Chicken fried rice is a quick and easy meal that the whole family will love. It comes together in less than 30 minutes and is a really budget friendly meal!
Disclaimer: This post is a paid partnership with Countdown Supermarkets. All content and opinions are my own
When it comes to dinner, especially after a busy day I am all about something that is quick, easy, healthy and that my kids will actually eat. This chicken fried rice is exactly that!
I make it with leftover rice - I like to plan ahead and cook extra rice a night or 2 before so that I have plenty ready to go. To speed up the process even more, you can cook the chicken ahead of time too and store in the fridge until you are ready to use it.
Fry the rice in sesame oil for a few minutes before adding frozen mixed vegetables and cooking until soft.
The next step is the key to perfect fried rice. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs. You then want to push the rice over to one side of the pan, and pour the eggs into the empty side and scramble them in the pan. As soon as they are just cooked through, stir them through the rice and vegetables. Add the soy sauce and stir through the chicken and it’s ready to serve!
One of the great things about this dish is that it’s very versatile. As is, it’s the perfect full meal but you can mix up the protein to suit your family. You can add prawns, beef or pork instead of chicken if that’s what you prefer! And if you want to serve it as a side dish to the main meal, leave out the chicken!
The other great thing is that it’s a super affordable meal - here is the price breakdown
- 500 grams free range chicken breast - $11
- 4 cups cooked rice - 56c
- 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables - 78c
- 3 free range eggs - $1.74
- ¼ cup soy sauce - 28c
- 2 Tablespoons sesame oil - 80c
Total for recipe = $15.16
Per serve = $3.79 (4 servings)
This fried rice also freezes really well. Just place any leftovers in a snaplock bag or freezer proof container and freeze for up to 3 months.
Chicken Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 500 grams chicken breast (diced)
- 4 cups cooked rice
- 2 cups frozen mixed vegetables
- 3 eggs
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 Tablespoons sesame oil
Instructions
- Heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Dice the chicken breast and add to the pan - cook for 7 or 8 minutes until cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a bowl and set aside.
- Scramble the eggs in a small jug and set aside.
- Heat the sesame oil in the same frying pan. Add the rice and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the vegetables and cook for another few minutes until the vegetables are soft. Push the rice to one side of the pan and pour in the scrambled eggs. Once almost cooked through, stir through the rice until combined. Stir through the soy sauce and cooked chicken.
- Serve immediately
This is a regular for us on a Sunday night. Thank you for such an easy recipe that everyone enjoys.
awesome-cooked this for my whanau last night and it was tremendous...I always use to burn the rice when trying to fry it and couldnt understand which step I was doing wrong.The seaseme oil made all the difference and using the day before rice.
Thanks so much!