Description
This classic Chicken Fried Rice recipe combines tender chicken breast, crispy bacon, fresh vegetables, and fragrant seasonings all stir-fried to perfection. It’s a quick and satisfying dish that uses leftover day-old rice for the ideal texture, delivering a flavorful and restaurant-quality meal in just 20 minutes.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
Protein
- 150g (5oz) chicken breast, finely sliced into small pieces
- 120g (4oz) bacon, excess fat trimmed, chopped
- 2 eggs, lightly whisked
Vegetables
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 onion, finely chopped
- 1 small carrot, peeled and diced 0.75cm / 1/3"
- 1/2 cup frozen corn
- 1/2 cup frozen peas
- 3/4 cup green onions, finely sliced
Main Carbohydrate
- 2 cups (packed) cooked white rice, day old
Sauce
- 2.5 tbsp Chinese cooking wine or Mirin
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 3 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil (optional)
- 1/4 tsp white pepper (optional)
Other
- 2 tbsp oil (peanut, vegetable, or canola)
Instructions
- Prepare the sauce and marinate chicken: In a bowl, mix together the Chinese cooking wine or Mirin, oyster sauce, light soy sauce, sesame oil, and white pepper to create the sauce. Pour 2 teaspoons of this sauce over the sliced chicken breast, toss to coat evenly, and set aside to marinate for 10 minutes.
- Cook the scrambled eggs: Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok or large skillet over medium heat. Add the whisked eggs and scramble gently until just cooked but still slightly wet. Remove the eggs from the pan and set aside.
- Cook bacon and aromatics: Increase the heat to high and add the remaining half tablespoon of oil to the same pan. Add the chopped bacon and cook for about 1 minute until the fat begins to render. Then add the finely chopped onion and minced garlic. Stir-fry for about 1.5 minutes until the bacon is golden and the onion is translucent and aromatic.
- Add vegetables: Toss in the diced carrot, frozen corn, and frozen peas directly without thawing. Stir-fry the vegetables for 1 minute to warm through and maintain some crispness.
- Cook the chicken: Add the marinated chicken pieces to the pan and cook, stirring continuously, until the chicken changes color from pink to white. This takes about 1.5 minutes.
- Combine rice and sauce: Add the day-old cooked white rice to the wok along with the remaining sauce mixture. Stir constantly while frying for about 1.5 minutes, ensuring all ingredients are evenly coated and heated through.
- Finish with eggs and green onions: Add the previously cooked scrambled eggs and the sliced green onions. Toss thoroughly to disperse all ingredients evenly. Remove the pan from heat immediately to prevent overcooking.
- Serve: Serve the chicken fried rice hot and enjoy immediately for the best texture and flavor.
Notes
- Substitute any diced, stir-fry friendly vegetables of your choice for the carrot, corn, and peas for variety.
- Bacon adds a flavorful alternative to traditional Chinese sausage or BBQ pork used in restaurants. Ham can be a substitute if preferred.
- Trim excess bacon fat judiciously to avoid an overly greasy flavor but retaining some fat enhances taste.
- For best fried rice texture, use long grain white rice cooked and cooled in the refrigerator overnight or frozen and thawed before use.
- Avoid liquid chicken broth in the sauce as it makes fried rice wet and gluey.
- If alcohol is to be avoided, reduce oyster and soy sauces, add water and stock powder; adjust seasoning accordingly.
- Oyster sauce can be substituted with a combination of fish sauce plus hoisin sauce or just hoisin sauce for a different flavor profile.
- Use light or all-purpose soy sauce, avoiding dark soy sauce which can overpower the dish.
- Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; reheat with a sprinkle of water in the microwave to maintain moisture. The dish also freezes well.
