Craving delicious chicken fried rice without the takeout guilt? This unbelievably easy recipe delivers authentic flavor right in your kitchen.
Get ready to discover the secrets to tender chicken, perfectly cooked rice, and that irresistible salty-sweet balance—it's so simple, you'll wonder why you ever ordered in!
Ingredients
Okay, let's gather what we need! First, you'll need 2 tablespoons of oil—peanut, vegetable, or canola will work just fine. Then grab 2 eggs, lightly whisked, and about 5 ounces of chicken breast, sliced super small. Can't forget 2 minced garlic cloves and half an onion, finely chopped.
Now, for the fun stuff! Get 4 ounces of bacon—trim off that extra fat, trust me!—and give it a chop. One small carrot, diced, plus half a cup each of frozen corn and peas. Oh, and 2 cups of cooked, day-old white rice—day-old is the secret! Customize your dish by adding other leftover vegetables you might have.
Lastly, for the sauce—I'm getting excited!—you'll need Chinese cooking wine, oyster sauce, light soy sauce, sesame oil, and white pepper—amounts are in the recipe!
Get Started
I like to kick things off by prepping the sauce and chicken—it's a total game-changer! Mixing 2 1/2 tbsp of Chinese cooking wine with a tablespoon of oyster sauce, 3 tbsp of light soy sauce, 1/2 tsp of sesame oil, and 1/4 tsp of white pepper gets flavors ready. This approach mirrors the quick and simple preparation seen in dishes like cashew chicken stir-fry. Next, give that finely sliced chicken a quick marinade in 2 tsp of this awesome sauce. It's like giving it a little flavor bath! Let it sit for about 10 minutes—trust me, you'll taste the difference.
Grab your ingredients, get 'em all measured out. Dicing the carrots is great, just like prepping everything else.
We are ready to rock and roll—well, cook! Are you as excited as I am?
Cooking Instructions
Let's get cooking—it's egg time! I like to start by heating 1 tbsp of oil in a wok, or even a skillet, over medium heat. Then, I scramble the eggs. I'm looking for them to be just cooked, still a touch wet. Once they're done, I'll remove them and set them aside—they'll make their way back in later on.
Next, crank up the heat! High is what we want. Add the remaining 1/2 tbsp oil, then toss in the bacon. We are aiming for about 1 minute, until the fat starts to melt; I then slip in the onion and garlic and stir-fry until the bacon's light golden—about 1 1/2 minutes. I don't want to burn the garlic; it can get ugly and bitter quickly.
Recipe Notes
Before we leap into the rest of the recipe, there are just a couple of extra things I want to highlight!
You can swap ingredients marked with an asterisk for any dice-able, stir-fry-able veggies! Bacon adds awesome flavor. Think of it as a stand-in for Chinese sausages. If your bacon is super fatty, drain some fat. Sound criminal? Trust me!
For the rice, long-grain white rice – cooked, refrigerated overnight works best. The rice should be dry.
Chinese cooking wine or Mirin is key for that real restaurant taste. Don't use chicken broth – it'll make your rice wet! Can't use alcohol? Reduce oyster and soy sauce to 2 teaspoons each. Add 1 tablespoon water to the sauce. Add 1/2 teaspoon chicken stock powder. Sprinkle with salt if needed!
Short Recipe Version
Easy Chicken Fried Rice
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4
Ingredients:
- 2 cups cooked rice (cooled)
- 1 lb chicken breast, cubed
- 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables
- 2 large eggs
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp ground ginger
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions:
- Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add chicken and cook until browned and cooked through. Remove chicken and set aside.
- Add remaining vegetable oil to the skillet. Add frozen vegetables and cook until tender-crisp.
- Push vegetables to one side of the skillet. Crack eggs into the empty space and scramble.
- Add cooked chicken, rice, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic powder, and ground ginger to the skillet. Stir-fry until heated through and well combined.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Nutrition Information (Per Serving – Estimated):
- Calories: 450
- Protein: 35g
- Fat: 20g
- Carbohydrates: 30g