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!
“This was easy and delicious! I’ve never had great luck with trying to come up with my own version of fried rice, but this was excellent. Will make again for sure.”
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, inexpensive, and did I mention quick? It takes longer for it to cool down to a temperature that my children don’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.
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Pin ItTips 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.
How to Make Chicken Fried Rice
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!
What’s the Best Wok for Fried Rice?
The unique shape of a wok allows for quick, even cooking — a must when it comes to making fried rice! I love this Calphalon Signature Hard-Anodized Nonstick Wok because, unlike a traditional wok, it has a flat bottom so you don’t have to worry about it tipping over. This wok is available for ~$106.
For a more affordable option, the Kenmore Hammond Flat Bottom Carbon Steel Wok is another great option at less than $40.
More Take-Out Inspired Recipes
- Chicken Shawarma Bowls
- Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry
- 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
Equipment
- Large wok (I love the flat bottom on this Calphalon one)
Ingredients
- 3 cups prepared long grain rice, see notes
- 1 chicken breast, ~1/2lb, cut into bite-sized pieces
- salt and white pepper
- 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
- 2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
- 1 egg
- 3 teaspoons sesame oil or wok oil, divided
- 1-1/2 Tablespoons butter or vegan butter
- 3 – 4 Tablespoons gluten-free reduced sodium Tamari, or soy sauce if not GF
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 wok 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.
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 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.https://amzn.to/3zgQvak
Nutrition
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
I love how you said to clean out the fridge and use whatever you have. I had some leftover rice and pork chops from dinner a few nights ago, so I chopped the pork into pieces, mixed with an onion, garlic, 1 carrot, frozen peas, an egg and the leftover rice of course, all sauteed in sesame oil… fast and super delish! I will definitely make this again! Thank you!
I’m not one to eat out, but if any place made this the way the recipe calls for, I would eat there. I MADE THIS RECIPE AND IT IT TO DIE FOR! Thank you!
I made this and it was fantastic, but I think an extra ingredient really makes it. Whenever I make whole chickens in the oven, I always save the fat and add a little bit of it in with the fried rice. It sounds pretty gross, but everyone that eats it raves about how amazing my rice is. I am always upset when I don’t have any handy as it just isn’t the same without it!
This is one of the cheaper and more filling meals that I enjoy as a college student and something I can serve my guests (fellow broke college students) and not feel bad. Yum! Thanks so much for this site. This is my first time commenting here but I have really found a lot of affordable and tasty recipes here.
i loved it it looks amazing looks better than what i make and i love the way you set the plate.
I totally loved your recipe, it was simple and easy to make. I find myself making chicken fried rice all the time just because I love it so much! However, I like to experiment and try new things so I decided to replace the rice with quinoa. I have eaten quinoa many times but I didn’t think it was going to work with this dish but it did and I wanted to share my discovery. Quinoa has many health benefits and is called the “super-food or super-grain.” It’s high in protein and fiber more so than other grains. It has lots of iron and its gluten free! It’s full of vitamins, antioxidants and nutrients than other grains. Quinoa can be found anywhere–from any supermarket to a health food store–and its reasonably priced. It has a soft texture and most importantly it tastes delicious!
Planning on making this for dinner tonight but am curious what the nutritional facts are?
you should make it for dinner if you have family they would love it invite me over i want some
Thanks for posting this. It’s delicious, easy and tasty. I make it a few times a month!!
I’m making this for dinner tonight, it’s like the 10th time I’ve made it! It is super easy and SO yummy!!! Thanks for such a great recipe! I always double it so we have plenty of leftovers. :-)
So easy to make, even adapted for bigger portions. I had extra on my plate it was soooooo tasty. Better than anything bought via takeaway as I cant stand egg fried rice usually. Even a hit with my fussy 4yr old so A x million * :D
I have made this twice and it is just so delicious. The second time I used quinoa instead of rice cause that is what I had on hand and it was just as delicious!
What if you don’t have Sesame oil? All I have right now are canola and vegetable. Could I use one of those?
Sure you could use either one of those!
I needed the gentle guidance to realize how easy and tasty this could be. I did not use frozen mixed vegetable. I microwaved one whole carrot and diced it up and cooked it with onion, garlic and a bunch of baby kale…it was really good. Thanks for the helping hand.
Try this with short grain brown rice – organic. It’s the BEST. I love this recipe – healthy and easy. That’s as good as it gets.