Easy Better-Than-Takeout Chicken Fried Rice

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!!

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:

1. 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. 
2. To the same skillet, add the peas, carrots, and green onions. Once softened, add the garlic. 
3. Push the veggies to one side of the skillet, and scramble the eggs on the other side.
4. Add the chicken back to the pan, followed by the cooked rice.
5. Drizzle everything with soy sauce and cook until everything is heated through. 

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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4.58 from 728 votes

Better-Than-Takeout Chicken Fried Rice

By Averie Sunshine

This easy, one-skillet recipe is 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.

Prep Time: 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes minutes

Servings: 6

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Ingredients  

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• ▢ 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

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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

Recipe is best warm and fresh but will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 4 months. Reheat gently as desired.

Adapted from Rachel Schultz, Cooking Classy, Iowa Girl Eats.

Nutrition

Serving: 1, Calories: 422kcal, Carbohydrates: 38g, Protein: 33g, Fat: 15g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g, Cholesterol: 157mg, Sodium: 525mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 2g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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