Easy Chicken Fried Rice Recipe

4.65 from 324 votes

This easy chicken fried recipe is just like takeout, but healthier! Fry up rice with chicken, peas, carrots, and lots of flavorful ingredients, mixed with egg to give it that perfect texture.

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Total Time40

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: Chinese

Servings: bowls

Calories: 376kcal

Author: Becky Hardin

Equipment

12-inch Nonstick Skillet or Wok

Ingredients

2 cups cooked white rice cooled*
10 teaspoons canola oil or vegetable oil; divided - 3 tablespoons + 1 teaspoon
1 boneless, skinless chicken breasts **
1 yellow onion diced
1 carrot peeled and diced***
3 scallions thinly sliced diagonally
2 cloves garlic minced
1 cup frozen baby peas ***
3 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce ****
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon mirin *****
kosher salt to taste
ground black pepper to taste
2 large eggs lightly beaten

Instructions

Break the cooked and cooled white rice into individual grains with your hands.
2 cups cooked white rice
Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet (or wok), over high heat, until smoking. Add the rice; cook and stir for 3-4 minutes, or until the rice just begins to turn a little darker. Transfer the rice to a small bowl and set aside.
10 teaspoons canola oil
Turn the heat to medium, heat 1 tablespoon canola oil, and place the chicken breast in the skillet. Cook for 3 minutes on each side.
1 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Transfer the chicken to a cutting board, cut it into very thin slices, and then cut the slices into thirds.
Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in the skillet and add the yellow onion, carrot, scallions, and garlic. Cook, stirring continuously, for 2-3 minutes, or until the carrots are just lightly tender and the onions are translucent.
1 yellow onion, 1 carrot, 3 scallions, 2 cloves garlic
Add the rice and frozen baby peas and stir to combine.
1 cup frozen baby peas
Add the cooked chicken, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, and mirin, stir and cook another 2 minutes.
3 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce, 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, 1 tablespoon mirin
Season to taste with salt and pepper.
kosher salt, ground black pepper
Push the chicken rice mixture to the sides of the skillet and add the remaining 1 teaspoon canola oil to the middle of the skillet.
Add the eggs (lightly beaten) and season with salt and pepper.
2 large eggs
Scramble the eggs and stir to combine with the chicken/rice mixture.
Cook, stirring continuously, 3-4 minutes, to give time for the flavors to meld.

Video

Notes

*This recipe works best with leftover rice (cooked and cooled). I typically use white rice, like jasmine or basmati; but brown rice and other varieties work too. If you don't have leftovers, cook rice separately before continuing with the dish.

**If you want to use leftover or pre-cooked chicken, you can simply add it in at Step 6 and cook until it's warmed through (skip over Step 3 entirely). This works great with shredded, rotisserie, or even canned chicken.

***Instead of fresh carrots + frozen peas, you can swap in a bag of frozen mixed veggies. No need to thaw.

****Use as much or as little soy sauce as you like.

*****Rice wine vinegar or white wine vinegar are good substitutes.

Tips:

If you plan to cook your rice fresh, use ⅔ cup of dry, uncooked rice (this will make 2 cups of cooked rice). Immediately after cooking, spread it out on a baking sheet and place it in the freezer for 10-15 minutes or the fridge for 30-60 minutes to cool.
The chicken breast will not be fully cooked after Step 3--this is just a par-cooking step to brown it and cut it into smaller pieces. I add it back to the skillet in Step 6, and it will continue to cook through as the rice dish finishes.
Be sure to fully cook the chicken all the way through to 165°F after step 6.
Don't overcook the final dish, or you'll end up with tough rice and soggy veggies.

Alternative Cooking Methods: If you prefer a different cooking method, follow my Crockpot chicken fried rice or Instant Pot chicken fried rice recipes.

Storage: Store chicken fried rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

Nutrition