Crispy Chicken Fried Rice (Printable)

Savory ground chicken, crisp cabbage and carrots, and fragrant jasmine rice tossed with Asian seasonings for egg roll flavors.

# What You Need:

→ Proteins

01 - 1.1 lbs ground chicken
02 - 2 large eggs

→ Vegetables

03 - 3 cups green cabbage, thinly sliced
04 - 1 cup carrots, julienned
05 - 1 cup bean sprouts, optional
06 - 4 green onions, sliced
07 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
08 - 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced

→ Rice

09 - 3 cups cooked jasmine rice, cold

→ Sauces and Seasonings

10 - 3 tablespoons soy sauce
11 - 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
12 - 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
13 - 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
14 - 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes, optional
15 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar

→ Cooking Oil

16 - 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided

→ Garnish

17 - 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
18 - Extra sliced green onions

# How-To Steps:

01 - Slice all vegetables, mince garlic and ginger, and have cold rice ready before beginning cooking.
02 - Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add ground chicken and cook while breaking apart with a spatula until browned and cooked through, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer chicken to a plate.
03 - Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the same pan. Sauté minced garlic, ginger, and white portions of green onions for 1 minute until fragrant.
04 - Add cabbage and carrots. Stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes until tender-crisp. If using bean sprouts, add and cook for 1 additional minute.
05 - Push vegetables to the pan perimeter. Crack eggs into the center space and scramble until just set, then incorporate into vegetables.
06 - Add cold rice to the pan and return cooked chicken. Stir thoroughly to combine, breaking apart any rice clumps.
07 - Pour in soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, white pepper, and chili flakes. Toss well to distribute seasonings evenly and heat through for 2 to 3 minutes.
08 - Taste and adjust seasonings as needed. Remove from heat. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and additional green onions before serving.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • It tastes like your favorite takeout but comes together in your own kitchen without any oil splatters on your walls.
  • The cold rice trick makes everything crispy and separated instead of clumpy, which honestly changed my entire fried rice game.
  • One pan, real protein, actual vegetables you can see and taste, and it's ready faster than delivery would arrive.
02 -
  • Using day-old or cold rice is not optional if you want crispy fried rice, because freshly cooked warm rice will steam instead of fry and turn into a clumpy mess no matter how hard you try.
  • Don't skip the step of breaking up the chicken into small pieces as it cooks, because one giant chunk of ground chicken looks sad and won't give you that restaurant-quality texture with crispy edges.
  • Taste your seasonings before serving because soy sauce brands vary dramatically, and you want to adjust while you're still at the stove, not after your guests have already started eating.
03 -
  • Keep your heat on medium-high the entire time, not searing hot, because medium-high gives you control and color without burning anything before it cooks through.
  • If you're cooking for someone who doesn't eat spicy food, keep the chili flakes separate and let them add their own heat so no one's meal gets ruined by your preferences.
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