Chicken Fried Rice Recipe: Better Than Takeout!
Chicken Fried Rice is a quick and flavorful stir-fried dish with tender chicken, fluffy rice, eggs, and vegetables in a light, savory sauce.
Ingredients
For the chicken
- ¾ pound chicken breast, cut into ½-inch cubes
- Pinch of salt
- Pinch of white pepper
- 1 large egg white
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
For the sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- Pinch of white pepper
For the stir-fry
- 3 tablespoons cooking oil, divided (high-smoking-point)
- 1 small onion, finely diced
- ½ cup peas
- ½ cup carrots, diced
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 2 tablespoons scallions thinly sliced
Instructions
- To cook the rice, in a rice cooker, cook the rice with water using a 1:1 ratio, then spread it out and let it cool or refrigerate until dry.
- To marinate the chicken, in a bowl, mix the chicken with the salt until absorbed, then add the white pepper, egg white, cornstarch mixed with water, and cooking oil and mix well, then marinate for 10 minutes.
- To make the sauce, in a bowl, mix the soy sauce, oyster sauce, and white pepper.
- To stir-fry the chicken, in a wok over high heat, add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and cook the chicken until fully cooked, then remove.
- To stir-fry the vegetables, in the same wok over high heat, add 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and stir-fry the onion, peas, and carrots briefly, then remove.
- To finish the fried rice, in the wok over high heat, add the remaining cooking oil and scramble the eggs until just set, then add the rice and break up any clumps, return the chicken and vegetables, add the sauce, and toss until evenly combined, then finish with the scallions.
Video
Notes
Let the rice cool: Freshly cooked rice has more moisture. Letting it cool or rest in the fridge helps the grains dry out slightly so they stay light and separate when stir-fried.
Mix the chicken properly: Combine the chicken with salt first and let it absorb before adding the rest. This helps the seasoning stick and keeps the chicken tender.
Cook in stages: Stir-frying the chicken and vegetables separately prevents overcrowding and keeps everything from steaming.
Keep the heat high: High heat helps remove excess moisture and gives the rice that light, slightly smoky flavor.
Loosen the rice: Break up any clumps before and during cooking so each grain can cook evenly.
Season lightly: A small amount of sauce is enough. Too much can make the rice heavy instead of light and fluffy.
Protein swap: You can use shrimp, beef, tofu, or keep it vegetarian, depending on what you have.