So, it’s January. A brand spanking new year. A wonderful new beginning. A chance to start fresh on a clean slate. 2014 was a great comeback year for me. I felt motivated after attending my first ever blogging conference the previous summer. Baby Dear was growing older, starting pre-school and that gave me the time to reconnect with my readers and dish out new recipes. 2015 promises to be better, brighter and much, much bigger for this blog of mine, so watch out for many fun, informative and interesting things coming up. Looking back, it’s hard to believe that I’ve been writing this blog and sharing my recipes with you all for the past 9 years. HoH will turn 10 (double digits… OMG!!!) in September of this year, and I promise you that this year will be THE best ever. So if you have any tips, suggestions, feedback or just want to say hello, please leave a comment and let’s get the conversation started. I love to hear from you and am always looking for ways on how I can help anyone get into the kitchen and start cooking! I thought I’d begin the new year with a very simple, versatile and absolutely tasty recipe that’s perfect for a busy weeknight. Fried rice is something that I can make in my sleep with one hand tied behind my back. There are literally thousands of ways you can make fried rice and there’s no end to the creativity you can add to this humble home cooking staple. Today’s recipe is a quick and simple Chicken Fried Rice that I like to make the day after I cook a Roast Chicken dinner. It’s a wonderful way to use up the little bits of leftover chicken. If you don’t have any leftover chicken, then feel free to use one that’s store-bought or simple roast one chicken breast in the oven that’s been lightly seasoned with some salt, pepper and garlic powder. If you’re not a meat-eater, then, by all means, leave it out – the dish will still be finger-lickin’ good! Leftover rice, cold from the fridge works best. If you don’t have any on hand, then make sure you cook the rice and let it cool completely. What you want to avoid is warm rice that will clump up in the pan and become a soggy mess. So give this a try and let me know how you liked it. Personally, I like to serve this with some green beans sautéed with some garlic and a bit of soy sauce. If you like this recipe, you will surely like my Basil Fried Rice. Tried this recipe? Leave a Comment and let me know, also Rate it by clicking the number of stars on the recipe card. Want to share your version with me? Tag me on Instagram @hookedonheat
title: “Chicken Fried Rice” ShowToc: true date: “2024-10-24” author: “Mary Mendez”
Our family has been consuming a decent amount of take out. It started out as a way to support our local restaurants and community that we care about. I can’t say our motives are totally pure at this point . . . If you are also over doing take out and want to make a great take out level meal at home, let me give you this amazing Chicken Fried Rice recipe. The simplicity of this recipe will make your kids happy, and I have a bunch of great add on and swap ideas for even more flavor.
CHICKEN FRIED RICE INGREDIENTS
One of the things I love about this recipe are the simple ingredients it calls for that are easy to keep on hand.
ChickenCarrotsEggsCooked RiceFrozen PeasGreen OnionsGarlicSoy SauceSesame Oil
Of that list, my guess is that what you might not have on hand (besides fresh chicken) is green onions and sesame oil. You can definitely make this recipe with vegetable oil and skip the green onions. That way it is a recipe that you can always make. And I love keeping frozen chicken breasts on hand so that I always can make this.
HOW MUCH RICE TO USE
This recipe calls for cooked and cooled rice that is at least four hours old. To get four cups of cooked rice, you need to start with approximately 1 1/3 cup dry rice.
WHY OLD RICE
Old rice is a key to this recipe. When you first cook rice, it is wet, soft and delicious. As cooked rice cools, it dries out. This is normally terrible, but it is perfect for fried rice! If you were to use fresh rice, your fried rice would end up a big gooey mess. Make sure as your rice cools you break up any big clumps so it all dries out properly.
SUBSTITUTIONS AND VARIATIONS
Do you have some picky eaters in your house? Let’s talk about swaps. Really any of the ingredients (except the rice, soy sauce, and oil) can be ditched in place of something else. Eggs: If your family can’t stand scrambled eggs, you can leave them out of this recipe. I think they are barely noticeable and add some protein, so I force them on my kids. (My kids hate scrambled eggs and literally did not notice them in this recipe.) Carrots: A good swap for these would be red peppers. You just will need to cook them for less time. Peas: A great substation here would be corn. Definitely not common for fried rice, but it’s your house and your dinner.
ADDITIONAL INGREDIENTS
The sky is kind of the limit with a recipe as simple as this Chicken Fried Rice. You could add the following things for more flavor and texture.
Chopped PeanutsCilantroWater ChestnutsChili PasteFresh Minced Ginger
OTHER FRIED RICE RECIPES
If your family loves fried rice – and who can blame them – then here are two more recipes for them to love.
Thai Basil Fried Rice – This one is my all time favorite. I love it’s flavors!Shrimp Fried Rice – Another great simple recipe!
If you make this Chicken Fried Rice or any of my other recipes, leave me a comment and let me know what you think!
