Better-Than-Takeout Chicken Fried Rice — One-skillet, ready in 20 minutes, and you’ll never want takeout again after tasting how good homemade is!! Way more flavor, not greasy, and loads of juicy chicken!!
Table of Contents
Easiest Fried Rice Recipe with Chicken
If you’ve ever wanted to learn how to make fried rice, this recipe will help you in no time! It’s an easy, one-skillet recipe that’s ready in 20 minutes and better than takeout. You’ll never be tempted again to eat rice from a flimsy white takeout container after trying homemade.
The chicken is moist and juicy and there are green onions, garlic, sesame oil, and soy sauce for layers of flavor. My favorites are the bits of scrambled eggs. Fried rice just isn’t fried rice without those coveted bits of eggs that I go searching for and devour those little treasures first.
It’s such an easy and healthy weeknight dinner you can whip up in no time and the leftovers are great for lunches!
Chicken Fried Rice Ingredients
For this straightforward chicken fried rice recipe, you’ll need:
- Vegetable oil (or another neutral oil like canola oil)
- Sesame oil
- Chicken breasts
- Frozen peas and carrots
- Green onions
- Garlic
- Eggs
- Cooked white rice (use pre-cooked rice packets if you’re in a rush)
- Soy sauce (I use low-sodium soy sauce)
- Salt and pepper (to taste, optional)
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Chicken Fried Rice
This truly is the BEST fried rice. It’s a straightforward recipe that uses simple ingredients and is easy to customize depending on what you have on hand (more on that in a bit!).
Here are the basic recipe steps:
- Add the oils and diced chicken to a large skillet (or wok, if you’re lucky enough to own one!). Cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink inside. Remove the chicken to a plate while you stir-fry the veggies.
- To the same skillet, add the peas, carrots, and green onions. Once softened, add the garlic.
- Push the veggies to one side of the skillet, and scramble the eggs on the other side.
- Add the chicken back to the pan, followed by the cooked rice.
- Drizzle everything with soy sauce and cook until everything is heated through.
Recipe Tips
To save time if you don’t have leftover rice on hand or don’t want to cook a batch, use two pouches of ready-to-serve rice. Works like a charm.
If cooking the rice yourself, I highly recommend making it the day before or adding slightly less water than you normally would. You want the rice to be a little dry so it soaks up the soy sauce (but not crunchy, though!). That’s why day-old rice works perfectly for stir-frying!
I don’t even bother thawing the frozen peas and carrot blend that’s mixed into the rice. You can add the veggies straight to the skillet!
Recipe Variations to Try
Chicken stir-fried rice is a great clean out the fridge meal. Here are some fried rice variations you can try:
- Swap the chicken: Use chicken thighs, ground chicken, or ground turkey instead. Or, use a different protein entirely (see the related recipes linked below the recipe card for all of my fried rice recipes!).
- Use different vegetables: I used a frozen vegetable blend for ease, but you can also shred fresh carrots yourself, finely chop onions, etc. to add to the pan. Pretty much anything will work! Chop fresh veggies into bite-sized pieces, and remember that different veggies have different cook times, so adjust the recipe as needed.
- Use a different rice or grain: I use a white long-grain rice to keep this recipe as close to the takeout version as possible, but brown rice or another grain like quinoa would also work.
- Make it vegetarian: Omit the chicken entirely or replace with firm tofu (smoked tofu would be great here!).
- Make it gluten-free: Swap the soy sauce for a gluten-free soy sauce or use tamari sauce instead.
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Better-Than-Takeout Chicken Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
- ¾ to 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 ½ cups frozen peas and diced carrots blend, I don’t thaw and use straight from the freezer
- 3 green onions, trimmed and sliced into thin rounds
- 2 to 3 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 3 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 4 cups cooked rice, I use white, long-grain or brown may be substituted. To save time use two 8.8-ounce pouches cooked and ready-to-serve rice
- 3 to 4 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- salt and pepper, optional and to taste
Instructions
- To a large non-stick skillet or wok, add the oils, chicken, and cook over medium-high heat for about 3 to 5 minutes, flipping intermittently so all sides cook evenly. Cooking time will vary based on thickness of chicken breasts and sizes of pieces.
- Remove chicken with a slotted spoon (allow oils and cooking juices from chicken to remain in skillet) and place chicken on a plate; set aside.
- Add the peas, carrots, green onions, and cook for about 2 minutes, or until vegetables begin to soften, stir intermittently.
- Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute, stir intermittently.
- Push vegetables to one side of the skillet, add the eggs to the other side, and cook to scramble, stirring as necessary.
- Add the chicken, rice, evenly drizzle with soy sauce, optional salt and pepper, and stir to combine. Cook for about 2 minutes, or until chicken is reheated through.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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More Homemade Fried Rice Recipes:
15-Minute Sheet Pan Chicken Fried Rice – Easy HEALTHIER “fried rice” that’s actually baked and not fried!! Full of authentic flavor and ready faster than you can call for takeout!!
Pineapple Fried Rice – A Hawaiian-inspired shrimp fried rice recipe that’s EASY, ready in minutes, and has so much authentic flavor!! A family favorite that’s better-than-takeout!!
Shrimp Fried Rice — There’s garlic, ginger, green onions, sesame oil, and soy sauce for layers of flavor while peas, carrots, corn, and bits of egg add texture!
Skinny Chicken and Cauliflower Rice Stir-Fry — Even people who don’t like cauliflower will be amazed at how authentic and DELICIOUS this SKINNY version of chicken fried rice tastes!
Beef Fried Rice — This better-than-takeout beef fried rice is EASY, ready in 20 MINUTES, and made in ONE skillet! Everyone loves the big juicy strips of steak and perfectly fried rice that’s speckled with bits of onions, peas, carrots, and scrambled eggs.
Delicious and simple!
Love this meal – the chicken looks so tender & the broccoli, vibrant and delicious – YUM! Wanted to pop by from #FoodieFriDIY and thank you for linking up & also let you know I’m featuring your lovely recipe on the link up this week!
I eat chicken fried rice all the time , especially from Chinese restaurant.
I love making homemade fried rice. It really is better than takeout and so much healthier. Yours looks delicious!
-Jen
http://www.asipofbliss.com
This meal is definatly better than a take out. I made this dish tonight,exactly as recommended.,and it was really tasty.There is enough to feed the 50o. excellent,this is something new I have learnt today.Thank you Averie.
Thanks for trying the recipe and I’m glad it came out great for you!
Fried rice is one of my go to meals… it’s so easy and tastes amazing! I love the addition of sesame oil, it adds so much flavor!
This is that fried rice I was telling you about last week :) And yes, sesame oil is the bomb!
hey girl this looks so yummy!
Looks so good Averie. Thank you!
I hardly ever make rice because Jordan won’t eat it…but I need to make an exception. I love rice, and this sounds fantastic!
Isn’t it weird what kids will and won’t eat. Skylar really wasn’t the biggest rice fan either until a few years ago. She still loves pasta way more but she’s okay with rice. Whew.
Chicken fried rice is always my favorite thing to get from a Chinese restaurant. Yours looks so, so, so much better. I can’t wait to try it! :)
I’ve never gotten fried rice because I’ve never really liked rice. But I’ve been super into cauliflower rice lately, so I may have to try something liek this. Super easy!
Definitely easy!
Definitely on my list to try soon! So easy and so delicious!
Thanks, Lori! :)
My husband usually makes the fried rice recipes around here–I should tell him to add this to his repertoire!
Homemade fried rice is soooo much better than takeout since you actually get to see the ingredients that go into it! I actually made some last night but didn’t think to use frozen peas and carrots. What a great idea! Will definitely try it next time!
I think I’ve made fried rice about 2 times in the past decade but this inspires me! I like the addition of sesame oil and scallions in yours. And yes, those little bits of egg are the best! I’m putting this on my radar for later in the week because it looks like a big batch. I do the majority of my cooking on the weekend and really count on leftovers to get through the next week.
I love to batch cook too, Paula. Recipes like this that I can use as a hearty side or easy lunch are my favorite kinds. Seeing containers in my fridge all packaged up and ready to go for the week makes me excited :)
This really came together quickly last night and I have leftovers in the fridge and freezer. I like this kind of full meal in a skillet recipe (I added some broccoli also). The sesame oil and scallions were as yummy as I thought and I know this is healthier than take out!
Love that you added broccoli to this (my favorite!) and glad it was yummy and agreed, healthier than takeout!
This was a big hit in my house! I’m thinking of trying it with ground chicken next time. I saw you put some in the freezer. How was it once it was thawed and reheated? I’m currently 5 and a half months pregnant and looking to batch cook and freeze some healthier options that I know my 4 year old will also eat once baby comes.
It’s fine after you thaw/reheat. Glad you enjoyed it and will try it again!
It looks way better than takeout! :) I love a quick go-to for a weeknight dinner and rice is always a win and such a filling dish. I’m all over this recipe for sure! Thanks girl!
Thanks for saying you think it looks way better than takeout :)
You can cook! I love you ideas. I add a bit of rice vineger to my fired rice. I think it wakes up the flavors of the dish. Do you think this is a mistake? I miss the coast and enjoy your cooking inspirations. Plus rocking pineapple shirt where can I get one for my wife?
Tshirt from Nordstroms a year or so ago. Thanks for the compliments on my cooking. I love adding vinegar to just about anything I can. It definitely wakes up the flavors and brightens things up. If you enjoy the flavor, go for it!