Easy to make and better than takeaway, this Chinese-style Chicken Fried Rice uses leftover roast chicken and cooked rice, to create a mouthwatering meal.
It's on the table in less than 30 minutes, making it an ideal recipe for busy families, who need fast, but healthy food.
One of our favourite quick and easy dinners, this tasty chicken fried rice recipe is flavoured simply with soy sauce and garlic, making it suitable for the whole family.
👩🍳 Love easy Chinese meals? Try my simple prawn chow mein next!
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✔️ Why should you try it?
- Quick and easy meal.
- A great way to use up leftover roast chicken.
- Lots of scope for customising with different meat and vegetables.
🥘 Ingredients
For a full ingredients list see the recipe card below.
- 1 tablespoon Sesame Oil
- 3 Shallots, chopped
- 1 Garlic Clove, chopped
- 1 Orange Pepper, chopped
- 300g Cooked Long Grain Rice
- 2 Eggs, beaten
- 100g Frozen Peas
- 100g Smoked Sausage, chopped
- 200g Cooked Chicken
🔪 Instructions
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.
🍴 Serving suggestions
Stir fry vegetables are a great choice for serving as a side dish. Stir-fried garlic green beans, baby corn, mangetout and carrots, would all work well. Spring rolls would turn it into a proper Chinese fakeaway.
🧊 Suitable for freezing?
Yes! Leftover Chicken Fried Rice can be frozen. Spoon any leftovers into a freezer-safe container, and pop it in the freezer, until needed. Allow to defrost in the fridge, then reheat in the microwave, until piping hot.
❓ FAQS
Fried Rice is a dish of cooked rice, that has been stir-fried, and mixed with other ingredients, such as vegetables, meat, fish and egg.
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.
Using freshly cooked rice that is still hot is usually the cause of sticky and soggy fried rice. It's best to use rice that has been cooked, cooled and stored in the fridge for 24 hours as it is drier and won't clump together.
Can I make it vegetarian?
You can make this recipe vegetarian-friendly, by omitting the chicken and smoked sausage. Use cooked Quorn pieces in place of the chicken and add more vegetables such as baby corn or mushrooms.
😋Related recipes
- Homemade Pilau Rice
- Easy Prawn and Chorizo Paella
- Prawn and Pea Risotto
- Spanish Style Rice
- Prawn Chow Mein
- Pork Yuk Sung
🍽️ More family-friendly recipes
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Recipe
Chicken Fried Rice
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
Instructions
- In a large wok or pan, heat the sesame oil, then stir-fry the shallots, garlic and peppers 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 add the soy sauce.2 Eggs, 2 tablespoon Soy Sauce
- Put the frozen peas into the rice and stir until combined (they will cook very quickly).100 g Peas
- 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
- Serve with stir fried veggies and spring rolls for an authentic chinese takeout meal.
Notes
- Substitute 1 small onion for the 3 shallots.
- Instead of smoked sausage, you could add cooked prawns or sliced chorizo.
- Sweetcorn could be used instead of peas, or why not use both?
- If you like your food spicy, add 1 chopped red chilli, during step 1.
Liz
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!
Julie
I really like that this has shallots and sausage in it as well as the chicken and other veggies. It looks fantastic!
Lindsay
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!
Kara
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.