added a few ideas for mixes that work well in the tips below.

Ingredients you’ll need

Here is a visual overview of the ingredients in the recipe. Scroll down to the printable recipe card at the bottom of this post for quantities!

Easy Chicken Fried Rice Recipe - Savory Nothings (2)

Ingredient notes

Vegetables and Chicken

If you learn how to make fried rice once, you can really make it any way you like: With different vegetables, a different protein – or even with noodles instead of rice!

Frozen vegetables:You can make this recipe with many frozen vegetable blends instead of chopping your own – stir fry mixes, onions and peppers or even basic mixed vegetables!

Rice

I generally findlong grainriceworks best to make fried rice.I’ll usually only have regular long grain rice on hand, but Basmati or Jasmin rice work even better and I use those when my husband overdid the grocery shopping again ?What you should avoid are starchy short grain rice varieties (like risotto rice or sushi rice) – they are too sticky for fried rice.

>> What can you use instead of rice? You can use cooked Ramen noodles, cooked rice noodles, even cooked spaghetti! in place of the rice. I hear Cauliflower rice works, too, but ahem… Not my cup of tea.

Oil

If you’re going forbest, you’ll probably want to usetoasted sesame oil. Now I’m not one to stock up on kitchen products I only use for a single dish, sopeanut oil or any neutral vegetable oilworks perfectly fine, too.

How to make Chicken Fried Rice

1) Brown chicken, then

2) add vegetables and sauté.

3) Stir in cooked rice, then

4) season with soy sauce and brown sugar (or maple syrup).

Easy Chicken Fried Rice Recipe - Savory Nothings (3)

5) Push rice to side, then

6) pour beaten egg in middle.

7) Once just set, cut into pieces and

8) stir into rice with peas. Heat through.

Recipe tips

Dice everything fairly small:That counts for both the chicken and the vegetables. Not only will they cook faster, but I also prefer having everything bite-sized in fried rice.

Make sure to brown the chicken enough:The more nicely you brown it, the better the flavor of the finished dish will be!

Use cold rice:Either use day-old rice, or cook it fresh, rinse under cold water and then freeze while you’re cooking the rest of the dish.

Fried rice FAQs

How to make fried rice without leftover rice

A chicken stir fry with rice is quick and easy to whip up, especially if you have cooked rice on hand. But don’t worry, here’s my tips to make this with freshly cooked rice, too:

Cook the rice before you do anything else, then drain it and rinse it under cold water until cooled. Drain again well, then stick the rice in the freezer while you prepare the rest of the dish.

Easy Chicken Fried Rice Recipe - Savory Nothings (4)

Serving suggestions

A stir fry with chicken and vegetables really is a full meal – if you don’t have the time, it’s perfectly acceptable to serve it by itself, at least it is in my house.

If you do want to round out the meal, try spring rolls or fresh fruit (pineapple!) or afruit salad with a light citrus dressing.

Easy Chicken Fried Rice Recipe - Savory Nothings (5)

More quick dinners

  • Easy Chicken Lo Mein
  • 30 Minute Pineapple Shrimp Fried Rice
  • Easy Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
  • Instant Pot Pineapple Chicken and Rice

For more easy chicken recipes, check out my collection here: Easy Chicken Recipes

PSIf you try this recipe, please leavea review in the comment section and add a star rating in the recipe card – I appreciate your feedback! Follow along onPinterest,FacebookorInstagram.

Printable recipe

Printable Recipe Card

Easy Chicken Fried Rice

Whip up this easy Chicken Fried Rice on a night you really don't feel like cooking. It comes together in just 30 minutes in a single pan!

Recipe by Nora from Savory Nothings

made it? tap the stars to add your rating!

4.45 from 140 votes

Print Add Review

Recipe details

Prep 20 minutes mins

Cook 20 minutes mins

Total 40 minutes mins

Servings 4 servings

Difficulty Easy

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 2 large chicken breasts diced into bite-sized pieces; pat dry for best results
  • 2 large onions peeled and diced
  • 3 medium carrots peeled, trimmed and diced
  • 1 red pepper cored and diced
  • 3 cups cooked and chilled rice long grain is best; yield from 1 cup uncooked
  • 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon maple syrup
  • 2 large eggs beaten
  • ½ cup frozen peas
  • Sesame seeds and sliced green onion to serve (optional)

Instructions

  • Brown the chicken: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken on all sides, until browned.

  • Sauté the vegetables: Add the onions and carrots and cook until the onions turn translucent, about 3 minutes. Add the pepper and cook until softened.

  • Cook the rice: Stir in the rice and cook until it's starting to brown.Stir in the soy sauce and maple syrup.

  • Cook the egg: Push the fried rice to the side of the pan to make room in the middle. Add the beaten eggs and cook over medium-low heat until just set. Cut into pieces with a spatula and stir into the rice.

  • Finish the dish: Add the peas, stir everything well and cook until they're hot.

  • Serve: Serve immediately sprinkled with sesame seeds and sliced green onion, if you like!

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Nutrition

Serving: 1servingCalories: 378kcalCarbohydrates: 41gProtein: 32gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 154mgSodium: 599mgPotassium: 843mgFiber: 4gSugar: 10gVitamin A: 8866IUVitamin C: 53mgCalcium: 64mgIron: 2mg

Nutrition is an estimate.

More recipe information

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American, Asian

Easy Chicken Fried Rice Recipe - Savory Nothings (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 secret ingredient to restaurant fried rice? ›

Though you might not be able to pinpoint the sweet inclusion while digging into a take-out box and piling spoonsful of fluffy rice into your mouth, the addition of sugar is a common culinary technique practiced by restaurants.

What are some secrets for perfect fried rice? ›

The key to delicious fried rice lies in using cold, cooked rice (preferably from the previous day) to prevent it from becoming mushy. Additionally, make sure to stir-fry the ingredients quickly over high heat, use soy sauce for flavor, and add a variety of vegetables and proteins for a well-balanced dish.

How do you make fried rice less bland? ›

There are a few different seasonings that make fried rice taste just right. The most important sauces to add are soy sauce, oyster sauce, and fish sauce in fried rice. All three add unique flavors to rice, but it can be easy to go overboard. Make sure you add small amounts of each and regularly taste the rice.

Why does Chinese restaurant fried rice taste so good? ›

The answer: high heat, expert tosses, and something known as 'wok hei. ' As J. Kenji López-Alt writes for Serious Eats, expert cooking with a wok (and the gas range it requires) is one of the main reasons that fried rice from a Chinese restaurant tastes so much better than what you can make at home.

How do you make fried rice taste like restaurant? ›

To get restaurant-quality fried rice at home, it's essential to use aromatics, a group of vegetables and herbs that are so named because they lend your dish a distinct aroma. Common aromatics that are used to flavor fried rice are onion, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, and red peppers.

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

The usage of rice

But in Chinese rice, it is suggested to use leftover cooked rice to avoid the rice from being sticky. In Fried Rice, most quick-service restaurants (QSRs) use long-grain white rice like Basmati, whereas Jasmine Rice is used in Chinese Rice.

Why does homemade fried rice not taste like restaurant? ›

In fact, the use of classic Chinese sauces is exactly what makes takeout fried rice so incredibly moreish. Key amongst these is soy sauce. By adding soy sauce during cooking chefs are adding both salt and umami to the fried rice which, unsurprisingly, greatly improves the dish's overall flavor.

Why add mayo to fried rice? ›

Mayo is the creamy umami finisher that your kimchi fried rice has been crying out for — especially if you use Kewpie mayo. This flavorful condiment is all about the egg yolks, which create a lush, smooth, deep spread with a creamy yellow hue.

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.

How to make fried rice 5 steps? ›

How Do You Make Simple Fried Rice?
  1. Heat your wok or skillet to medium-high heat. Pour in the oil. ...
  2. Using a spatula, scramble the eggs then mix them with the veggies.
  3. Finally, stir in the rice and a bit of soy sauce. Serve warm and refrigerate leftovers.
Apr 22, 2022

Is it better to fry rice in butter or oil? ›

Butter Makes Your Fried Rice Taste Richer But Also Increases Fat Content. Since cooking with butter infuses food with a richer flavor and texture in general, you might find that frying leftover rice in oil leaves it bland in comparison.

Is sesame oil necessary for fried rice? ›

You can also use day-old brown rice, however it will create a less-authentic taste and texture, even though it's still delicious. Sesame oil. I do not recommend omitting or substituting the sesame oil in this recipe. It is key to the authentic flavor of this dish.

Why is my fried rice always bland? ›

you might need to adjust the temperature higher. -throw in the rice and stir so it gets coated with oil. this helps keep the grains from sticking too much. -move the contents to the side of the pan.

What gives Chinese food its distinct flavor? ›

A blend of cinnamon, cloves, Sichuan peppercorns, fennel and star anise, these five spices give the sour, bitter, pungent, sweet and salty flavors found in Chinese cooking. This spice works extremely well with meats and in marinades.

What is the best spices 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 makes Chinese food taste Chinese? ›

Ingredients like Tamari Soy Sauce, Sichuan chili flakes, honey, ground pork and fresh spices come together to create a seamless blend of sweet, spicy and umami.

What gives fried rice umami flavor? ›

Cue the symphony of soy sauce, fish sauce, and sesame oil for the ultimate umami crescendo. Garnish with green onion greens and sesame seeds for a crunchy finale.

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