This chicken-fried rice recipe is a family favorite. Perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or weekend lunch or dinner. I make this when I need a fast, easy, and delicious one-pot meal. I can guarantee that it is better–and healthier—than takeout! If you don’t believe me, try it for yourself. If you love it, let me know below by leaving a comment and a 5-star rating.
One of the first dishes I made on my own was fried rice. I recall my aunt enjoying it so much that she asked if there were any more left. Unfortunately, I did not make enough that summer. I was about ten or eleven years old at the time. Twenty-something years later, I made fried rice for my 4th of July BBQ. As she walked out the door, she asked again if there was any fried rice left, and once again, it was all gone. This time it was not because I cooked a small quantity, but because I had guests with a healthy appetite for good food, who gobbled it all up in record time.
Can I substitute the ingredients in this fried rice?
Of course, you can! That is the beauty of fried rice or stir-fries. The ingredients are flexible, use what ingredients you have on hand and substitute as necessary.
You can also get creative with the veggies, using cabbage, chayote(christophene), broccoli, bok choy, corn, snow peas, bodi, green beans, mushrooms, or a bag of peas and carrots or mixed veggies from the freezer. Just thaw the latter under hot water, drain, and use. No chopping is required.
Can I substitute the protein?
Yes, you can. Substitute the chicken with mushrooms, tofu, beef, lamb, pork, turkey, shrimp, or mixed seafood.
Can I make this Fried Rice Vegan/Vegetarian:
Yes you can! Eliminate the chicken or use a vegan substitute like tofu. See Trini Veggie Fried Rice for a vegan, vegetarian version of this dish.
Kitchen essentials I used to make this chicken fried rice –tools that help save time in the kitchen:
(Kindly note that these links are affiliate links):
• To save time on chopping, I always use this handy dandy chopper. It is one of my favorite tools in the kitchen.
• This garlic masher is also a time saver, especially if you are an amateur in chopping.
• A good wide, large, heavy sauté pan is also key to making good fried rice. Check out my top pick here. It is an amazing all-purpose pot that I also use to make curries, veggies stir-fries, and stews.
• If you have issues cooking the perfect rice for fried rice, check out this post and video here. You may also want to invest in a stainless steel rice cooker or Instant Pot that will do all the work for you without any need for babysitting the rice.
• If you do not have a rice bowl to wash the rice, invest in one if you do not wish to have spilled rice all over your sink. I always rinse the rice over this extra-large measuring mug, 2 quarts or 4 qt, to reserve the water to hydrate my plants. This mug/measuring pitcher comes in handy frequently in the kitchen and around the house.
• My santoku knife is another must-have in the kitchen. It is a light, sharp, and faithful friend in the kitchen. Makes my life so much easier for everyday cutting and chopping.
Ingredients You Will Need to Make Chicken Fried Rice:
• cooked rice, parboiled, preferably–see how to make the perfect rice for fried rice–blog post and video included
• chicken breast or thigh, cut into 1-inch pieces or smaller
• green seasoning
• 1salt
• black pepper
• oil
• eggs, whisked with a pinch of salt
• onion, finely diced
• red and orange bell pepper, finely diced
• carrot, finely diced
• celery stalk, finely diced
• minced garlic
•scallions, chopped
• sesame oil
• dark soy sauce
Other Recipes You Will Also Love:
Beef & Broccoli Stir Fry-Takeout at Home
Most Popular Rice Recipes on this Blog
How to Cook the Perfect Rice for Fried Rice
See previous posts on how to make this combo–boiled corn, asparagus, easy lobster and crab boil, and chicken fried rice.
Chicken Fried Rice
Equipment
- All Clad Pan
Ingredients
- 8 cups cooked rice parboiled preferably
- 1 lb chicken breast or thich cut into 1 inch pieces or smaller
- 2 tbs green seasoning
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
- 4 tbs oil
- 4 eggs whisked with a pinch of salt
- 1/2 onion finely diced
- 1 red and orange bell pepper finely diced
- 1 carrot finely diced
- 1 celery stalk finely diced
- 2 tbs minced garlic
- 4 scallions chopped
- 4 tbs sesame oil
- 2 tbs dark soy sauce
Instructions
- Cut the chicken breast into small pieces. Rinse them under running water and drain. Season with green seasoning, salt, and black pepper.
- Heat oil in a large frying pan over high heat. Add ginger slices and hot pepper and cook until the edges are brown.
- Add the seasoned chicken and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Move the chicken to the side of the pan and add whisked eggs. Stir and cook until scrambled.
- Add the veggies and garlic. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring.
- Stir in the rice, scallion, sesame oil, and soy sauce. Mix well to combine and break up any chunks. Add more black pepper if desired.
