This healthy Chicken Fried Rice combines brown rice, any vegetables you have around, and tender chicken in a simple, savory stir fry sauce. One pan. 30 minutes. You’ve got this!
Send me into your kitchen to make dinner with what you have on hand, and 9 times out of 10, I’ll emerge with some version of Homemade Fried Rice.
A never-lets-you-down meal you can whip up with whatever in your produce drawer is threatening to expire first, chicken fried rice is one of my life’s great comfort foods.
- My fried rice affair began in high school, when I spent my hard-earned minimum wage dollars on authentic Chinese take-out (that was definitely not as nutritious as this Healthy Fried Rice) on weekdays and Pork Fried Rice at the “fancy” sit-down Chinese restaurant on weekends.
- Homemade chicken fried rice helped me survive my 20s, because it was nutritious, cheap, and absolutely scrumptious.
- Today, this simple homemade fried rice is still one of the dinners I cook most.
5 Star Review
“Excellent tasting and healthy recipe!! We loved every bit of it.”
— Susan —
Reasons to Love Chicken Fried Rice
Even if you don’t have a long-running, hot-and-heavy relationship with fried rice, this recipe has something to offer you.
- It’s Healthy. Fried rice is not bad for you, especially if you load up on the vegetables, use brown rice instead of white rice, and limit the amount of added sugar and oil, which is exactly what this recipe does.
- It’s Versatile. I make fried rice at home with a bag of frozen peas and carrots, which we always keep on hand, then toss in whatever extra vegetables we have lurking around.
- It’s FAST. We are in 30-minute meal territory, my friends.
- ONE Skillet. If you haven’t noticed, I’m a big fan of one pot meals.
- The Leftovers Rock. Half the reason I cook fried rice is for the leftovers. They reheat like a dream. Also, if you are one of those people who likes to eat leftover Chinese food cold (ahem, Beef Lo Mein) out of the fridge (I see you and I salute you), this Chinese chicken fried rice recipe hits the spot.
- It’s EPICALLY DELICIOUS. Everyone loves fried rice (and General Tso’s Chicken). And if someone tells you they don’t, it’s because they haven’t had homemade chicken fried rice from scratch yet!
How to Make Chicken Fried Rice at Home
This is an easy chicken fried rice recipe made with accessible ingredients I can readily find at any grocery store (versus 100% authentic chicken fried rice, which I would love to master one day).
- Chicken fried rice is not fried in the sense that it is not submerged in oil.
- Rather, it is cooked over very high heat with an oil that has a high smoke point.
- Think of it as pan-fried rice, versus deep-fried rice.
Tip!
Stir fry recipes move quickly. Be sure to have all of your chicken fried rice ingredients prepped, measured, and near the stove before you begin.
The Ingredients
- Leftover Rice. I use brown rice for the added fiber and nutrients it offers compared to white rice.
- Chicken. A lean source of protein and vitamins, boneless skinless chicken breasts make an excellent healthy and filling addition to fried rice recipes like this one. If you prefer boneless, skinless chicken thighs, you can use those here too.
- Egg. Egg is an important ingredient in fried rice. It gives textural interest, absorbs the sauce’s flavor, and adds protein. You can cook the egg it in the same skillet or wok as the rest of the recipe.
- Vegetables. A blend of fresh and frozen vegetables is my go-to for bulking up the nutrition of homemade fried rice (and Vegetable Lo Mein). For fresh veggies, I love using a red pepper, broccoli, or mushrooms. For frozen, a bag of frozen peas and carrots is quick and convenient.
- Canola Oil + Butter. It is better to use butter for fried rice than just oil alone. The butter adds exceptional flavor. Canola oil is my go-to for high-temperature cooking.
- Soy Sauce. The umami king! Low sodium soy sauce is crucial for perfect chicken fried rice.
- Oyster Sauce. This is what gives fried rice its GREAT flavor and is the secret to restaurant fried rice. Oyster sauce is intensely savory, thick (in a good way), and does not taste like oysters. It’s a critical part of establishing umami.
Tip!
Most major grocery stores carry oyster sauce in the Asian/international food aisle. Picking up a bottle is also a great reason to seek out and support local Asian-owned grocery stores.
- Red Pepper Flakes or Hot Sauce. I’ve listed this ingredient as optional, but if you are looking for spicy chicken fried rice, add red pepper flakes or your hot sauce of choice (my go-to hot sauce for recipes like this is sriracha).
The Directions
- Stir the oyster sauce and part of the soy sauce together.
- Scramble the eggs, then remove them to a bowl.
- Sauté the chicken with soy sauce. Add it to the bowl with the eggs.
- Sauté the vegetables. Add butter, peas, carrots, and minced garlic.
- Incorporate the cold cooked rice and oyster sauce mixture. Add everything back to the skillet and heat through. DIG IN!
Storage Tips
- To Store. Refrigerate fried rice in an airtight storage container for up to 3 days.
- To Reheat. Rewarm leftovers in a skillet on the stovetop over medium-low heat or in the microwave.
- To Freeze. Freeze chicken fried rice in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Meal Prep Tip
For an even faster weeknight dinner, stir in chicken that’s been cooked in advance, instead of the sautéed chicken directed in this recipe.
- Shredded Chicken Fried Rice. Prepare chicken breast using your cooking method of choice: Instant Pot Chicken, Crock Pot Shredded Chicken, or this easy stovetop method for How to Cook Shredded Chicken. Shred and stir into the fried rice as directed.
- Roasted Chicken Fried Rice. Prepare Baked Chicken Breast, Baked Bone In Chicken Breast, Air Fryer Whole Chicken, or Air Fryer Chicken Breast. Dice, then stir into the recipe as directed.
- You also can use shredded rotisserie chicken picked up from your local grocery store.
What to Serve with Chicken Fried Rice
Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe
- Non-stick Skillet. Perfect for making this recipe.
- Spatula. Easy to use and useful for so many recipes.
- Measuring Spoons. These are double-sided, which means fewer dishes to wash.
The Best Nonstick Skillet
A high-quality nonstick skillet makes cooking and cleanup a breeze. This large skillet size is ideal, and the lid helps control any splattering.
Let’s face it, fried rice saved dinnertime in my teens, twenties, and will likely keep saving my dinners until I’m old and grey.
Good thing I now have the best chicken fried rice recipe at my disposal.
Frequently Asked Questions
It can be. If you want to make a gluten-free chicken fried rice, make sure to double-check your ingredients when shopping. While most rice is naturally gluten free, cross-contamination during manufacturing is possible. Additionally, Asian condiments, like soy sauce, are not gluten free (use tamari instead). You should also verify that your oyster sauce is gluten free too.
It depends. Many fried rice recipes (especially chicken fried rice from takeout chains) have a large amount of fat, sugar, and salt. However, this recipe makes healthy swaps, like brown rice and minimal cooking oil, and packs in the protein and veggies, to make healthy chicken fried rice possible.
Fried rice is a dish found throughout all parts of Asia in one form or another. However, the earliest version of this popular dish is typically credited to the Sui dynasty in China that ruled from 589 to 618 AD.
You can use any kind of rice for fried rice, including jasmine, basmati, or long grain white rice. I prefer to use brown rice because it’s a healthy swap. If you’d like to make fried rice with cauliflower rice, see this Cauliflower Fried Rice recipe.
Chicken Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup oyster sauce (see notes)
- 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce divided, plus additional to taste (swap for tamari if you need gluten-free)
- 2 tablespoons canola oil or grapeseed oil, or peanut oil, divided
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into bite-sized 1-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 4 large eggs lightly beaten
- 3 cups chopped fresh vegetables of choice (I use 1 red bell pepper plus a small head of broccoli or 8 ounces mushrooms)
- 12 ounces frozen peas and carrots thawed
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 1/2 cups COLD cooked brown rice break up large clumps with your fingers
- 2/3 cup green onions chopped (about 4 medium)
- Red pepper flakes or Sriracha, or hot sauce of choice (optional)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, stir together the oyster sauce and 2 tablespoons soy sauce. Set aside. Keep a large bowl or plate and a large, flexible rubber spatula near the stove.
- Heat 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat until hot, about 2 minutes. Add 1/2 tablespoon butter and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the eggs. Cook without stirring until they barely begin to set, about 20 seconds. With your spatula, scramble and break the eggs into little, bite-sized pieces. Continue to cook, stirring constantly now, until eggs are just cooked through but not yet browned, about 1 additional minute. Transfer eggs to the bowl and set aside. With a paper towel, carefully wipe the skillet clean.
- Return the skillet to the heat, and increase the heat to high. Let the skillet warm until it is nice and hot, about 1 minute. Add 1 tablespoon of the canola oil, and swirl to coat. Add the chicken and the remaining 1 tablespoon soy sauce. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is fully cooked through, about 4 minutes. Remove to the bowl with the eggs.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet. Add the fresh vegetables and cook until they are crisp-tender, about 4 to 5 minutes.
- Add the remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons butter and peas and carrots. Cook, stirring constantly, for 30 seconds.
- Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds (do not let the garlic burn!).
- Add the brown rice and the oyster sauce mixture. Continue cooking, stirring constantly and breaking up any remaining rice clumps, until the mixture is heated through, about 2 minutes. Add the reserved eggs/chicken and green onions. Cook and stir until the mixture is completely heated through, about 1 minute more. Enjoy immediately with a sprinkle of red pepper flakes or dash of hot sauce and additional soy sauce as desired.
Video
Notes
-
Adapted from my Homemade Fried Rice.
- ABOUT OYSTER SAUCE: Oyster sauce is readily available in the Asian or international food aisle of most major grocery stores. It has a unique flavor and texture, and if you substitute something else for it, your fried rice won’t taste the same. If you’d like to experiment with making the recipe without oyster sauce, you can simply omit it or swap in 1 tablespoon sesame oil to add flavor.
- TO STORE: Refrigerate fried rice in an airtight storage container for up to 3 days.
- TO REHEAT: Rewarm leftovers in a skillet on the stovetop over medium-low heat or in the microwave.
- TO FREEZE: Freeze chicken fried rice in an airtight, freezer-safe storage container for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Nutrition
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Sign Me UpMore Easy Takeout-Inspired Recipes
Homemade takeout may be an oxymoron but, at least, it’s a delicious one! Here are some of my favorite Asian recipes:
This turned out really good! This is definitely a healthier version than the takeout stuff from the restaurants.
This recipe is also easy to make your own if you want to add other ingredients or spices to it.
So great to hear Roy! Thank you for this kind review!
Turned out great! Very flavorful and easy to prepare. Opted to use light brown basmati rice and was pleased with the texture of the fried rice. Another keeper!
Hi Lisa! So glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for this kind review!
I wanted to make this for dinner tonight. Made sure I had all the ingredients. Put my rice in the fridge last night. And now I am getting everything out and reading over the directions it doesn’t say how much oyster sauce you are supposed to use in the rice! It only says to add the cold rice and oyster sauce mixture. But It doesn’t say anywhere how much oyster sauce I’m supposed to put with the rice. Is it supposed to be sitting in oyster sauce the entire time in the fridge? Right before I add it to the skillet? 😢 Hubby was so excited for this. I even had to push it off from yesterday’s dinner so the rice could sit in the fridge long enough. 😢 Maybe another day.
Hi Teresa! Oyster sauce is listed as the very first ingredient in the recipe card. It says 1/3 cup. Hope this helps!
I am not sure what restaurant the previous reviewer gets fried rice at, because I made it and it was better than any restaurant I ever tried it at! Maybe because it was freshly made and served? Flavors were great and I am definitely making it again soon! Thank you for another great recipe!
Hi Kate! That makes me so happy to hear! THANK YOU!
Excellent tasting and healthy recipe!! We loved every bit of it. I think I will go with a little bigger than a 12″ skillet next time. Thank you Erin!!
Hi Susan! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Hi Erin:
Your butternut squash soup recipe is so delicious.
So healthy and few ingredients.
Lisa
Hi Lisa! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Excited to make this tonight! About how big is each serving? Thank you!
Hi Amanda! I did not measure out each serving into cups. It’s 1 serving = 1/6 of the recipe. Hope this helps!
So delicious, will become a staple in our meal rotation!
Hi Amanda! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Thinking about making this but have a question- Is the rice cooked first and refrigerated or is uncooked rice used?
Hi Mary! Not sure if you saw this in the ingredient list in the recipe card but it say 2 1/2 cups COLD cooked brown rice. Hope this helps!
This was so delicious!! Highly recommend it!!
Hi Cindy! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Looking forward to making this – sounds delicious. Question – I see peanut butter in the ingredient list but not in the directions – please advise.
Hi Julia! Peanut butter is not listed as an ingredient for this recipe. I hope this helps!
so amazing!
I’m so happy that you enjoyed it, Helena! Thank you for sharing this kind review!
Made this to last me through a week of nights and it was SO GOOD
Hi Emma! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Sooooo good! Used it for my lunch meal prep!
Hi Alisha! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
Loved this so much! And my whole family even ate it with me! I would love to know how many calories per serving it is 😬
Hi Caitlin, all of the nutritional facts are listed in the recipe card under the section “Nutrition” Hope that helps! Glad you enjoyed it!
Simple, easily customizable & flavourful !
This recipe is definitely a must for an empty -the-fridge meal idea. 10/10 would recommend
Thank you!
Hi Laura! So glad you enjoyed the recipe! Thank you for this kind review!
All I can say is WOW! This is amazing! I went a little different only because I had to improvise with what I had but it turned out amazing! I made the rice first (white) and put it in the fridge to cool down. With mine I used chicken thighs, I precooked them. All purpose seasoning in the oven 400 for 30 minutes added butter to the top them 10 more minutes. Shredded it and set aside. It could be slight pink that’s okay since recipe has you put it in the hot skillet later on. I used frozen broccoli peas and bell pepper onion blend for my veggies. I’ve never made fried rice before and this was an amazing guideline, I’m going in for my second serving! Lol
Glad it worked out for you Selena!