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This Easy Chicken Fried Rice is on the menu often at my house, and it’s always a crowd-pleaser. In fact, if you asked my kids what their favorite meal is, this might be their answer!
Listen, I know an easy chicken fried rice recipe is not exactly groundbreaking, but it’s such a staple in my house that I felt like I had to share it. I hope you’ll see how simple and delicious this meal can be.
The key to making takeout-style fried rice is to using day-old white rice. That’s because rice retains a lot of moisture and fresh rice will result in a soggy fried rice. Plus, it’s such a good way to use up leftovers. Add some chicken and aromatics and you’ll be amazed at how quickly you can put together this family-friendly dish.
ingredients:
- Avocado Oil
- Chicken Tenderloins
- Kosher Salt
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- Unsalted Butter
- Carrots
- Yellow Onion
- Green Onions
- Garlic Cloves
- Fresh Ginger
- Day-Old Cooked White Rice
- Tamari
- Toasted Sesame Oil
- Large Eggs
- Toasted Sesame Seeds
step-by-step:
step one: prep your skillet or wok
Heat the avocado oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet or wok.
step two: cook the chicken
Add the diced chicken, salt, and pepper and arrange in a single layer. Let cook, undisturbed, until a golden brown crust forms, 3 to 4 minutes. Toss and continue to cook until the chicken is cooked through, 1 to 2 more minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chicken to a clean plate. Set aside.
step three: cook the veggies
Add the butter and melt, then add the carrots, onions, green onions, garlic, and ginger. Cook, stirring, until the veggies are tender, about 4 minutes.
step four: add the rice
Add the day-old rice and toss until well combined with the veggies. Spread the rice into a single layer, press down with your spatula, and cook until golden brown on the bottom, about 3 minutes.
step five: add the sauce
Add the tamari and toasted sesame oil and cook, stirring to combine, and allow the sauce to soak into the rice, about 2 minutes.
step six: scramble the eggs
Add the chicken back into the pan and toss to combine. Push the rice to one half of the skillet and pour the eggs on the empty half. Cook the eggs, stirring, until softly scrambled, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir the scrambled eggs into the rice until well combined.
step seven: garnish and serve!
Remove from the heat and stir in the toasted sesame seeds. Taste and add more salt, if desired.
Recipe FAQs:
Yes! It really is, I promise. If you wait until the last minute and make fresh rice, your fried rice will likely be really soggy. However, if you really want to use rice that you cooked the same day, spread it in a thin layer on a sheet pan. Put the tray in the refrigerator and let it sit for 30 to 60 minutes to dry out before frying.
Yes! Soy sauce works just as well as tamari. You can even use coconut aminos if you have them!
Yes, I do this a lot as a time-saving hack! Skip step 2 and add some chopped rotisserie chicken to the skillet right before you add in the rice!
I can’t wait to hear what you think of this Easy Chicken Fried Rice! Drop a comment below after you’ve tried it.
Looking for more family-friendly recipes? Try these!
Easy Crispy Salmon Fish Sticks
Easy Chicken Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 3/4 pound chicken tenderloins, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 1 cup finely diced carrots (from about 2 small carrots)
- 1 cup finely diced yellow onion (from about 1/2 onion)
- 1/2 cup finely chopped green onion (from about 3 green onions)
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
- 2 cups day-old cooked white rice
- 2 tablespoons tamari
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Heat the avocado oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet or wok.
- Add the diced chicken, salt, and pepper and arrange in a single layer. Let cook, undisturbed, until a golden brown crust forms, 3 to 4 minutes. Toss and continue to cook until the chicken is cooked through, 1 to 2 more minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chicken to a clean plate. Set aside.
- Add the butter and melt, then add the carrots, onions, green onions, garlic, and ginger. Cook, stirring, until the veggies are tender, about 4 minutes.
- Add the day-old rice and toss until well combined with the veggies. Spread the rice into a single layer, press down with your spatula, and cook until golden brown on the bottom, about 3 minutes.
- Add the tamari and toasted sesame oil and cook, stirring to combine, and allow the sauce to soak into the rice, about 2 minutes.
- Add the chicken back into the pan and toss to combine. Push the rice to one half of the skillet and pour the eggs on the empty half. Cook the eggs, stirring, until softly scrambled, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir the scrambled eggs into the rice until well combined.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the toasted sesame seeds. Taste and add more salt, if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Food Photography and Styling by Eat Love Eats.
Absolutely delicious!!!
I made this last night with leftover rice, and even made a recipe and a half, thinking we would have a good amount of leftovers, but my family loved it! We ate almost all of it, especially my 15 yo son!!
Could I use chicken thighs and cabbage instead of rice?
Better than takeout! Really good and overall pretty easy.
Hi Alex!
I really want to make this over the weekend, sounds delicious! I happen to have a bag of matchstick style carrots that I had bought earlier in the week, and would hate to see them go to waste, could I use them in place of diced carrots here, or because they are so thin, would that not work?
Thanks, I have yet to try one of your recipes and not absolutely love it 🙂
Hi Alex! Was wondering if coconut aminos could be subbed for the tamari? Would i need to change salt amount at all?