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My go-to when I don’t feel like cooking? This easy chicken fried rice! I grab leftover rice and chicken, toss it all in a pan, and boom, dinner is ready in minutes. The best part? My kids devour it!
A Reader’s Review
Such a perfect recipe! I use leftover chicken AND rice, so with the frozen mixed veggies this comes together incredibly quickly! My husband and one daughter have both said they could eat this 3x a week – and thats a glowing compliment…believe me!
– Carrie
All the Reasons This Never Fails Me
- Meal Prep Magic: Tastes just as good the next day, making leftovers something to look forward to.
- One-Pan Wonder: Everything cooks in a single skillet, so there’s less mess, and cleanup is a breeze!
- Protein-Packed Upgrade: While I love my classic fried rice recipe, this one gets a protein boost from juicy chicken that makes it even more satisfying.
- Family Favorite: Even picky eaters can’t resist the savory combo of chicken, veggies, and rice.
Ingredients Needed
- Protein: Mix up your protein with ham, shrimp, or bacon.
- Low Carb: For a low-carb version of fried rice, try using cauliflower.
- Vegetables: Feel free to add other favorite vegetables to enhance this recipe. Broccoli, cauliflower, snap peas, or water chestnuts work great.
- Soy Sauce: Regular or low-sodium soy sauce both work. You can add more at the end if you want a bolder flavor.
How To Make Chicken Fried Rice
You only need one pan and a few basic ingredients. This chicken fried rice comes together fast and makes the best use of leftovers. After making it once, takeout might be off the menu for good.
- Cook the Chicken: Add vegetable oil and soy sauce to a large skillet or wok and heat over medium heat. Add chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces, and cook until lightly browned and cooked throughout, about 5-7 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
- Add the Vegetables: Add sesame oil, diced white onion, and thawed frozen peas and carrots to the pan and fry until tender, about 3-4 minutes.
- Scramble the Egg: Slide the vegetables to the sides and then add the lightly beaten eggs to the other side of the pan. Use a spatula to scramble the eggs. Once cooked, mix the eggs with the vegetables.
- Add the Rice and Serve: Add cooked white rice and the cooked chicken to the vegetable mixture and stir to combine. Add soy sauce and stir until combined and heated throughout. Top with sliced green onions, and fresh cracked black pepper if desired, and serve warm.
Alyssa’s Pro Tip
High Heat: Cooking chicken fried rice over high heat is best for fried rice. It helps brown the rice and vegetables evenly. Avoid letting the rice steam or clump together by stirring frequently.
Tips For the Best Fried Rice
- Use Cold Rice: Leftover white, long grain or brown rice from the fridge is ideal, firmer grains = better texture for your chicken fried rice.
- Too Fresh? Chill It: You can cook rice fresh, then spread it on a sheet pan and refrigerate for 30–45 minutes, or pop it in the freezer for 10–15 minutes to cool it down fast.
- Shortcut: Use pre-cooked, ready rice to save even more time.
How to Store Leftover Chicken Fried Rice
- How long does fried rice last? Stored right in an airtight container, it stays fresh for 5–7 days in the fridge.
- Can you freeze it? Absolutely! Seal it up in an airtight container or ziplock, throw it in the freezer, and you’re good to go!
- Can you reheat it? Yep! Stovetop or microwave works best—just don’t reheat it more than once.
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Equipment
- Large Skillet or Wok
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 pound chicken cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 cup diced white onion about 1 small onion
- 1 cup thawed frozen peas and carrots
- 2 lightly beaten large eggs
- 3 cups cooked rice
- 2-3 tablespoons soy sauce more or less to taste
- 2 tablespoons sliced green onions optional garnish
Instructions
- Add 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and 1 tablespoon soy sauce to a large skillet or wok and heat over medium heat. Add 1 pound chicken cut into bite-sized pieces and cook until lightly browned and cooked throughout, about 5-7 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
- Add 2 tablespoons sesame oil, 1 cup diced white onion, and 1 cup thawed frozen peas and carrots to the pan and fry until tender, about 3-4 minutes.
- Slide the vegetables to the sides and add 2 lightly beaten large eggs to the other side of the pan. Use a spatula to scramble the eggs. Once cooked, mix the eggs with the vegetables.
- Add 3 cups cooked rice and the cooked chicken to the vegetable mixture and stir to combine. Add 2-3 tablespoons soy sauce and stir until combined and heated throughout. Top with 2 tablespoons sliced green onions, if desired, and serve warm.
Video
Notes
Updated May 28, 2025
Leftover Instructions: Fried rice lasts 5–7 days in the fridge when stored in an airtight container, and it freezes great, too—just seal it up and toss it in the freezer. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave, but only once.
Nutrition
Calories: 225kcalCarbohydrates: 21gProtein: 17gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 77mgSodium: 474mgPotassium: 327mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 1754IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 27mgIron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tried this recipe?Mention @alyssa_therecipecritic or tag #therecipecritic!
Toss the chicken with some cornstarch and salt and pepper. It’ll give it a nice crispy texture. Also, I add 2T Oyster Sauce at the end. One of our go-to dinners.
Love this recipe!!!
Can you freeze it?
Yes! Just stick it in an airtight freezer bag, it will stay good for a month or two. Just thaw overnight in the fridge and then reheat over the stove when you’re ready to enjoy it again. ?
Very good but I also add more soy sauce .
Very good! Omitted the onions , as I didn’t have any , added onion powder instead .
Thank you for the great recipe!
This recipe is so easy and satisfying! I used edamame instead of peas, but I followed the rest of the recipe to the letter.
Edamame sounds delicious! So happy you enjoyed it!
Easy to make and delicious! Thank you
Amazing!! Think I’ve made this and your shrimp fried recipe at least a dozen times for me and my husband and it always turns out amazing!! To all the people that say it’s bland or too salty don’t blame the recipe learn how to cook. Always taste as you go, everyone’s taste is different some like more salt some don’t.
Way too salty, even with being conservative on the soy sauce and certainly didn’t taste better than takeout. If it wasn’t for the saltiness, it would have been flavorless.
Me and my boyfriend both really liked this recipe! I definitely needed more than 3 tbsp of soy sauce but that was an easy adjustment. Will keep in the rotation!
What is the serving size (portion) for this recipe? I want to make for a crowd and need an estimate is it one cup or 1 1/2 cup serving size?
A serving size is about 1 cup.
Quick to make but no flavor. My bf and I both stopped eating. We even tried putting yumyum sauce in it and it didn’t help 🙁 disappointed
Just finished making the rice, came out great added couple extra vegetables and a touch more soy sauce, and yummm.
Very good recipe. I always make this with leftover rotisserie chicken, or leftover pork tenderloin, or both. I cook the rice the day before in half water, half chicken broth, and due to a family member with a soy intolerance, I use coconut aminos in place of soy sauce. This is as good as, or better than, take out fried rice and without the msg and soy.
We add some Chinese 5 spice to the rice and some frozen pea’s, cracking recipe to build on, thanks again for it
This was way too bland for us. The miniscule amount of sesame oil and soy just didn’t flavor it enough. I always add minced garlic and about 4 eggs.
Thank you anyway ?
I made this tonight for my wife, daughter and myself. We must have hyper sensitive taste buds because we thought it had a lot of flavour.
a great recipe simple enough to put together in a hurry. I hadn’t used sesame oil in the past for other recipes and once I discovered it I absolutely love the aroma–adds a lot to an already good recipe!
I have made this a bunch of times. It is easy and very tasty. The sesame oil is great!!!! Love love