Easy chicken fried rice is made in just one pan and ready in 20 minutes for a delicious dinner that’s even faster and better than takeout!
I have loved fried rice ever since I was a kid.
And I love making it lots of different ways.
Previously I’ve shared spicy pork fried rice, quick and easy cauliflower fried rice with chicken and this fun twist with Mexican fried rice.
Also, this veggie fried rice which can be a vegetarian main dish or a side dish.
Today though, it’s the classic.
Chicken fried rice is seriously delicious. Addictively so!
We’ve got tender pieces of chicken, peas and carrots, bits of egg and plenty of rice, plus a really deep flavor from the combination of chili garlic sauce and soy sauce. (Details on subs below if you don’t have chili garlic sauce.)
It’s savory, hearty, colorful and a well-rounded meal with protein, starch and veggies.
Plus, it’s served hot as soon as it’s made. No traveling by car in a container from the takeout place and then being luke warm.
Oh, and it’s all made in ONE PAN and it’s ready in about 20 minutes.
Seriously, that’s probably easier and faster than getting takeout!
OK, let’s get cooking.
Now, I’ve got some notes, tips and substitutions coming up below on how to make chicken fried rice. Just tryin’ to be helpful.
If you want to jump on down to the recipe, simply scroll right on through the rest of the text. The recipe card is near the bottom of the page, above the comments section.
Ingredient Notes
- Rice: This needs to be previously cooked, cooled and refrigerated before making this fried rice, so please plan accordingly. (It changes the starch content and affects the taste and texture.) Feel free to use brown or white rice.
- Chicken: The chicken also needs to be already cooked. You can use a rotisserie chicken from the store or some roasted or boiled chicken breasts or thighs. See FAQs below for more subs on this. It also helps to chop it pretty small so it gets well distributed throughout the fried rice.
- Peas and carrots: Frozen mixed peas and carrots works great here and you don’t even have to thaw them ahead of time, just throw them in frozen. See below for other veggie additions.
- Chili garlic sauce: This adds a great depth of flavor and just a little bit of background heat. And it’s available in the Asian section of most grocery stores. If you don’t have any, add 1 clove of garlic, minced, after you’ve sautéed the onion. Then serve with hot sauce or sriracha if you want the heat, too.
- Soy sauce: I use and recommend low sodium soy sauce so you can control the amount of sodium. You can also substitute tamari if you need this recipe to be gluten-free.
And because I mentioned more veggies (you know I love ‘em!), here are a few ideas.
Additions: Feel free to add some corn, broccoli or bell peppers if you want to up the veggies in your fried rice.
Lots of ways to customize it, mix it up and make it your own!
And as mentioned, this is really easy to make.
You sauté the onion, add in the peas and veggies, scramble the eggs on the side of the pan, then mix in the rice and chicken. Add the sauce, stir it up and voila!
Of course, I must mention, this is not super “fried” fried rice.
We’re really just mixing everything together in a large skillet and serving it up. We’re not frying the rice in a wok until crispy. So there’s that.
Still, I think you’ll be impressed with how delicious this is. (And it’s WAY healthier, too!)
As for serving, we love topping this with sliced green onions or chives. Not necessary but I like the flavor.
You could also add some hot sauce or sriracha at the table if you want to spice it up a little! (Or if you left out the chili garlic sauce and want some heat.)
Otherwise, this is an all-in-one kinda dinner, which I love.
It’s all ready at the same time, clean up is easy and I don’t have to think about multiple recipes going at the same time.
Last thing, a few FAQs to help answer all your questions!
Using previously cooked, cooled and refrigerated rice is key to making really good fried rice. When it’s been refrigerated overnight, the cooked rice dries out and holds up better to crisping in the pan. (And avoids a mushy fried rice.) If you don’t have the time, you can cook your rice and then spread it out on a kitchen towel to cool and dry slightly before proceeding with the recipe.
You can thinly slice boneless, skinless chicken breasts and cook it in the pan after you have sautéed the onion, until cooked through. Then proceed with the recipe. You can also use ground chicken and cook it in the same way.
Yes! You can use this same recipe and make it with ground pork, thin strips of pork, shrimp or another seafood. Just make sure your protein is cooked through when adding in the recipe below.
Leftovers, once cooled, can be refrigerated for up to 4-5 days. Reheat in individual portions in the microwave until warmed through. Add extra soy sauce if needed to wake it back up.
Next time you’ve got a craving for fried rice, I hope you give this homemade version a try.
It’s so easy and you’ll be impressed that you can make it even better than takeout.
Enjoy!
XO,
Kathryn
P.S. If you’re looking for some other homemade versions of your favorite takeout dishes, check out this moo shu chicken, chicken pad Thai and chicken chow mein.
Easy Chicken Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 4 cups cooked white or brown rice, previously chilled (see notes)
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 small onion, chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ cups frozen peas and carrots
- 2 large eggs
- 2 cups cooked shredded or chopped chicken (such as rotisserie chicken, see notes)
- 1 tablespoon Asian chili garlic sauce (see notes)
- ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce, plus more for serving
- Sliced green onions or chives, for serving (optional)
Instructions
- In a large skillet or wok, heat the sesame oil over medium heat. Add the onion and sauté for 5 minutes, until softened. Stir in the peas and carrots until warmed through, about 2 minutes.
- Push the veggies to one side of the pan, then crack in the 2 eggs on the clear side. Use a spatula to scramble the eggs and cook until set. Mix into the veggies.
- Increase the heat to medium high then add the cooked rice and chicken and stir until well combined. Heat through, stirring occasionally, for about 2-3 minutes. Stir in the chili garlic sauce until it’s mixed in well.
- Remove from heat then add the soy sauce and stir until well mixed.
- Serve immediately with extra soy sauce and sliced green onions, if desired.
Arlene Miller
Tasty, but I feel like it was missing the “zing” like you get from Chinese takeout. I will make it again and maybe add “sirachi “ sauce.
Kathryn Doherty
Yes, sriracha is a great addition when serving! My kids have plenty of spice from the chili-garlic sauce, but I love a little sriracha on mine!