This easy chicken fried rice recipe with leftover chicken is on the table in less than 30 minutes, making it the perfect weeknight dinner for busy families. Tender cooked chicken, colourful vegetables, and a savoury sauce come together quickly to create a flavour-packed meal.
Save this recipe for later?
Enter your email and I’ll send it your way!
A Quick Look At The Recipe
✅ Recipe Name: Chicken Fried Rice With Leftover Chicken
🕒 Ready In: Less than 30 minutes
👪 Serves: 4
🍽 Calories: 368
🥣 Main Ingredients: Cooked Rice, Cooked Chicken, Smoked Sausage, Eggs, Pepper
📖 Dietary Info: Protein rich (23g per serving)
👌 Difficulty: Easy
Summarise & Save This Content On
Add Effortless Foodie as a trusted Google Source
I love this recipe because it's quick, effortless, and full of flavour. Leftover chicken and rice make weeknight dinners easy, while the soy sauce, garlic, and veggies give it a homemade taste that beats takeaway.
If you enjoy making the most of leftover chicken, try my leftover chicken curry and leftover chicken tacos next.
This was delicious. I added a little fresh ginger because I had some on hand and like it with fried rice. Everything turned out great! This is the perfect thing to make with leftover chicken and rice and any vegetables that need to get used up in the fridge. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Kara
Jump to:
✔️ Why you'll love this recipe!
- On the table in less than 30 minutes - Perfect for busy weeknights when you want a quick, hassle-free dinner.
- Uses leftover chicken and rice - Saves time, reduces food waste, and turns leftovers into a flavour-packed meal.
- Full of flavour and nutrition - Tender chicken, colourful vegetables, and a savoury sauce create a delicious, homemade alternative to takeaway.
🥘 Ingredients
Sesame Oil - Adds a nutty, aromatic flavour.
Shallots, chopped - Bring a mild, sweet onion taste. You could also use one small onion.
Garlic Clove, chopped - Adds a punch of savoury flavour.
Orange Pepper, chopped - Gives colour and a sweet crunch. Swap for a red or orange pepper.
Leftover Cooked Long Grain Rice (300g cooked weight) - Forms the base of the dish. You could also use cooked basmati rice.
Eggs - Makes the fried rice rich and slightly creamy.
Frozen Peas - Add a pop of sweetness and colour.
Smoked Sausage - Gives a smoky, savoury bite.
Leftover Cooked Chicken - Provides protein and flavour.
Need to substitute an ingredient?
Have an allergy or dietary preference? Let AI customise the recipe for you.
📖 Variations
- Use cooked prawns, chorizo, or leftover turkey in place of or alongside the chicken and smoked sausage for a different flavour and texture.
- Boost your meal with extra veg such as sweetcorn or broccoli.
- Substitute the long grain rice for brown rice, quinoa, or even cauliflower rice for a lighter or lower‑carb version.
- Add one chopped red chilli or sprinkle of chilli flakes for extra spice.
- Finish with spring onions, coriander, toasted sesame seeds or crushed cashews for extra flavour and crunch.
🔪 How to make leftover chicken fried rice
The recipe card with ingredient quantities and detailed instructions can be found at the bottom of the post
One: Prepare all of your ingredients, ready for making the chicken fried rice. Make sure you are using cooked rice and cooked chicken.
Two: Finely chop the shallots, garlic and pepper. If you like things a bit spicier, then add a chopped red chilli too.
Three: Stir fry the shallots, garlic and pepper in sesame oil for a few minutes on a medium-high heat.
Four: Now it's time to add the cooked rice (stir fry for a few minutes), then add the beaten egg.
Five: Keep stirring the rice and egg, until the egg is cooked through and set. You can add the soy sauce at this point.
Six: Then it's time for the frozen peas. They won't take long to cook.
Seven: Add the cooked sliced smoked sausage and shredded cooked chicken and heat thoroughly, until everything is piping hot.
Eight: Serve the fried rice, with extra soy sauce if you like.
Top Tips
- Use cold, leftover rice - Freshly cooked rice can be too soft and sticky; cold rice keeps the grains separate for perfect fried rice every time.
- Use high heat and keep stirring - Cooking over medium- high heat and constantly stirring prevents sticking and gives your fried rice that light, slightly crispy texture like takeaway.
🍴 Serving suggestions
Storage
Store - Keep leftover chicken fried rice in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Make sure it cools quickly after cooking to keep it safe.
Reheating - Reheat thoroughly once only, either in a frying pan over medium heat or in the microwave. Stir well and ensure it is piping hot all the way through before serving. Avoid reheating more than once, as cooked rice can harbour bacteria if repeatedly cooled and reheated.
Freeze - Fried rice can be frozen safely for up to 2 months. Portion into freezer‑safe containers and cool completely before freezing. Defrost overnight in the fridge and reheat once thoroughly before eating.
❓ Frequently asked questions
White long grain rice works best for the fried rice, you can also use basmati rice. Short grain rice isn't suitable, as it tends to stick together. Don't forget the rice needs to be cooked already.
For the best texture in this easy chicken fried rice recipe with leftover chicken, use cold, day-old rice. Freshly cooked rice can be too soft and make the dish mushy.
Yes! Use brown rice or cauliflower rice, add extra vegetables, or reduce the oil to make it lighter while still maintaining great flavour.
Troubleshooting Guide
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| The fried rice is too sticky/soggy. | Use rice that has been cooked, cooled, and stored in the fridge for 24 hours. Cold rice is drier and won't clump together like freshly cooked rice. |
| Rice sticking to the pan or burning. | Use a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat, add a small amount of oil, and stir frequently. Cook in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding. |
| The fried rice is too bland. | Add more soy sauce and salt. |
😋Related recipes
Tried it? Let me know what you think and rate it ⭐️ below. Tag me @effortlessf00d-I'd love to see! Don't forget to subscribe for more recipes.
Recipe
Easy Chicken Fried Rice Recipe with Leftover Chicken - Quick Weeknight Dinner
Save this recipe for later?
Enter your email and I'll send it your way!
Equipment
- Knife
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon Sesame oil
- 3 Shallots chopped
- 1 Garlic clove chopped
- 1 Orange Pepper chopped
- 300 g Cooked Rice
- 2 Eggs beaten
- 2 tablespoon Soy Sauce
- 100 g Peas frozen
- 100 g Cooked Smoked Sausage sliced
- 200 g Cooked Chicken chopped
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
Instructions
- In a large wok or pan, heat the sesame oil, then stir-fry the shallots, garlic and peppers on a medium high heat for a couple of minutes.1 tablespoon Sesame oil, 3 Shallots, 1 Garlic clove, 1 Orange Pepper
- Add the cooked rice and stir fry for 2 minutes. Keep stirring so the rice doesn't stick to the pan.300 g Cooked Rice
- Add the beaten egg and fry for 2 minutes until the egg is cooked. Then spoon in the soy sauce.2 Eggs, 2 tablespoon Soy Sauce
- Add the frozen peas and stir until cooked (they will cook very quickly in just a few minutes).100 g Peas
- Finally, add the chopped smoked sausage and cooked chicken, and heat through until everything is piping hot.100 g Cooked Smoked Sausage, 200 g Cooked Chicken
- Season with salt and pepper if needed (and extra soy sauce).½ teaspoon Salt, ¼ teaspoon Black Pepper
Notes
- Use cold, leftover rice - Freshly cooked rice can be too soft and sticky; cold rice keeps the grains separate for perfect fried rice every time.
- Use high heat and keep stirring - Cooking over medium- high heat and constantly stirring prevents sticking and gives your fried rice that light, slightly crispy texture like takeaway.
Kara says
This was delicious. I added a little fresh ginger because I had some on hand and like it with fried rice. Everything turned out great! This is the perfect thing to make with leftover chicken and rice and any vegetables that need to get used up in the fridge.
Lindsay says
How great is it to be able to make takeout food at home and be able to control what goes in it! I love how many vegetables and extra protein you added in here. Making this next week for the family and I know they are going to love it!
Julie says
I really like that this has shallots and sausage in it as well as the chicken and other veggies. It looks fantastic!
Liz says
How yummy does this look? I have some brown rice in my fridge and I feel like I know what I am making for dinner!