This restaurant-style Chicken Fried Rice has the most flavorful rice in a savory sauce with juicy chicken, vegetables, and fluffy eggs. It’s a healthy meal that your family will love!

Be sure to try my Egg Roll in a Bowl and Beef Lo Mein recipes next!

A skillet filled with Chicken Fried Rice with spoons in it.

Chicken Fried Rice

It’s safe to say, this recipe definitely holds a top spot on my favorites list. This truly is restaurant-quality fried rice, (only better)! The sauce is so flavorful and the classic combination of chicken, fluffy scrambled eggs, and vegetables is hard to beat.

It’s also a healthy, balanced meal in a single skillet! It’s hard to beat that.

This sauce includes a little bit of chicken broth in addition to soy sauce for the perfect balance of savory flavor. A little honey adds a subtle, sweet offset to the savory but you wouldn’t even know it’s in there. A touch of hot sauce acts as a flavor enhancer that doesn’t make it spicy, and a touch of sesame oil gives this a little Asian flair.

Bonus: You can use whatever variety of rice you have on hand to make this, (even cauliflower rice)! Read on for all of my pro tips in order to nail this recipe!

How to Make It

See recipe card below this post for ingredient quantities and full instructions.

Cut the chicken into 1/2-inch cubes and toss with 2 tablespoons of sauce mixture. Set aside. Scramble the eggs until fluffy and set aside.

Cuts of chicken breast marinating in a bowl next to a skillet of scrambled eggs.

Sear the chicken for 3-4 minutes per side, until cooked through. Set aside and deglaze the skillet with white wine (or chicken broth), and cook until reduced by half. Add the onions and garlic, followed by the peas and carrots.

A skillet of cooked diced chicken next to a skillet of sauteed onions, carrots, and peas.

Add the cooked/cooled rice along with the sauce and toss to combine. Add the chicken, scrambled eggs, and green onions and toss to heat through. Serve!

Adding rice to a skillet and adding sauce to make Chicken Fried Rice.

Tips For The Rice

  • Dry Rice is Key: Cold leftover rice works best for fried rice. If cooking it fresh, you’d ideally lay it on a tray for a few hours (over overnight) before frying. Dry rice absorbs the sauce while remaining crisp. If using leftover rice, you’ll need 3 cups for this recipe.
  • Rinsing Rice: There is debate as to if rinsing rice is necessary to remove excess starch, I am in the “no” camp and prefer the consistency when I don’t rinse it. 🙂 Feel free to rinse if preferred!
  • I like to use long grain white rice for this. The consistency is much better than Instant Rice. (But instant can be used if needed!)
  • Other Varieties of Rice: If preparing with a different kind of rice, (brown rice for example), refer to package for the amount of liquid (chicken broth), and simmering time that will be required to cook it.
  • Cauliflower Rice:  3 cups of uncooked cauliflower rice can be added at the end, instead of cooked rice. Cook it for 5 minutes in the sauce, then add the chicken/eggs/green onions, and cook for up to 3 more minutes. You may want to partially cover the skillet to allow it to steam slightly.

More Pro Tips

  • Chicken: Chicken thighs can be used instead of breast as well. Leftover or rotisserie chicken may also be used, although a lot of flavor comes from searing the chicken in the skillet and deglazing the “fond” with wine/broth.
  • Wine: Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, and Sauvignon Blanc are great in this recipe. Chinese cooking wine (Shaoxing cooking wine) can also be used, (only 2 TBSP. should be used). Chicken broth can also be used if you don’t cook with wine.
  • Variations: Be sure to check out my Beef Fried Rice, Shrimp Fried Rice, and Pineapple Fried Rice!

Storage

  • Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. 
  • Leftovers freeze and reheat very well, making this a convenient snack, lunch, or dinner!

Chicken Fried Rice in a skillet with vegetables, green onions, eggs, and chicken.

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Chicken Fried Rice in a skillet with vegetables, brown sauce, and eggs.

Chicken Fried Rice

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 35 minutes
Total Time: 40 minutes
5 from 19 ratings
Servings: 6 people
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This restaurant-style Chicken Fried Rice has the most flavorful rice in a savory sauce with juicy chicken, vegetables, and fluffy eggs.

Ingredients

US Customary - Metric

Rice

  • 1 cup uncooked white long grain rice, See notes.
  • 2 cups chicken broth

Sauce

  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • ¼ cup chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon honey, can sub brown sugar
  • 1 teaspoon hot sauce
  • ½ teaspoon sesame oil, optional
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground ginger

Stir Fry

  • 1-2 tablespoons peanut oil, can sub olive or canola
  • ¾ lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, 1 medium breast
  • Salt/Pepper
  • 1 tablespoon butter
  • 2 eggs, whisked very well
  • ½ cup dry white wine, see notes
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
  • ¾ cup frozen peas
  • ¾ cup frozen carrots
  • 3-4 green onions, diced

Instructions

  • Note 1: A 3-quart saucepan or Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid is highly recommended for steaming the rice.
    Note 2: A wide skillet with a lot of surface area is recommended for frying the rice.

Prepare the Sauce/Marinate the Chicken

  • Combine the sauce ingredients.
  • Dice the chicken into 1/2 -inch pieces. Place it in a bowl and add 2 tablespoons of the sauce mixture to it. Toss to coat and set aside.

Cook the Rice

  • Add 2 cups chicken broth to a saucepan and bring it to a boil. Add the rice and submerge it into liquid. Bring back to a boil and cover the pot. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer (I put my heat on medium-low), and let it steam for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, lift the lid. If the liquid is gone, the rice is likely done. If not, give it 5 more minutes.
  • Spread the cooked rice out on a tray and transfer to the fridge to allow it to cool completely, this ensures it’s nice and crispy when fried.

Scramble the eggs

  • Melt the butter over medium-low heat and add the whisked eggs. Cook/scramble until just cooked through, then remove and set aside. (I like to use an 8-inch nonstick skillet when I make fluffy scrambled eggs.)

Stir Fry

  • Add the oil to a wide skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the chicken lightly with salt/pepper and add it to the skillet. Cook for 3-4 minutes per side, until seared and cooked through. Remove and set aside.
  • Reduce heat to medium and add the wine. Use a silicone spatula to “clean” the bottom and sides of the pan and let the liquid reduce by half, about 3-4 minutes.
  • Add the onions and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the peas and carrots (it’s okay if they’re still frozen) and cook for 1 minute.
  • Add the chilled rice and the remaining sauce. Increase heat to medium-high and toss continuously for about 3 minutes, until the rice is brown from the sauce and most of the liquid from the sauce is absorbed.
  • Reduce heat to medium and add the chicken, eggs, and green onions and toss to coat and heat through. Remove from heat and serve!

Notes

Pro Tips
  • Dry Rice is Key: Cold leftover rice works best for fried rice. If cooking it fresh, you'd ideally lay it on a tray for a few hours (over overnight) before frying. Dry rice absorbs the sauce while remaining crisp. If using leftover rice, you'll need 3 cups for this recipe.
  • Rinsing Rice: There is debate as to if rinsing rice is necessary to remove excess starch, I am in the "no" camp and prefer the consistency when I don't rinse it. 🙂 Feel free to rinse if preferred!
  • Other Varieties of Rice: If preparing with a different kind of rice, (brown rice for example), refer to package for the amount of liquid (chicken broth), and simmering time that will be required to cook it.
  • Cauliflower Rice:  3 cups of uncooked cauliflower rice can be added at the end, instead of cooked rice. Cook it for 5 minutes in the sauce, then add the chicken/eggs/green onions, and cook for up to 3 more minutes. You may want to partially cover the skillet to allow it to steam slightly.
  • Chicken: Chicken thighs can be used instead of breast as well. Leftover or rotisserie chicken may also be used, although a lot of flavor comes from searing the chicken in the skillet and deglazing the "fond" with wine/broth.
  • Wine: Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, and Sauvignon Blanc are great in this recipe. Chinese cooking wine (Shaoxing cooking wine) can also be used, (only 2 TBSP. should be used). Chicken broth can also be used if you don’t cook with wine.
  • Variations: Be sure to check out my Beef Fried Rice, Shrimp Fried Rice, and Pineapple Fried Rice!
Storage
  • Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Leftovers freeze and reheat very well!
The nutritional information provided is an estimate and is per serving. There are 6 servings in this recipe.

Nutrition

Calories: 308kcal, Carbohydrates: 35g, Protein: 20g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 98mg, Sodium: 1002mg, Potassium: 454mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 6g, Vitamin A: 1512IU, Vitamin C: 14mg, Calcium: 49mg, Iron: 2mg
Did you try this recipe?Mention @TheCozyCook on Instagram or tag #thecozycook!
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, Asian
Author: Stephanie