Chicken and Egg Fried Rice Recipe You Can Make at Home

Chicken and egg fried rice is one of those dishes that is far easier to make at home than most people think. The key is in the technique rather than the ingredients. Day-old cold rice, high heat, a well-seasoned wok or pan and a few minutes of confident stir frying are what separate a great fried rice from a soggy, disappointing one. The chicken is marinated briefly in soy sauce and cornstarch before cooking, which keeps it tender and gives it a light glaze. The eggs are scrambled separately and folded in at the end so they stay fluffy and distinct rather than disappearing into the rice.

The entire dish comes together in under 15 minutes once everything is prepped, which makes it one of the most practical weeknight meals you can make. The most important thing to remember is to use cold, cooked rice. Freshly cooked rice has too much moisture and will turn to mush in a hot pan. If you are planning ahead, cook the rice the night before and leave it uncovered in the refrigerator overnight. The drier the rice, the better the fried rice.

Chicken and egg fried rice made with Boneless Chicken strips, scrambled egg, green peas, diced carrots and spring onion in a speckled ceramic bowl with soy sauce on the side

Chicken and Egg Fried Rice Recipe

Serves: 3
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

For the chicken marinade:

  • 300g Boneless Chicken Breast, thinly sliced
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp oyster sauce
  • 1/2 tsp cornstarch
  • 1/4 tsp white pepper or black pepper

For the fried rice:

  • 3 cups cold cooked jasmine or basmati rice (ideally day-old)
  • 3 eggs, beaten
  • 3 tbsp vegetable or peanut oil
  • 4 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger, finely minced
  • 3 spring onions, white and green parts separated and sliced
  • 1/2 cup frozen peas and carrots
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1/2 tsp white pepper or black pepper
  • Salt to taste

Steps

  1. Combine the sliced chicken with soy sauce, oyster sauce, cornstarch and pepper. Mix well and set aside while you prepare everything else. Prep all your ingredients before you turn on the heat as this dish moves very quickly once cooking begins.
  2. Break up any clumps in the cold rice using clean hands or a spatula so every grain is separated. Set aside.
  3. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large wok or wide frying pan over high heat until the oil is shimmering. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook for 2 to 3 minutes without moving, then stir fry for another 1 to 2 minutes until cooked through and lightly golden. Remove from the wok and set aside.
  4. In the same wok over medium heat, add a small drizzle of oil. Pour in the beaten eggs. Scramble gently, stirring slowly, until the eggs are just set but still slightly soft and glossy. Remove from the wok and set aside. Do not overcook the eggs at this stage as they will cook further when added back to the rice.
  5. Increase the heat to high. Add the remaining oil to the wok. Add the garlic, ginger and the white parts of the spring onions. Stir fry for 30 seconds until fragrant.
  6. Add the frozen peas and carrots and stir fry for 1 minute.
  7. Add the cold rice to the wok. Using a spatula, press and toss the rice continuously over high heat for 2 to 3 minutes until every grain is heated through, slightly toasted and separated. Do not let the rice sit still for too long as it will steam rather than fry.
  8. Pour the soy sauce and oyster sauce around the edge of the wok rather than directly onto the rice. This allows the sauces to caramelise slightly on the hot wok before being tossed through the rice, which adds depth and a richer flavour.
  9. Return the cooked chicken to the wok and toss everything together for 1 minute.
  10. Turn off the heat. Add the scrambled eggs and the green parts of the spring onions. Drizzle the sesame oil over the top. Toss gently once or twice to incorporate everything without breaking up the eggs too much. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and white pepper.
  11. Serve immediately.

Tips for Best Results

Always use cold, day-old rice. This is the single most important rule for good fried rice. Cold rice has dried out overnight which means the grains stay separate and fry properly rather than steaming and sticking together. Freshly cooked rice has too much moisture and will always produce a soggy result.

Cook over the highest heat your stove can produce. High heat is what gives fried rice its characteristic slightly smoky, toasted flavour known as wok hei. A pan that is not hot enough will produce steamed rice rather than fried rice.

Never crowd the pan. If your wok is too small to hold all the rice in a single layer, cook it in two batches. Crowding drops the temperature and the rice will steam instead of fry.

Add the sauces around the edge of the wok. Pouring soy sauce directly onto cold rice dilutes the flavour. Adding it around the hot edge of the wok allows it to caramelise slightly before mixing through which gives the rice a richer, deeper colour and flavour.

Scramble the eggs separately and add them back at the end. This keeps them fluffy and distinct. Eggs scrambled directly into the rice tend to coat it rather than creating the soft, distinct egg pieces that make a great fried rice.

Sesame oil is a finishing oil and not a cooking oil. Always add it off the heat at the very end. Its flavour is volatile and disappears quickly if heated.

Chicken and egg fried rice is the kind of recipe that gets better every time you make it. Once you understand the technique of cold rice, high heat and quick confident cooking, you will find yourself making it on rotation. It is fast, satisfying and genuinely delicious in a way that no reheated takeaway ever manages to be.

Order Zorabian’s Boneless Chicken Breast from shop.zorabian.com and try this recipe at home.

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