The best chicken fried rice you’ll ever have. This can be served as a side, or if you’re anything like me, this will be the main course! I usually make fried rice whenever I have leftover white rice, which is quite often. It’s so simple to fry it up with some veggies, a little egg and either chicken or shrimp, usually whatever I have on hand.
Because I’m remodeling my kitchen right now, all of our meals are being cooked on the grill. So of course the chicken is grilled. I typically cook it in the wok, but resources are low and this turned out to be the best fried rice recipe I’ve made yet! The chicken is marinated in soy, sesame and brown sugar so it turns into this caramelized grilled goodness. The perfect compliment with the fried rice.
Tip: You never want to use rice you’ve just cooked for fried rice. Nobody likes mushy rice, so cold leftover rice is key. I suggest cooking up the rice the night before and marinating the chicken overnight so you have everything ready to go for a simple weeknight meal the next day.
You won’t believe how quick this comes together, so make sure you have everything chopped and ready to roll once you get going.
I do have a little confession, I always make my fried rice with Benihana’s in mind. I try to mimic everything that they do in order that they do it. So you could say this is a copycat. They know how to make good fried rice at that restaurant so why not copy the masters.
Beware: This dish is highly addictive and you’ll be wanting this weekly. Luckily it is the perfect weeknight meal that can be prepared in under 30 minutes!
Chicken Fried Rice
You never want to use rice you’ve just cooked for fried rice. Nobody likes mushy rice, so cold leftover rice is key. I suggest cooking up the rice the night before and marinating the chicken overnight so you have everything ready to go for a simple weeknight meal the next day.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds Chicken Thighs, boneless and skinless
- 2/3 cup Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce
- 1/4 cup Brown Sugar
- 1 tablespoon Sesame Oil
- 2 cups Cooked White Rice, cold {leftover from the night before is best}
- 1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil
- 2 whole Eggs, beaten
- 4 tablespoons Unsalted Butter
- 2 whole Carrots, diced
- 1 small Onion, diced
- 2 cloves Garlic, minced
- 1/2 cup Frozen Peas
- 2 tablespoons Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce
- Ground Black Pepper, for seasoning
- Green Onion, chopped for garnish
- Sesame Seeds, for garnish
Directions
- Step 1 Place chicken thighs in a resealable plastic bag. Mix together soy sauce, brown sugar, and sesame oil. Pour over chicken, seal and marinate for 1 hour or overnight.
- Step 2 Preheat grill to medium high heat. Remove chicken from marinade and place chicken on the preheated grill. Grill chicken 4-5 minutes on one side and rotate 90 degrees for grill marks, grill for 3 more minutes. Turn the chicken over and grill for 4-5 minutes until cooked through. Remove chicken to rest and slice when cooled.
- Step 3 Make sure everything is chopped and in front of you before you start stir frying. If you have a wok, I suggest using that.
- Step 4 In a wok or large deep pan, heat the vegetable oil over high heat. Add eggs and scramble until cooked, remove to a bowl and set aside. Add the butter, carrots and onion. Saute until vegetables are soft. Add the garlic, cook until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add cold rice into the pan and stir to cook. Add frozen peas and soy sauce. Toss to cook and season with black pepper.
- Step 5 If at this point you’d like a richer fried rice, I add an additional tablespoon of soy sauce.
- Step 6 Turn off heat and add the scrambled egg and cooked sliced chicken thighs to the pan. Toss together, garnish with green onion and sesame seeds. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
Take out is a thing of the past.
Savor and Enjoy!
