How to Make Chicken Fried Rice

Skip the takeout and make your own chicken fried rice at home.

Rice has long been a staple of Chinese cuisine. One popular Chinese dish, fried rice, uses both fresh and leftover ingredients. This adaptable dish is often made with vegetables, soy sauce and sometimes meat, such as chicken. Use a wok to ensure high and even heat for cooking the food. Although the recipe for chicken fried rice is not complex, knowing the proper cooking technique creates a flavorful dish.

Things You'll Need

• 1-1/2 cups long-grain, white rice
• Mesh strainer
• Salt
• Rice cooker
• Medium saucepan (optional)
• Saucepan lid (optional)
• Sheet pan
• Two large eggs
• Small bowl
• Fork
• 5 tbsp. canola oil
• Wok
• Wooden spoon
• Plate
• Two large chicken breasts
• Pepper
• Four small carrots
• Vegetable peeler
• 1-1/2 cups broccoli
• 3/4 cup green onions
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1 tsp. toasted sesame oil

Instructions

1. Place 1 1/2 cups of long-grain, white rice in a mesh strainer. Rinse the rice under running water. Let the water drain from the rice.

2. Cook the rice with 1/4 tsp. salt per your preferred cooking method. If you have a rice cooker, follow the manufacturer's instructions. If not, boil 2 2/3 cups water in a medium saucepan. Add the rice once the water is boiling. Reduce the heat, bringing the water down to a simmer. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and simmer for 12 minutes, or until the water is completely absorbed.

3. Place the rice on a sheet pan. Place the sheet pan in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to 45 minutes to cool the rice.

4. Crack two large eggs into a small bowl. Use a fork to lightly beat the eggs.

5. Place 1 tbsp. canola oil in a wok. Heat the oil over medium-high heat until it starts to shimmer. Pour the eggs into the oil. Use a wooden spoon to stir the egg in the hot oil, cooking them for 30 seconds. Use the spoon to remove the egg from the wok and move them to a plate. Set it aside.

6. Slice two large chicken breasts into 1-inch pieces. Sprinkle the chicken pieces with salt and pepper.

7. Add 1 tbsp. canola oil to the wok and reheat it over medium-heat, until the oil shimmers again. Add the chicken to the wok. Cook the chicken pieces for four minutes to five minutes or until thoroughly cooked, stirring occasionally. As it cooks, the chicken will turn golden brown. Use the spoon to remove the chicken from the wok and set it on the plate with the eggs.

8. Peel four small carrots with a vegetable peeler. Dice the carrots and 1 1/2 cups of broccoli into 1/4-inch pieces.

9. Add 3 tbsp. canola oil to the wok. Heat the oil over medium-high heat, until the oil shimmers. Add the vegetables to the wok. Stir them with the wooden spoon for two minutes. Add the cooled rice to the vegetables. Stir the rice and vegetables for two more minutes. Sprinkle them with salt and pepper to taste.

10. Chop 3/4 cup of green onions and two garlic cloves. Add the onions, garlic, eggs and chicken to the wok. Pour in 1/3 cup soy sauce and 1 tsp. toasted sesame oil. Stir the mixture for one minute longer before serving.

Tips & Warnings

• You can make the chicken and rice on a weekend when you have extra time and store it in plastic bags in the freezer. Transfer the bags to the refrigerator the night before you want to make the chicken fried rice.

• If you are making a dish with chicken and rice, make extra and set some aside in freezer bags for this dish.

References

• The Food Timeline: FAQs: Asian-American Cuisine
• Oprah: Chicken Fried Rice; Curtis Stone; March 2009
• Food Network.com: Chicken Fried Rice; Robert Irvine

Resources

• Read this Article in Spanish