Chicken fried rice is a super fast and easy one-pot dish that is perfect for a satisfying meal. Especially when you have limited ingredients in your pantry and too little time to cook. All you need is some leftover rice, frozen veggies, chicken pieces and pantry staples. I’ll show you how to get the rice to that crispy fried texture and how to get your chicken nice and juicy, with a savory, slightly sweet sauce.
Chicken fried rice ingredients
Day-old rice
When it comes to fried rice, the older the rice, the better the result. For “day-old” rice, it means leftover rice that has been refrigerated or even frozen (and thawed) for at least a day or longer. When the rice stays in the fridge for days, the grains lose moisture and become drier. So they will separate easily and create a crispier result for fried rice.
Marinate the chicken
Spending five minutes marinating the chicken goes a long way. The soy sauce and the wine give the chicken an extra rich flavor. And the cornstarch keeps the meat tender. It takes no time to put the marinade together, and you can let the chicken marinate while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
Mise en place
When you’re ready to cook, your table should have:
Sliced green onion Mixed sauce Marinated chicken Beaten eggs Mixed vegetables Day-old rice
For the rice, you should use your hand to gently fluff it, so the grains will separate fully during the cooking.
How to cook chicken fried rice
What pan to use
You don’t need a wok to make amazing restaurant-quality chicken fried rice, either. I dived into how to set up a stir-fry station in the past. Long story short, it’s totally possible (sometimes even better) to use a large skillet to make your chicken fried rice. The key is to keep your pan hot all the time and toast the rice long enough to crisp it up. You can use a nonstick, cast iron, or carbon steel pan. If you use a cast iron or carbon steel pan, you might need to use more oil to prevent the rice from sticking to the pan.
How to serve chicken fried rice
With my tips, you’ll turn some simple ingredients into a memorable and satisfying dish. Make this chicken fried rice your main dish or serve it as a side along with one of my other tasty Chinese recipes. You can also make a big batch of chicken fried rice and refrigerate or freeze it in smaller portions as meal prep. Make takeout-at-home with these recipes:
Egg Drop Soup Sweet and Sour Pork Black Pepper Steak 4-Ingredient Baby Bok Choy Stir Fry Chinese Eggplant with Garlic Sauce
More delicious fried rice recipes
Soy Sauce Fried Rice Leftover Ham Fried Rice with Pineapple 15-Minute Pork Fried Rice Easy Beef Fried Rice 3-Ingredient Egg Fried Rice
Lilja Walter was a part of the Omnivore’s Cookbook team and worked closely with Maggie to develop and test this recipe.
