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Chicken fried rice that is genuinely better than takeout is easier than you think, with tender chicken, fluffy rice, and a savory sauce all in one wok. This is my favorite way to use up leftover rice on a busy night, and the kids love it even more than the restaurant version. If you crave takeout flavors, you have to try our bourbon chicken too.
Once you have your rice cooked and cooled, this chicken fried rice comes together in about 20 minutes.
Chicken Fried Rice Quick Look
- 🕒 Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 🌡️ Cook Time: 20 minutes
- ⏳ Total Time: 35 minutes
- 🍽️ Serving: 4 servings
- ⚡ Calories: 372kcal
- 🌶️ Flavor Profile: Savory, garlicky, and umami-rich with tender chicken
- ✋ Difficulty: Easy, on par with our black pepper chicken
Quick Answer
To make chicken fried rice, whisk together a savory soy-based sauce, then cook diced chicken in a hot wok and scramble the eggs separately. Stir-fry cooled rice with carrots and bean sprouts, add the chicken and egg back in, and toss everything with the sauce until hot. Finish with green onions and serve.
Jump to:
- Chicken Fried Rice Quick Look
- Quick Answer
- Why This Recipe Works
- Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make Chicken Fried Rice
- Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Serving Ideas and Suggestions
- Chicken Fried Rice FAQs
- Other Recommended Takeout Recipes
- Better Than Takeout Chicken Fried Rice
Why This Recipe Works
Click to see the technique science
- Cold rice is key. Day-old, cooled rice fries up into separate, fluffy grains instead of turning into a mushy clump.
- Cook the components separately. Cooking the chicken and egg on their own keeps each one perfectly cooked before they all come together.
- A real takeout-style sauce. Dark soy, oyster sauce, bouillon, and a touch of mirin give that deep, savory flavor you get from a restaurant.
- High heat in a wok. A screaming-hot wok gives the rice that slightly smoky, toasty edge known as wok hei.
- Separated green onion. The white parts cook with the chicken for flavor while the green parts go in fresh at the end for color and crunch.
- One pan, and fast. Everything happens in a single wok in about 20 minutes, making it a perfect weeknight dinner.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It really is better than takeout, and it costs a fraction of the delivery price.
- It is a fast, one-wok dinner that puts leftover rice to delicious use.
- It is endlessly adaptable, just like our black pepper chicken.
Key Ingredients
Here is what makes this chicken fried rice so good. See the recipe card for exact amounts.
- Cooked, cooled rice: Day-old white rice is best; cold grains fry up fluffy and separate instead of clumping.
- Chicken breast: Bite-size pieces cook fast and stay tender in the hot wok.
- Eggs: Scrambled and folded in, they add richness and that classic fried-rice look.
- The sauce: Dark and regular soy, oyster sauce, bouillon, sugar, and mirin build that deep takeout flavor.
- Veggies: Shredded carrot, bean sprouts, and green onion add color, crunch, and freshness.
See recipe card for exact quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
Here are a few easy ways to make this chicken fried rice your own.
- Swap the protein: Use shrimp, pork, or leftover rotisserie chicken instead.
- Add more veggies: Peas, corn, edamame, or diced bell pepper all work great.
- Make it spicy: Add a drizzle of sriracha or a spoonful of chili crisp at the end.
- Vegetarian: Skip the chicken and bouillon and load up on extra veggies and egg.
- Serve it as a side to our teriyaki chicken for a takeout feast at home.
How to Make Chicken Fried Rice
- Whisk together the water, dark soy, soy sauce, bouillon, oyster sauce, sugar, and mirin to make the savory fried rice sauce.
- Season the diced chicken, then cook it with the white parts of the green onion in a hot wok until browned, adding the garlic at the end. Remove to a plate.
- Add more oil and scramble the beaten eggs until just set, then add them to the plate with the chicken.
- Add the last of the oil along with the cooled rice, bean sprouts, and shredded carrot, and stir to combine.
- Return the chicken and egg to the wok, stream in the sauce, and toss until everything is hot and evenly coated.
- Stir in the green parts of the onion and serve hot.
Recipe Tips & Tricks
- Use cold, day-old rice; fresh hot rice turns gummy when fried.
- Get the wok screaming hot before adding the rice for the best texture.
- Cook the egg and chicken separately so neither one overcooks.
- Have everything prepped before you start, since stir-frying moves fast.
- Do not overcrowd the pan; work in batches if your wok is small.
- Separate the green onion whites and greens for layered flavor.
- Leftovers reheat well in a hot skillet with a splash of water.
Serving Ideas and Suggestions
Chicken fried rice is a complete meal on its own, but it also makes a fantastic side. Serve it as the base for a stir-fry or next to your favorite Asian-inspired main.
For a full takeout-style spread at home, serve it with our bourbon chicken or teriyaki chicken and a side of egg rolls. Nobody will miss the delivery menu.
Round out the table with a pot of coconut rice for the rice lovers and a fresh Thai basil stir-fry for something with a little heat.
Chicken Fried Rice FAQs
Mushy fried rice almost always comes from using fresh, warm rice. Use cooked rice that has been chilled at least a few hours, or overnight, so the grains are dry and separate before they hit the wok.
Long-grain white rice like jasmine is ideal because the grains stay separate. Whatever rice you use, cook it ahead and chill it so it fries up fluffy instead of sticky.
Yes. It reheats well in a hot skillet with a splash of water for up to three days in the fridge. You can also prep the sauce and chop everything in advance for a quick stir-fry.
Hoisin sauce or a little extra soy sauce with a pinch of sugar can stand in for oyster sauce. For a vegetarian option, look for a mushroom-based oyster sauce.
No, a large skillet works fine. A wok just gives the highest heat and the most surface area for that signature smoky, toasty flavor. Whatever you use, get it very hot first.
Yes. Cool it completely and freeze in an airtight container for up to two months. Reheat it straight from frozen in a hot skillet, breaking up the clumps as it warms.
Craving more takeout at home? Make our bourbon chicken next.
Better Than Takeout Chicken Fried Rice
Ingredients
For the sauce:
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons chicken better than bouillon
- 1 teaspoon oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon mirin
For assembly:
- 8 ounces boneless skinless chicken breast cut into bite sized pieces
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 green onions thinly sliced, white part and green part separated, divided
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 2 large eggs well beaten
- 3 cups cooked white rice cooled
- 1 cup fresh bean sprouts
- 1/2 cup shredded carrot
Instructions
- Whisk the water, dark soy, soy, chicken better than bouillon, oyster sauce, sugar, and mirin together in a small bowl, and set aside.2 tablespoons water, 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 teaspoons chicken better than bouillon, 1 teaspoon oyster sauce, 1 teaspoon granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon mirin
- In a medium-sized bowl, stir together the chicken pieces, salt, and pepper.8 ounces boneless skinless chicken breast, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- Place a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add 1 tablespoon of oil.3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- Add the chicken and the white part of the green onion, and cook until the chicken is cooked through and lightly browned, stirring occasionally, 8-10 minutes.3 green onions
- Add the garlic and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, 1 minute. Place on a plate.2 cloves garlic
- Add another 1 tablespoon of oil, and add the beaten egg. Cook until just set, 1-2 minutes, and place on the plate with the chicken.2 large eggs
- Add another 1 tablespoon of oil along with the rice, bean sprouts, and carrots. Stir to combine.3 cups cooked white rice, 1 cup fresh bean sprouts, 1/2 cup shredded carrot
- Add the cooked chicken and egg. Stir to combine, chopping up the egg into smaller pieces.
- Finally, stream in the sauce and mix well. Continue to cook until everything is hot.
- Stir in the green part of the onion and serve.
Notes
- Cool It Down – Use cold rice or day-old rice—it fries up better than a sticky mess!
- Chop Chop – Cut that chicken into bite-sized pieces—no giant chunks to wrestle!
- Oil Up – Keep that wok happy and sizzling.
- Egg Scramble – Cook those large eggs quick—fluffy eggs are the best results.
- Stir Wild – Mix it all in a large pan with a good stir. It’ll keep things broken up—no rice left behind!
- Sauce Splash – Pour that savory sauce in slow. Make sure all that flavor is spread around real good.
Nutrition
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