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    Home > Asian

    Chicken Fried Rice

    Published: Apr 6, 2020 · Modified: Feb 28, 2021 by Nicky Corbishley

    Go to Recipe Go to Video Print Recipe

    A quick recipe for takeaway-style chicken fried rice with loads of flavour. I've included lots of swaps so you can use up whatever you've got in your pantry.
    Chicken Fried Rice on a white plate with chopsticks

    This chicken fried rice is such a great recipe for using up leftover scraps of chicken from your roast chicken dinner.

    We hate seeing food go to waste, and will always try to find ways to turn leftovers into further meals or freeze for another day.

    One thing that's become a ritual after I make a roast dinner, is Chris slicing up any leftover meat into one parcel for sandwiches/salads, then wrapping up shreds of meat for fried rice or soup, and then boiling up the carcass for stock.

    So I'm using leftover roast chicken for this recipe. You can use rotisserie chicken, cooked chicken breast or other cooked and sliced/shredded meat if you prefer.

    What do we need?
    Ingredients for Chicken Fried Rice on a wooden table

    How to make chicken fried rice

    Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card at the end of this post.

    1. Soften a chopped onion in the wok in a little oil. Then add chopped red pepper, garlic and peas and cook for a couple of minutes.
    2. Add cooked shredded chicken, a splash of sesame oil and cold boiled rice. Turn up the heat to high and keep tossing everything together in the wok until the rice is hot.
    3. Once the rice is hot, push the rice over to the side of the pan and crack the two eggs in the space, then add a little splash of soy sauce. Stir the eggs, heating through until lightly scrambled, then stir the eggs into the rice.
    4. Add in more soy sauce, plus salt and a squirt of lemon juice and give everything a good stir. 

    8 image collage showing how to make Chicken Fried Rice

    Serve topped with spring onions (scallions).
    I quite like a drizzle of sriracha on mine too.

    Chicken Fried Rice on a plate with chilli sauce on top

    You can serve the rice as a meal in its own right, or you can have serve it with a few sides, or even serve the rice as a side dish.

    Why not serve as part of a Chinese banquet with some of these recipes

    Homemade Crispy Duck with Spicy Plum Sauce (full masterclass recipe)

    Sticky Sesame chicken

    Crispy Sesame Prawn Toast

    Spicy Ginger Beef

    Sticky Chinese Pork Belly – melt-in-the-mouth tender

    Baked Cauliflower Wings in a delicious Asian sauce

    Oven-Baked Ribs with Crispy Onions

     


    The boiled rice - getting it right every time

    To make the best fried rice, it's really important to get the boiled rice bit right first.
    It needs to be boiled (I've got a simple tutorial here for how to boil rice in a pan perfectly), then cooled, so the rice dries out a little.
    This will help stop the rice from sticking together and will also help it to absorb more flavour.

    Close up image of Chicken Fried Rice

    Can I use ready-cooked rice sachets?

    Yes! If you want a really quick meal, then ready-cooked rice is a pretty good option.

    Personally I don't think the flavour is quite as good with ready-cooked rice. This is often made from easy-cook rice, which is is less starchy. In one way the less starchy rice is good, because it stops the rice sticking together. But less starchy rice absorbs less flavour. 

    I would still totally use ready-cooked rice if I needed dinner super-quick though.

    Swaps for fried rice

    • Swap out the chicken for cooked shredded/sliced pork or beef.
    • You could also add ham, crispy bacon and/or cooked chorizo pieces.
    • If you want more veggies, add in cooked carrots, sweetcorn, broccoli, mushrooms, sugarsnap peas, canned beansprouts or canned bamboo shoots.

    More rice recipes

    Special fried rice

    Indonesian fried rice

    Cauliflower egg fried rice from my chicken stir fry

    Homemade pilau rice from my chicken jalfrezi recipe

    Watch how to make it

     

     

     

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    Chicken Fried Rice on a white plate topped with spring onions

    Chicken Fried Rice

    By: Nicky Corbishley
    A quick recipe for takeaway-style chicken fried rice with loads of flavour! Great for using up leftover cooked chicken!
    5 from 8 votes
    Rate this Recipe Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 15 mins
    Total Time 25 mins
    Course Dinner
    Cuisine Asian
    Servings 4
    Calories 477 kcal

    Ingredients
     

    • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
    • 1 onion peeled and diced
    • 1 red bell pepper deseeded and finely chopped
    • 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
    • ⅔ cup (115g) frozen peas
    • 2 cups (250g) cooked shredded/sliced chicken
    • ½ tbsp sesame oil
    • 4 cups (800g) boiled and cooled long grain rice - (this is about 1 ⅓ cups (300g) dried rice that has been boiled in water)
    • 2 eggs
    • 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
    • ¼ tsp salt
    • juice of ½ a lemon

    To Serve:

    • ½ bunch of spring onions/scallions chopped

    INSTRUCTIONS
     

    • Add 1 tbsp of the oil in a large wok. Add the onion and cook, stirring regularly on a medium heat for 5 minutes until the onion starts to turn soft and translucent.
    • Add in the remaining vegetable oil, chopped red bell pepper, garlic and peas. Cook for a further 2 minutes, stirring regularly.
    • Now add chicken and sesame oil. Stir together, then add in the rice and turn up the heat to high.
    • Use a spatula to toss everything together and to ensure the rice doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan. Keep moving the rice around so that it's all getting reheated.
    • Once the rice is hot (this will take about 5 minutes), push the rice over to the side of the pan and crack the two eggs in the space. Add a little splash of the soy sauce to the eggs.
    • Making sure the part of the wok with the eggs in is over the heat, fry the eggs, giving a mix with the spatula until the egg starts to cook and look scrambled, but is still a little runny.
    • Now mix the egg into the rice.
    • Pour in the remaining soy sauce and sprinkle on the salt and mix it all together.
    • Add the lemon juice, stir and taste. Add a little more lemon juice if required.
    • Divide between 4 bowls. Top with spring onions (scallions).

    Video

    ✎ Notes

    1. Can I make it ahead?

    Yes! I think reheated fried rice actually tastes better! 
    Cook the rice, then spread it out in a large dish (so it will cool quickly) cover and refrigerate for up to a day. Don't leave cooked rice out at room temperature. Bacteria can grow on cooked rice very quickly, so it's important to:
    • Refrigerate it as quickly as possible
    • Don't store for more than 24 hours in the fridge, and
    • Thoroughly reheat it.
    Reheat in a wok, over a medium-high heat, moving it around the pan with a spatula, until piping hot throughout. You may need to add an extra splash of oil, as the rice will have absorbed the oil whilst in the fridge.
    I would also add an extra squeeze of lemon juice and some fresh chopped spring onions (scallions) on top before serving.

    2. Can I freeze it?

    Yes, you can freeze this chicken fried rice. 
    Cook the rice, then spread it out in a large dish (so it will cool quickly) cover and freeze.
    As per the instructions above - Don't leave cooked rice out at room temperature. Bacteria can grow on cooked rice very quickly, so it's important to:
    • Freeze it as quickly as possible
    • Defrost in the refrigerator overnight (and don't store for more than 24 hours)
    • Thoroughly reheat it.
    Reheat in a wok, over a medium-high heat, moving it around the pan with a spatula, until piping hot throughout. You will need to add an extra splash of oil, as the rice will have absorbed the oil upon storing.
    Add an extra squeeze of lemon juice and some fresh chopped spring onions (scallions) on top before serving.

    3. Nutritional information is per serving

    - this recipe serves 4

    Nutrition

    Calories: 477kcalCarbohydrates: 54gProtein: 27gFat: 16gSaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 134mgSodium: 737mgPotassium: 427mgFiber: 3gSugar: 4gVitamin A: 1279IUVitamin C: 50mgCalcium: 52mgIron: 2mg
    Keywords cooked chicken, leftovers, rice
    Tried this recipe?Mention @KitchenSanctuary or tag #KitchenSanctuary on Instagram!

    Some of the links in this post are affiliate links – which means if you buy the product I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). If you do buy, then thank you! That’s what helps us to keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors. For more information please see our Terms & Conditions.

     

    Hi I’m Nicky

    I love to cook and I want to share with you my favourite, delicious family friendly recipes. I want to inspire you to create fantastic food for your family every day.

    Read More
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    Reader Interactions

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    1. Jeff says

      March 15, 2023 at 2:06 pm

      You never gave the ingredients!

      Reply
      • Nicky Corbishley says

        March 20, 2023 at 11:42 am

        There's a recipe card with full ingredients and instructions at the bottom of the blog post (you can jump to it, using the 'jump to recipe' button at the top of the page.

        Reply
    2. Lizzy says

      September 20, 2022 at 1:15 pm

      5 stars
      Fab!!! A big hit in our house and so quick to make. x

      Reply
    3. D says

      August 31, 2022 at 9:21 am

      5 stars
      The best egg fried rice I have ever tried. 🙂

      Reply
    4. Rosie says

      June 23, 2022 at 9:32 pm

      5 stars
      Best recipe ever!!! So delicious

      Reply
    5. Andrew Wills says

      June 13, 2022 at 4:21 pm

      Delicious. I've made this a few times. I now use shallots instead of onion, a small chopped chilli instead of red bell pepper, and I add a dash of fish sauce with the soy sauce.

      Reply
    6. Sadie Fletcher says

      February 22, 2022 at 6:29 pm

      5 stars
      One word … delicious 😋

      Reply
    7. Katie McCarthy says

      January 20, 2021 at 7:17 pm

      5 stars
      Wow! This was amazing. I added a hand full of Cashew nuts when I added the peas, and served with curry sauce. Thank you 😊 x

      Reply
    8. Raymond Foster says

      August 22, 2020 at 5:07 pm

      5 stars
      Beautiful - reminded me of my time in Singapore in the Sixties at the Macan stalls on the roadside.
      The only thing missing is the copious quantities of diesel fumes which were served freely.
      I would point out though that re-heating should be done in a wok NOT a microwave - result is vastly different.
      Cracking recipe - thanks.

      Reply
    9. Jackie says

      July 30, 2020 at 9:04 pm

      5 stars
      Delicious and so easy.

      Reply
    10. Amie says

      June 02, 2020 at 12:26 pm

      How many cups do you get for the serving size?

      Reply
      • Nicky Corbishley says

        June 08, 2020 at 9:06 am

        Hi Amie,
        Sorry, being based in the UK, we don't serve in cup sizes, so it's not something I check. I do try to workout out cup measurements for the ingredients for my US readers though.
        I would estimate this recipe makes approx 7 cups altogether, so that would be approx 1 and 3/4 cups per serving.

        Reply
    11. Judy says

      April 08, 2020 at 2:51 am

      5 stars
      My husband said to keep this one, it was really good!

      Reply
    12. ann says

      April 07, 2020 at 6:02 am

      great reciepts in these hard times, thankyou, keep safe.

      Reply

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    Hi I’m Nicky

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