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This chicken fried rice has moist and tender chicken with flavorful peas and carrots and long rice cooked together. Make this unique and your own with this favorite Chinese rice!
So many varieties of fried rice can be made. These better than takeout fried rice recipes are a collage of all my favorites!
Chicken Fried Rice
I mean really. Who doesn’t like fried rice? Ok maybe my six year old doesn’t because of the veggies inside, but I am pretty sure he is the only one out there. 🙂 For my birthday dinner with my family I chose to go to our favorite little chinese restaurant. And it was the bomb. But their fried rice was excellent. But I kept thinking, I can make this just as good at home and I have been craving it ever since!
Since I learned a few awesome tricks on how to get the perfect fried rice in my recipe here, I wanted to make a big old batch for myself for lunch. The baby was craving it that day. But I thought, why don’t I add in some protein and make a meal out of it. You guys. The chicken gave it such amazing flavor! I really couldn’t believe how good it turned out. I promise that you can stay at home and have this better than take out chicken fried rice. You will really be impressed with yourself.
Get Ready to Make Some Rice:
- Vegetable Oil: This helps with cooking the chicken and adding flavoring at the same time.
- Soy Sauce: Chinese favorite sauce that is authentic and brings rich flavoring.
- Chicken: Cut into small pieces and add into the skillet or wok.
- Cooked Rice: It is best to have already cooked rice that has been cooled in a refrigerator.
- Sesame Oil: Brings in a subtle and rich flavoring.
- Onion: Small white onion chopped up.
- Peas and Carrots: Frozen vegetables work best then leave them overnight to be thawed.
- Soy Sauce: More of this delicious sauce!
- Eggs: Lightly beaten and added in the wok.
- Green Onions: Chopped and sprinkle in for added texture, color and flavoring!
Cooking Fried Rice:
- Cook in a skillet: In a large skillet or wok, add vegetable oil and soy sauce. Add in the chicken and cook until lightly brown and cooked throughout. Remove and set aside.
- Add oil and vegetables: Pour sesame oil in the bottom. Add white onion and peas and carrots and fry until tender.
- Pour egg mixture: Slide the onion, peas and carrots to the side, and pour the beaten eggs onto the other side. Using a spatula, scramble the eggs. Once cooked, mix the eggs with the vegetable mix.
- Stir in remaining ingredients: Add the rice and chicken to the veggie and egg mixture. Pour the soy sauce on top. Stir and fry the rice and veggie mixture until heated through and combined. Add chopped green onions if desired.
The Recipe Critic Pro Tip:
I cooked my chicken in this teriyaki sauce recipe here. It added amazing flavor to the chicken and it just shredded apart. Other wise, you can boil your chicken, or even cook it in a medium skillet until no longer pink.
Tips for Making the Best Fried Rice:
Enjoy making the this fried rice using these tips to help accomplish the authentic Chinese taste. It is simple to make and comes together quickly and easily. Once you make it you will be making it over and over again!
- Cold Rice: To make the best rice you have to plan a little bit ahead of time. Chilled cooked rice is the best way to use up left over rice as well as fried rice. Rice that is cooked and still warm does not cook well when making fried rice. It tends to turn out mushy and very sticky.
- Make Cold Rice: If you are on a time crunch and craving fried rice simply place the warm rice on a sheet pan and stick it in the refrigerator for 30 to 45 minutes or until cold. For an even quicker remedy, place the rice in the freezer for 10 to 15 minutes long. Just enough for it to chill but not be frozen.
- High Heat: It is best to cook on high heat to help fry and brown the rice and veggies throughly. Try not to have the rice steam in the pan or stick together too much. Stir frequently.
- Soy Sauce: Add in extra soy sauce towards the end as you are trying the fried rice as you are cooking it. A light soy sauce is what I prefer for flavor.
Variations:
Try new things and mix it up with all these new and fun variations when making the best fried rice recipe. The best part is using up the leftover rice. Find more left overs that can be added into this chicken fried rice recipe to make it easier. Mix and match ingredients and create more delicious flavors of rice.
- Protein: Mix up your protein with ham, shrimp, bacon or enjoy it with vegetables.
- Oil: Instead of adding in all the oils, butter is just as great! Add in butter to create a rich, flavorful taste.
- Rice: It is best to have cold or chilled rice for this recipe. Quinoa or long grain rice are great ways to enjoy a variety.
- Vegetables: Create a combination of a few to several of your favorite vegetables to enhance this recipe. Broccoli, cauliflower, snap peas or water chestnuts are great vegetables to add in.
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Equipment
- Large Skillet or Wok
- Spatula
Ingredients
- 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 pound chicken cut into small pieces
- 3 cups cooked rice *
- 2 Tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 small white onion chopped
- 1 cup frozen peas and carrots thawed
- 2-3 Tablespoons soy sauce more or less to taste
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten
- 2 Tablespoons chopped green onions optional
Instructions
- In a large skillet or wok, add vegetable oil and soy sauce. Add in the chicken and cook until lightly brown and cooked throughout. Remove and set aside.
- Pour sesame oil in the bottom. Add white onion and peas and carrots and fry until tender.
- Slide the onion, peas and carrots to the side, and pour the beaten eggs onto the other side. Using a spatula, scramble the eggs. Once cooked, mix the eggs with the vegetable mix.
- Add the rice and chicken to the veggie and egg mixture. Pour the soy sauce on top. Stir and fry the rice and veggie mixture until heated through and combined. Add chopped green onions if desired.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This is an amazing recipe!! Sometimes I just cook the chicken breasts in broth in a slow cooker and other times I use a rotisserie chicken from the store. Both ways have turned out great!!
Fry the rice by itself in a skillet with peanut oil until its a light golden color, add about 2 1/2 cups of water and a couple cubes of chicken bullion, some fresh chopped ginger and mix thoroughly and let it simmer on medium heat until most of the water is absorbed.
So you fry the rice dry first before adding the water? Do you use brown or white rice?
I did this method for the rice first, and it was perfect! Thank you, Benjamin, and a winning overall fried rice recipe for my family. Perfect base you can alter to your taste if desired.
I made this tonight using leftover roast chicken. While it was really, really good, I’m thinking I might sprinkle a little teriyaki sauce on the cooked chicken. In any event, this was a hit with the hubby, too, so will be making it again now that I have a dish to make with leftover roast or rotisserie chicken.
Enjoy your YULETIDE with DELICIOUS CHINESE FRIED RICE and SALAD!!!
I have made this several times for my friends and my son, and they all love it. I get asked to come over and make it again! Thank you for such an awesome recipe 🙂 I have started adding in some chopped chinese sausage as well.
This is so good! I have made it a few times and it’s my husband’s #1 request. I usually do brown rice to make it a bit healthier and add frozen broccoli florets. I also add sriracha sauce at the end for that extra kick. Love it!
MMM! That sounds delicious! Thanks so much for sharing! XOXO
Delicious fried rice even with no spice or added salt – perfect for kids! I made it for lunch today and they loved it even though I put only a tiny bit of soy sauce.
That is perfect! I am so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks so much for sharing! XOXO
I just made this delicious dish. Since I was short on time I used your slow cooker teriyaki chicken recipe, but I cooked it in the oven for 40mins. Then followed the rest of the recipe. Absolutely delicious!!!
That is a great idea! Thanks so much for sharing! XOXO
Can you please let me know the crock pot recipe? I couldn’t find it. Thank you,Cindy
Best chicken fried rice recipe I’ve ever made!
AWE!! Thank you so much! That is so great to hear! I really appreciate it! Thanks for sharing! XOXO
I used ground chicken and was very surprised it turned out so good. I added in minced garlic, grated ginger, sriracha and bean sprouts and used 3 eggs. This is a really great base recipe to customize fried rice it your liking.
That is great to hear! I am so happy it turned out and you loved it! Thanks for sharing! XOXO
This is the best fried rice I’ve ever had!
That is awesome!! I am so happy you love it! Thanks for sharing! XOXO
I’ve ran out of corn starch , can I use ordinary flour
Yes, flour will work well too.
How do you keep your rice from being clumpy/sticky? We have made fried rice (using different meats, of course) and even using rice made the day before, it still comes out sticky/clumpy. Is there a secret to make each rice separate from each other? Please help.
Perhaps it’s the type of rice you’re using? See here: “Use long-grain rice…
This type of rice includes American long-grain white and brown rices, Basmati rice, and Jasmine rice, and produces distinct firm grains that stay fluffy and separate after cooking. The grains have a firm, dry texture, and are best for side dishes, pilafs, and salads.”
I rinse my rice in a strainer (I do half jasmine half white) and then in a deep pan I put some seasame oil and flatten the rice in the bottom of the pan cooking on high and every few minutes flipping and mixing. I used to work in a Korean kitchen and my boss, the owner, always used to tell me that everyone does fried rice wrong (she felt very strongly on this haha) the rice is soft like a side of rice with seasoning. It is called fried rice for a reason it’s supposed to be semi crispy rice. I will say her recipe was the best one I had ever had
Your rice is done when it’s got a consistent golden/brown look to it. If you take a spoonful bite it should have a satisfying crunch.
Not all your rice should be crispy but enough so that the rice separates and it should be throughout the dish
Stupid question but I want to be sure. You fry the rice after it’s cooked, or do you mean to say you do this before you add water and cook it?
I didn’t get the answer% do u cook the rice first?
Yes, add in cooked rice. I recommend cold, day old rice.
Yes. Cook the rice first and then let it dry out. So using it the next day is best so that it’s not sticky
Rinse the rice before you cook it. That’ll rinse off a lot of the starch and keep it from sticking together as much.
I know that this is an old comment but no one gave you the right answer. The key to fried rice is to use cold rice. Cook it the day before, stick it in the fridge and that’s what you use for fried rice.
Try using Uncle Ben’s Long Grain White Rice, must be the long cooking not instant rice. I use it warm from just cooking. It turns out purfect everytime. Instant rice breaks apart and becomes very mushy and sticky. It only takes 20 minutes to cook the rice and its very good.
I have made this twice now and both times my family has enjoyed. This is a great recipe for a busy night with running a child a round and leaving two younger ones at home as the their dad can feed them
That sounds great!! I am so glad you and your family loved it!! It is one of our go to recipes on busy nights! Thanks for sharing!! Xo
This looks incredible! Unfortunately I have a very picky eater on my hands, my boyfriend refuses to eat anything with onions because he doesn’t like their texture. Could I use onion powder instead? How much would you recommend I use? Thank you!
I would recommend leaving the onion out or chopping the onion very fine. I am not sure if the onion powder would change the flavor or even change the texture of the fried rice. I have never tried it with onion powder or know what the measurements would be. If you are able to try it with onion powder or even leaving it out, I would love to hear how it turned out! Thanks for your questions and input! Xo
Your Recipe Critic,
Alyssa
So much better than takeout. I used gluten free soy sauce and some shredded pork I had left over from a crock pot cooked pork roast. My husband loved it and he never likes take out fried rice. Winner in our home. Thank you, never knew fried rice could be so easy.
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