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Quick and flavorful, this one-pan chicken fried rice mixes tender chicken, savory veggies, cold rice, and a touch of hoisin for rich, balanced flavor in about 30 minutes. It’s an easy weekday dinner that’s hearty, customizable, and comes together without much effort. Win!
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Why You’ll Love This Chicken Fried Rice (as much as I do)
Because it’s all done in one pan, uses simple pantry staples, and hits that sweet-savory balance most takeout versions aim for — without the cleanup.
Ingredient Notes
- Cold rice: Day-old or chilled rice gives the best texture, but if you need to make fresh that’s okay too, it can be slightly mushier that’s all.
- Chicken: Boneless breasts or thighs diced small cook quickly and stay juicy.
- Sesame oil: Essential for that stir-fried flavor. You can use another high-temp cooking oil if you need to.
- Peas & carrots: Frozen works great—no thawing needed. You can substitute any veggies you’d like (see recipe notes below).
- Hoisin sauce: Optional, but it adds a sweet-savory richness that rounds out the flavors.
Step-By-Step Instructions
- Cook and chill 1 cup of rice ahead of time (cold rice prevents clumping).
- Heat sesame oil in a wok or large skillet, then sauté chicken, onion, salt, pepper, and ginger until the chicken is cooked through.
- Stir in garlic and cook for just a minute.
- Add the frozen peas and carrots until tender.
- Push ingredients to the sides, crack in eggs, and scramble until cooked.
- Add cold rice and soy sauce and stir until everything is hot and well mixed.
- Serve immediately topped with hoisin sauce and chopped green onions.
Recipe Tips & Notes
- Use cold rice: Fresh rice has a tendency to turn mushy. Make the rice ahead of time or use leftovers for the best texture. You can cook the rice at the same time as the rest of the fried rice if you need to—day old rice is just the best case scenario.
- Wok or a skillet? A wok gives you that classic stir-fry sear and cooks everything quickly and evenly. But a large nonstick skillet will work too. I’ve also used my large cast iron skillet with great results.
- To make it spicy: Add a dash of sriracha, crushed red pepper flakes, or a spoonful of chili garlic sauce to add some heat.
- Switch up the protein: Swap chicken for shrimp, diced pork, or even tofu. Just adjust the cooking time as needed, and remember shrimp only take 3–4 minutes to cook.
Tip
Using a big 14 inch wok pan for this recipe is helpful. It makes a lot of rice. If you don’t have good one, check this one out – it’s the only one I use (you can see it in the photos).
Storage & Reheating Recommendations
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 5 days and reheat in a skillet with a splash of water or in the microwave until warmed through.
Check Out These Other One-pan Dinners
Better Than Takeout Chicken Fried Rice
This easy chicken fried rice is a quick, flavorful dinner that tastes just like your favorite takeout—only better. It's made with tender chicken, crisp veggies, and savory hoisin sauce. The best part is, it all comes together in one pan. The perfect meal for busy weeknights.
Ingredients
- 3 cups rice (cooked, cooled and set aside or day old)
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 2 chicken breasts (or 4 chicken thighs, cut into small 1/2 inch pieces)
- 1/2 yellow onion (diced)
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 tsp pepper
- 1/4 tsp ginger (ground or 1 tsp fresh grated instead)
- 3 tsp garlic (minced or 3-4 cloves of garlic)
- 2 eggs
- 1 1/2 cup peas and carrots (frozen)
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- Green onion (for topping)
- Hoisin sauce (for topping)
Instructions
- Cook 1 cup rice according to the package directions and place in the refrigerator to cool.3 cups rice
- In a 14" wok or large frying pan, heat 2 tsp sesame oil over medium-high heat. Toss in the cut up chicken, diced onion, salt, pepper, and ginger. Cook for 10 minutes or until the chicken is browned and thoroughly cooked.2 tsp sesame oil, 2 chicken breasts, 1 tsp sea salt, 1 tsp pepper, 1/4 tsp ginger
- Stir in minced garlic, peas and carrots and cook 3-4 minutes, stirring often until tender and fragrant.1 1/2 cup peas and carrots, 1/2 yellow onion, 3 tsp garlic
- Create a hole in the center of the pan. Crack 2 eggs into the wok and scramble with a wooden spoon until cooked, about 2 minutes.2 eggs
- Add the cooked rice and soy sauce and give it all a good stir. Heat just until everything is warm.1/4 cup soy sauce
- Scoop into bowls and serve immediately topped with hoisin sauce and chopped green onion.Green onion
- Store leftover chicken fried rice in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Notes
- Day-old, cold rice works best. Fresh rice tends to be soft and can get mushy when stir-fried, but it’ll still work if that’s what you have.
- You can swap the chicken for shrimp, diced pork, or tofu. Just adjust cooking times—shrimp only takes a few minutes.
- Stir in sriracha, chili garlic sauce, or red pepper flakes to add heat.
- Use any combination of frozen or fresh vegetables—bell peppers, broccoli, or mushrooms are great additions.
- A wok allows for high-heat, even cooking and makes it easier to toss ingredients, but a large frying pan works too. I also use my large cast iron skillet all the time.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 servingCalories: 366kcalCarbohydrates: 60gProtein: 20gFat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0.01gCholesterol: 77mgSodium: 683mgPotassium: 401mgFiber: 2gSugar: 0.5gVitamin A: 2571IUVitamin C: 4mgCalcium: 43mgIron: 1mg
I served this chicken fried rice dish for dinner and the family is already asking for it again. Was simple to make (just followed your instructions) and so delish.
Yay! This makes me so happy, Stephanie. We actually had this once a week, for three weeks straight. Haha!
Yum!! This fried rice turned out super flavorful and was so satisfying too! I enjoyed it for lunch today and it was great!
It’s funny you said that, Anjali. This is one of my favorite meal prep lunches! It’s so easy to make A LOT of and it makes a great (filling) lunch.
Your Chicken Fried Rice is a home run. The flavors are spot-on, and the texture is just like what you’d get from a high-end restaurant. You’ve nailed the secret to making this classic dish shine. Honestly, I don’t think I’ll be ordering takeout anytime soon with this recipe in my arsenal.
Blushing. Thank you so much Tavo, I appreciate your kind words so much!
OOH this is definitely better than takeout. Next time I’m going to try it with shrimp!
DO IT, Casey! That’s one thing I really love about recipes like this, you can make it into whatever sounds good in the moment. I want to try it with shrimp too.
This really does taste like it came from my favorite takeout spot. I’ll definitely be making it again and again!
Thank you so much Chenee! I’m really glad you liked it, it’s one of our favorites.
This was some of the best fried rice I’ve had! Super easy to make and tasted delicious!
Thanks so much Justine. I’m so glad to hear it!
Amazingly delicious fried rice recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much, glad you enjoyed it!
This is such a great way to stretch a couple of chicken breasts for a family, yet still have a healthy meal.
I totally agree, it’s perfect for that! Winner winner chicken dinner, as they day LOL!
Love a simple fried rice to clean out my fridge at the end of the week!
That’s such a smart idea, Erica. I love it. Thank you!