When I first began cooking, one of my favorite dishes was chicken fried rice. It was so easy to cook and the flexibility of the ingredients was limitless. While delicious, my chicken fried rice recipe never quite ended up like the fluffy, flavorful chicken fried rice from my favorite takeout restaurant.
How this recipe is prepared…
After much trial and error, I’ve finally come up with a recipe that rivals the restaurant version, and it’s so easy to make at home! In the process, I discovered one of the secrets to making perfect fried rice: cold rice! Using hot freshly-cooked rice usually results in mushy fried rice but using rice that has cooled for a few hours or even overnight will result in perfect fried rice with firm and distinct grains. Make this delicious chicken fried rice recipe today, you won’t regret it!
I didn’t leave instructions for cooking rice but the best ratio I found to avoid overcooked rice is to use: 1 1/4 cups of water for every 1 cup of long-grain white rice. This will generally yield about 2 1/2 cups of cooked rice.
As mentioned before, the flexibility of any fried rice recipe is amazing. Once you have your rice, the rest of the ingredients are up to you. Tired of chicken? Replace it with ham or beef. Don’t like peas? Substitute with carrots or bell peppers. The combinations are virtually endless.
Takeout-Style Chicken Fried Rice Recipe
Course: Sides, MainCuisine: ChineseDifficulty: Easy6
servings10
minutes15
minutes644
kcal25
minutesMake this delicious chicken fried rice recipe today, you won’t regret it!
Ingredients
4 cups rice, cold
1 1/2 cups boneless chicken*, chopped
2 eggs, beaten
4 tablespoon oil
3 tablespoon soya sauce
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
2 green onions, chopped
Directions
- In a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 Tbsp of oil and stir-fry chicken until no longer pink.
- Add 1 Tbsp of water and cook for 2 minutes, covered.
- Add beaten eggs to chicken and cook until eggs are scrambled and cooked.
- Reduce heat to medium and add the remaining 3 Tbsp of oil and add cold rice to the pan. Stir rice for a minute.
- Add soya sauce and gently stir for 4-5 minutes until the rice is hot.
- Add peas and green onions and cook until rice is heated through.
Recipe Video
Recipe Notes
- Please use cold or leftover rice to prevent soggy or mushy fried rice.
- * I marinate the chicken with 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp sugar, 1/2 tsp soya sauce, and 1 tsp water.
- I didn’t leave instructions for cooking rice but the best ratio I found to avoid overcooked rice is to use: 1 1/4 cups of water for every 1 cup of long-grain white rice. This will generally yield about 2 1/2 cups of cooked rice.
How long does fried rice last in the fridge or freezer?
Chicken fried rice can be stored in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 days. Be sure to store it in an airtight container to keep it fresh. Leftover chicken fried rice can also be frozen for up to 2 months. Let it thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
But don’t worry, leftover chicken fried rice is so good that it won’t last long in the refrigerator! While day-old rice is generally lower in carbs than fresh rice, if you’re watching your carb intake, you may want to try cauliflower rice.
Please share this quick and easy takeout-style chicken fried rice recipe with your friends and family!
