Chicken Fried Rice
Published March 21, 2023
- Total Time
- 20 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
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Ingredients
- 1pound ground chicken or turkey, preferably dark meat
- 2tablespoons soy sauce, plus more to taste
- 4garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1(3-inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
- 1 to 1½teaspoons red-pepper flakes, chile sauce or chopped fresh chile (optional)
- 3tablespoons neutral oil, plus more as needed
- 1bunch scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced, dark green parts separated
- 4cups cooked, long-grain white or brown rice, preferably day-old (or 1⅓ cups uncooked rice; see Tip)
- ½cup frozen peas (about 2½ ounces; no need to thaw)
- Salt
- 2large eggs, beaten with a pinch of salt
- Any combination of chile sauce, rice or black vinegar, toasted sesame oil, white pepper, cilantro and MSG (optional, for serving)
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
675 calories; 13 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 7 grams monounsaturated fat; 3 grams polyunsaturated fat; 108 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 1 gram sugars; 29 grams protein; 626 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
In a medium bowl, use your hands or two forks to mix together the ground chicken, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, half the garlic, half the ginger, and the red-pepper flakes (if using).
- Step 2
Heat your largest nonstick or cast-iron skillet over medium-high until very hot. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and the ground chicken, then use a wooden spoon or heatproof spatula to quickly press meat into a thin layer (like one giant smash burger). Cook, undisturbed, until meat is browned underneath, 3 to 5 minutes. Break up meat into bite-size pieces and stir until cooked through, 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off the heat, then transfer the chicken to a clean bowl, leaving the juices and fat in the skillet.
- Step 3
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, the scallion whites and the remaining ginger and garlic to the skillet. Raise heat to medium-high, scrape up browned bits on the skillet and stir until sizzling and light golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the rice, peas, the remaining 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and salt to taste. Stir to coat in the oil and break up clumps of rice. Spread out the rice along the sides and bottom of the skillet. Cook, undisturbed, until the sound shifts from a sizzle to a crackle and the rice is golden at the edges, 3 to 5 minutes. If the rice is burning, add more oil.
- Step 4
Pour the eggs in a thin stream over the rice. When you see some of the egg start to set, 15 to 30 seconds, toss the rice constantly to break up and cook the eggs. Add the chicken and toss to warm through, 1 minute. Turn off the heat and stir in the scallion greens. Serve with more soy sauce and other seasonings as you like.
- Leftover, cooked rice from the fridge has less moisture, so it will crisp more easily. If you’re starting with uncooked rice, cook it as you would pasta so that the grains are not clumped together: Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add 1⅓ cups rice and cook until just cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes for white rice and 25 to 30 minutes for brown rice. Drain, run under cold water to cool, shake to get rid of any water, then spread out on a baking sheet and refrigerate until Step 4.
Private Notes
Comments
Psst, super secret recipe hack: precooked rice from the supermarket works great in fried rice. Look for the Korean brands in the flat bowls. Don’t microwave the rice, just pop it out of the container into a dish and break it up with moistened hands before frying it.
Instead of using a neutral oil, get a bottle of toasted sesame seed oil. It will take your fried rice to the next level.
Made this last night. Of course a few tweaks. I roasted a bunch of veggies - mushrooms, carrots, broccoli, leeks, onions, & fennel. No need to add garlic & ginger to chicken, I just put them in the pan when it was heating up and added the chicken. Easy and delicious.
There are good techniques in this recipe- I overcooked the giant chicken smashburger a little, and next time I'll add Szechuan pepper to it beforehand, but that was a clever way to cook ground meat in a wok. I also learned from a friend whose parents are from China to cook the eggs first (I did still add sesame oil to them before whisking), but adding them at the end to the hot crackling rice was quicker and yielded tender delicious results. I swapped shitake and bok choy for the peas. Lovely!
It was a little bland, even after I doubled the garlic. I'm not sure what it needs. Maybe more chili paste. It was fun to cook and quick, so I would like to make it again if I could overcome the blandness.
Used 1.5 tbsps of the neutral oil and added at the end tbsp chili crisp and as many recommended sesame oil - full bag of peas and snap peas