How to Give Chicken Fried Rice More Flavor

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This easy Chicken Fried Rice is loaded with golden brown chicken, sweet onions, carrots, peas, eggs, green onions and tastes so much better than your favorite Chinese Restaurant take out.  You don't know how good fried rice can be till you make it in your own kitchen.

So often fried rice dishes are loaded with so much soy sauce that is the dominant flavor.  This delectable recipe brings out the best in this dish with a minimal amount of soy sauce. My family just loves this and it is always a huge hit with friends. Who doesn't love a good fried rice recipe?

How to make Chicken Fried Rice

Start by preparing the white rice in advance.  Cook it up the night before and chill it overnight in the fridge.  When ready to start the recipe cook the chicken in a large skillet or wok over medium high heat in a little bit of oil.  Work in batches browning in a single layer.  Plate the chicken covering with aluminum foil. Heat a little oil and cook the onions, carrots, and peas until tender crisp.  Reduce heat and add the garlic cooking for just a minute stirring constantly.  Then plate the veggies.  Now add a little butter and scramble the eggs just until set.  Then plate the eggs with the veggies covering loosely with aluminum foil.

Add a little butter over medium/medium high heat.  Once melted add the rice and sprinkle with soy sauce.  Fry the rice until slightly crunchy and lightly browned.  Stir several times but not all the time so it has time to brown.  Work in batches if your pan is crowded.  Once the rice is fried add the green onions and just a touch of sesame oil. Bring the chicken, vegetables and eggs back to the skillet.  Then stir to warm everything and for best results serve promptly.

Recipe notes and helpful tips

• Cut your chicken into thin bite size pieces so it cooks through in just a couple of minutes.
• Use cooked chilled rice.  Use any long grain rice including white rice, brown rice, or jasmine rice. Cook it 1-2 days in advance and chill it in the fridge real well.  Freshly cooked rice does not fry well at all.  It clumps up and turns into a gooey mess.  Leftover rice is perfect for this recipe.
• Pro-tip – If you forget to cook the rice the day before.  Cook it and spread it out on a baking sheet covered with parchment paper.  Place in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours or until well chilled.
• There is no need to thaw the peas.  Simply pull the peas out of the freezer when you start the recipe and add them frozen when needed.  They will quickly thaw in the skillet and stir fry up just perfect.  Canned peas are not recommended.
• Cut your vegetables in small pieces to complement the dish and to make it easy to pick up with chopsticks.
• Add the soy sauce to taste.  I prefer a modest amount of soy sauce on my fried rice but my husbands likes his a little more salty so I usually add a little more to his.

What goes with Chicken Fried Rice?

• Crab rangoon are crispy golden fried wonton shells filled with crab and cream cheese.
• A simple salad with ginger dressing.
• Egg drop soup is a simple soup with wispy eggs in chicken broth.
• Steamed or roasted broccoli
• Pork Dumplings are ground pork, cabbage and sweet ginger filled dough wraps that are scrumptious fried or steamed.

Recipe variations

• Protein – substitute beef, chicken or shrimp.
• Vegetables – any vegetable that can be stir fried works.  Think snow peas, mushrooms, broccoli, bell peppers and water chestnuts.
• Nuts – add some finely chopped peanuts or cashews to take this recipe to a whole new level.

Other delicious Asian recipes you will love!

Print

Chicken Fried Rice

Make this better than takeout Chicken Fried Rice right in your own kitchen.  With just a few simple tips you can make this delectable recipe easily and quickly while controlling the amount of sodium.

• Prep Time: 10 minutes
• Cook Time: 20 minutes
• Total Time: 30 minutes
• Yield: 4 servings 1x
• Category: dinner, lunch, main meal
• Method: stir fry
• Cuisine: Asian

• 1 1/4 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast cut in thin bite size pieces (or thighs)
• 2–3 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 medium onion finely chopped
• 2 large carrots peeled and finely chopped
• 3/4 cup frozen peas
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 4 cups long grain white rice cooked and chilled
• 3–5 tablespoons soy sauce low sodium (see notes)
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
• 2 green onions chopped
• salt and pepper to taste; optional

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil to large skillet over medium/medium high heat.  Cook chicken in a single layer browning on both sides; approximately 2 minutes each side. Add more oil if needed. Transfer to plate and cover to keep warm.
2. Heat 1 tablespoon oil to same large skillet over medium/medium high heat.  Add onion, carrots, and peas.  Cook until crisp tender stirring several times.  Reduce heat to low.  Add garlic and cook for 1 minute stirring constantly. Transfer to plate and cover to keep warm.
3. Whisk eggs and add 1/2 tablespoon butter to same skillet over low heat.  Add eggs and cook just until set. Remove from skillet and add to the plate with the vegetables.  Cover to keep warm.
4. Melt remaining butter over medium heat.  Add rice to skillet. Drizzle with soy sauce.  Increase heat to medium high and fry until lightly browned.  Stir several times but not all the time so it has time to brown.  Work in batches if your pan is crowded.
5. Drizzle the rice with sesame oil and sprinkle with green onions; stirring to combine. Return chicken, vegetables, and eggs to skillet and heat through.  If desired season with salt and pepper to taste.

Notes

• Add the soy sauce to taste.  I prefer light soy sauce on my fried rice but my husbands likes his a little more salty so I usually fry his rice.
• Cut your chicken into thin bite size pieces so it cooks through in just a couple of minutes.
• Use cooked chilled rice.  Cook it 1-2 days in advance and chill it in the fridge real well.  Freshly cooked rice does not fry well at all.  It clumps up and turns into a gooey mess.
• There is no need to thaw the peas.  Simply pull the peas out of the freezer when you start the recipe and add them frozen when needed.  They will quickly thaw in the skillet and stir fry up just perfect.  Canned peas are not recommended.
• Cut your vegetables in small pieces to complement the dish and to make it easy to pick up with chopsticks.

Keywords: how to make fried rice, easy fried rice, Chinese fried rice, best fried rice

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How to Give Chicken Fried Rice More Flavor

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