Description
This quick and easy Chicken Fried Rice recipe combines tender marinated chicken thighs with frozen peas and carrots, scrambled eggs, and fragrant jasmine rice all tossed in a flavorful soy-based sauce. Perfect for a fast weeknight dinner, it uses simple ingredients and a straightforward stir-frying technique to deliver a delicious, satisfying dish in about 30 minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken Marinade
- 1 teaspoon regular soy sauce or light soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon Shaoxing cooking wine or dry sherry / dry white wine / chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil or any neutral tasting oil
Main Ingredients
- 4 ½ cups cooked jasmine rice, cold day-old (or prepare 1 ½ cups uncooked jasmine rice as per notes)
- ½ lb skinless boneless chicken thighs, thinly sliced
- 1.5 cups frozen peas and carrots or frozen vegetable mix (corn, peas, carrots, green beans)
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- 1 small shallot or ¼ onion, finely diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 4 teaspoons vegetable oil or any neutral tasting oil
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons regular soy sauce or light soy sauce
- ½ tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder (chicken stock powder)
- ⅛ teaspoon white pepper or black pepper
Instructions
- Marinate Chicken: In a medium-sized bowl, combine the thinly sliced chicken thighs with the marinade ingredients (soy sauce, Shaoxing cooking wine, cornstarch, and vegetable oil). Mix well and let it marinate for 5-10 minutes to tenderize and infuse flavor.
- Prepare Sauce: In a small bowl, mix together all sauce ingredients (soy sauces, sesame oil, chicken bouillon powder, and pepper). Set aside for later use.
- Cook Chicken: Heat 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil in a large pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add marinated chicken and fry until fully cooked and slightly browned. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.
- Sauté Aromatics and Vegetables: Into the same pan, add another teaspoon of oil. Quickly sauté the minced garlic and diced shallots for about 10 seconds until fragrant. Add the frozen peas and carrots or vegetable mix and stir-fry for another 10 seconds. Push all contents to one side of the pan.
- Cook Eggs: Add remaining 2 teaspoons of oil into the empty side of the pan. Pour in the beaten eggs and allow them to sit undisturbed for 20 seconds then scramble gently breaking them into bite-sized pieces. Mix the eggs with the vegetables and aromatics.
- Add Rice and Chicken: Add the cold jasmine rice and the cooked chicken back into the pan. Toss everything together thoroughly to combine all ingredients.
- Finish with Sauce: Pour the prepared sauce evenly around the edges or over the rice in the pan. Let it toast or sizzle for about 5 seconds without stirring to unleash extra flavor, then toss everything together until all rice grains are evenly coated and slightly browned.
- Serve: Once well combined and heated through, remove from heat and serve your homemade chicken fried rice immediately. Enjoy!
Notes
- Using uncooked rice: For 4 servings, measure 1 ½ cups (about 300 grams) uncooked jasmine rice. Rinse rice under cold water until clear, drain, then cook either in a rice cooker or on the stove as described below.
- Stovetop rice cooking method: After rinsing, place rice in a medium non-stick pot. Add cold water up to the first knuckle of your index finger above the rice level. Cover and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce to low and simmer covered for 12-14 minutes or until water is absorbed.
- Steaming: Remove pot from heat and keep covered for 10-12 minutes to steam the rice fully. Fluff with a rice paddle before cooling and refrigerating overnight for best fried rice results.
- Day-old rice: Use cold, leftover cooked rice for the best texture. Freshly cooked hot rice tends to be too soft and clumps together when stir-fried.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 3g
- Sodium: 700mg
- Fat: 12g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5g
- Unsaturated Fat: 8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 3g
- Protein: 20g
- Cholesterol: 140mg
