On nights when I don’t feel like making dinner, but want to save picking up take out for the end of the week or weekend, I make Easy Chicken Fried Rice. This customizable dish is SO quick, SO easy and, although I’m showing you how to make chicken fried rice, I usually use whatever we’ve got on hand in the fridge or freezer.
We blaze through a wok of it incredibly fast – it’s delicious, cheap, and did I mention quick? It takes longer for it to cool down to a temperature that Cameron doesn’t consider “spicy” than it does to actually cook!
Watch How to Make It!
Chicken Fried Rice Ingredients
I can say with 99% certainty that you’ve already got all the ingredients needed to make a batch of fried rice on hand in your refrigerator and cupboards. You’ll need:
- White rice
- Frozen vegetables
- Garlic
- Sesame or wok oil
- Chicken breast or thighs
- Eggs
- Butter (yes, BUTTER!)
- Gluten free tamari, or traditional soy sauce if you don’t need to eat gluten free.
Tips for Making Fried Rice
- Use leftover rice. Cold leftover rice works great for fried rice, so don’t toss extra cooked rice if you’ve got it from a meal during the week. I’ll show you my go-to method for cooking rice fresh below.
- No chicken? No problem! This recipe is great when made with chopped shrimp, leftover steak, shredded pork, smoked rib meat, or chopped kielbasa. Or, go meatless and double up on the vegetables.
- Pump up the veggies. If you want to pump up the nutrition of this recipe even more, you can replace some of the white rice with cauliflower rice in a 1:1 ratio. Add it when sauting the frozen vegetables.
- Gluten free? If you need to eat gluten free, be sure to use gluten free soy sauce, ie gluten free tamari. My favorite brand is San-J and I prefer their low-sodium variety.
Step 1: Prepare the Rice
Start by making the rice, or you can use 3 cups leftover cooked rice. To a small saucepan add long grain white rice (I like Lundberg Farms) plus water, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a bubble then turn the heat down to medium-low, place a lid on top, and simmer for 10 minutes. The water should just BARELY be bubbling.
Remove the pan from the heat then let it sit with the lid on for 5 minutes before fluffing the rice with a fork and spreading it out onto a plate. Rice = done!
Step 2: Stir Fry the Chicken
Heat a large wok or skillet over high heat then add sesame or wok oil. Once hot, add chopped chicken breast seasoned with salt and white pepper then stir fry until cooked through, 2-3 minutes. Remove to a plate then set aside.
Step 3: Stir Fry the Vegetables
Heat an additional teaspoon oil then, once hot, add frozen vegetables and stir fry until tender. Again, use whatever you’ve got in the freezer – I usually use peas and sweet corn. Add minced garlic then stir fry for another 30 seconds or so, being careful to not let it burn.
Step 4: Scramble the Egg
Scoot the vegetables to the side of the wok then add an egg whisked with sesame oil into the center and scramble.
Step 5: Add Butter (Trust Me)
Add a couple pats of butter then allow it to melt. I know, I know – butter in fried rice? Trust me – it’s DELISH!
Once melted, add the cooked chicken and rice then toss to combine and heat everything through.
Step 6: Drizzle in GF Tamari or Soy Sauce
Last step is to drizzle in reduced sodium gluten free Tamari (or soy sauce if you don’t need to eat gluten free) then toss again to combine.
That’s all she wrote! I like to let the fried rice cool a little before serving as you can taste the ingredients so much better when it’s not piping hot. I hope you love this super simple, quick and easy weeknight dinner recipe – enjoy!
More Take-Out Inspired Recipes
- Beef and Broccoli
- Potsticker Noodle Bowls
- Sesame Peanut Sauce Noodles
- Chicken Pad Thai
- Thai Sweet Potato Curry
- Vietnamese-Style Caramelized Pork Bowls
- Spicy Shrimp Soup
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Easy Chicken Fried Rice
Description
Easy Chicken Fried Rice is a cinch to make at home with a few kitchen staples. This simple, 20 minute dish tastes just like take out!
Ingredients
- 3 cups prepared long grain rice (see notes)
- 1 chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
- salt and white pepper
- 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
- 1 large clove garlic, pressed or minced
- 1 egg
- 3 teaspoons sesame or wok oil, divided
- 1-1/2 Tablespoons butter
- 3 - 4 Tablespoons gluten-free Reduced Sodium Tamari or soy sauce (dish will not be GF if using soy sauce)
Directions
- Whisk egg with 1 teaspoon oil in a small dish then set aside.
- Heat another teaspoon oil in a large wok or skillet over high heat. Season chicken with white pepper and salt then add to hot skillet and stir fry until cooked through. Remove to a plate then set aside.
- Heat remaining teaspoon oil in the wok then add frozen vegetables. Stir fry until tender, 1-2 minutes, then add garlic and stir fry for 30 more seconds being careful not to let it burn. Push vegetables to the side of the wok then add egg and sesame oil mixture into the center and scramble.
- Add butter then, once melted, add cooked chicken and rice and then toss to combine. Drizzle in tamari, toss to combine, then serve.
- Leave a comment and star rating if you loved the recipe! Thank you for considering!
Notes
- How I make my rice: add 1 cup long grain white rice (I like Lundberg Farms) 1-3/4 cup water, a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil, and pinch of salt to a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer then place a lid on top and turn heat down to medium-low. The water should barely be bubbling. Cook for 10 minutes then remove pan from the heat and let sit with the lid on for 5 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork then spread out onto a plate to cool. Yields: 3 cups cooked rice.
This recipe is courtesy of Iowa Girl Eats, http://iowagirleats.com.
Sadye 02.13.2013
Definitely easy, definitely tasty (don’t modify the egg direction, whatever you do) and definitely not greasy-feeling.
Maria 02.08.2013
I just maded it and it’s fantastic and so simple!
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Michelle 01.27.2013
Do you have to use sesame oil? We don’t have any and I’d hate to stop at the store for just that.
Iowa Girl Eats 01.30.2013
It will still taste great without the sesame oil. If you have peanut oil, I’d use that instead!
And I was doing so well! | Harvesting Tulips 01.27.2013
[…] it was so fun to see our friends! We listened and sang with them. I made a new recipe for dinner {Easy Chicken Fried Rice} and it was pretty good. I made one batch but we still had some ingredients left and so C made a […]
Jeanne 01.21.2013
HI!
I have been stuck on this sweet & sour chicken recipe I found, but it takes FOREVER to make. So, I had some extra chicken in my fridge and found your recipe. I made it before I checked responses from others, and I’m anxious to take my first bite! I’ll tell you what my daughter and I think…
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YAY!
Two thumbs up from my 3 year old and I!!!!
Thanks for the recipe!
Karen G 01.20.2013
My four girls, aged 15 months to eight years, are just about the pickiest eaters on the face of the planet. They actually CLEANED their plates when I fed them this AND they asked for seconds AND they asked me to make it again tomorrow night! Thanks for the awesome recipe!
Caitlin 01.20.2013
This was amazing! The recipe was very accurate. The veggies that I chose were frozen corn, peas, and green pepper. I also just frozen a second batch of this so we will see how it freezes. Thanks for a great recipe!
phyllis 01.14.2013
the sesame chicken easy stir fry what a delight husband and i just enjoyed it so much
since we have to watch the salt and sugar this was perfect. i changed one thing
the yellow onion for the green. we like this better. didn’t change the taste.
Veronica 01.06.2013
Hi, this recipe looks absolutely amazing, I have some left-over rice and I’ve been searching for a good fried rice recipe. One question, can I use fresh vegetables? I have some fresh vegetables that need using up and unfortunately I don’t buy frozen vegetables
Iowa Girl Eats 01.06.2013
Definitely!
Kristen 01.05.2013
Thanks for sharing your recipe. I made some tonight and it’s great! :)
Irina 01.02.2013
Made your rice this evening and it was delicious. It was so easy that my little girl helped me by adding the ingredients. And not to forget the bonus points for using leftovers. Thank you for charging!
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[…] Photo et recette provenant du blog ‘Iowa girl eats’ Lien: https://iowagirleats.com/2012/08/23/take-out-fake-out-easy-chicken-fried-rice/ […]
Sadye 12.03.2012
Hi Kristen, I’m loving trying your recipes! This is on my to-make list, and I was wondering whether you ever sub a different kind of meat for the chicken. I love chicken and have it on hand, but I’ve also got pork and stew beef in the freezer if either of those are likely to work well.
Iowa Girl Eats 12.03.2012
You bet – you can use whatever you have on hand! :)
LizGlad 12.01.2012
Kristen! Just made this. Used canola oil because I didn’t have sesame or wok. It took me like 7 minutes. THANK YOU! Keep up the great work!
Holly 11.27.2012
Made this tonight for dinner. It was good!
I wanted more veggies, so I stir-fried some carrots, edamame, broccoli and red and green peppers for it. I think just about any veggie would be good in this!
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Jen Fischer 11.15.2012
Glad I used your recipe when I made fried rice this time. The tip about having everything right there on the ready made such a difference. Usually I am frantic when I stir fry but this time it was smooth and simple. Wondering what you would recommend if I wanted to make pork fried rice (what type/cut of pork?) Also, something I did made the fried rice a tad dry — maybe I should have used a bit more oil?? I just eyeballed it. Thoughts?? Thanks again for this great recipe. I always find great stuff on your site.
Iowa Girl Eats 11.16.2012
Hmmm, could be not enough oil. Sometimes if my stir fry is looking a little dry I’ll add a splash of chicken broth and that takes care of it! Also I think a seasoned or chopped up pork chop should work just fine! :)
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Jenn 11.02.2012
I made this! it worked perfectly as described and was the perfect amount for me and my son for dinner. I highly recommend this recipe!