Chicken fried rice recipe

Chicken fried rice recipe with step by step photos. Easy, flavorful & restaurant style chicken fried rice with soft, tender & succulent pieces of chicken. This recipe is one of the best you can make at home under 15 minutes if you have the precooked rice ready.

Most of us love the chicken fried rice from Chinese restaurants & take outs. This detailed post will help you make the best chicken fried rice that is full of flavors & deliciousness.

It is highly impossible to replicate the flavors of Chinese foods made in restaurants as they use a Chinese wok. Using a carbon steel wok on a large burner would typically emit a smoky aroma to the fried rice.

A regular pan can never bring in such flavors. Over the years I have found that using a carbon steel wok or cast iron pan can bring similar flavors to some extent but not the same. So if you have a carbon steel wok, cast iron skillet or a pan do use it.

Chicken fried rice is made differently in each place and region. Here are some tips to help you choose your ingredients.

Tips to make chicken fried rice

Rice

1. Always use al dente cooked non sticky & non mushy rice to make fried rice.
2. You can choose medium to long grain rice that suit your taste. I personally prefer basmati rice.
3. Ensure the rice is cooled completely before using it in the recipe. We do not eat leftover, stale or refrigerated rice at home so I cook the rice one hour ahead of making the fried rice. Cool it completely and use.
4. You can cook the rice in a cooker, pot or instant pot. I personally prefer cooking it in a large pot with surplus water.
5. When the rice is cooked al dente I drain the rice to a colander and cover it quickly. This helps the rice to fluff up well and prevent drying up.
6. Some restaurants use broth to cook the rice as it flavors up the fried rice. If you have it then cook the rice in broth.

Chicken

1. Chop the chicken to small cubes or pieces. This helps it to get cooked well while frying it. Large chunks of chicken usually turn harder and rubbery as they need to be cooked for longer.
2. I use raw chicken to make the fried rice. However you can also use precooked or boiled chicken.

Egg or corn starch

1. Usually restaurants coat the chicken either with egg or corn starch before frying. Both these ingredients help the chicken to remain moist & juicy preventing it from turning rubbery or chewy.
2. I personally do not prefer both so I brine the chicken in buttermilk for 4 hours to overnight before making the fried rice. But my family loves the egg coated chicken as it flavors up the fried rice. In this post I have used egg but given the substitutions.

Sauce

1. Soya sauce is the key ingredient to make a flavorful fried rice. To spice up the chicken fried rice, I sometimes use schezwan sauce or sriracha. So you can throw in your favorite sauces to add flavor and taste.
2. Sometimes I skip all the sauces and use egg to flavor up the dish. For the heat I use green chilies and pepper.

Veggies

1. Scallions or spring onions: We love our chicken fried rice with lots of green onions as they add nutrition, flavor & taste. You can also skip and just use regular onions if you do not have spring onions.
2. Bell peppers is another veggie you can use generously.

For more nutrition you can also add carrots, peas, corn & mushrooms if you like. These are the veggies I do not use in a chicken fried rice.

Serving Suggestions

This chicken fried rice is amazing on its own and does not need any sides. Veg manchurian, chicken manchurian or gobi manchurian go well as sides.

You can also serve this with vegetable soup, clear soup or chicken soup.

More Indo-Chinese recipes
Veg fried rice
Chilli chicken
Schezwan chicken
Egg fried rice

Preparation for Chicken fried rice

1. Wash rice in lot of water and soak for 20 mins. Drain off and cook in 3 to 4 cups water. When the rice is cooked al dente, drain it to a colander.

The rice must be firm and almost cooked but not mushy. Cover and rest for a while. Fluff up with a fork and cool completely.

2. Meanwhile prepare the veggies and garlic. You can also use green chilies for extra heat.

3. Ensure your chicken is cut to bite sized pieces. Add pepper, salt and 2 tbsps egg white. Instead of egg you can also add ¾ tbsp corn starch or corn flour. Mix this up well.

How to make chicken fried rice

4. Pour 1.5 tbsps oil to a hot wok or pan. When the oil turns hot, add the chicken. Stir fry for 3 to 4 mins stirring often. If the egg sticks to your pan, just scrape off with the spatula.

5. You can check if the chicken is cooked at this stage. Mine gets done under 4 mins. Push the chicken to one side of the pan. Then beat the rest of the egg and pour it.

6. Scramble it and fry until the egg is cooked through yet soft. Do not overcook. Remove it to a plate.

7. Pour another half tbsp oil and fry the garlic on the highest flame.

8. Then add spring onion whites, chilles (optional) and bell peppers. Stir fry for 1 to 2 mins.

9. Add the rice, soya sauce and pepper. You can also add your favorite sauces. Stir fry for a minute.

10. Add the chicken and the egg. Taste and add more salt or sauce at this stage.

11. Fry until the rice turns hot. Add spring onion greens.

Serve chicken fried rice hot.

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