Chicken Fried Rice

Name: Chicken Fried Rice
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients: 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs; 1 tsp kosher salt; 3 tbsp canola or neutral oil; 3 large eggs, beaten; 0.66 cup yellow onion, diced; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 2 tsp ground ginger; 1 large carrot, diced small; 0.66 cup frozen peas; 4 cups cold cooked jasmine rice (ideally day-old); 2 scallions, sliced (whites and greens separated); 0.5 tsp Chinese five-spice powder; 2.5 tbsp soy sauce; 1 tsp toasted sesame oil

From the kitchen of Carly

Takeout-style fried rice in 25 minutes. The one rule that separates great from gummy: use day-old cold rice. Everything else flexes around what's in your fridge. No day-old rice in the fridge? Cook a pot, spread it thin on a sheet pan, and stick it in the freezer for 20 minutes. Same effect, faster.

Fried rice lives or dies on two things: cold leftover rice and a screaming hot wok. Cube chicken thighs (they won't dry out like breast), scramble your eggs first, then build the aromatics and vegetables in layers. The five-spice ties everything together without needing soy sauce to carry the whole load. Thirty minutes, dairy-free, and feeds four with one pan.

Prep: 15 min
Cook: 15 min
Total: 30 min
Servings: 4
Difficulty: easy

Ingredients

4 servings

1 lbboneless skinless chicken thighs
1 tspkosher salt
3 tbspcanola or neutral oil
3large eggs, beaten
2/3 cupyellow onion, diced
2 clovesgarlic, minced
2 tspground ginger
1 largecarrot, diced small
2/3 cupfrozen peas
4 cupscold cooked jasmine rice (ideally day-old)
2scallions, sliced (whites and greens separated)
1/2 tspChinese five-spice powder
2 1/2 tbspsoy sauce
1 tsptoasted sesame oil

Instructions

If you don't have day-old rice, cook a fresh batch and spread it on a sheet pan to cool and dry out for at least an hour before starting.
Cut the chicken into small ¼-inch cubes. Sprinkle with half the salt, toss, and let it sit 10 minutes while you prep everything else.
Heat a wok or large nonstick skillet over high heat until it's nearly smoking. Add 1 tbsp oil, swirl, then pour in the beaten eggs. Scramble fast, breaking the curds small. Move them to a plate.
Add another tablespoon of oil. Add the chicken in a single layer and let it sear undisturbed for 1 minute, then stir and cook 3 to 4 minutes more until cooked through. Move to the plate with the eggs.
Add the last tablespoon of oil. Toss in the onion and cook 1 minute. Add the garlic, ginger, and carrot. Cook 2 minutes more, stirring.
Sprinkle in the remaining salt and the peas, stir.
Add the cold rice, breaking up any clumps with the back of your spatula. Add the scallion whites and the five-spice. Stir-fry, pressing the rice against the hot pan, for 3 minutes; you want some grains to crisp up.
Drizzle in the soy sauce and sesame oil. Return the chicken, eggs, and scallion greens. Toss everything together for another minute. Taste and add more soy sauce if needed.
Serve immediately, while it's still hot off the wok.

Tips from the kitchen

Day-old rice is non-negotiable. Fresh rice steams and clumps instead of frying into separate grains. Spread hot rice on a sheet pan for an hour to dry it out if you're working with today's batch.
Cube the chicken small and let it sear undisturbed for the first minute so it develops color. Moving it around too early steams it instead of browning it.
Press the rice firmly against the hot pan with your spatula for the full three minutes. This friction creates crispy bits that contrast with the softer grains, which is the whole point of fried rice.
Scallion whites go in with the rice; scallion greens are a fresh finish at the end. The split timing keeps one part cooked into the dish and the other bright and sharp.

Variations

Shrimp swap: Use 1 lb medium shrimp instead of chicken. Add them after the eggs and cook just two minutes until pink and cooked through.
Vegetable forward: Skip the chicken and increase carrot to two medium ones, add 1 cup sliced mushrooms, and use 1 cup corn instead of peas. Cook all vegetables before adding rice.
White pepper finish: Omit the five-spice and finish the whole pan with 1/2 tsp white pepper instead. It's cleaner and more delicate, less warming spice.
Anchovy depth: Stir a single minced anchovy into the oil before adding the onions. It dissolves and adds savory complexity without tasting fishy.

Make ahead and storage

Fridge for up to three days in an airtight container. Reheat in a hot wok or skillet with a splash of water, breaking up any clumps, until hot through. Freezer is acceptable for up to two months but texture suffers slightly; thaw in the fridge first if you have time.

Substitutions

chicken thighs to shrimp, leftover roast chicken, or diced firm tofu. All work. Add shrimp last (90 seconds); tofu first to crisp; roast chicken at the end just to warm through.
jasmine rice to long-grain white rice or even basmati. Cauliflower rice works for low-carb but cuts the cook time and skips the soy step.
Chinese five-spice to skip it or use a pinch of white pepper. Five-spice adds a backnote of warmth; the dish is still recognizable without it.

Pairs well with: Cold cucumber salad with rice vinegar and chili crisp, A bowl of egg drop or hot-and-sour soup, Iced jasmine tea or a cold lager