Chicken Fried Rice is a take out classic that you can easily make at home. The great thing about this recipe is you can use leftover rice and chicken to make a really quick dinner. Goes great on it’s own or as a dish to a bigger meal.
It’s official, it’s September. How did the summer disappear so fast? I am already seeing all things pumpkin spice, cosy soups and comforting dishes whenever I turn my eye to the computer screen. While I might not be quite ready for that just yet, I am looking forward to the slow change over the next few weeks.
And with cooler weather comes comfort food. My favourite.
If I were to sit here and write out all of my favourite comfort foods, we might be here till sundown. But one that everyone in my house loves and never ever seem to get tired of is my Chicken and Spinach Lasagna. Although I do still make that in the summer, it is much more enjoyable with the wind howling and a downpour of rain beating against the windows.
Next on the list of family favourite comforts is Chicken Pie. In fact, that is already penciled in to make as soon as we feel a shift in the air. After those two, I would pick soup, any soup. I am always just thrilled to be eating soup. That is a sure sign that summer is over.
All comfort food aside, today we are talking Chicken Fried Rice. I know, a dish that everyone can probably make and most likely don’t need a recipe for. However, sometimes we need to be reminded of food we’ve probably forgotten about. I completely forgot about this dish until this past week when the craving hit and I had to make it. And can I just say that this is a great recipe. I used a mix of chicken thighs and breast and boy did it make a difference. I am never turning back. Even my non dark meat eater in the house, enjoyed it and said it was delicious. Well then!
Notes about the dish
- First, don’t be alarmed by the ingredient list below. Yes, it looks insane. If you have been following my blog for a while, you might remember me talking about the ingredient list with anything stir fry. The list looks daunting and overwhelming, but it’s all straightforward and easy. Promise. And on that note, you can easily substitute things. For example, I used tri colour bell peppers because that was what I had. But you could easily just use one type. It won’t change the dish at all.
- Okay so here is what I think really made this dish better than any fried rice dish I made before. Roasting the chicken and using chicken thighs! It made a huge difference and I think I will always do it this way from now on. Just a note, the chicken I used was boneless and skinless. If you have chicken with skin on, just make sure you remove it before adding it to the rice dish.
- Traditionally fried rice dishes use leftover rice. I didn’t have leftover rice, so I just cooked some. Either way you chose to do it, it will work.
- As far as the timing of the cooking, put the chicken in the oven first. Then while that is cooking, get everything else ready. That way, when the chicken is done, the rest of it will be ready as well.
Chicken Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 1 Cup long grain white rice
- 2 Cups water
- 2 Chicken thighs
- 1 Chicken breast
- 1 Tablespoon garlic salt
- 1 Teaspoon black pepper
- 3 Tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
- 3 Eggs
- 2 Carrots finely diced
- 1/2 Cup peas defrosted
- 1/2 Red pepper finely diced
- 1/2 Yellow pepper finely diced
- 1/2 Green pepper finely diced
- 1 Leek ends trimmed, cut in half length ways and thinly sliced
- 2 Garlic cloves crushed
- 2 Tablespoons sesame seeds
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- Fresh coriander for serving optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 370 degrees F. Rub two tablespoons of the olive oil all over the chicken and then season with the garlic salt and black pepper. Place on a baking tray and bake for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer to a cutting board. Roughly cut chicken into small pieces or strips. Set aside.
- Heat the remaining tablespoon of the olive oil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add the rice and stir until the rice is coated in the oil, about a minute. Reduce heat to low, add boiling water, cover and leave to cook for about 15 minutes or until all the water has absorbed. Remove from heat. Fluff with a fork.
- In a large skillet set over medium heat, add the sesame oil and garlic. Stir for a minute. Add the peppers, carrots and leeks. Cook, stirring occasionally for about 5-8 minutes or until soft. Add the rice and stir well for a couple of minutes. Push the vegetables aside in the pan and add the eggs. Use a wooden spoon, break up the eggs and stir them as they cook. Incorporate the eggs into the rice and stir. Add the chicken, peas, soy sauce and sesame seeds. Stir well and remove from heat.
- Can top with fresh coriander leaves and extra soy sauce to serve.
*A note on times provided: appliances vary, any prep and/or cook times provided are estimates only.
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