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    Home Β» Recipes Β» Mains Β» Chinese Chicken Fried Rice

    Chinese Chicken Fried Rice

    Last Modified: December 6, 2022 - Published by: christieathome - Comments: 36 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    This is the best Chicken Fried Rice! Savoury and fluffy fried rice with juicy tender chicken, eggs, peas, carrots with garlic and shallots.

    chinese chicken fried rice

    Ready in 30 minutes

    This meal is perfect for as a main course, side dish and or as leftovers, if there are any left! It's a great recipe that can be made in just 30 minutes with leftover rice from last night or the day(s) before. Chicken fried rice also works well for meal prep too for a delicious meal!

    chinese chicken fried rice

    Comfort food

    I’m a huge fan of Asian fried rice. It’s such a comforting dish that brings a lot of childhood nostalgia for me. Whenever my parents didn’t know what to cook for us, it would be fried rice.

    Why? Because if we had any leftover ingredients which would include cold rice, we could toss everything together in a wok to create a delicious and easy meal that would feed the whole family! My mom would make us many variations of fried rice but the most common was fried rice with hearty chicken or with leftover char siu.

    chinese chicken fried rice

    Easy Chicken Fried Rice Recipe

    This authentic chicken fried rice is extremely easy to make at home. If it's your first time making it, don't worry I share step by step visuals and a video on how to achieve the best results.

    chinese chicken fried rice

    Better than Take Out Chicken Fried Rice

    This is a strong claim, but I genuinely believe this is the best chicken fried rice recipe you will make at home! Like the restaurant fried rice, they use remarkably similar ingredients with the power of a carbon steel or steel wok. The smokiness that you get from this type of wok is a game changer when it comes to making Asian food at home.

    If you don’t own a wok, you can also make it in a large frying pan or nonstick skillet. You just won’t get that smoky flavour but overall, this dish is delicious without it!

    Ingredients

    For this recipe you’ll need the below chicken fried riceΒ ingredients. Please scroll down to recipe card for full measurements.

    • Cooked leftover Jasmine rice: The best rice to use for a good fried rice recipe is Thai jasmine white rice. If you use day old cooked rice, it's even better because the rice becomes dried out and this prevents the rice from sticking together as it cooks in your large skillet. This is the one of the most important things in making fried rice.
      • You may also substitute with brown rice. For a healthier alternative, you may use cauliflower rice.
    • Boneless skinless chicken thighs: Chicken thigh meat is a great choice for fried rice as it's juicier and tender even if you by chance overcook it. However, you may substitute with chicken breast but please only cook until 50% cooked as breast tends to dry out fast. The chicken pieces shouldn't be dry.
      • If you have leftover chicken or rotisserie chicken, you may sub with that but please skip the marinating process as it's already cooked. I would also suggest tossing the cooked chicken at the very end to simply reheat it.

    Aromatics

    • Shallot: In Asian cuisine, shallots are often used for fried rice as it's more fragrant. If you can't find shallots, substitute with finely chopped white onion, yellow onion or a sweet onion.
      • You may also substitute with the white part of green onions and save the green part as a garnish.
    • Garlic: This aromatic is the secret ingredient for a very tasty fried rice! Though it's small, it adds a very aromatic taste to any rice dishes. It's commonly used in Chinese cuisine and most of Asian cuisine.

    Vegetables & Other Ingredients

    • Carrot: Carrots add color and healthy fiber to this chicken fried rice. It's common to see carrot in fried rice. Feel free to use the fresh or frozen kind.
    • Peas: Feel free to use frozen or fresh peas. This adds color to our dish and healthy fiber. The different veggies help to loosen the rice making it taste lighter in texture.
    • Eggs: Beaten eggs are the second ingredient to making the best fried rice. The eggs help to coat the rice. The rice tastes different when it's coated in the best way possible as the eggs add flavor.
    • Neutral oil: any neutral tasting oil such as avocado oil, grapeseed oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil or canola oil will work. I would avoid using olive oil as it contains a slight taste and scent, it also does not have a high smoke point as we cook this over medium-high heat.

    Chicken marinade

    • Regular soy sauce: not light or dark soy sauce! Just your regular all purpose soy sauce. Any Asian grocery store or online retailer, like Amazon (depending on your country) will carry this ingredient.
      • For a gluten free option, substitute with gluten free soy sauce, coconut aminos or tamari sauce.
    • Shaoxing Cooking Wine: or sub with Dry Sherry Wine if you can't find Chinese cooking wine. If you're looking for a non-alcoholic version, feel free to omit completely. Any Asian grocery store or online retailer, like Amazon (depending on your country) will carry this ingredient.
    • Cornstarch: This creates juicy chicken as it helps to lock in any moisture by sealing it. The usage of cornstarch in marinating meat is a common technique used at any Chinese restaurant.
    • Neutral oil: This adds moisture to your chicken and also makes them slippery so when they fall into your hot pan, they won't stick together.

    Sauce

    • Regular soy sauce: not light or dark soy sauce! Feel free to sub with low-sodium soy sauce and add to taste.
      • For a gluten free option, substitute with gluten free soy sauce, coconut aminos or tamari sauce.
    • Dark soy sauce: this type of soy sauce is meant for coloring a dish in most Asian cuisine. If you can't find this ingredient, add more regular soy sauce to taste. Any Asian grocery store or online retailer, like Amazon (depending on your country) will carry this ingredient.
    • Toasted sesame oil: a nutty oil that gives your fried rice or any stir fries that delicious sesame aroma. If you don't have sesame oil, you may substitute with toasted sesame seeds.
    • Chicken bouillon powder: This gives your fried rice that extra depth of flavor as it contains some msg. Most Western or Asian grocers or online retailers like Amazon will carry this item.
    • White pepper: or sub with black pepper

    How to make Chicken Fried Rice

    Below are general guidelines to show you how to make chicken fried rice restaurant style. Please scroll down to the recipe card below to find full instructions and details.

    1. Marinate your sliced chicken with Chicken Marinate ingredients as listed above for 5 minutes. Set aside.
    2. In a small bowl, pre-mix sauce ingredients as listed. Set aside.
    3. In a hot wok set over medium high heat, add 1 tsp oil. Once oil is hot, fry chicken until fully cooked. Remove and set aside.
    4. Add 1 tsp of oil and stir fry garlic and shallots for 10 seconds or until softened. Quickly add peas and carrots and fry for another 10 seconds or until softened. Sweep everything to the side of the wok.
    5. Add 1 tsp of oil into empty space of wok. Pour in eggs and scramble before mixing with ingredients in wok. Push everything to the side of the pan.
    6. Add remaining oil along with rice into empty space. Then toss with ingredients. Toss back in chicken.
    7. Pour sauce around your rice along the edges of the wok (the heat + sauce creates more flavour vs. pouring on top of rice). Mix until all rice granules are coloured brown. Remove off heat. Serve and enjoy!

    FAQ

    Below are frequently asked questions about this delicious chicken fried rice:

    Can I use different vegetables?

    Yes, feel free to substitute or add any fresh veggies that you desire. I would avoid using leafy greens. However, feel free to use bell peppers like red peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, edamame and more!

    What's the best way to cook rice?

    There are different ways to cook rice, some make it in a pot over the stove top or in an instant pot. But in my own kitchen, the rice cooker is the best way to make steamed rice.

    It does it perfectly without any worry and the rice cooker pots are usually non-stick, so the rice slides right out with ease. I share a good rice cooker brand in the Recipe card below under "Equipment".

    What is the secret to good fried rice?

    Using a wok that can withstand high flame to create β€œwok hei” or in Chinese β€œbreathe of wok.” When the oil hits the heat of an extremely hot wok, this creates that smoky taste you enjoy in most Chinese cooked foods.

    How do you dry out rice for fried rice?

    I will usually make it the night before and after it cooks, I’ll lay it out in a single layer on a sheet pan covered lightly with aluminum foil. Then place it in the back of the refrigerator, where it’s the coldest.

    On the day of cooking, I will add a little oil to my hands and break up the rice with my hands until it's separated into granules. The oil prevents the rice from sticking to your hands.

    To urgently dry out rice: after the rice has cooked, lay it out on a tray and then pop it into the freezer (not fridge) UNCOVERED for 1 hour and this will help dry it out.

    Other Fried Rice recipes you may like!

    If you enjoyed this best chicken and egg fried rice, you may enjoy these other recipes:

    • Shrimp Fried Rice
    • Tomato Egg Fried Rice
    • Thai Spicy Basil Fried Rice
    • Vegan Mushroom Kimchi Fried Rice
    • Thai Railway Fried Rice

    Easy Chinese Chicken Fried Rice (30-min)

    christieathome
    This is the best Chinese Chicken Fried Rice! Savoury and fluffy fried rice with juicy chicken, eggs, peas, carrots with garlic and shallots. Ready in 30 minutes. This meal is perfect for dinner or lunch.
    5 from 16 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Prep Time 20 mins
    Cook Time 10 mins
    Total Time 30 mins
    Course dinner, lunch
    Cuisine asian, Chinese
    Servings 4
    Calories per serving 462 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • 4 Β½ cups cooked jasmine rice day old, see Notes for amount of uncooked rice
    • Β½ lb boneless skinless chicken thighs thinly sliced
    • 1 shallot finely chopped
    • 3 cloves garlic minced
    • ΒΎ cup carrot finely diced
    • Β½ cup peas frozen
    • 3 eggs beaten
    • 4 tsp vegetable oil or any neutral tasting oil

    Chicken marinade:

    • 1 tsp regular soy sauce not light or dark soy sauce!
    • 1 tsp Shaoxing Cooking Wine or sub with Dry Sherry Wine
    • 1 tsp cornstarch
    • 1 tsp vegetable oil

    Sauce:

    • 2 tbsp regular soy sauce not light or dark soy sauce!
    • Β½ tbsp dark soy sauce
    • 2 tsp sesame oil
    • 1 tsp chicken bouillon powder (aka chicken stock powder)
    • β…› tsp white pepper or sub with black pepper

    Instructions
     

    • Marinate your sliced chicken with Chicken Marinate ingredients as listed above for 5 minutes. Set aside.
    • In a small bowl, pre-mix Sauce ingredients as listed above. Set aside.
    • In a hot wok set on medium high heat, add 1 tsp oil. Once oil is hot, fry chicken until fully cooked. Remove and set aside.
    • Add 1 tsp of oil and fry garlic and shallots for 10 seconds or until softened. Quickly add peas and carrots and fry for another 10 seconds or until softened. Push everything to the side of the wok.
    • Add 1 tsp of oil into empty space of wok. Pour in eggs and scramble before mixing with ingredients in wok.
    • Add remaining oil along with rice and toss with ingredients. Toss back in chicken.
    • Pour sauce around your rice along the edges of the wok (the heat + sauce creates more flavour vs. pouring on top of rice). Mix until all rice granules are coloured brown. Remove off heat. Serve and enjoy!

    Notes

    Rice:
    This is 1 Β½ measuring cups of UNCOOKED jasmine rice made the night before and refrigerated.Β 
    Enjoyed my recipe?Please leave a 5 star review (be kind)! Tag me on social media @christieathome as I'd love to see your creations!
    Copyright PolicyPlease do not copy and paste my recipes or use my photos in your own site/blog or social media. If you use my recipe for adaptation, please provide a link back to my recipe and re-write in your own words. Thank you.

    Suggested Equipment & Products

    Wok
    Rice Cooker
    Non-stick wok
    Measuring Set
    Santoku Knife
    Cutting Board
    Nutrition
    Calories: 462kcal | Carbohydrates: 58g | Protein: 21g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 6g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 178mg | Sodium: 937mg | Potassium: 378mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 3035IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 61mg | Iron: 2mg
    Course dinner, lunch
    Cuisine asian, Chinese
    Keyword authentic chicken fried rice, authentic thai basil chicken fried rice, best chicken fried rice recipe, better than takeout chicken fried rice, chicken fried rice at home, chicken fried rice ingredients, chicken fried rice restaurant style, chinese chicken fried rice, chinese chicken fried rice at home recipe, chinese chicken fried rice ingredients, chinese chicken fried rice recipe, chinese chicken fried rice recipe with egg, chinese chicken fried rice restaurant style, how to make chicken fried rice
    « Dak Galbi
    Pad Woon Sen »

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sherri

      March 27, 2020 at 9:38 am

      5 stars
      This would be such a great dish for my kids! I think they would absolutely love homemade fried rice! Thanks Christie! πŸ™‚

      Reply
    2. Leanne

      March 30, 2020 at 2:44 pm

      5 stars
      I'm pretty excited that I have everything I need to make this one! I haven't had chicken fried rice in such a long time. Might be time to make it again! Take care Christie!

      Reply
      • christieathome

        March 30, 2020 at 4:28 pm

        Yay! That's always a great thing. Thanks so much Leanne and I hope you enjoy it πŸ™‚ Take care Leanne!

        Reply
    3. Tasia ~ two sugar bugs

      March 31, 2020 at 12:31 am

      5 stars
      I don't make fried rice nearly enough and this one looks so scrumptious!! I also appreciate your wisdom on thinking in the present. Wonderful advice for the current times ~ thank you!

      Reply
      • christieathome

        April 01, 2020 at 1:53 pm

        Thanks so much Tasia! I appreciate you taking the time to read and for your kind words on my fried rice. I hope you give it a try!

        Reply
      • Elizabeth

        April 27, 2022 at 7:37 pm

        5 stars
        Is it okay to marinate your chicken overnight? I'm going to try this recipe tomorrow.

        Reply
        • christieathome

          April 28, 2022 at 12:19 pm

          Absolutely! It'll make the chicken taste even better. I hope you enjoy my recipe!

          Reply
    4. Letscurry

      March 31, 2020 at 2:08 pm

      5 stars
      Christie

      Just yesterday I posted a chicken curry recipe. Chicken fried rice is something I have never tried before, as I have always grown up eating biryani instead. Hoping to give a try to this one sooner.
      I appreciate your efforts in bringing the best.

      Reply
      • christieathome

        March 31, 2020 at 4:09 pm

        Thanks so much for visiting my blog! I truly appreciate your kind comment! I absolutely love biryani and I will have to give it a try one day.

        Reply
    5. Never Ending Journeys

      April 01, 2020 at 5:26 pm

      5 stars
      What a tasty chicken dish! It looks so flavorful.

      Reply
    6. Heidi | The Frugal Girls

      April 14, 2020 at 5:23 pm

      5 stars
      How delicious... and I love that this only takes 30 minutes to prepare!

      Reply
    7. Florencia Martinez C.

      April 20, 2020 at 10:01 am

      5 stars
      This was a quick, easy and absolutely delicious meal! I really appreciated the tips on cooking everything within the same pan to avoid dirtying more things. Loved making this on date night at home!

      Reply
      • christieathome

        April 20, 2020 at 11:16 am

        Thanks Florencia! I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed this as well as the cooking tips. I love making everything in one pan to reduce the amount of dishes I have to wash later haha πŸ™‚

        Reply
    8. Joey

      December 01, 2020 at 10:10 pm

      5 stars
      Just made your dish Came out wonderful so ummy

      Reply
    9. D.Jay

      April 17, 2022 at 3:59 pm

      5 stars
      Made this last night; it was so easy and delicious. I marinated the chicken longer than five minutes for maximum flavour penetration but otherwise followed the recipe to the letter. I also prepped the rice in the morning then lined a sheet pan, spread it out and refrigerated it so it was ready and super dry before putting the recipe together. Never did this before but will from now on as the rice was nice and crisp. Will put this recipe on rotation!

      Reply
      • christieathome

        April 18, 2022 at 3:42 pm

        Thank you so much for making my recipe D.Jay! I am so happy to hear that you enjoyed it πŸ™‚ Glad that this dish can become part of your rotation!

        Reply
    10. Azalia

      April 27, 2022 at 1:49 pm

      Just made it, waiting for the troops to come. Will definitely post reactions, we love Asian food.

      Reply
      • christieathome

        April 28, 2022 at 12:20 pm

        Thank you so much for making my recipe! I hope you and the troops enjoy it πŸ™‚

        Reply
    11. Stacie

      June 25, 2022 at 6:20 pm

      5 stars
      Best chicken fried rice I've ever made at home!

      Reply
      • christieathome

        June 27, 2022 at 6:05 pm

        Thanks so much for making my recipe and for leaving a kind review, Stacie! So glad you liked it. Have a great day!

        Reply
    12. Crissy

      July 07, 2022 at 11:02 am

      5 stars
      This was soooooo good! I used green onion instead of shallot and added a bit of sesame oil to the eggs before cooking them. Loved the dark soy sauce flavor! Great recipe!

      Reply
      • christieathome

        July 09, 2022 at 2:24 pm

        I'm so glad to hear that you enjoyed this! Thanks for making my recipe Crissy!

        Reply
    13. Randy Paggi

      August 27, 2022 at 4:33 am

      I have a hard time finding dark soy sauce, should i use oyster sauce in its place , what do you recommend.

      Reply
      • christieathome

        August 29, 2022 at 2:45 pm

        Feel free to use a bit more regular soy sauce to taste or use oyster sauce πŸ™‚

        Reply
    14. Linda

      October 04, 2022 at 4:00 am

      5 stars
      This is a great recipe! Will definately make again and againπŸ™‚

      Reply
      • christieathome

        October 04, 2022 at 3:03 pm

        Thanks so much for making my recipe Linda! So happy you enjoyed it πŸ™‚

        Reply
    15. Dale

      November 17, 2022 at 2:48 pm

      HI: Can you tell a taste of the 1 tsp Shaoxing Cooking Wine in the recipe?

      Reply
      • christieathome

        November 17, 2022 at 4:41 pm

        A little bit goes a long way. If you desire, you can always add more to your liking. If you are looking to omit the ingredient because it's hard to find, feel free to.

        Reply
    16. Randall P.

      November 23, 2022 at 9:05 pm

      5 stars
      This was such an amazing recipe! My crew loved it. I didn't have shallots so I chopped a small yellow onion very finely and it worked just fine. This truly was "better than take out" and we just loved it.

      Reply
      • christieathome

        November 24, 2022 at 6:51 pm

        I am so happy to read this Randall! Thank you so much for making my recipe for your crew! Glad it lives up to its name πŸ™‚

        Reply
    17. Angela St. Peter

      January 05, 2023 at 1:26 pm

      5 stars
      Excellent authentic fried rice recipe. Thanks Christie. I just bought all of the ingredients to make your crab rangoons next. My family can’t wait.

      Reply
      • christieathome

        January 05, 2023 at 5:32 pm

        Thank you so much for making my recipe, Angela! I am so happy to read that you enjoyed this! I also hope you enjoy my crab rangoons too πŸ™‚ Have a lovely day!

        Reply
    18. Paula

      January 15, 2023 at 11:11 am

      5 stars
      Perfect recipe for Chicken Fried rice. We all loved it! The only change I made was to add a touch of Chinese Five Spice seasoning.

      Reply
      • christieathome

        January 16, 2023 at 3:58 pm

        Thank you so much for making my recipe Paula! I am so glad you all loved it πŸ™‚ A pinch of five spice sounds lovely!

        Reply
    19. Lauren

      January 17, 2023 at 5:56 pm

      I do not have dark soy sauce. Just regular. Is that okay?

      Reply
      • christieathome

        January 18, 2023 at 1:25 pm

        Yes, I would suggest adding more regular soy sauce to taste and do not sub at a 1:1 ratio as regular is saltier than dark.

        Reply

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    Christie

    Christie is an Asian Recipe Blogger sharing delicious recipes that you can make at home! Her goal is to make Asian cooking approachable and less intimidating. With a social media following of over 500k, she has been featured on Buzz Feed Tasty, Food52, The Kitchn and more! Christie's recipes have been made over and over again by her loyal readers.

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