Delicious And Easy Homemade Chicken Fried Rice Recipe

Love Asian food but afraid to try homemade chicken fried rice? You’ll love this 30 minute chicken fried rice recipe. Adapt it for your own tastes!

Let me assure you that making this chicken fried rice recipe is beyond simple. The best part is that you can easily adapt it to accommodate your favorite flavors and the ingredients you do and don’t have in your house.

You do not need a wok, which is a huge win for me.

In fact, I made this in a hotel and didn’t realize they had only small pans, so I cooked portions of it in four separate pans in two batches. And it still turned out fantastic according to the girls.

Surprisingly, the wee ones now ask for this for dinner almost every night. I don’t make it every night, but I’ve definitely made it fairly frequently, and it’s in the regular rotation.

I love finding dishes where I feel good about making that taste great and are just a little out of the ordinary like lemon garlic chicken or poached orange salmon.

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What kind of rice should I use?

I use basmati rice for my chicken fried rice because it’s my favorite. You can use most styles of rice, however, so long as they are not instant rice.

Minute rice is already partially cooked and simply doesn’t work well when you make fried rice. Just trust me on this one.

You can do this with white rice or brown rice. I like long-grain rice like jasmine rather than short-grain rice, but both will work. Just make sure you use “leftover” rice and not fresh cooked rice.

Why do I need rice to be cold?

If you use hot rice when you make chicken fried rice, the rice will fall apart and get mushy. It need to be cold to work properly.

I used to worry about what to do with leftover rice. Whenever we order takeout Chinese, we always have extra rice.

When I make dishes at home that require rice, I either end up with not enough or way too much. I never knew what to do with the extra rice because it’s just not the same on day two.

The fact that this chicken fried rice recipe calls for cold and leftover rice? Yeah, I do a happy dance every time I think about it. Now I make extra rice on purpose.

Can I change up the ingredients in my chicken fried rice?

While the recipe requires rice, meat, egg, oil, and soy sauce, the ingredients beyond that are flexible. I strongly prefer starting with a base of onion and garlic.

I love sesame oil for frying. Green onion is the perfect way to finish this off. We almost always have corn and peas in the freezer that I throw in, and even edamame tastes great in it.

I often peel then grate a carrot and add that, too. Choose what you like best and include it.

Out of an ingredient? Don’t stress and add something else instead. Just make sure you enjoy this easy chicken fried rice recipe for dinner soon!

Can I make fried rice gluten-free?

Yes, you absolutely can. The only gluten in this chicken fried rice is the soy sauce, and soy sauce has great alternatives.

Swap that out for either tamari or liquid aminos in a one-to-one ratio, and you will be all set. You get the flavor you need, and it becomes simply and easily gluten-free.

This is the swap I make whenever I create dishes for friends that need to be gluten-free, whether it’s my favorite chicken egg roll in a bowl or Asian-inspired turkey burgers that are gluten-free except for the soy sauce.

How to Make This Homemade Chicken Fried Rice Recipe

Prep your rice the day ahead of time. Just cook it like you normally would and stick it in the fridge in a sealed container.

Start by whisking together your eggs with pepper. Because of the soy, you do not need to add salt.

Heat your large nonstick pan and a bit of oil. Add the eggs and let cook just below medium. After a couple minutes, flip the omelet and let it cook on the other side.

While the eggs are cooking, dice your onion, mince your garlic, and cut your chicken into bite size pieces.

Once the egg omelet is fully cooked, remove it from the pan and set aside. Add a bit more oil and add the onion and chicken.

Let that cook a few minutes, then add the garlic. Cook on medium heat until the chicken is cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Be sure to stir the chicken occasionally to ensure all sides are cooked.

Add the cold rice to the chicken, along with the remaining oil and soy sauce. Stir to distribute all ingredients.

Add your remaining veggies (except any green onion) – carrots, frozen corn, peas, edamame, bean sprouts, etc. Let cook a few minutes while you dice up the egg omelet, then add egg and stir again.

Once all ingredients are heated through, serve immediately. Top with green onion and enjoy!

Enjoy this delicious dinner ready in under 30 minutes. Now you see why this chicken fried rice recipe is such a favorite in my household!

Have you ever tried a chicken fried rice recipe? What’s your favorite go-to dinner?

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