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For a super-fast and delicious dinner, my chicken fried rice is there for you, full-flavored and faster than any delivery! The crispy rice is mixed with tender juicy chicken, crunchy veggies, and a savory sauce that tastes even better than the Chinese restaurant version.

Chicken Fried Rice (鸡肉炒饭)

4.80 from 15 votes
For a super-fast and super-delicious dinner, my chicken fried rice is there for you, full-flavored and faster than any delivery!
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Course: Main, Side
Cuisine: Chinese
Keyword: takeout
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Maggie Zhu

Ingredients

  • 8 oz (225 g) chicken thighs , cut into 1/2” (1 cm) pieces (or chicken breast)

Marinade:

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 2 teaspoons Shaoxing Wine (or dry sherry)
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch

Sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce (*Footnote 1)
  • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
  • 1/2 teaspoon sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon white pepper (or black pepper)

Rice:

  • 3 tablespoons peanut oil (*Footnote 2)
  • 4 green onions , chopped (or 1/2 small onion, diced)
  • 4 cups day-old cold rice (*Footnote 3)
  • 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
  • 3 eggs , beaten

Instructions

  • Combine the chicken with the marinade in a small bowl. Mix until the chicken is evenly coated. Let marinate while preparing the other ingredients.
  • Add the sauce ingredients and mix well.
  • Use your fingers or a fork to separate any clumped grains of rice before cooking.
  • Heat 1 tablespoon of oil over high heat in a large skillet until hot. Spread the marinated chicken into a single layer in the pan. Cook without moving until the bottom turns golden, 2 minutes or so. Flip to cook the other side until golden, another 2 minutes. Stir a few times, then transfer the chicken to a plate.
  • Add 2 tablespoons of oil and the green onions. Cook and stir to release the fragrance, 30 seconds or so. (*Footnote 4)
  • Add the rice and turn to medium-high heat. Stir to separate the grains and coat the grains evenly with the oil. Let the rice toast, stirring occasionally, until the rice appears dried and crispy, 5 minutes or so. Turn to medium heat if the pan gets too hot.
  • Pour in the sauce. Stir and cook until the rice is evenly coated.
  • Move the rice to one side of the pan. Add 1/2 tablespoon of oil to the other side and then the frozen vegetables. Cook until the vegetables are fully thawed and the excess moisture is cooked off, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir everything together and move everything to one side of the pan again.
  • Add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon of oil to the empty side of the pan and pour in the beaten eggs. Cook until the bottom is set. Stir a few times to scramble it, then stir it together with the rice.
  • Add the cooked chicken back into the pan. Stir everything together.
  • Serve hot as a main or side dish.

Notes

  1. You can add 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce to add color to the rice.
  2. If your chicken has excess fat you can trim it off and render the fat over very low heat. You can use this rendered fat to replace some, to all, of the cooking oil in this recipe (depending on how much you get) for some added chicken flavor and richness.
  3. Rice that has been stored in the fridge or in the freezer worked the best. It will be less sticky and the grains separate more easily, which creates better fried rice.
  4. If you use onion instead of green onion, cook until the onion soften and the edge is lightly charred, 3 to 4 minutes.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 465kcal, Carbohydrates: 57.3g, Protein: 22.6g, Fat: 15.3g, Saturated Fat: 2.9g, Cholesterol: 159mg, Sodium: 722mg, Potassium: 461mg, Fiber: 3.3g, Sugar: 2.7g, Calcium: 62mg, Iron: 4mg