Chicken Fried Rice
by Chungah
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This easy chicken fried rice comes together so fast repurposing leftover rice! Made with chicken, eggs, vegetables, and white or brown rice.
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We all need a good fried rice recipe in our arsenal. One we can pull out on a whim for those weeknight family meals, when we have zero time and so many veggies to use up as well as that leftover rice you had no idea what you were going to do with.
Why you’ll love this chicken fried rice recipe
- Quick, fast, one pot dinner. This chicken fried rice dinner comes together lightening fast, and it’s even quicker when using leftover rice (more on that below). Toss everything into a hot skillet – let it cook, let it brown, let it do its thing. No specialty equipment or wok needed here.
- Family-favorite. Fried rice is loved by all, perfect for grown ups, toddlers, and everyone in between. This is also a great way to sneak in all the veggies for those picky eaters.
- Versatile recipe. Use white or brown rice and add all the vegetables on hand (fresh or frozen) for a true clean-out-the-fridge meal.
- Freezer-friendly. Leftovers taste even better the very next day, and chicken fried rice freezes beautifully for those busy weeknights and lazy weekends!
How to make chicken fried rice
- Plan ahead. Make the rice 1-2 days ahead of time.
- Make the sauce. Combine the oyster sauce, rice vinegar, and red pepper flakes.
- Cook the chicken. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Then cook the chicken until golden brown, working in batches, if needed.
- Add the vegetables. Stir in the onion, mushrooms, and carrots until tender. Add the aromatics (garlic and ginger), then stir in the green peas until heated through; set aside.
- Crisp the rice. Spread the rice in an even layer, letting it cook undisturbed for a few minutes. Carefully flip the rice and spread it in an even layer again, crisping up the other side.
- Cook the eggs. Push the rice to one side of the skillet, making space to cook the eggs. Then add the beaten eggs in the empty space, stirring continuously and breaking the eggs into small curds for some high heat scrambling.
- Toss in everything. Add the cooked chicken, vegetables, and oyster sauce mixture until well combined and warmed through.
- Serve. Serve and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.
pro tip
Make your rice one or two days ahead of time (or use leftover rice).
The best fried rice is made with leftover rice. Leftover rice is drier and firmer, allowing the rice to toast much more nicely and evenly throughout. Freshly cooked rice can lead to gummy, soggy fried rice.
More favorited fried rice recipes
Tools for this recipe
Large cast iron skillet
Chicken Fried Rice: Frequently Asked Questions
Hoisin sauce or fish sauce can be substituted.
Yes, chicken breasts can absolutely be used here, but chicken thighs have more dark meat and a higher fat content, which will yield juicier, more flavorful chicken.
Use long grain white rice or jasmine, avoiding short grain, sticky, or sushi rice.
Freshly cooked rice is hot and sticky and has too much moisture, which can result in mushy, soggy fried rice. Leftover or day old rice is drier, resulting in a much better texture to work with and allowing the rice to crisp and toast very nicely.
You can still mimic day old rice with freshly cooked rice by cooking the rice with less water, and then letting it cool and dry out on a baking sheet – in an even layer – for a few hours.
Yes! Brown rice is less sticky (more separate, firmer grain) as it retains its outer bran and germ layers. That means you do not have to dry it out or use day old rice when substituting brown rice.
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.
Yes! You can freeze the leftovers (for about one month) in individual freezer bags, reheating on the stovetop or in the microwave.
Chicken Fried Rice
Video
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 (3.5-ounce) package shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and choppped
- 2 medium carrots, diced
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- ½ cup frozen green peas
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 4 cups leftover white or brown rice
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together oyster sauce, rice vinegar and red pepper flakes.
- Season chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.
- Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Working in batches, add chicken to the skillet in a single layer and cook until golden brown, about 7-8 minutes; set aside.
- Add onion, mushrooms and carrots to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 3-4 minutes.
- Stir in garlic and ginger until fragrant, about 1 minute.
- Stir in green peas until heated through, about 1-2 minutes; set aside .
- Heat remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and sesame oil over medium high heat.
- Spread rice in an even layer. Cook, without stirring, for 2 minutes. Flip and spread in an even layer again, cooking for an additional 2 minutes.
- Push rice to one side of the skillet; add eggs to opposite side of the skillet, and cook, stirring often, until thickened and no visible liquid egg remains, about 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in chicken, vegetables and oyster sauce mixture until well combined, about 2-3 minutes. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until flavors have blended, about 3-5 minutes.
- Serve immediately, garnished with green onions and sesame seeds, if desired.
Equipment
Notes
- Prep ahead of time. Save time by cooking the rice and dicing the vegetables 1-2 days prior, storing in airtight containers in the fridge.
- Oyster sauce is key. Oyster sauce, the secret ingredient here, will add a rich, savory umami flavor to the fried rice – slightly sweet and salty, and will not taste strongly of oysters.
- Use your favorite protein. Chicken thighs, chicken breasts, pork or shrimp will all work very well here.
- Swap, omit, or add as many vegetables. Broccoli, green beans, spinach, asparagus, cabbage and snow peas are all great additions.
- Day-old rice is best. Use leftover chilled long grain rice. Fresh rice will be too moist and will turn to mush.
- Substitute brown rice. Brown rice will have more nutritional benefits than white rice (more fiber and vitamins), add nutty flavors, and does not require pre-chilling to dry out properly, allowing you to use fresh brown rice if needed.
- Avoid sticky rice. Avoid short-grain, sticky or sushi rice as they can clump and become gummy.
- Add garnishes. Make it restaurant-quality by adding simple garnishes such as green onions and sesame seeds.
Did you make this recipe?
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Another hit! My family gobbled this up.
what can i replace oyster sauce with?
i have alleriges
Delicious recipes!!!
This is so easy to throw together and my kids love it. It’s something I’ll definitely make again. Thank you!!
Easy to make, and even easier to eat. Delicious
Oh my goodness this was so good! I will be making this again and again. The flavor was so similar to take out! I had broccoli, snap peas, regular peas, and carrots. I made it exactly like the recipe stated. Some of us used soy sauce and some of us didn’t. I thought it was best without it.
It’s minus 21 Celsius with the windchill in Toronto and I was craving this fried rice on my drive home. Everything came together super fast and it’s such a fantastic homemade version of fried rice. Thank you so much!!
Made this for dinner last week and my 9/11 year old boys loved it! I substituted hoisin for the oyster sauce. Thanks for the great recipe!
This looks absolutely delicious! Can’t wait to try!
Question: can you substitute the rice for cauliflower rice?
I make this to clean out the fridge from random odds and ends, always turns out delicious!
It’s truly the best kind of clean-out-the-fridge meal. 🙂
Wow! My wife’s parents were Chinese immigrants, and my wife has made fried rice many times. This one far surpasses anything she or her mother ever made though!
We had Cornish Game Hen with rice a couple days ago. That recipe uses a LOT of butter in the rice, leaving it moist. That butter was probably a big factor in making this Damn Delicious (though of course your recipe with the added ingredients were key too) !
Best chicken fried rice I’ve ever made. Used soy sauce instead of salt to season the chicken. Everything else exactly as written. Delish! Thank you!!!!
O love this can you please send me the receip
Fantastic and so easy to make!
Such a wonderful and easy treat! And, as usual Chungah has knocked another one right out of the ball park! I am mostly cooking for my husband, mother and myself and this recipe never seems like enough for the three of us because it is JUST THAT GOOD, lol.
I am allergic to oysters, so I generally substitute fish sauce or just soy sauce for it. But Google for substitutions and you’ll find many things that can be used without losing the umami.
You can always use vegetarian oyster sauce. You can find it on Amazon. I know how you feel, though, because I’m a vegetarian too.
Love your delicious receips always check u out first..thank you pat
Is there a substitute for the oyster sauce? Hubby is allergic
Hi Sherry, I, too, am allergic to oysters. I usually use fish sauce as a substitute.
Can this be frozen after cooking?