Chicken Fried Rice
Make this Chicken Fried Rice for the perfect weeknight meal! It comes together in just over 30 minutes for a dinner packed with protein, vegetables and deliciousness.
A Note from Teri on Chicken Fried Rice
This chicken fried rice has become a nocrumbsleft kitchen favorite. It’s spicy, but not too spicy, and I love a dish that you can prep in advance. You can make the stir fry infuser, marinate the chicken, cut all the vegetables, and you could have your rice in your refrigerator overnight.
Fried rice is one of my favorite ways to use leftover rice. Sometimes I’ll make extra rice just so we have enough for fried rice the next day! Some people get weary of making fried rice, but as we know, Asian cultures have been doing it for a very long time. The key for safe cooking is to not let cooked rice sit for hours at room temperature. Be sure to put your leftover rice in the fridge, and heat it thoroughly when making your fried rice. In fact, there are even studies that show rice that has been chilled is better for digestion!
This recipe takes a little prep but it’s totally worth it. It is bursting with flavor and it’s so satisfying. The marinated chicken makes it so tender and juicy. I love cooking it in little bites to get the perfect crispy edges. The chicken paired with the vegetables creates this amazing cross between stir fry and fried rice that you are going to love.
Ingredients and Variations
Stir Fry Infuser:
- Coconut aminos
- Rice wine vinegar
- Hot sauce – we used Cholula but you could also use Sriracha. Make sure to use a mild hot sauce to avoid making it too spicy
- Fresh grated ginger – I much prefer freshly grated ginger for the best flavor
- Garlic
Chicken:
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- Hot sauce
- Lemon zest
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Cayenne pepper – you could reduce the amount of cayenne for less spice
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs – chicken thighs are truly so delicious in this recipe, but you could also use chicken breasts
- Paprika
Fried Rice:
- Leftover rice – this recipe is best with day old refrigerated rice, but you can also make rice, then spread it on a baking sheet and cool in the fridge
- Olive oil
- Yellow onion
- Garlic
- Carrots
- Scallions
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Broccolini
You can have fun adding any toppings you would like. It would be delicious with an egg mixed in, some nuts crushed on top, or even a bit of chili crisp.
How to Make Chicken Fried Rice
Step One: Make the Stir Fry Infuser and Marinade
To a medium bowl, add the coconut amino, rice wine vinegar, hot sauce, and garlic. With a clean hand over the bowl, tightly squeeze the grated ginger in your hand to extract the juice. Mix everything together until fully combined. Set aside. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
Put the chicken in a large bowl and add 1 tablespoon olive oil, the hot sauce, lemon zest, salt, pepper, cayenne and paprika. Toss to coat completely. Let marinate for 5 minutes.
Step Two: Cook Chicken and Vegetables
In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Once the oil and pan are hot, add half the chicken to the pan and cook until brown and crispy, stirring occasionally, about 5-7 minutes. Remove chicken from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
In the same large skillet, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the chicken drippings and heat over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until translucent, about 1 – 2 minutes. Add the garlic, stir for 30 seconds then add carrots, scallions, broccolini, salt and pepper, and stir. Cook for about 2 – 3 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add 1/4 cup of the stir fry infuser, the rice, the chicken with its juices and toss to combine. Add more stir fry infuser to taste. You can serve with additional hot sauce at the table!
Storage and Reheating
Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to three days. To reheat, place the chicken fried rice on the stove and gently heat until warmed through.
Try These Other Weeknight Recipes
- The Best Crispy Rice & Salmon Bowl Recipe
- Crunchy Noodle Bowl with Chicken
- Teriyaki Glazed Salmon Filet
- Whole30 Pork Stir Fry with Cauliflower Rice
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Chicken Fried Rice
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 35 minutes
- Yield: 6 servings
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Asian American
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
This Chicken Fried Rice is the perfect weeknight dinner!
Ingredients
For the Stir Fry Infuser:
- 4 tablespoons coconut aminos
- 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- ½-1 tablespoon hot sauce (we used Cholula. Sriracha also works well)
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
For the Chicken:
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
- 1 tablespoon hot sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon lemon zest
- 1/2 teaspoon Kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1 teaspoon paprika
For the Rice:
- 2 – 3 cups leftover rice*
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 yellow onion, chopped
- 1 clove garlic, finely chopped
- 1 pound carrots, finely julienned, about 2 ½ cups
- 3 scallions, thinly sliced
- 1 1/2 teaspoons Kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 bunches broccolini, stems chopped and florets left intact, around 2 cups
- 1/4 – 1/2 cup Stir Fry Infuser
*This recipe is a great way to use up day-old, leftover refrigerated rice from Chinese takeout or if you make too much for another recipe. If you use fresh rice, note that 1 cup of uncooked rice will yield approximately 2 ½ cups cooked. Once it’s finished cooking, spread it out on a sheet tray to cool after it’s done and then pop it in the freezer for 15 minutes or keep it in the fridge until you’re ready to cook.
Instructions
- Make the Stir Fry Infuser: To a medium bowl, add the coconut amino, rice wine vinegar, hot sauce, and garlic. With a clean hand over the bowl, tightly squeeze the grated ginger in your hand to extract the juice. Mix everything together until fully combined. Set aside. Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to a week.
- Make the Chicken: Put the chicken in a large bowl and add 1 tablespoon olive oil, the hot sauce, lemon zest, salt, pepper, cayenne and paprika. Toss to coat completely. Let marinate for 5 minutes.
- In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Once the oil and pan are hot, add half the chicken to the pan and cook until brown and crispy, stirring occasionally, about 5-7 minutes. Remove chicken from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
- Make the Fried Rice: In the same large skillet, add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the chicken drippings and heat over medium heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until translucent, about 1 – 2 minutes. Add the garlic, stir for 30 seconds then add carrots, scallions, broccolini, salt and pepper, and stir. Cook for about 2 – 3 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add 1/4 cup of the stir fry infuser, the rice, the chicken with its juices and toss to combine. Add more stir fry infuser to taste. You can serve with additional hot sauce at the table!
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 193
- Sugar: 5.4 g
- Sodium: 720.5 mg
- Fat: 8.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 14 g
- Protein: 16.8 g
- Cholesterol: 71 mg
This looks incredible and easy.?
Looking forward to making for a family Mother’s Day outside. Trying not to kiss or hug anyone is becoming more difficult and odd.
We need affection which is why food is so satisfying!!! Love you Teri Turner and gang of supporters.
Let’s get going!
This was so delicious! Incredibly flavorful and so scrumptious!
I love how this chicken fried rice recipe allows for prepping in advance, making weeknight dinners a breeze. The idea of marinating the chicken and having everything ready to go is genius!
Do you cook the rice a day ahead to keep it nice and separate, or do you have a trick for frying freshly cooked rice without it turning mushy? Funny enough, the whole process reminds me of geometry dash unblocked. Timing is everything – add ingredients too early or too late and the rhythm breaks, just like missing a jump or hitting a spike.
This Chicken Fried Rice sounds amazing! Teri mentions it comes together in just over 30 minutes, which is perfect for a quick weeknight dinner. I love that it’s spicy but not too spicy-totally my vibe! Honestly, I could use a tool like an AI Anime Generator to inspire my creativity while cooking, wish I had thought of that earlier!