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A serving spoon in a pan of chicken fried rice.
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Chicken Fried Rice

This chicken fried rice is tender seasoned chicken breast pieces stir fried with scrambled eggs, vegetables and  white rice. A quick and easy main course or side dish that’s even better than what you’d get from your favorite Chinese restaurant!
Course Main
Cuisine Asian
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 330kcal
Author Sara Welch

Ingredients

  • 4 teaspoons vegetable oil divided use
  • 3/4 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1/2 inch pieces
  • 1/2 cup onion finely chopped
  • 1/2 cup carrots peeled, quartered and sliced
  • 1/2 cup frozen peas thawed
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 2 eggs lightly beaten
  • 3 cups cooked white rice long grain works best
  • 3 tablespoons soy sauce low sodium is fine
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/4 cup green onions sliced

Instructions

  • Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a large pan over medium high heat. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Place the chicken in a single layer in the pan. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until chicken is browned and cooked through. You may need to work in batches.
  • Remove the chicken from the pan and cover with foil to keep warm.
  • Add 1 teaspoon of oil to the pan, along with the onion and carrots. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until veggies are softened.
  • Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
  • Remove the vegetables from the pan, then cover with foil to keep warm.
  • Pour the remaining teaspoon of oil into the pan; add the eggs and cook, stirring occasionally and breaking up with a spatula, until the eggs are scrambled and cooked through. Season the eggs with salt and pepper.
  • Add the rice, chicken, reserved cooked veggies and peas to the pan. Stir in the soy sauce and sesame oil and mix gently until everything is thoroughly combined and warmed through, 3-4 minutes.
  • Sprinkle green onions over the top of the rice mixture, then serve.

Notes

  1. I recommend using long grain white rice for this dish, you can use a regular white rice or a fragrant variety such as jasmine rice.
  2. I typically make this dish with chicken breast, but diced chicken thighs will also work. You can also use pre-cooked chicken such as rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken.
  3. Fried rice works best with cold rice, so this is the perfect way to re-purpose leftover rice. With cold rice, the grains are all separated and firm, and you’ll get a better texture than you would with fresh cooked rice. Fried rice made with just-cooked rice will be softer and won’t have those crispy little bits.

Nutrition

Calories: 330kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 296mg | Sodium: 1460mg | Potassium: 266mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 2855IU | Vitamin C: 7.1mg | Calcium: 165mg | Iron: 2.9mg