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!!
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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.
So yummy and easy to make!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it was easy and yummy!
I didn’t use the frozen pies and carrots I chopped up some peppers and a small chilli and a couple of mushrooms and threw that in, I have to say it was one of the best chicken egg fried rice I’ve ever had. Even though I changed the recipe a little
I’m glad you loved it was one of the best chicken fried rice dishes you’ve ever had!
I have made this several times and it’s great and simple! I use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce and it’s still wonderful!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad that coconut aminos work great for you instead of soy sauce!
Made the chicken fried rice last night for dinner. Wonderful recipe, easy and delicious..I added cut up shrimp..this is a KEEPER!!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you loved this and that it’s a keeper!
I just made it for dinner. I used the garlic flavored Sesame Oil, this recipe is absolutely yummy !
Glad this turned out great for you!
I was sitting on my sofa with no idea what to make for dinner when I saw your email for the chicken fried rice, it seemed easy enough for a non cooker like myself so I tried it with hubby, it was easy enough and delicious. Family loved it, I will add it to the rotation. Thank you
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad the email came at the right time and that you’ll be putting this into your rotation!
loved it, added a little white whine vinegar to give it a bit of a tangy taste, great recipe.
Thanks for the 5 star review and I love vinegar so I’m sure it was great here!
My family loved it. It was also easy to make. Thanks for the great recipe.
I’m glad your family loved it and that it was easy for you!
Very good, definitely takes longer than 20 min to make though lol.
Came out great, for my tastes, I added an extra egg and a bit of chili oil for heat.
Thanks for the 5 star review and I am it came out great! I love chili oil too.
FANTASTIC
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it was fantastic!
My new go to fried rice recipe, also great as a vegetarian option! Just omit the chicken, it’s still very tasty!
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad it’s your new go to fried rice recipe!
Chuck in a bit of oyster sauce, bit of bacon and prawns and you’ve got yourself the best damn fried rice out.
Sounds like great twists!
Gld I found this recipe!…. (will have to try more of your easy recipes, in the near future!)
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad you found it, too!
This was my first time making chicken fried rice. I certainly picked the right recipe to try! EVERYONE loved it!~even the picky eater!!
Thanks for the 5 star review and I’m glad that everyone loved this recipe!
I tried this recipe for my family and they absolutely loved it .. My sister came over had some and took seconds home . We had no leftovers..thanks for the recipe
Thanks for the 5 star review and glad your family absolutely loved it!
Hi Averie Terrific recipe. My family loved it and it was simple, quick, healthy and easy to use substitutions. I could go on and on. It’s not easy to find recipes that are just right on so many levels & this was spot-on. Thank you for our new favorite. ps this is the first recipe I’ve commented on…ever. Really.🙂
Thanks for the five star review and I’m glad it was delicious and thanks for taking to comment for the first time ever!