Simple and Easy Chicken Fried Rice
Chicken fried rice… such a classic Asian dish. It’s a lot simpler to make than you may think! Plus you get to customize what vegetables, oils, flavors and protein go into your rice. Don’t reach for that takeout menu… make your own that tastes wayyyyy better!
For some reason, I’d never made chicken fried rice before! C’mon Amanda… you love chicken fried rice, why not make it at home?
You know how I love customizeable meals… and this one is totally ready for you to make it your own! I chose slow cooker teriyaki chicken, eggs, onion, peas, carrots, with scallions and snap peas to garnish. But feel free to add some veggies, subtract some, switch up the protein… whatever you’d like 🙂
I chose to cook my chicken in the slow cooker, in a delicious homemade teriyaki sauce. I love doing it this way because the chicken just literally falls apart and shreds beautifully. It would also work well with poached or sauteed chicken, leftoves, or even a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store. Orrrrrr you can decide that you don’t want chicken at all and go with pork, beef, shrimp… whatever you want!
So you’ll want to start your chicken earlier in the day, as it cooks for about 5 hours or so (for the slow cooker version). Just add your chicken to the bottom of your slow cooker, whisk the sauce together and pour it over the top. Pop the lid on and cook on low for 5 hours.
Once your chicken is tender and cooked through, take it out and place it into a bowl so you can shred it. Just two forks will do the trick, it’s that tender you guys! Pour the sauce liquid from the slow cooker into a saucepan and heat it to a low boil. Mix together your cornstarch and water to make a slurry (okay, isn’t that just fun to say?!), and whisk it into your sauce. It will thicken in a few minutes.
Sidebar: A slurry is just a way of thickening a sauce, done with cold or room temperature liquids.
Now just drizzle the sauce over your chicken, toss to combine, and either serve with the rice right away, or refrigerate it until dinner time. You can add as much sauce as you’d like. I went with about half the sauce, and added a little more at a time until it was a saucy as I wanted it 🙂

It’s out of focus (i think I was too excited about eating to calm down and take a picture lol), but you can see how rich the sauce looks on the chicken
Alright, let’s talk about rice for a minute here. You can use whatever you have on hand for this. I had some jasmine rice left over, so I used that. To make my rice more flavorful, I cook it as directed, except instead of using water, I use that same amount of chicken stock or broth (I’ve done vegetable as well). Usually for fried rice, it’s suggested to use day old rice. Mine isn’t usually day old (planning ahead that far can be a challenge for me lol), but I typically make the rice in the morning, and then refrigerate it until dinner. However, if you forget, and are making your rice right before dinner, it will still taste delicious, don’t worry 🙂
Weird looking skillet there right? Lol. The actual stir fry of the rice doesn’t take very long at all. Just add your sesame oil and saute your onion, peas, and carrots until tender. Push your veggies over to one half of the skillet and add your eggs to the other side. Scramble them until cooked, then stir it all together.
Add in your rice, shredded chicken and soy sauce. “Fry” it, by just stirring it around until it’s heated through 🙂 All done!
This is delicious the night you make it, and just as delicious the next day!
While this rice is pretty filling… why not make some Crab Rangoons to go alongside? Psssst, you can make them ahead of time and freeze them!
Or, skip the chicken, and just make the fried rice part of this and serve it alongside some Baked Asian Chicken Wings or Asian Chicken Nuggets!
However you serve it, I just know you’ll love it!
Come party with us at Fiesta Friday with the wonderful Angie of course, and Juliana @ Foodie on Board, and Hilda @ Along the Grapevine !! It’s always such a fun time! 😀
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Recipe adapted from The Recipe Critic

Simple and Easy Chicken Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken - about 2-3 chicken breasts, cooked and shredded (I recommend the slow cooker recipe below this one)
- 3 cups cooked rice (if possible - use day old rice)
- 2 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1 small white onion - diced
- 1 cup frozen peas and carrots - thawed
- 1 cup snap peas
- 2-3 Tbsp soy sauce - to taste
- 2 eggs - lightly beaten
- 2 Tbsp chopped green onions - optional but recommended
Instructions
- Cook chicken using desired method, and shred.
- Preheat a large skillet (or wok if you have one) over medium heat. Add sesame oil to the pan. Add onion and peas and carrots and saute until tender.
- Scoot the onion, peas and carrots to one side of the skillet, and pour the beaten eggs onto the other side. Using a wooden spoon, scramble the eggs. Once they're cooked, stir it all together.
- Add the rice, soy sauce and chicken to the skillet. Stir the rice and veggie mixture until heated through. Before serving, sprinkle with green onions if desired.
Notes
If changing the recipe serving quantity, the recipe plugin will change the ingredient values for you, but it does NOT change the written instructions, those are manually added and not subject to a slider/button. You will have to extrapolate that multiplication to any amounts listed in the instructions.
For example: if an ingredient calls for 4 cups, and you doubled the recipe, it will automatically change to 8 cups. In the instructions, if I say “use 4 cups of cheese”, you will have to realize that since you doubled it, you use 8 cups, not 4

Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken
Ingredients
- 4 boneless - skinless chicken breasts
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup soy sauce
- 6 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 Tbsp fresh ginger - grated or minced
- 3 cloves garlic - minced
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 6 tsp cornstarch
- 4 1/2 tsp cold water
Instructions
- Place chicken in the bottom of a slow cooker.
- Combine the sugar, soy sauce, cider vinegar, ginger, garlic and pepper, and pour over chicken.
- Cover and cook on LOW for 4 to 5 hours.
- Remove chicken to a large bowl and shred using two forks.
- Skim fat from cooking liquid if necessary. Pour liquid in a saucepan and bring to a low boil. Whisk cornstarch and water until smooth. Slowly whisk the cornstarch mixture into the sauce and whisk until sauce is thickened (about 3 minutes).
If changing the recipe serving quantity, the recipe plugin will change the ingredient values for you, but it does NOT change the written instructions, those are manually added and not subject to a slider/button. You will have to extrapolate that multiplication to any amounts listed in the instructions.
For example: if an ingredient calls for 4 cups, and you doubled the recipe, it will automatically change to 8 cups. In the instructions, if I say “use 4 cups of cheese”, you will have to realize that since you doubled it, you use 8 cups, not 4
Wow, this one seems really delicious. I’ll definitely try preparing this for my wife.
I cant believe how easy this was to make and how delicious it was. The flavor of the chicken and fried rice blended together was intense. Thanks for sharing this awesome lunch idea.
This is my kind of dinner! So delicious! Thanks for linking up with What’s Cookin’ Wednesday!
Thank you Karly!! 😀
I love this recipe Amanda and I can’t wait to try it! Thank you very much for joining in the celebration of #purebloglove, we enjoy having you each week. I hope to see you on Thursday at 8PM, EST through Sunday night. ~Cydnee
Thank you so much Cydnee!! I hope you love it! I’ll definitely see you tonight for the party 😀
Amanda ~
Thanks for sharing at the Thursday Favorites Blog Hop! Hope to see you back tonight!You were featured on Tuesday Treasures.
Thank you Debi!! I just linked up, Thursday Favorites Blog Hop is one of my favorite parties 😀
That looks about good enough to eat! I’ve never been a fan of fried rice, but that looks so colorful and pretty! I wonder how this would do using cauliflower rice?
I found you on Miz Helen’s link party and wanted to invite you to my link party as well. It’s called Food & Fitness Friday and happens every Friday! I hope you will stop by and share one of these yummy food posts!
Thank you so much Jebbica!! I’ve never made it with cauliflower rice, but it would definitely be a great twist 🙂 I’ll be sure to stop by!
The chicken looks amazing and the rice delicious! 🙂
Thank you Petra!! Definitely one of my favorite things to make 🙂
Amanda, I love your version of Chicken Fried rice! Love how you cooked the chicken in teriyaki sauce.! Mouthwatering recipe! 🙂
Thank you so much Indu!! The flavors really compliment each other 😀
Oh, Amanda!! I love anything fried rice, especially the ones with so many add-ins – a happy fried rice, I call it. This looks so good. I think I’ll get myself a take out as I can’t make it now (I am currently at my work place, unlucky me).
Have a wonderful week. xx
Thank you so much Jhuls!! I love that, a happy fried rice 😀 Hope your week is off to a great start 🙂
Stir fried rice is my go to way to use leftovers, love the slow cooked chicken.
What a great way to use up leftovers Liz! 😀
I love fried rice so much but I can never make mine as good as take out fried rice!! I think your version, with the slow cooked teriyaki chicken is the best I’ve seen! I’d bet it tastes better than take out. You’re a genius!
Awww thank you SO much Angie!! Some takeout meals can be tricky to make at home, I sure hope you love this one 😀
This looks amazing! I can almost taste it:) nice flavors!
Thank you Olga!! 😀
We will just love your Chicken Fried Rice, it looks so good! Thanks so much for sharing with Full Plate Thursday and have a great week.
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
Thank you Miz Helen! 😀
Your shredded chicken looks fabulous! I’ll have to try that soon!
Thank you Ginger!! I hope you love the flavors 😀
This looks amazing! I’ve never made it at home but you’ve inspired me!
Thank you Julie!! It’s so much fun to make, I hope you love it 🙂
This looks like a fun twist on chicken fried rice–with the precooked slow-cooker teriyaki chicken. I usually just stir fry my chicken, but this looks more flavorful. My boys would love this after a hard hockey practice! All printed out and ready to go! Thanks.
Thank you Meg!! I hope you LOVE it 😀
I haven’t had chicken fried rice in a long time, I think it’s time for some. I love your recipe, it looks fantastic!
Thank you Jo!! I see a “make your own takeout” night in your future 😉
Looks very satisfying!
Thank you Sridevi!! 😀
Definitely feel like fried rice after seeing this post.. it’s been too long since I’ve had some!
Thank you Thalia!! I hope you make and love this 😀
Nice pictures! Makes me want to grab a bowl of this myself. 🙂
Thank you Jenna!! I pretty much ate that whole bowl of rice right after the photos were taken 😉
Soooo I’m so stupid! I never thought of putting chicken in fried rice! I thought there was a rule out there that it HAD to be pork. This is no such rule!! I’d like putting chicken in WAY better.. I’m so making this. Pinned- obv. 😉
Awwww, sooooo not stupid at all! I’ve always been a veggie fried rice kind of girl (from take out anyway) lol. I hope you LOVE it… we’re hooked! 😉
Thanks for the recipe and the tips. We often make a big batch of rice to go with meals through the whole week – making a batch of fried rice would be a good way to mix it up!
That sounds like an awesome idea Liz!! I love using leftovers for many different meals, I feel like I’m really getting a good value 🙂
This looks delicious!! 😀 I love fried rice recipes! yours looks insanely flavourful… yum!
Thank you Dini!! 😀 Fried rice is one of those dishes that most people just love 🙂
This looks yummy!! I prefer homemade fried rice over take-out because, as you said, you can customize it. I hate take-out fried rice where you get almost all rice and not much of anything else.
Thank you!! You’re so right Thao… all rice and not many other ingredients can be such a let down!
This is a wonderful lunch combination. Looks delicious
Thank you skd!! 😀