Chinese chicken fried rice is a craveworthy dish which makes it the most ordered item in any Chinese takeaway! Once you learn to make it perfectly at home, this best Chinese chicken fried rice will give the takeout version a run for its money!
I have been an ardent fan of Chinese food since my childhood, but only after growing up and getting exposure to the culinary world, I came to realize that the Chinese food that we Indians love so much are in reality Indo-Chinese food and not authentic Chinese!
But whatever be the case, our love for the popular Chinese or Indo-Chinese food is very pure and authentic! And that is what brings us to today’s recipe of restaurant style Chinese chicken fried rice!
Whenever you want to make an elaborate Chinese meal at home for your family & friends, this Chinese chicken fried rice has to be a staple!
It pairs wonderfully with any Indo-Chinese side dish like Indo-Chinese chilli chicken or chicken manchurian; this combo used to be our luxury comfort food with our pocket money during college days!
What is Chinese chicken fried rice?
Instead of defining this Chinese chicken fried rice as a stir fried flavorful rice dish with chicken and eggs in it, I would describe it as my childhood nostalgia which brings back so many fond memories to ponder upon!
Making a perfect restaurant style Chinese chicken fried rice at home may seem easy and difficult at the same time because the rice tends to play tricks with us if not handled carefully.
If you follow the given tips that I have learned over the years of trying, failing and learning, I can give you a credible guarantee that your Chinese chicken fried rice won’t end up in a disaster!
Ingredients for Chinese chicken fried rice
Chicken: Since I wanted to make a quick Chinese chicken fried rice, I used chicken breasts which cook super fast without any hassle!
But, you can surely substitute it with chicken thigh filets if you have extra time at hand as chicken thighs take a little longer to cook than chicken breasts.
Eggs: Though this is Chinese chicken fried rice, egg is an indispensable addition to it. The soft bites of scrambled eggs with chewy rice and chicken is a match made in heaven!
Rice: Rice is the most important element for making perfect restaurant style Chinese chicken fried rice at home. Why so?
Firstly because it is a rice dish which means rice is the showstopper here; secondly, your choice and condition of rice will dominate the final outcome of your Chinese chicken fried rice.
Choice of rice: You need to use short grain rice for making a perfectly fluffy Chinese fried rice. Basmati will not work here TBH. Use any locally sourced short grain rice; you can find the variety I used here.
Condition of rice: Again, two things to remember here. Firstly, you need to ensure your rice is not overcooked; if it is, then it is a deal breaker and you need to make another batch of rice to make perfectly fluffy fried rice.
Secondly, you cannot use hot or even warm rice. Ideally, you should use cold rice made a day prior and refrigerated overnight which dries the rice grains making them chewy & just perfect for frying at high heat.
Pro tip: If you are craving too much for a good Chinese chicken fried rice and do not have any leftover rice in your refrigerator, make a fresh pot of rice, but allow it to cool completely before stir frying it over high heat. Hot rice stir fried on high heat is nothing less than a hot mess! Trust me, I have been there!
Spring onion: This is also a must have for a good Chinese chicken fried rice. Spring onions, also called green onions or scallions, are added in 2 ways.
The white parts are added directly to the oil at the very beginning before adding rice and the vibrant greens are added at the end of the cooking for a beautiful aroma and look!
Aromatics: Chinese food is big on the same aromatics that our Indian cuisine loves too i.e. our very own ginger and garlic. Do not use paste of these aromatics while making Chinese fried rice; use finely chopped ginger and finely chopped garlic for best flavors.
Light soy sauce: Soy sauce is synonymous with Chinese food and this Chinese chicken fried rice is no exception too! I love the flavor of light soy compared to its darker version. You can check here the brand of light soy sauce that I have used in my chicken fried rice.
Fresh green & red chilli: Chicken fried rice definitely needs a kick of heat and fresh chillies are best bet here. Use fresh red or green chillies that you have handy and add as much or as little as you prefer.
Oil: For making fried rice, you need a flavorless oil which has a high smoking point. You can choose from canola oil, sunflower oil or any other refined oil of your choice.
How to make Chinese chicken fried rice?
Step 1: Wash and pat dry the boneless and skinless chicken breasts. Then take each chicken breast at a time and first cut it into long strips of 1-inch width. Then cut each long strip into small bite-sized chunks of about 1-cm length.
Step 2: Separate the spring onions into whites and greens. Then finely chop the white portions. Cut the greens into small pieces. Set them aside.
Step 3: Finely chop the ginger, garlic and fresh red & green chillies. Keep them aside until needed.
Step 4: Beat the eggs in a small bowl and add salt to it. Heat the wok or kadai in which you will make your chicken fried rice.
Step 5: Add a teaspoon of oil and spread it around the wok. Once the oil is warm, add the beaten eggs and swirl the plan to spread them thinly.
Step 6: Once the eggs start to set, break it using a spatula and make scrambled eggs. Stir them for a few quick seconds and take them out on a plate; do not overcook the eggs.
Step 7: Now add about a couple of tablespoons of oil to the same wok. Once the oil is warm, add half of the chopped garlic and give a quick stir for a few seconds.
Step 8: Then add the chopped chicken pieces with a dash of salt and cook them on medium high heat for 5 to 6 minutes.
Step 9: Add a splash of light soy sauce, about a tablespoon and keep cooking the chicken until all pieces are completely cooked through and opaque, about 8 to 10 minutes in total. Take them out on a plate.
Step 10: Now add the remaining oil to the wok and let it warm up. Once the oil is moderately hot, add the chopped whites of spring onion, chopped ginger, chopped chillies and remaining chopped garlic. Stir fry them for a minute on medium high heat.
Step 11: Next add the cold rice to the wok and uniformly spread the rice over the wok using a spatula. Leave the rice like this without any disturbance for at least 3 minutes.
Pro tip: Leaving the rice undisturbed on the hot wok will allow the cold rice grains to firm up after coming in contact with heat. This way the rice will also remain fluffy even after being rigorously stir fried afterwards.
Step 12: After about 3 to 4 minutes, start stirring the rice using a stirring spatula. Add the remaining light soy sauce, salt & black pepper to taste and continue to stir fry your Chinese chicken fried rice on medium high heat for 4 to 5 minutes.
Pro tip: Note that soy sauce is also salty, so add less salt at the first go; taste later and adjust if needed.
Step 13: Now add the fried chicken and scrambled eggs to the wok and stir them in to distribute evenly within the rice.
Step 14: Sprinkle the chopped greens of spring onion over your Chinese chicken fried rice and give a good stir.
Step 15: Do a taste test and adjust the salt if needed. Your delicious Chinese chicken fried rice is ready to serve!
More delicious Asian rice dishes from Flavor Quotient
- Best Chinese Egg Fried Rice Restaurant Style
- Thai Chilli Basil Fried Rice with Chicken
- Easy Asian Shrimp Fried Rice
- Chicken - 300 gms, boneless & skinless
- Rice - 1 & ¼ cup, uncooked
- Eggs - 4, beaten
- Spring onion - 6 to 8
- Garlic - 12 to 15 cloves, finely chopped
- Ginger - 2 inch piece, finely chopped
- Fresh green & red chillies - 6 to 8, finely chopped
- Light soy sauce - 4 to 5 tbsp
- Oil - 6 to 7 tbsp
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Wash and pat dry the boneless and skinless chicken breasts. Then take each chicken breast at a time and first cut it into long strips of 1-inch width. Then cut each long strip into small bite-sized chunks of about 1-cm length.
- Separate the spring onions into whites and greens. Then finely chop the white portions. Cut the greens into small pieces. Set them aside.
- Finely chop the ginger, garlic and fresh red & green chillies. Keep them aside until needed.
- Beat the eggs in a small bowl and add salt to it. Heat the wok or kadai in which you will make your chicken fried rice.
- Add a teaspoon of oil and spread it around the wok. Once the oil is warm, add the beaten eggs and swirl the plan to spread them thinly.
- Once the eggs start to set, break it using a spatula and make scrambled eggs. Stir them for a few quick seconds and take them out on a plate; do not overcook the eggs.
- Now add about a couple of tablespoons of oil to the same wok. Once the oil is warm, add half of the chopped garlic and give a quick stir for a few seconds.
- Then add the chopped chicken pieces with a dash of salt and cook them on medium high heat for 5 to 6 minutes.
- Add a splash of light soy sauce, about a tablespoon and keep cooking the chicken until all pieces are completely cooked through and opaque, about 8 to 10 minutes in total. Take them out on a plate.
- Now add the remaining oil to the wok and let it warm up. Once the oil is moderately hot, add the chopped whites of spring onion, chopped ginger, chopped chillies and remaining chopped garlic. Stir fry them for a minute on medium high heat.
- Next add the cold rice to the wok and uniformly spread the rice over the wok using a spatula. Leave the rice like this without any disturbance for at least 3 minutes.
- After about 3 to 4 minutes, start stirring the rice using a stirring spatula. Add the remaining light soy sauce, salt* & black pepper to taste and continue to stir fry your Chinese chicken fried rice on medium high heat for 4 to 5 minutes.
- Now add the fried chicken and scrambled eggs to the wok and stir them in to distribute evenly within the rice.
- Sprinkle the chopped greens of spring onion over your Chinese chicken fried rice and give a good stir.
- Do a taste test and adjust the salt if needed. Your delicious Chinese chicken fried rice is ready to serve! Enjoy!
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