Home Chicken Fried Rice
Ingredients
- Chicken Thighs - 1 lb
- Salt - 1 tsp
- Canola Oil - 3 tablespoons
- Egg - 3 Large
- Onion - 2/3 Cup
- Garlic - 2 cloves minced
- Ground Ginger - 2 tsp
- Carrots - 1 large
- Peas - 2/3 Cup
- Jasmine Rice - 4 cups
- Scallions - 2 sliced
- Chinese five spice powder - 1/2 tsp
- Soy Sauce - 2.5 tbsp
- Sesame Seed Oil - 1 tsp
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Instructions
- Fried rice is best made with leftover rice that's at least a day old.
- Otherwise it becomes gummy in the skillet.
- If you don’t have any leftover rice from the night before, cook a batch of rice and spread it on a large baking sheet or several large plates.
- Let the rice dry out for about 1 to 2 hours before using it for fried rice.
- Rice sticks to the pan very easily, so make sure to use a wok or pan that doesn’t have a sticky surface.
- I usually cook stir-fries in my seasoned carbon steel wok, but cast iron or nonstick pans work well, too.
- You might need to add a little more oil if things aren’t releasing easily.
- Prepare the chicken: Chop the chicken into small 1/4-inch to 1/2-inch cubes.
- Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of salt over the chicken and mix to combine.
- Set the chicken aside for about 10 minutes (I usually use this time to chop all the vegetables).
- Scramble the egg: Heat a wok or large sauté pan over medium-high heat.
- Swirl in a tablespoon of oil and add the whisked eggs.
- Use a spatula to quickly scramble the eggs, breaking the curds into smaller pieces as they come together.
- Transfer the eggs to a plate.
- Cook the chicken: Add another tablespoon of oil in the wok or pan.
- Add the chicken and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Turn off the heat and transfer the cooked chicken to a plate.
- Using your spatula, scrape off any chicken bits that are still stuck to the wok so they don't burn during the next step.
- You can also use paper towels to wipe down your wok or pan.
- Cook the vegetables: Swirl 1 tablespoon of oil into the wok over medium-high heat.
- Add the diced onions and cook them for 1 minute, until they start to soften.
- Mix in the minced garlic and ginger and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add the diced carrots and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add 1/2 teaspoon salt and the peas, and stir to incorporate.
- Cook the rice: Add the rice to the wok or pan on top of the vegetables and stir to combine.
- Using the back of your spatula, smash any large chunks of rice to break them apart.
- Add the white and green parts of the sliced scallions (save the dark green parts) and five-spice powder.
- Stir to incorporate.
- If the rice starts to stick to the pan, stir in a little more oil.
- Drizzle the soy sauce and sesame oil over the rice and stir to incorporate.
- Stir in the cooked chicken, scrambled eggs, and the dark parts of the scallions.
- Stir briefly to bring it together, and cook for another 1 to 2 minutes.
- Serve: Taste, and add more soy sauce if necessary.
- Serve immediately.