A quick recipe for takeaway-style chicken fried rice full of flavour. Plenty of suggested swaps so you can use whatever you have in the pantry.
This chicken fried rice is perfect for using up leftover chicken from a roast, rotisserie or any cooked chicken you have to hand. It’s quick to cook, adaptable and tastes like your favourite takeaway.
We don’t like waste, so after a roast dinner we slice larger pieces for sandwiches or salads and reserve smaller pieces for fried rice or soups. The carcass goes straight into the pot for stock. This recipe is a great way to make a fresh, satisfying meal from leftovers.
Table of Contents
- 📋 Ingredients
- 🧑🍳 Abbreviated Recipe Instructions
- Recipe Tips
- 🍽️ What to serve it with
- 🍲 More fantastic rice recipes
- Make Ahead & Freezer Instructions
- 📺 Watch how to make it
- Chicken Fried Rice Recipe
📋 Ingredients
Ingredient swaps
- Swap chicken for cooked shredded pork or beef.
- Add ham, crispy bacon or cooked chorizo for extra flavour.
- For more veg, stir in cooked diced carrot, sweetcorn, small broccoli florets, sliced mushrooms, sugar snap peas or beansprouts.
🧑🍳 Abbreviated Recipe Instructions
Full recipe with detailed steps is in the recipe card below.
- Soften a chopped onion in a wok with a little oil. Add chopped red pepper, garlic and peas and cook a couple of minutes.
- Add cooked shredded chicken, a splash of sesame oil and the cold boiled rice. Turn the heat to high and toss until the rice is hot and separated.
- Push the rice to one side, crack two eggs into the empty space and add a little soy sauce. Scramble the eggs lightly, then mix them into the rice.
- Finish with more soy sauce, salt and a squeeze of lemon. Stir well and taste, adjusting seasoning as needed.
Recipe Tips
For the best fried rice, the rice must be cooked and then cooled so the grains dry slightly. Use long-grain rice boiled in plenty of water, then spread it out to cool. Drier rice separates better in the wok, avoids clumping and soaks up flavour.
Leftover roast chicken works beautifully here, but rotisserie or any cooked, shredded or sliced chicken is fine. If you’re short on time, use pre-cooked chicken or a ready rotisserie bird.
🍽️ What to serve it with
- Serve as part of a Chinese-style banquet with dishes such as sesame chicken, prawn toast, oven-baked ribs or cauliflower wings.
- Alternatively, keep it simple with a crisp salad and a soy or chilli dipping sauce.
🍲 More fantastic rice recipes
Sides
Rice Cooker Coconut Rice
Sides
Onion Fried Rice
Asian
Egg Fried Rice
Asian
Cauliflower Fried Rice
Beef
Minced Beef Fried Rice
Asian
Special Fried Rice Masterclass
Make Ahead & Freezer Instructions
Make ahead
Fried rice often tastes better after resting. Cook the rice, spread it out in a large dish so it cools quickly, then cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Do not leave cooked rice at room temperature — bacteria can grow quickly. Important steps:
- Refrigerate as quickly as possible.
- Do not store cooked rice in the fridge for more than 24 hours.
- Reheat thoroughly until piping hot throughout.
Reheat in a wok over medium-high heat, stirring frequently with a spatula. Add a splash of oil if the rice has absorbed oil while stored. Finish with a squeeze of lemon and chopped spring onions before serving.
Freezing
This fried rice freezes well. Cook and cool the rice quickly, then freeze. Follow the same food-safety rules: cool quickly, freeze promptly and defrost in the refrigerator overnight. Do not leave cooked rice at room temperature.
- Freeze as quickly as possible.
- Defrost in the fridge overnight.
- Reheat thoroughly in a wok until piping hot throughout.
When reheating from frozen, you may need additional oil and you should finish with lemon juice and fresh spring onions for brightness.
📺 Watch how to make it
Chicken Fried Rice Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp oil (neutral oil such as avocado or vegetable)
- 1 onion, peeled and diced
- 1 red bell pepper, deseeded and finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 115 g (2/3 cup) frozen peas
- 250 g (2 cups) cooked shredded or sliced chicken
- 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
- 800 g (4 cups) boiled and cooled long-grain rice (about 300 g dried rice before cooking)
- 2 eggs
- 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1/4 tsp salt
- juice of 1/2 a lemon
To serve
- 1/2 bunch spring onions (scallions), chopped
Instructions
- Add 1 tbsp oil to a large wok and cook the diced onion over medium heat for about 5 minutes until soft and translucent.
- Add the remaining oil, red bell pepper, garlic and peas and cook for another 2 minutes, stirring regularly.
- Add the shredded chicken and sesame oil, stir to combine, then add the cooled rice and increase the heat to high.
- Toss constantly with a spatula so the rice heats through and doesn’t stick. This should take around 5 minutes.
- Push the rice to one side of the wok. Crack the eggs into the empty space and add a little soy sauce to the eggs. Scramble lightly until just set but still a bit soft, then combine with the rice.
- Pour in the remaining soy sauce, sprinkle the salt, stir well and add the lemon juice. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.
- Divide between four bowls and garnish with chopped spring onions. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
Can I make it ahead?
Yes. Cook the rice, spread it out to cool quickly and refrigerate for up to 24 hours. Don’t leave cooked rice at room temperature. Reheat in a wok over medium-high heat until piping hot, adding a splash of oil if needed. Finish with lemon and spring onions.
Can I freeze it?
Yes. Cool the rice quickly, then freeze. Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat thoroughly in a wok. Add oil if the rice has absorbed moisture during storage. Finish with a squeeze of lemon and fresh spring onions.
Nutritional information is per serving and approximate.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated and should be used as an approximation.
This post was first published in April 2020 and has been updated since with improvements and housekeeping edits.
Some links in the original post may be affiliate links. The small commission from purchases helps support the site at no extra cost to you. Nutritional information is approximate.