Making fried rice at home is easy and quick, and all the ingredients you need can be purchased at any supermarket. The important thing is to cook your rice ahead of time and allow it to chill thoroughly so the grains don’t stick together when you stir-fry it. We used boneless, skinless chicken thighs in this recipe, but just about any meat, cooked or raw will work. See our notes for some variations.

Chicken Fried Rice

Fried rice is a quick, easy dish to make at home, provided you have cooked your rice in advance. This recipe uses boneless chicken thighs, but pork or shrimp would be equally delicious.

Author: Lynne Webb
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
Category: Main Dishes
Cuisine: Asian

Ingredients

3/4 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 tablespoon soy sauce
3 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon seasoned rice vinegar
3 teaspoons toasted sesame oil, divided
4 cups cooked white rice, thoroughly chilled
3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
3 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, very finely chopped
2 eggs, lightly beaten
Freshly ground black pepper
2 strips thick cut bacon, cooked and cut into 1/2-inch pieces (see notes)
1/2 cup frozen peas, thawed
5 to 6 scallions, sliced

Instructions

Trim any excess fat from the chicken thighs, cut them into 1/2-inch cubes and set aside.
Whisk the soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice vinegar and 2 teaspoons of the sesame oil together in a mixing bowl. Add the rice, combine well and set aside.
Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil and the remaining teaspoon of sesame oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add the onion, garlic and ginger and stir-fry until fragrant, 1/2 to 1 minute.
Add the chicken and continue cooking until golden brown and cooked through, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Return the wok to the heat and add another tablespoon of vegetable oil. Add the eggs and stir fry until set, breaking into small pieces as they cook. Transfer to the bowl with the chicken and set aside.
Add the balance of the oil to the pan and once heated, add the rice. Season liberally with freshly ground black pepper and stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the egg and chicken along with the juices that have accumulated in the bowl. Stir-fry for another 2 minutes then add the bacon, peas and scallions. Stir-fry for 1 minute additional, remove from the heat and serve immediately.

Notes

Recipe Variations:

Feel free to substitute some diced ham for the bacon if desired (1/4 to 1/3 cup).

You can also substitute pork, beef, shrimp or other seafood for the chicken, or, for a meatless version use firm tofu, mushrooms and shelled edamame. Instead of peas you could add chopped sweet bell pepper, snap peas or snow peas.

If you’d like to use leftover meat that’s already been cooked, simply stir-fry your onion-garlic-ginger mixture a little longer, then add the cooked meat and stir-fry just long enough to heat it through, about 1 minute.

Chicken Fried Rice