My Favourite Hen Fried Rice Recipe
Say hiya to one in every of my all-time favourite weeknight dinners. ♡
This hen fried rice is a kind of back-pocket, one-skillet, kid-friendly recipes I’ve leaned on for extra years than I can rely. It makes use of fundamental components I nearly all the time have available — rice, eggs, hen, just a few veggies, pantry seasonings. And better of all, it comes collectively simply in lower than half-hour. A type of dinners that all the time saves the day!
I’ve included my greatest suggestions under to ensure the rice will get completely golden and crispy (no soggy, steamed rice!). And belief me on the subject of including in butter — it’s the key ingredient that makes this recipe go from good to nice. Extremely advocate serving it alongside egg drop soup (which is straightforward to multitask alongside the rice), together with some chili crisp in case anybody on the desk needs so as to add some spice. It’s all the time a profitable combo at our home!
Recipe Suggestions
For those who’re new to creating fried rice, listed here are just a few fast tricks to make your first batch style restaurant-level scrumptious!
- Use chilly, chilled rice. Freshly cooked rice is just too smooth and steamy. Day-old rice (or rice that’s been cooked and chilled for just a few hours) fries up with a significantly better texture with these golden crispy bits.
- Slice the hen very, very skinny. I extremely advocate slicing the hen very skinny so that it’ll prepare dinner rapidly and keep good and tender.
- Don’t skip the butter. The butter provides the rice a lot additional taste and helps it get crispy and golden. Be at liberty so as to add extra butter if you happen to’d like too!
- Let the rice sit undisturbed. Resist the urge to always stir. Unfold it out and let it prepare dinner for a couple of minute at a time earlier than flipping. That’s the way you get golden edges as a substitute of steamed rice.
- Season in layers. Flippantly season the hen, then style on the finish earlier than including extra soy sauce. It’s simpler so as to add salt than repair overly salty fried rice.
- Prepare dinner on excessive warmth as soon as the rice goes in. Excessive warmth = that barely smoky, restaurant-style taste. Simply preserve issues transferring sufficient so nothing burns.
- End with sesame oil off the warmth. Toasted sesame oil is delicate! Stir it in on the very finish so its taste stays aromatic and recent.
Recipe Variations
That is a kind of recipes that fortunately adapts to no matter you might have available. Strive one in every of these:
- Add additional diced veggies to the sauté, reminiscent of bell peppers, mushrooms or zucchini.
- Swap the hen for a special protein, reminiscent of beef, pork, shrimp or tofu.
- Make it spicy with chili crisp, sriracha, or a pinch of pink pepper flakes.
- Add chopped pineapple for a sweet-and-savory vibe.
- Stir in kimchi for a daring, tangy taste increase.
- Swap white rice for brown rice for a nuttier, heartier model.
FAQ
You’ll be able to, nevertheless it gained’t crisp the identical method. For those who’re in a pinch, unfold sizzling rice out on a sheet pan and refrigerate it for 30–60 minutes to dry it out.
Brief-grain white rice is my favourite for this recipe as a result of it has nice texture. Medium or long-grain works too — simply keep away from overly sticky or mushy rice.
Sure! It reheats nicely in a skillet over medium warmth with a splash of water or oil to loosen it up.
It provides depth and that delicate savory sweetness you count on from restaurant fried rice. For those who don’t have it, you’ll be able to add a tiny pinch of sugar and somewhat additional soy sauce as a substitute.
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2 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
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3 tablespoons butter, divided
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2 massive eggs, whisked
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1 pound boneless, skinless hen breasts or thighs, very thinly sliced after which reduce into bite-sized items
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2 medium carrots, peeled and finely diced
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1 small white onion, diced
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1/2 cup frozen peas
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4 cloves garlic, minced
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nice sea salt and freshly floor black pepper
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4 cups cooked and chilled rice, ideally short-grain white rice
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3 inexperienced onions, thinly sliced
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5–6 tablespoons soy sauce, or extra to style
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1 tablespoon oyster sauce
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1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- Scramble the eggs. Warmth 1/2 tablespoon olive oil in a big sauté pan or wok over medium warmth. Add the whisked eggs and scramble simply till set. Switch to a plate and put aside.
- Prepare dinner the hen. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan. Season the hen with salt and pepper and prepare dinner till browned and cooked by way of, about 5–6 minutes. Switch to the identical plate because the eggs.
- Sauté the veggies. Add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan. Sauté the carrots, onion, peas, and garlic for about 4–5 minutes, till the greens are softened and aromatic.
- Fry the rice. Improve warmth to excessive. Add the butter, letting it soften briefly. Instantly add within the chilled rice, inexperienced onions, soy sauce, and oyster sauce and stir briefly to mix. Proceed cooking the rice for about 4-5 minutes, letting it relaxation undisturbed for about 1 minute between stirs in order that the underside layers can get crispy and golden.
- End. Return the cooked hen and scrambled eggs to the pan. Stir every part collectively to mix and heat by way of. Take away from warmth, drizzle within the sesame oil, and stir one final time. Style and season with further soy sauce if wanted and luxuriate in!
