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Homemade chicken fried rice quenches those take-out cravings in a wallet friendly way! A cinch to make and packed with a variety of flavors and textures, you’ll want to bookmark this one.
The Best Chicken Fried Rice Recipe
This at-home chicken fried rice is my version of the popular Chinese take-out dish! This easy recipe is a fantastic way to use up leftover rice and contains other ingredients that you likely have in your kitchen right now. And if that wasn’t enough? Homemade chicken fried rice is budget friendly and dripping with yum!
What is Chicken Fried Rice?
With hearty chunks of chicken, an assortment of colorful veggies and scrambled eggs nestled in a bed of salty flavorful rice, chicken fried rice can be a speedy side or shining main dish.
Easy Chicken Fried Rice Recipe ingredients
- Butter – I used salted butter because that is what I keep on hand in my kitchen.
- Frozen peas and carrots mix – You can do any combo of frozen veggies you’d like here.
- Onion, diced
- Eggs
- Leftover cooked rice, cold – I think white rice works best here, but you could try it with brown rice if that’s your preference.
- Cooked, diced chicken – You know I use rotisserie chicken here! But you can use any cooked chicken – canned chicken, grilled chicken, pan fried chicken or baked chicken! However you like to cook your chicken is perfect for this recipe.
- Soy sauce – It doesn’t matter if you use light or regular sodium soy sauce.
- Salt
- Pepper
- Garlic powder
How to Make Chicken Fried Rice
- Start by melting the butter in a large frying pan over medium heat.
- To the pan add the minced onion, peas and carrots and saute for 3 minutes.
- To the veggie mixture add in the diced chicken and saute for an additional 3 minutes.
- Next, move all of the food over to one side of the frying pan. Crack and scramble the two eggs on the empty side of the frying pan.
- Once the eggs are cooked through, mix them together with the other ingredients in the frying pan.
- To your mixture, add in the cooked rice and soy sauce.
- Saute until the rice is heated through, stirring continuously.
- Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. Serve hot and enjoy!
Easy Chicken Fried Rice variations
The basis of this recipe can easily be adapted to fit your family’s needs and preferences. Play with proteins and flavor profiles by switching out the chicken for ham or shrimp. Or, skip the meat all together and pack it full of extra veggies!
What to serve with this Recipe for Chicken Fried Rice
Let’s be honest – there have been many times where I have served this by itself. But if you want a more robust meal, I LOVE to serve this with my easy orange chicken or simple stir fry among other dishes, too!
How to store Homemade Chicken Fried Rice
Allow your homemade fried rice to cool completely and then place it in an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for 3-5 days or freeze for up to 2 months.
Best Chicken Fried Rice Recipe FAQs
Everyone’s preferences are different, but here are my two biggest tips for making the BEST fried rice at home:
1. Use cold rice! This will help your rice fry up nicely and prevent it from becoming a sticky, clumpy mess. If you don’t have leftover rice, you can throw your recently cooked rice onto a sheet pan and spread it into a thin layer. Then throw it in the fridge uncovered for a bit to let it cool / dry out. Voila! It’s ready to go.
2. Don’t be afraid to throw in some extra soy sauce or seasonings! You can easily cater this to your own tastebud’s preferences – I personally add extra garlic powder and soy sauce at the end every single time.
I always use leftover jasmine rice for my fried rice! It fries up super well and absorbs the flavors of the chicken fried rice seamlessly. But other varieties of rice will work as well!
I’m lazy, so I typically just pop this in the microwave. But if you want to be a little fancier, you can reheat the chicken fried rice in a skillet over medium heat, adding a bit of water or oil to prevent drying out. Stir frequently until warmed evenly and serve!
Want more Easy Dinners??
Homemade Chicken Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 cups frozen peas and carrots mix
- 1/2 cup onion, diced
- 2 eggs
- 3 cups leftover rice
- 1 1/2 cups cooked, diced chicken
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- salt, to taste
- pepper, to taste
- garlic powder, to taste
Instructions
- Melt the butter in a large frying pan.
- Saute the minced onion, peas and carrots for 3 minutes.
- Add in the diced chicken and saute for an additional 3 minutes.
- Move all of the food over to one side of the frying pan. Crack and scramble the two eggs on the empty side of the frying pan.
- Once the eggs are cooked through, mix together with the other ingredients in the frying pan.
- Add in the cooked rice and soy sauce.
- Stir while sautéing until the rice is heated through.
- Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. Serve hot.
