Chicken Fried Rice- How to make Take-Out while Staying In!
If you’re looking for the perfect meal-no matter the time of year- you’ve found it! This recipe for chicken fried rice is light enough for a summer meal, but can also be a cozy and tasty treat in the winter. This recipe has quickly become one of my favorites and the leftovers are a lunchtime treat for the days following.
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Equipment Needed to make Chicken Fried Rice
There are a few recipes our rotation that my husband is in charge of and this is one of them! When he first made chicken fried rice years ago I thought it was just the best. I was also pregnant at the time, sooooo…cut to me eating this meal for breakfast, lunch and dinner for a while lol! There are a few pieces of equipment that will make your life easier for this recipe but are by no means required:
- A wok– we purchased a wok years ago and it has come in handy for various recipes. This version by Kenmore looks very similar to what we have- a no frills inexpensive pan.
2. A Rice Cooker– This has made our lives so much easier in the kitchen. A quick rinse or two (or three) of the rice and we can just pop it into the cooker and forget about it! We use a smaller model but it still makes plenty of rice for five people.
That’s it! Now you’re ready to make a new family favorite. Again, if you don’t have these two items and aren’t interested in purchasing them you can still definitely cook chicken fried rice. You’ll just need a pot for the rice and a large frying pan.
Ingredients for Chicken Fried Rice
-2 Cups Cooked Rice (white or Jasmine is what we use)
-2 Chicken Breasts
-3 Eggs
-2 Cloves Garlic
-1 Stick Softened Butter
-6-8 tsp. Sesame Oil
-2 Carrots or Half a bag of Shredded Carrots
-1 Yellow Squash (optional)
-1 Zucchini (optional)
-2 Medium Sweet Onions
-2 TBSP. Soy Sauce
-Salt & Pepper to Taste
Prep your Ingredients
Before you begin cooking you will need to do the following:
- Cook the rice. We like to use leftover rice or cook fresh rice the night before we will be making chicken fried rice. The leftover rice stands up better to the frying than fresh. Pop 2 cups of rice into your rice cooker. Once cooked, let cool and store in refrigerator until you’re ready to use it.
2) Prep the chicken by patting it dry with a paper towel. Cut it into 1 inch pieces and season with salt and pepper.
3) Chop the zucchini and yellow squash (or other veggies of your choice) into 2-3 inch pieces.
4) Chop one of the onions into small pieces. Slice the other onion.
5) Shred carrots if you aren’t using pre-shredded carrots.
6) Mince two cloves of garlic and mix into the stick of softened butter until completely incorporated.
Cooking Chicken Fried Rice
- Add 2-3 tsp. of sesame oil to a hot wok. Add chicken and cook through.
2) While chicken is cooking, add a few teaspoons of sesame oil to a separate frying pan. Add squash and zucchini and season with salt and pepper. Cook on low.
3) Remove the cooked chicken from the wok and set aside for later. Wipe the wok down with a paper towel (carefully, its hot!). Add another teaspoon of sesame oil. Crack the eggs into the wok, season with salt and pepper and mix.
4) Use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to chop the now scrambled egg into bite sized pieces. Once fully cooked, remove and set aside for later.
5) Add more sesame oil to the pan (about another teaspoon) and add the CHOPPED onion to the pan and the shredded carrot. Combine and cook 1-2 minutes.
6) Add SLICED onions to the squash and zucchini. Add more sesame oil if needed. Stir and continue to cook on low.
7) Move the carrot/onion mixture to the side of the wok and add 2-3 TBSP. of the garlic butter mixture to the empty part of the pan. Add 1/4 of the cooked white rice to the butter.
8) Once rice and butter have combined, move that to the side with the carrots and onion. There should now be another empty space in the wok. Add another few tablespoons of garlic butter and another portion of cooked rice. Combine and repeat until all of the butter and rice has been used.
9) Add 1-2 Tablespoons of soy sauce to the rice mixture. Add in the chicken and egg from earlier. Combine and spread into an even layer in the pan. Allow to cook for about 2 minutes. Stir and spread the mixture out again, cook for another 2 minutes.
10) Either add the squash and zucchini to the rice and mix before serving, or serve separately.
Ready to eat!
After you’ve finished cooking the rice and veggies its time to enjoy! I love to eat this with some Yum-Yum sauce (I’ve linked it but I’m sure you can buy it from your local grocery store much cheaper than ordering online!). We also usually make some frozen egg rolls or potstickers to with the rice.
This recipe makes plenty for the whole family, with leftovers. I love to eat the leftovers for lunch for the days following. This meal is fairly inexpensive and easily customized. For my picky eaters we usually make extra white rice and give them a few pieces of chicken out of the fried rice. You can also use different veggies but I’m a sucker for zucchini!
Looking for more family dinner ideas? Check out my posts on 30 Days of Dinner and 30 MORE Days of Dinner!
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