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Home Chinese recipes

Chicken Fried Rice

By:Nagi
Published:9 Oct '19Updated:7 Sep '22
225 Comments
Recipe v Video v Dozer v

The House Special – a fully loaded, fabulous Chicken Fried Rice!! With seasoned chicken, vegetables, fluffy egg and pops of salty bacon, this fried rice recipe is one that’s worthy of serving as a meal instead of as a fried rice side dish.

Don’t be fooled by recipes claiming to be “better than take out” that call for nothing more than soy sauce for flavour. It takes more than that for an authentic chicken fried rice – just ask your friendly local Chinese restaurant!!

Chicken Fried Rice in a white bowl, ready to be eaten

Chicken Fried Rice

After Monday’s simple yet-myth-busting How To Cook Rice post, I thought I’d follow up with a quick ‘n easy recipe today. Using rice of course. My “House Special” chicken fried rice!! 😂

I know going with fried rice is an obvious option, and not the first I’ve shared at that. But I wanted to share a Chicken Fried Rice recipe which I haven’t done before specifically because while it’s very easy to say to people “oh, just cook up some chook before you toss in everything else!” in the notes of my everyday Fried Rice recipe, it’s just cleaner to have a recipe dedicated to Chicken Fried Rice.

And actually, the steps are a little different. 🙂

So that’s what I’m sharing today!

Chicken Fried Rice in a black skillet, fresh off the stove

What you need

Here’s what you need for Chicken Fried Rice.

For the Fried Rice Sauce:

  • Soy sauce – either light or all purposes is fine here. DO NOT use dark soy sauce, it’s too intense. Maggie seasoning would also work but reduce the quantity a bit (it’s saltier!).

  • Oyster sauce can be substituted with either fish sauce + hoisin sauce (best!) or just hoisin sauce (though you will get a slight Chinese Five Spice Flavour which is lovely!)

  • Chinese cooking wine (Shaoxing Wine) (or Mirin or dry sherry) is the “secret ingredient” in fried rice. I really encourage you to get your hands on it if you can (or Mirin or dry sherry) because it really makes all the difference, adding complexity and depth to the sauce to make it stack up to Chinese restaurant fried rice! No alcoholic sub – see recipe notes, use chicken or vegetable stock powder / granulated bouillon.

Sauce for Chicken Fried Rice

And for the Add-Ins:

  • Day old cooked rice that’s been refrigerated – because the rice dries out and becomes crumbly which is what you need so your fried rice isn’t clumpy and mushy

  • Bacon – because it adds a load of flavour into fried rice and is the next best option to Chinese sausage (bit pricey in non Asian stores) or Chinese BBQ Pork (never have leftovers!) which is what restaurants typically use. Ham is also ideal!

  • Diced veg – go with what you want here, anything that’s dice-able and stir-fry-able. I typically use diced carrot, frozen corn and frozen peas (easy, quick, classic Chinese).

  • Egg – because we all love the fluffy egg bits in fried rice!

  • Green onion – for a bit of freshness and colour;

  • Chicken – oh yes, because this is a Chicken Fried Rice after all! 😂 (Feel free to sub with other proteins)

  • Onion and garlic – essential flavour base.

What goes in Chicken Fried Rice

How to make it

As with all stir fries, once you start cooking, Chicken Fried Rice comes together very quickly so have everything chopped and ready to throw into the wok – or skillet!

The only thing worth noting is that I cook the egg first, then take it out and add it back in later. In my classic side-dish Fried Rice recipe, I cook the egg without taking it out – which you can get away with doing because there’s less “stuff” in the fried rice so it’s easy enough to handle.

With Chicken Fried Rice, there’s more “stuff” in it and if you try to cook it all up in one go, it gets a little much.

How to make Chicken Fried Rice

What to serve with Chicken Fried Rice

I happily serve this as a meal because while one ordinarily assumes fried rice is carb heavy, in actual fact this recipe only calls for 2 cups of cooked rice compared to almost 4 cups of other “stuff” (chicken, veg, bacon).

It sounds out of whack, but you can see from the photos that it looks just as it should – like a fully loaded Chicken Fried Rice!

And it is of course suitable for serving as a side with anything Chinese or Asian for that matter, but I’d avoid things with very strong kapow flavours, like Thai Red Curry or Kung Pao Chicken because this Fried Rice has enough flavour in itself.

Milder stir fries on the other hand like Beef and Broccoli, Cashew Chicken, Prawn Stir Fry and Chop Suey Chicken Stir Fry would be fabulous.

Close up of Chicken Fried Rice with seasoned chicken, bacon, peas, carrots, corn and fluffy egg, ready to be served.

Also, some more ideas for how to serve Chicken Fried Rice:

MAKE A MEAL OUT OF STARTERS

Make a meal out of dishes ordinarily served as starters by adding a side of Fried Rice. Things such Hot and Sour Soup, Chinese Corn Soup, Spring Rolls, Chinese Lettuce Wraps (San Choy Bau) or Egg Foo Young.

BANQUET!

Indulge in a homemade Yum Cha (Dim Sum) style banquet with dishes such as Potstickers, Char Siu (Chinese BBQ Pork), Chinese Steamed Pork Buns, or Crispy Chinese Pork Belly with a side of Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce or Chinese Lettuce with Creamy Sesame Dressing!

– Nagi x


Watch how to make it


More fried rice recipes

  • Classic Chinese Fried Rice – to serve as a side

  • Thai Fried Rice

  • Nasi Goreng (Indonesian Fried Rice)

  • Chinese Fried Rice with Shrimp / Prawns

  • Korean Kimchi Fried Rice

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Chicken Fried Rice in a white bowl, ready to be eaten

Chicken Fried Rice

Author: Nagi
Prep: 10 minutes mins
Cook: 10 minutes mins
Total: 20 minutes mins
Main, Side
Asian, Chinese
4.98 from 87 votes
Servings4 - 5 people as a side
Tap or hover to scale
Print
Recipe video above. A fully loaded, completely delicious Chicken Fried Rice! Serve it as a side - or have it as a main! (See here for a classic side dish Fried Rice).

Ingredients

  • 2 tbsp oil , peanut, vegetable or canola
  • 2 eggs , lightly whisked
  • 150g (5oz) chicken breast , finely sliced into small pieces
  • 2 garlic cloves , minced
  • 1/2 onion , finely chopped
  • 120g (4oz) bacon , excess fat trimmed, chopped (Note 1)
  • 1 small carrot* , peeled and diced 0.75cm / 1/3"
  • 1/2 cup frozen corn* (or can or fresh)
  • 1/2 cup frozen peas*
  • 2 cups (packed) cooked white rice , day old (Note 2)
  • 3/4 cup green onions , finely sliced

SAUCE:

  • 2.5 tbsp Chinese cooking wine or Mirin (Note 3)
  • 1 tbsp oyster sauce (Note 4)
  • 3 tbsp light soy sauce (Note 5)
  • 1/2 tsp sesame oil , optional
  • 1/4 tsp white pepper , optional

Instructions

  • Sauce & chicken: Mix Sauce in a bowl. Pour 2 tsp over chicken, toss to coat, then set aside for 10 minutes.
  • Egg: Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok or skillet over medium heat. Add egg and scramble until just cooked (still a touch wet) then remove.
  • Fried Rice: Turn heat up to high, add remaining 1/2 tbsp oil and bacon into same skillet. Cook for 1 minute or so until fat starts to melt, then add onion and garlic.
  • Cook until bacon is light golden - about 1 1/2 minutes.
  • Add vegetables (still frozen is fine). Cook for 1 minute.
  • Add chicken and cook until it changes from pink to white - about 1 1/2 minutes.
  • Add rice and Sauce ingredients. Cook for 1 1/2 minutes, stirring consantly.
  • Add egg and green onion, toss through to disperse then remove from heat.
  • Serve immediately!

Recipe Notes:

* Substitute items marked with * with any dice-able, stir-fry-able vegetables of choice!
1. Bacon - adds terrific flavour to fried rice, it's a sub for Chinese sausages and Chinese BBQ Pork which restaurants usually use. Sub with ham.
Sounds criminal to trim excess fat if you have really fatty bacon, it will make fried rice taste too bacony!
2. Best rice for fried rice - long grain white rice or other white rice, cooked, then refrigerated overnight or frozen then thawed. Rice should be dry and crumbly, not sticky.
3. Chinese cooking wine or Mirin (or cooking sake or dry sherry) is an essential ingredient for making a truly "restaurant standard" fried rice. Though many recipes suggest using liquid chicken broth, please do not do this - it makes your fried rice wet and gluey!
If you can't consume alcohol, adjust recipe as follows: Reduce oyster and soy sauce to 2 tsp each, and add 1 tbsp water to the Sauce. Proceed with recipe. When you add the rice, add 1/2 tsp chicken or vegetable stock powder (or bouillon cube crumbled). Stir through, then add remaining Sauce ingredients exc the Cooking wine. Proceed with recipe, add tiny sprinkle of salt at end if you want it saltier.
4. Oyster sauce can be substituted with either fish sauce + hoisin sauce (best!) or just hoisin sauce (though you will get a slight Chinese Five Spice Flavour which is lovely!)
5. Soy sauce - use light or all purpose soy sauce. Do not use dark, flavour will be too intense. Maggie seasoning would also work but reduce the quantity a bit (it’s saltier!).
6. Storage - leftovers will keep for up to 3 days, reheat in microwave with a sprinkle of water if necessary to moisten it up again! Can also freeze - thaw then reheat.
7. Nutrition per serving, assuming 4 servings (about 1.5 cups per serving, a light meal or generous side!)

Nutrition Information:

Calories: 441cal (22%)Carbohydrates: 36g (12%)Protein: 21g (42%)Fat: 23g (35%)Saturated Fat: 6g (38%)Cholesterol: 126mg (42%)Sodium: 1167mg (51%)Potassium: 501mg (14%)Fiber: 3g (13%)Sugar: 4g (4%)Vitamin A: 3043IU (61%)Vitamin C: 15mg (18%)Calcium: 52mg (5%)Iron: 2mg (11%)
Keywords: Chicken fried rice, fried rice recipe
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @recipe_tin.

Life of Dozer

Pho, fried rice, salad….. doesn’t matter what I’m serving up, he always eyes it off like this!!

Dozer watching Nagi ladling pho into bowl

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Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative!

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225 Comments

  1. Stacey Groves says

    November 5, 2023 at 9:11 am

    This was really nice! I didn’t have chicken so used kasseler ham (in Germany), carrot,peas,corn,celery,green onion,onion and red peppers. We did need to add hot sriracha, as we like it hot.

    Reply
  2. Kerry says

    October 15, 2023 at 8:11 pm

    5 stars
    Love your fried rice recipe but tonight had leftover basmati rice and made this with prosciutto and finely sliced free range chicken thigh pieces. Equally delicious.

    Reply
  3. Stephanie says

    July 17, 2023 at 1:01 pm

    I am making enough for 6. Can I use my dutch oven or should I just stick to using 2 nonstick skillets?

    Reply
  4. Lynne says

    July 13, 2023 at 8:48 am

    So delicious. I was a bit sceptical about the amount of mirin but it turned out fantastic

    Reply
  5. Mary says

    June 17, 2023 at 2:26 am

    Hi! This was so disappointing for me! It was so salty and really lacked a good flavor! I double checked to make sure I had the sauce ingredients and measurements correct. Maybe the bacon? I’m in Canada and used the usual bacon we get here, maybe different in Australia?

    Reply
  6. Alan says

    April 16, 2023 at 2:06 pm

    Cooked the fried rice – awsome

    Reply
  7. Brie says

    March 31, 2023 at 7:22 pm

    5 stars
    Delicious! I ordered chicken thigh online with our grocery order and received drumsticks…..I made it work. I oven roasted the chicken legs with just a seasoning of salt and pepper for 45 mins. Took them out and let them cool and shredded them….and nibbled on them too……I chopped up the meat and put aside to add it in after I added and cooked my veggies for a bit. Turned out perfectly! Wish I could add a photo ….

    Reply
  8. KP says

    March 24, 2023 at 4:17 am

    Hi Nagi, I love all your recipes but need to cook lower sodium for my hubby. Do you have any go to oyster sauce, soy sauce and hoison sauce that are lower in sodium???? Thanks!

    Reply
  9. David says

    March 10, 2023 at 10:55 pm

    5 stars
    Made this last night using left over brown rice from a couple of days ago, Went down a treat. Could have added some beans for more green, And some red caps. Probably used double the quantity but, what the heck. Another winner!

    Reply
  10. Ernest says

    February 24, 2023 at 5:19 pm

    Good day, Your recipes looks good, I can’t wait to try them, thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  11. Lisa Higham says

    January 29, 2023 at 5:13 am

    Made this tonight for tea with left over roast chicken. Delicious! Clean plates all round

    Reply
  12. Clarissa says

    January 23, 2023 at 2:52 pm

    I don’t have any shrimp, but am I able to substitute it with shrimp paste? And if so, how much would I add for this recipe? Thank you 🙂

    Reply
  13. Crystal says

    January 11, 2023 at 3:58 pm

    5 stars
    Wow! Seriously great recipe! Truly better than take-out. Thank you so much!

    Reply
  14. Rachel says

    January 4, 2023 at 11:00 am

    5 stars
    We made this right after Thanksgiving with our leftover turkey… and we’ve made it once a week since then two months later. I never trust at-home fried rice recipes, they’re never as good as takeout. But this one IS! So good!

    Reply
  15. Geo says

    December 8, 2022 at 5:48 am

    5 stars
    Did this with left over cooked pork loin, bacon and additional vegetables. Really good, thank you.

    Reply
  16. Jane Frick says

    November 2, 2022 at 12:20 pm

    Yahoo, I have just picked up your book from Big W Nagi.

    I’ll have to wait for Christmas though as a gift from one my boys.

    Reply
  17. Betina Jessen says

    October 18, 2022 at 8:47 am

    5 stars
    Awesome – made it more or less as described – I didn’t measure the rice and was probably a little heavy. I keep cooked chicken in the freezer for quickie dinners and used that. The family loved it – definitely a keeper!!

    Reply
  18. Dragan says

    July 19, 2022 at 5:40 pm

    Ok here it is. For a 6.3 ‘ single father of 3 with no social media this is the very first thing I ever signed up for. I love to cook. I love how you cook and your philosophy about food and 9 out of 10 recipes i concoct in my little kitchen are from your site. I don’t have Dozer but am looking for one . I definitely need someone to eat leftovers and take me out of the house. Best of luck with everything you do.

    Reply
  19. Tania says

    July 6, 2022 at 9:10 pm

    5 stars
    Loved this recipe – I used what I had, chorizo instead of bacon and chopped up broccolini instead of corn. Added hot sriracha sauce to my bowl. Delicous.

    Reply
  20. Belinda says

    June 1, 2022 at 6:04 pm

    After enjoying this ourselves, I took this into work today as my contribution to morning tea. It was highly praised & disappeared before anything else.
    High praise indeed from a roomful of hungry teachers! 🙂

    Reply
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Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative! Read More

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