Seasoned rice stir-fried with tender chicken, eggs, vegetables, and aromatics. This quick and easy chicken fried rice is ready in less than 30-minutes! A delicious main, meal, or side dish for the whole family to enjoy. It's also better-than-takeout!
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My version of Chinese chicken fried rice features cooked jasmine rice fried with juicy chicken, scrambled eggs, peas, carrots, garlic and shallots in a savory sauce.
Chicken fried rice is a popular Asian dish served at many Chinese restaurants for takeout and it's one of my favorites as it always hits the spot!
This is such a comforting dish that brings back a lot of childhood memories for me. When my mom didn't know what to cook on busy weeknights for our family of five, it would be fried rice as it was so satisfying and ready in little time!
It's a great dish because you can use up leftover cold rice in the fridge.
If you're not a fan of chicken, I also share a great recipe for Egg Fried Rice and Shrimp Fried Rice!
Why you'll love this recipe!
- ready in less than 30 minutes.
- made with simple ingredients in one-pan!
- filling and so delicious!
- great for large families or gatherings.
- restaurant-quality!
Ingredients & Substitutes
Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements.
- Cold Day-Old Cooked Jasmine Rice: or substitute with cold day-old cooked long-grain white rice. Avoid using short grain rice if possible. Cold day-old rice is recommend for fluffy fried rice. If you're using freshly cooked rice or same day cooked rice: see Expert Tips below on how to dry it out.
- Skinless Boneless Chicken Thighs: or substitute with chicken breasts (marinating for 15 minutes), pork shoulder, jumbo shrimp, steak or extra-firm tofu (and skip the marinade for the tofu).
- Frozen Carrots and Peas: or substitute with diced fresh carrots and peas or substitute with a frozen vegetable mix that contains peas, carrots, corn and green beans. Or substitute with bell peppers, broccoli florets, button mushrooms, or edamame.
- Large Eggs
- Shallot: or substitute with ¼ small onion.
- Garlic Cloves
- Neutral Cooking Oil: like avocado oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil or canola oil with a high smoke point. Avoid olive oil or coconut oil.
Chicken Marinade
- Regular Soy Sauce: or substitute with low sodium soy sauce or light soy sauce, tamari sauce, coconut aminos or a gluten-free soy sauce.
- Shaoxing Wine: a Chinese rice cooking wine available at Asian grocers. Or substitute with dry sherry wine, dry white wine or chicken broth.
- Cornstarch: or substitute with potato starch or tapioca starch.
- Neutral Cooking Oil
Sauce
- Regular Soy Sauce: or substitute with low sodium soy sauce or light soy sauce, tamari sauce, coconut aminos or a gluten-free soy sauce.
- Dark Soy Sauce: or substitute with dark mushroom soy sauce or regular soy sauce.
- Sesame Oil: or substitute with sesame seeds.
- Chicken Bouillon Powder (a.k.a. chicken stock powder): Avoid skipping this ingredient as it gives the fried rice depth in flavor.
- White Pepper: or substitute with black pepper.
Note: Asian ingredients are typically available at most Asian grocery stores or check online, like on Amazon.
Expert Tips
- Marinate the chicken for at least 5-10 minutes for a tender texture!
- If you have a steel wok, use to your advantage for that smoky flavor found in Chinese restaurant cuisine! When the oil hits a hot steel wok, it creates a smoke called "wok hei", which means "breathe of wok" in Chinese translation. This smoke is flavors the ingredients in the pan. (You can also use a regular large pan, but you won't get that smoky flavor).
- Use day-old cold cooked rice to prevent soggy fried rice.
- If you only have same day or freshly cooked rice: evenly spread the rice into a single layer on a large baking sheet and freeze it for 60 minutes before frying to remove excess moisture.
- Break up the cold rice into separate grains. This creates fluffier rice and allows them to be better toasted and seasoned.
- Pour the sauce mixture along the edges of the pan. When the sauce hits the hot pan, it "toasts" the sauce creating extra umami flavor!
Instructions
Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make chicken fried rice:
- In a medium-sized bowl, marinate sliced chicken thighs with marinade ingredients as listed above. Set aside to marinate for 5-10 minutes.
- In a small bowl, combine the sauce ingredients as listed above and set aside.
- Heat 1 teaspoon / 5 ml of vegetable oil in a large pan on medium-high heat. Fry chicken until fully cooked. Remove from the pan.
- Add 1 teaspoon / 5 ml of vegetable oil into the pan. Sauté garlic and shallots for 10 seconds. Add peas and carrots and fry for 10 seconds. Push everything to the side of the pan.
- Add remaining oil into empty space of the pan. Add in beaten eggs and let them sit for 20 seconds before scrambling and breaking into bite-sized pieces. Then toss everything together.
- Add rice and chicken and toss everything together until incorporated. Pour sauce around the rice or along the edges of the pan and let the sauce toast for 5 seconds for extra flavor before tossing. Toss everything together until all the rice grains are brown. Enjoy!
Storage & Reheating
- Leftover fried rice will last up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat: microwave for 2-3 minutes until hot or reheat in a pan on medium heat.
- Freezer friendly? Chicken fried rice can be frozen for up to 3 months. To freeze: let the fried rice cool down completely and then store into a freezer-safe bag or air-tight container. To reheat from frozen: defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop until hot.
Pairing Suggestions
Chicken fried rice serves well with:
- starters like egg rolls, crab rangoons, egg drop soup, or hot and sour soup.
- chow mein or lo mein.
- cooked vegetables like bok choy, spicy garlic bok choy, choy sum, gai lan, garlic green beans or stir fried snow pea leaves.
- protein dishes like Sweet and Sour Chicken, Sweet Chili Chicken, Szechuan Chicken, Beef Mushroom Stir Fry, Mongolian Beef, Honey Walnut Shrimp, Egg Foo Young, Soy Garlic Tofu, or Chinese Braised Tofu
FAQ
Can I make this in advance?
Chicken fried rice can be made up to 4 days in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. To reheat, microwave or in a pan on the stovetop on medium heat until hot.
Can I use freshly cooked or same day cooked rice?
Freshly cooked or same day cooked rice can be use to make fried rice, but it's best to dry it out prior to cooking to remove excess moisture which causes soggy fried rice. To dry out the rice: evenly spread it into a thin layer on a large baking sheet and freeze it for 60 minutes uncovered. Then break up the rice into separate grains.
What's the best way to cook rice?
I recommend using a rice cooker to make fluffy rice and I share the one I use in the recipe card below under "Equipment". If you don't own a rice cooker, you can also prepare the rice in a pot on the stovetop and refer to any online recipes for this process.
More like this
📖 Recipe
Quick & Easy Chicken Fried Rice
Seasoned rice stir-fried with tender chicken, eggs, vegetables, and aromatics. This quick and easy chicken fried rice is ready in less than 30-minutes! A delicious main, meal, or side dish for the whole family to enjoy. It's also better-than-takeout!Note: the recipe has been slightly modified for improvement as of Sep 3, 2025.
Ingredients
- 4 ½ cups cooked jasmine rice cold day-old (or see Notes below to prepare uncooked rice for this recipe)
- 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 teaspoon vegetable oil or any neutral tasting oil
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
Sauce
- 2 tablespoon regular soy sauce or light soy sauce
- ½ tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder (a.k.a. chicken stock powder)
- ⅛ teaspoon white pepper or black pepper
Instructions
- In a medium-sized bowl, marinate sliced chicken thighs with marinade ingredients as listed above. Set aside to marinate for 5-10 minutes.
- In a small bowl, combine the sauce ingredients as listed above and set aside.
- Heat 1 teaspoon / 5 ml of vegetable oil in a large pan on medium-high heat. Fry chicken until fully cooked. Remove from the pan.
- Add 1 teaspoon / 5 ml of vegetable oil into the pan. Sauté garlic and shallots for 10 seconds. Add peas and carrots and fry for 10 seconds. Push everything to the side of the pan.
- Add remaining oil into empty space of the pan. Add in beaten eggs and let them sit for 20 seconds before scrambling and breaking into bite-sized pieces. Then toss everything together.
- Add rice and chicken and toss everything together until incorporated.
- Pour sauce around the rice or along the edges of the pan and let the sauce toast for 5 seconds for extra flavor before tossing. Toss everything together until all the rice grains are brown. Enjoy!
Notes
How much uncooked rice should I use?
- For a serving for 4, measure out 1 ½ cups or 300 grams of uncooked jasmine rice. Then cook it the night before in your rice cooker or in a pot (see instructions below) and then refrigerate.
- Rinse rice under cold running water until it runs clear and then strain. Transfer strained rice to a medium-sized pot or pan, ideally non-stick.
- Then place your index finger above the rice and fill it with fresh cold water to the the first knuckle line of the finger.
- Cover with a lid and bring to a boil on medium heat. Then reduce to low heat and keep covered. Cook for 12-14 minutes until most of the water has evaporated. If there's water in the base of the pot, continue to cook on low until there isn't.
- Take the pot off the heat. Let this rest covered for another 10-12 minutes so the rice can properly cook through a steaming process. The finished rice will be sticky (not wet) and you should be able to fluff it with a rice paddle.
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!
Suggested Equipment & Products
Nutrition
Calories: 438kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.03g | Cholesterol: 193mg | Sodium: 971mg | Potassium: 459mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 3732IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 72mg | Iron: 3mg
Paula Ena
Made it twice….tripled the recipe this time. It is delicious!!!! My family love it. Has a lot more flavor (not salty). Better than restaurant quality. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
christieathome
Thank you so much for making my recipe, Paula! I appreciate your very kind review and so glad it's better than restaurant quality 🙂 Have a wonderful day!
Emy
favorite fried rice recipe!
christieathome
Thank you so much for sharing your kind review with me, Emy! I am so happy to hear it's your favourite fried rice recipe 🙂
Courtney Harris
This is the best! I’ve made it probably 8 times now. Whole family loves it too. It’s so simple but yet there are little touches that make a huge difference. Especially pouring the sauce down the sides to heat up before stirring. Thank you!
christieathome
Thanks so much for making my recipe so many times for your family! I appreciate you for sharing your kind review, Courtney! This is truly music to my ears 🙂
Chris Lewis
Will precooked Ready Rice work for this recipe? or is there a way to make it work - dry it out??
christieathome
To quickly dry out cooked 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.
Courtney
When I don’t have day old rice I make a fresh batch, spread it thin on a baking sheet uncovered and place in the freezer for 15-20 minutes. Works really well to dry it out a little.
Joan Clarke
Making tonight looking forward to it
christieathome
Thanks so much Joan! I hope you enjoy my version of chicken fried rice! 🙂
Annette Mitchell
What a great recipe. I did add a 1/4 cup of dark brown sugar for just a little sweetness, this rice is amazing and reminds me of the fried rice I grew up on in Massachusetts. I chose to use green onion, carrots and bean sprouts in mine. You can use any vegetables you’d like. Next time, I’m going to change up the protein and use shrimp.
christieathome
Thanks so much for making and sharing your kind review with my Annette! I am so happy it worked out with the dark brown sugar for extra sweetness! Sounds so good. Enjoy it with shrimp! (I also share a shrimp version if you click here).
Jenifer
Oh my goodness this was so good
christieathome
Thanks so much for making my recipe, Jenifer! So happy you enjoyed it 🙂
Shari
This recipe is literally FANTASTIC… I’ve made good fried rice at home before and leftover rice is DEFINITELY key (parboiled rice which doesn’t get sticky even when cooked also helps)… but the recipe itself with marinade & sauce… SPECTACULAR!!!
christieathome
Thank you so much for making my recipe and for the kind review, Shari! So happy you enjoyed it!
Linda Alvarado
Yes. Thank you 😊
christieathome
You're welcome!
Jen G.
Made this tonight using some leftover roasted chicken breast and it came out AMAZING. As others suggested, I made the rice and then spread it out on a pan and refrigerated for a couple of hours, which helped it cook perfectly. All the ingredients and measurements were perfect, although I did double the sauce recipe and added some edamame. It came our perfectly and we all loved it. Thanks for the recipe!
christieathome
Thanks for making my recipe and for leaving this kind review, Jen! Glad it worked out so well! Yes, that's a great tip that I often suggest anytime I want to dry out rice fast. I actually freeze (vs refrigerate) the rice on the baking sheet for 45-60 minutes for efficiency. I'll then break the rice apart with wet or hands that have a bit of vegetable or avocado oil to prevent a sticky mess. Hope this tip helps!
Maeve
I love this recipe! I make it all the time for meal preps. It's really easy to make and absolutely delicious!
christieathome
Thanks for making my recipe, Maeve 🙂 Happy it's a go-to recipe for you and that it works for meal prep!
Emma V
Yooo. I've been making fried rice for years but haven't found the right recipe... Until now!! This is ACTUALLY like takeout, and totally his the spot. Delicious, I'm bookmarking this page.
christieathome
Very happy to read that this mimics takeout exactly! Glad it hit the spot and thanks for your review!
Claudia Johnson
All I can add is WOW, the best ever. Christie a zillion thanks. I took a photo but didn't know how to upload.
christieathome
Thanks so much for making my recipe and for the kind comment, Claudia! Very happy you enjoyed it 🙂 I appreciate your effort to take a photo to post.
Lauren
I do not have dark soy sauce. Just regular. Is that okay?
christieathome
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.
Paula
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.
christieathome
Thank you so much for making my recipe Paula! I am so glad you all loved it 🙂 A pinch of five spice sounds lovely!
Angela St. Peter
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.
christieathome
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 🙂 Have a lovely day!