Chicken Fried Rice
Posted Jan 28, 2026
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Skip takeout and make this easy chicken fried rice recipe at home in under 30 minutes. With lots of veggies, flavorful chicken, and the perfect amount of sauce – it’s an easy dinner your whole family will love.
Chicken fried rice is my husband’s go-to Chinese takeout order, so I had to create a recipe the nights when the craving strikes, but we want to save money and cook at home instead.
This chicken fried rice recipe is easy to make in under 30 minutes and is a delicious, hearty dinner full of protein and veggies.
We love serving is as a meal by itself, or with some of our favorite Asian-inspired recipes like chicken stir fry (or sweet potato stir fry, yum), or with an appetizer of chicken lettuce wraps.
Chicken Fried Rice: Ingredients & Substitutions
Ok, this is an ingredient-heavy dish, I know. But most of them are things you probably keep on hadn in your pantry if you like making Asian food at home!
- Chicken breasts. boneless skinless chicken thighs work well too.
- Rice. Using cold, day-old, rice is critical to making the best fried rice. If you’re planning to make this recipe, cook the rice a day in advance and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator overnight (or for up to 3 days). You can also use day-old brown rice, however it will create a less-authentic taste and texture.
- Sesame oil. I do not recommend omitting or substituting the sesame oil in this recipe. It is key to the authentic flavor of this dish.
- Peanut oil. If you have a peanut allergy in your household you can substitute canola oil, avocado oil or additional sesame oil for the peanut oil.
- Minced Garlic. Powdered garlic works just as well as minced garlic if you don’t have any on hand.
- Onion. I recommend using green onions or sweet white onions in this recipe.
- Carrots. Use fresh, diced carrots for the best results! Or, omit.
- Peas. I recommend using thawed, frozen peas. Don’t use canned peas they don’t taste great.
- Soy Sauce. Both regular and low-sodium soy sauce work well.
- Powdered Ginger. Use fresh minced ginger instead of powdered.
- Eggs. Again, these can be omitted if you have an egg allergy in your family, however I recommend only omitting them if necessary.
How to Make Chicken Fried Rice
Let’s walk through this recipe together step-by-step, and don’t forget to watch the video for further guidance!
Cook the Eggs
Whisk the eggs together in a small bowl and add a pinch of sea salt.
Then, heat 1 teaspoon sesame oil in a 10″ round skillet and add the egg mixture.
Cook the eggs for 2-3 minutes, or until the they are firm and bubbles appear on the top.
Flip and cook and additional 2 minutes until the egg is cooked.
Then, transfer the cooked eggs to a cutting board, cut into thin pieces and set aside to use later.
Cook the Chicken
One of the best things about this recipe is that the chicken is super flavorful without being marinated because of the spice mixture and soy sauce added to the chicken while it’s cooking. So, we start by making that mixture.
To do this, combine the garlic powder, ground ginger, salt and pepper in a small bowl, then set it aside.
Next, add 1 tablespoon peanut oil, 1 tablespoon sesame oil and the chicken to a large fry pan or wok and cook until the chicken is no longer pink this takes about 5-8 minutes depending on the size of your chicken.
Once it’s no longer pink, add the seasoning and another Tablespoon of peanut oil and stir until the seasoning in evenly coating the chicken.
Cook until the chicken is lightly browned.
Then, add the soy sauce and cook until it’s absorbed into the chicken.
Set the cooked chicken aside while you make the rest of the recipe.
Make the Chicken Fried Rice
Now, we’re onto the last step – cooking the chicken fried rice. Start by cooking the minced garlic, onion and carrot in sesame oil (you can add minced ginger here if you’d prefer to use it instead of powdered ginger) until soft.
Then add more oil and the cold rice to the vegetable mixture.
Cook on high heat until the rice begins to brown. Then add the cooked chicken, peas, soy sauce and ginger, stir to combine.
Carefully add the egg and gently stir it into the mixture.
Cook on medium-high heat for 5 minutes, or until the rice is lightly browned.
Serve
Once the chicken fried rice is golden brown, it’s time to serve! You can serve it as a main dish, or as a side to your favorite Asian recipes. Here are some serving suggestions:
- Make some appetizers like fresh spring rolls and peanut sauce or asian chicken lettuce wraps?
- Serve it alongside this chicken stir fry recipe, Cashew Chicken Stir Fry (one of my personal favorites), chicken lo mein, vegetable lo mein, Asian meatballs or topped with this crockpot teriyaki chicken.
- This Crispy Baked Tofu with Peanut Sauce tastes amazing served with this fried rice recipe too!
Store/Freeze
Store leftover chicken fried rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for 2 months.
I recommend reheating on the stovetop for the best texture, but you can also reheat it in the microwave.
Chicken Fried Rice Recipe FAQS
Use day-old, cold rice. Cold rice is drier and absorbs the sauce better – plus it doesn’t get mushy when it’s cooked. Long-grain white rice or jasmine rice are the best choices.
Honestly, I don’t recommend it because the fried rice will likely be mushy. You can cook rice in the morning and put it in the fridge to cool.
I use boneless skinless chicken breasts, but thighs work well too.
Yes, follow the recipe and cook the chicken before cooking the fried rice.
If you make and love my recipes, it would mean so much to me if you would leave a comment and rating! And don’t forget to follow along on Instagram, Pinterest, Facebook, TikTok and Youtube – be sure to tag @joyfoodsunshine and use the hashtag #joyfoodsunshine so I can see your creations!
Chicken Fried Rice
Video
Ingredients
Eggs
- 2 eggs
- pinch sea salt
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Chicken
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts (sliced into thin strips)
- 1 Tablespoon peanut oil
- 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 Tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 Tablespoon peanut oil
Fried Rice
- 4 cups white rice at least a day old chilled in the refrigerator.*
- 4 Tablespoons sesame oil divided
- 1 Tablespoon peanut oil
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- ½ cup diced onion
- 1 cup chopped carrots
- ½ cup frozen peas
- 3 Tablespoons soy sauce
- ¼ teaspoon ginger
- Salt & pepper to taste
Garnish
Instructions
Cook the Eggs
- Heat 1 teaspoon sesame oil in a large skillet (at least 10”) over medium heat.
- Beat eggs with a pinch of sea salt, then pour into heated pan and spread evenly into one thin, round layer.
- Cook 2-3 minutes, or until the egg is firm and bubbles appear on the top.
- Flip and cook and additional 2 minutes until the egg is cooked.
- Remove from heat, transfer to a cutting board and cut into thin pieces. Set aside.
Cook the Chicken
- Combine the garlic powder, ground ginger, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Add 1 tablespoon peanut oil and 1 tablespoon sesame oil to a fry pan. Then add the chicken and cook until it is no longer pink (you may need to cover the chicken for part of the cooking time, but don’t cover it the entire time because some of the water needs to cook out and not be trapped by the lid). About 5-8 minutes depending on the size of your chicken.
- Then, sprinkle the seasoning mixture and add an additional 1 Tablespoon peanut oil and stir to combine.
- Cook until the chicken begins to lightly brown, then add the soy sauce and cook until absorbed.
- Set the chicken aside while you make the rest of the recipe.
Make the Chicken Fried Rice
- Sauté onion, garlic and carrots in 1 Tablespoon sesame oil over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally. Cover and cook until vegetables are soft and just starting to brown (about 5-7 minutes).
- Add 3 Tablespoons sesame oil and 1 Tablespoon peanut oil to the vegetables.
- Add rice, stir and cook on high for 5-6 minutes, or until the rice just begins to brown, stirring occasionally.
- Add cooked chicken, peas, soy sauce and ginger, stir to combine.
- Carefully add the egg and gently stir it into the mixture.
- Cook on medium-high heat for 5 minutes, or until the rice is lightly browned.
- Serve immediately and garnish with green onions.
Notes
- Chicken breasts. boneless skinless chicken thighs work well too.
- Rice. Using cold, day-old, rice is critical to making the best fried rice. So plan accordingly and make it a day in advance or use leftover rice.
- Sesame oil. I do not recommend omitting or substituting the sesame oil in this recipe. It is key to the authentic flavor of this dish.
- Peanut oil. If you have a peanut allergy in your household you can substitute canola oil, avocado oil or additional sesame oil for the peanut oil.
- Minced Garlic. Powdered garlic works just as well as minced garlic if you don’t have any on hand.
- Onion. I recommend using green onions or sweet white onions in this recipe.
- Carrots. Use fresh, diced carrots for the best results! Or, omit.
- Peas. I recommend using thawed, frozen peas. Don’t use canned peas they don’t taste great.
- Soy Sauce. Both regular and low-sodium soy sauce work well.
- Powdered Ginger. Use fresh minced ginger instead of powdered.
- Eggs. Again, these can be omitted if you have an egg allergy in your family, however I recommend only omitting them if necessary.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
