Whip up a satisfying and flavorful meal in a flash with this incredibly simple chicken fried rice recipe.
Designed for busy weeknights, it delivers all the deliciousness of your favorite takeout in just 15 minutes, right in your own kitchen. This family-friendly dish is perfect for those evenings when time is short but you still want a homemade meal that everyone will enjoy.
Forget complicated steps or endless ingredient lists. This recipe focuses on efficiency and taste, making it an ideal choice for beginner cooks and seasoned home chefs alike. Get ready to transform basic pantry staples into a vibrant and comforting dinner that will become a regular in your meal rotation.
Table of Contents
- What You’ll Love About This Quick And Easy Recipe
- Everything You Need To Make This Recipe Without Stress
- Time Needed From Start To Finish
- How To Make It Step By Step With Visual Cues
- Easy Variations And Serving Ideas That Fit Real Life
- Common Slip-Ups And How To Avoid Them
- How To Store It And Make It Ahead Without Ruining Texture
- Questions People Always Ask Before Making This Recipe
15-Minute Chicken Fried Rice
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
Whip up a satisfying and flavorful meal in a flash with this incredibly simple chicken fried rice recipe. Designed for busy weeknights, it delivers all the deliciousness of your favorite takeout in just 15 minutes, right in your own kitchen. This family-friendly dish is perfect for those evenings when time is short but you still want a homemade meal that everyone will enjoy.
Ingredients
Instructions
1. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the diced onion and cook for 2-3 minutes until it starts to soften and become translucent. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant, being careful not to burn it.
2. Add the diced cooked chicken to the skillet and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes to heat through. Then, add the frozen mixed vegetables and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender-crisp.
3. Push the chicken and vegetable mixture to one side of the skillet, creating an empty space. Add the cold cooked rice to the empty side and break it up with your spatula. Let the rice cook undisturbed for about 1 minute to get a slight crisp, then stir it into the chicken and vegetable mixture until everything is well combined.
4. Create another clear space in the skillet by pushing the rice mixture to one side. Pour the lightly beaten eggs into the empty space. Scramble the eggs quickly with your spatula until they are just set but still moist. Once cooked, break them into smaller pieces and mix them into the fried rice.
5. Pour the soy sauce, oyster sauce (if using), and sesame oil evenly over the entire mixture in the skillet. Sprinkle with black pepper.
6. Stir everything together thoroughly, ensuring all the rice and ingredients are coated with the sauces. Continue to stir-fry for another 1-2 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and the rice to heat completely. Remove from heat and garnish generously with chopped green onions before serving.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: main dish
- Method: stir-fry
- Cuisine: asian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
Keywords: fried rice, chicken, quick, easy, weeknight, takeout, family friendly, stir-fry, leftovers, asian
What You’ll Love About This Quick And Easy Recipe
This chicken fried rice recipe is a true weeknight hero because it’s incredibly fast, uses common ingredients, and delivers big on flavor. It’s perfect for anyone who needs a delicious meal on the table in a hurry, whether you’re juggling after-school activities, late work nights, or just want more time to relax. Families especially appreciate it because it’s a crowd-pleaser that even picky eaters tend to enjoy. You can serve it as a complete meal on its own, making it an excellent option for a fuss-free dinner. It’s also a fantastic way to use up leftover rice and cooked chicken, preventing food waste and making meal prep even more efficient.
Everything You Need To Make This Recipe Without Stress
Making delicious chicken fried rice doesn’t require a trip to a specialty store. Most of these ingredients are likely already in your pantry or easily found at any major grocery store. The key is having everything prepped and ready before you start cooking, as the actual cooking process is incredibly fast.
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (or canola oil)
- 2 cups cooked chicken, diced into small pieces
- 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, corn blend)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/2 medium onion, finely diced
- 3 cups cold cooked rice (day-old rice works best)
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce (low sodium preferred)
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce (optional, but adds great depth)
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- Green onions, chopped, for garnish
For the cooked chicken, you can use rotisserie chicken, leftover grilled chicken, or quickly sautéed chicken breast. If you don’t have day-old rice, you can cook fresh rice and spread it out on a baking sheet to cool completely and dry out a bit before using. For the soy sauce, any brand will do, but low-sodium options help control the saltiness. If you don’t have oyster sauce, you can omit it or add an extra teaspoon of soy sauce and a pinch of sugar for a similar flavor profile.
Time Needed From Start To Finish
The beauty of this recipe lies in its speed. With a little bit of prep, you can have a hot, homemade meal on the table in no time.
- Prep time: 5 minutes (if using pre-cooked chicken and cold rice)
- Cook time: 10 minutes
- Total time: 15 minutes
These times assume you have your chicken cooked and rice chilled beforehand. If you need to cook chicken or rice from scratch, factor in that additional time. However, the active cooking time in the pan remains incredibly quick.
How To Make It Step By Step With Visual Cues
Follow these simple steps to create your perfect 15-minute chicken fried rice. The key is to have all your ingredients prepped and ready to go before you even turn on the stove.
- Heat the Oil and Sauté Aromatics: Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the diced onion and cook for 2-3 minutes until it starts to soften and become translucent. Stir in the minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant, being careful not to burn it.
- Add Chicken and Vegetables: Add the diced cooked chicken to the skillet and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes to heat through. Then, add the frozen mixed vegetables and continue to cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender-crisp.
- Introduce the Rice: Push the chicken and vegetable mixture to one side of the skillet, creating an empty space. Add the cold cooked rice to the empty side and break it up with your spatula. Let the rice cook undisturbed for about 1 minute to get a slight crisp, then stir it into the chicken and vegetable mixture until everything is well combined.
- Scramble the Eggs: Create another clear space in the skillet by pushing the rice mixture to one side. Pour the lightly beaten eggs into the empty space. Scramble the eggs quickly with your spatula until they are just set but still moist. Once cooked, break them into smaller pieces and mix them into the fried rice.
- Season the Fried Rice: Pour the soy sauce, oyster sauce (if using), and sesame oil evenly over the entire mixture in the skillet. Sprinkle with black pepper.
- Final Toss and Garnish: Stir everything together thoroughly, ensuring all the rice and ingredients are coated with the sauces. Continue to stir-fry for another 1-2 minutes to allow the flavors to meld and the rice to heat completely. Remove from heat and garnish generously with chopped green onions before serving.
Easy Variations And Serving Ideas That Fit Real Life
This chicken fried rice is incredibly versatile and adaptable to what you have on hand or what your family enjoys. For a kid-friendly twist, you can reduce the amount of garlic and add a touch more soy sauce for a milder flavor. If your kids aren’t keen on mixed vegetables, try just peas or corn, or finely grate carrots into the mix so they blend in more.
To make it a heartier meal, you could add a handful of chopped cooked shrimp along with the chicken, or even some crumbled cooked bacon for a smoky flavor. For a vegetarian option, simply omit the chicken and add extra vegetables like bell peppers, mushrooms, or edamame, and use a plant-based oyster sauce alternative or just increase the soy sauce.
Serve this fried rice as a stand-alone meal, or pair it with some simple steamed broccoli or a side salad for a more complete dinner. A drizzle of sriracha or chili garlic sauce can be offered on the side for those who enjoy a little heat. It’s also excellent for potlucks or buffets, as it holds up well and is easy to serve in a large bowl.
Common Slip-Ups And How To Avoid Them
Even simple recipes can have common pitfalls, but knowing them ahead of time helps ensure success. One frequent mistake is using freshly cooked, warm rice. Warm rice tends to be too moist and will result in a sticky, clumpy fried rice rather than distinct grains. Always use cold, day-old rice if possible, or cook fresh rice and spread it out to cool and dry for at least an hour.
Another common issue is overcrowding the pan. If you’re using a smaller skillet, you might need to cook the ingredients in batches, especially the chicken and vegetables, and then combine them at the end. Overcrowding lowers the pan’s temperature, leading to steamed rather than stir-fried ingredients, which won’t develop those delicious browned bits.
Finally, don’t overcook the eggs. They should be just set and still a little soft when you mix them in. Overcooked eggs can become rubbery. Also, make sure your heat is high enough for stir-frying, but not so high that ingredients burn before they cook through. Medium-high is usually the sweet spot.
How To Store It And Make It Ahead Without Ruining Texture
Leftover chicken fried rice stores beautifully, making it an excellent option for meal prep or quick lunches. Once cooled, transfer the fried rice to an airtight container and refrigerate promptly. It will stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
To reheat, you can microwave individual portions for 1-2 minutes, stirring halfway through, until heated through. For best results and to regain some of that stir-fried texture, reheat it in a skillet over medium heat with a tiny bit of oil, stirring frequently, until warmed through. This helps prevent it from becoming too soft or mushy.
While you can technically freeze fried rice, the texture of the rice and vegetables can become a bit softer upon thawing. If you do freeze it, ensure it’s in an airtight, freezer-safe container for up to 1 month. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating. For the freshest taste and best texture, enjoying it within a few days of making it is recommended.
Questions People Always Ask Before Making This Recipe
Can I use brown rice instead of white rice? Yes, absolutely! Brown rice works well in fried rice. Just make sure it’s cold and day-old for the best texture, just like white rice.
What if I don’t have oyster sauce? Oyster sauce adds a unique umami depth, but if you don’t have it, you can omit it. You might add an extra teaspoon of soy sauce and a pinch of sugar to compensate for some of the flavor.
Can I add other vegetables? Definitely!
FAQs
- Can I make these ahead? Yes—prep ahead, refrigerate, then serve when ready.
- How long do leftovers last? Store covered in the fridge for 3–4 days for best texture.
- Can I adjust sweetness? Yes—add more or less sweetener to taste.
- Can I change the fruit? Yes—swap strawberries for blueberries, raspberries, or sliced banana.
