Restaurant Style Chicken Fried Rice

Unbelievably juicy, perfectly marinated strips of chicken in a deeply flavored fried rice that's a little salty, yet spicy with pops of sweet. Perfect for busy weeknights, our restaurant style Chicken Fried Rice recipe is just what you need, when you want something quick, but aren't willing to compromise on taste.

With a few simple tips, this already delicious, everyday dish can be easily transformed into something EPIC..

Now every country has their own version of deliciously addictive Chinese cuisine. To add a little variety, our recipe is based on the Indo-Chinese restaurant style which was introduced by Chinese immigrants in the Indian subcontinent and is hugely popular with both kids and adults back home.

Tips for cooking Ultimate Chicken Fried Rice

• ALWAYS BREAK UP THE RICE, before adding to the wok. This ensures that the rice separates into individual grains without getting broken and that every grain gets a chance to get evenly toasted and coated with an equal amount of that glorious sauce.
• Have all the ingredients ready and close at hand before cooking. The cooking process itself just takes about 5-10 minutes and requires constant mixing so there is no time to look or prepare an ingredient.
• Cook on a blazing hot wok. The wok needs to be smoking hot before adding the first drop of oil. Think about it as searing not frying and definitely not steaming.
• For large amounts, cook in batches. According to J. Kenji Lopez Alt, the best way to cool a large amount of fried rice is in batches. As each batch is done, transfer to a bowl so that you can maintain toasting quality and flavor. Once done, add it all together in the wok and mix thoroughly.
• Adding a little sugar helps brighten the flavor.
• If you need more seasoning add salt not soy sauce. Soy sauce adds moisture which leads to clumpy rice and can overwhelm the other subtle flavors.
• Half scramble your eggs before cooking fried rice to maximize flavor. If you want the perfect harmony of perfectly flavored eggs, you need to half scramble your eggs and add the remaining ingredients while the eggs are still a little wet. While taste of course is very subjective, I feel that if you add scrambled eggs to the cooked fried rice after the cooking process , the eggs don't absorb any flavor.
• Marinating the chicken makes a huge difference! While there is nothing wrong with throwing in some raw or leftover chicken, a very easy way to maximize flavor is to simply marinate the chicken for a few minutes. A little soy sauce (adds richness and depth), corn starch (tenderizes the chicken) and pepper (add heat) adds in that restaurant quality taste.

Ingredients for Ultimate Chicken Fried Rice

• Cold day old rice - preferably shorter or medium grain rice . Longer grain varieties like basmati and parboiled rice tends to be dryer and break during the frying process. Short or medium grain rice tends to have that plump, chewy texture that is the hallmark of outstanding fried rice.
• Assorted diced/sliced vegetables adds a delicious taste and textural counterpoint to the salty, chewy taste of the rice. For example, I like adding sliced peppers and cabbage for a little color and texture but I rely on the raw minced carrots to add pops of sweet. Frozen diced carrots just don't have the same flavor and texture but you can get a similar fuss free pop of sweet by using frozen peas or corn. Sliced canned water chestnuts, peanuts or bean sprouts also adds a delicious gourmet twist.
• Soy sauce is a key ingredient in this dish and provides the main source of flavor and color. Soy sauce is unique in that it contains all five tastes - umami, sweetness, saltiness, bitterness and sourness and a unique combination of aromas.
• Fish sauce adds a deep, savory umami punch.
• In this particular recipe, freshly ground pepper plays a central role in adding heat. Omit or reduce the amount of pepper per your own preference.
• Sugar helps sharpen and round out the flavors.

How to make Ultimate Chicken Fried Rice

If you have your desired ingredients on hand, the cooking process itself takes only about 5-10 minutes. However starting from scratch is also fuss free and adds only about 20 minutes of prep time.

Prep the ingredients

• Fluff the cold rice - break up any clumps so that all the grains are separated.
• Marinate the chicken - in a medium sizes bowl, add the chicken, soy sauce, half of the black pepper and corn flour together. Mix. Cover and set aside for at least 15 minutes prior to cooking.
• Whisk the eggs with ¼ teaspoon of black pepper and set aside.
• Prep the veggies and garlic. Put on a plate close to the cooking area.
• Mix the sauce (optional) - in a small bowl, add the soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar and the remaining half of the black pepper - this is just a matter of personal preference - the ingredients can be added separately if desired.

Stir fry the rice

1. Heat the wok on high heat until it begins to smoke.
2. Add oil and butter.
3. Add the minced garlic.
4. When the garlic turns slightly golden around the edges, add the marinated chicken. Sauté with the garlic.
5. As soon as the chicken turns slightly brown, push the chicken to one side and add the whisked eggs. Vigorously sauté the eggs until they are done but still wet.
6. Push the chicken and egg mixture to the sides and then add the vegetables starting with the ones which take the longest to cook mixing the mixture for about 30 seconds before adding the next one. In the case of this recipe, I first added the beans, followed by the carrots, green chilis, peppers and cabbage.
7. Add half the cold rice to the vegetables, chicken and egg mixture and mix well. Then repeat with the remaining rice.
8. Add the sauce mix. Mix vigorously. Transfer the fried rice from the wok to a platter to prevent overcooking and clumping.

Classic and interesting variations

The sky is the limit when making fried rice. For starters you can completely change the dish by substituting just about any ingredient - like brown rice, quinoa instead of rice or chickpeas and edaname instead of chicken. Below are some classic and interesting variations:

• Beef fried rice - substitute the chicken with beef. The best meat to use is thinly sliced stew meat - putting the meat in the freezer for about 30 minutes makes it easier to cut the beef into thin slices. Follow the same directions for the marination.
• Vegetable fried rice - simply omit the chicken. Tofu, chickpeas and edaname make great protein options and add great texture. My favorite variations include mushroom and pine nuts with brown rice and zucchini and pine nut fried quinoa rice.
• Shrimp fried rice - this is my favorite variation - just substitute for the chicken - marinating adds flavor and the corn flour makes the shrimp deliciously crispy on the outside.
• Egg fried rice - omit the chicken. My favorite variation is to just add a sunny side top egg on top.

What to serve with Ultimate Chicken Fried Rice

Personally I love eating this dish on its own .. However the dish also works really well as a side to other Indo-Chinese inspired dishes like Chicken Manchurian and almost anything Chinese or Thai. I love drizzling a little Nuoc Cham - Vietnam's famous dipping sauce over my fried rice. The dish is rather spicy and begs for a cold sweet dessert after eating. I love having Shemai - Creamy Vermicelli in Sweet Rose Infused Cream as dessert after eating this dish.