chicken fried rice
Make chicken fried rice just like your local restaurant
Servings: 4
Calories: 263kcal
Ingredients
Cooked rice
- 1 cup jasmine rice
- 1 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt - use half as much table salt
Chicken fried rice
- the cooked rice from above - you remembered to cook it yesterday right?
- 1 tsp dark soy - I like Pearl River Bridge but please use a Chinese dark soy
- 1/4 tsp monosodium glutamate - optional but not really. It makes a difference.
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt - maybe half that if using table salt. Remember you salted the rice…
- 1/8 tsp white ground pepper - optional but I like a little bite
- 4 oz chicken thigh cut into small pieces
- 1 tbsp neutral oil - like canola or vegetable
- 1/4 cup extras - (e.g peas and carrots) - very optional - don't go crazy here. Less is more.
Instructions
Make the rice
- Combine the jasmine rice, water and salt.
- Bring to a simmer. Cover and reduce heat to low.
- Cook for 12 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff the rice and transfe it to a container and store, loosely covered, in the refrigerator (see note if pressed for time).
Chicken fried rice
- Heat your wok over high heat. If you oiled your wok before you put it away then it should just start to smoke. Add the oil and swirl it around to coat the wok as best as you can.
- Add the chicken and cook until almost done. Stir constantly (stir fry) it to keep it moving. This should only take two minutes or so.
- Add the cold rice, dark soy, salt, and MSG and white pepper if using.
- Your stove is running flat out right? As much heat as you can bring to bear?
- Stir fry the rice constantly. Keep in moving in the wok. Use your spatula or chuan to break up any clumps. Stir fry for about a minute.
- Add in any extras (see note) and keep stir frying.
- After about 3 to 5 minutes total your rice should be a bit firm and every piece should be distinct. On my stove that usually takes closer to 5 minutes. Taste it along the way so you can learn how it progresses.
- You’re done. To serve you can just put it out as is or maybe sprinkle a bit of chopped green onion overtop to garnish.
- Serve this alongside your other favourite takeout style dishes.
Notes
The easiest thing to do is to cook your rice the day before. If you forget or decided to make this today you can cook the rice, let it cool and then spread it on a cookie sheet. Put it in the fridge for a couple hours and you will be OK. Maybe not perfect. But OK...
I'm not the fried rice police. It's your mouth. Do what makes you happy. If you want to add peas and carrots and onions and garlic go for it. But don't overload the rice. If you are using extras timing matters. Onions should go in with the chicken. Garlic should go in right before you add the rice.
Peas, carrots or any other vegetables should be blanched. They are not going to get cooked enough by just stir frying with the rice.
Nutrition
Serving: 4g | Calories: 263kcal | Carbohydrates: 37g | Protein: 8g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.04g | Cholesterol: 28mg | Sodium: 654mg | Potassium: 116mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 0.1g | Vitamin A: 22IU | Vitamin C: 0.01mg | Calcium: 18mg | Iron: 1mg