This easy-to-make chicken fried Rice is so easy to prepare, irresistible, and satisfying! This fried Rice is one of my favorite recipes that I make often. One-pan rice is ready in 20 minutes. Ingredients are simple and readily available in the pantry.
This recipe makes a perfect weeknight quick dinner to serve with sauteed veggies or a salad on the side. And the leftovers can make a go-to lunch box.

Details of the Recip Ingredients

1. This recipe is the Indo-Chinese version that we get in Indian-Chinese restaurants in India. The first thing you may notice is that I have used basmati rice(not jasmine rice). Indo-Chinese recipes mainly incorporate sauces into the Indian ingredients and Rice. The second thing is you will notice is not adding any vegetables. This step is intentional to keep it authentic to restaurant-style Indo-Chinese chicken fried Rice.
2. In most recipes, you can see that it recommends using cold Rice or the Rice cooked a day in advance and stored in the refrigerator. I never follow this method. Freshly made warm Rice tastes the best. Open the rice pot and let it cool down to come to room temperature, and add the newly cooked Rice to make fried Rice. Using warm Rice is the key to good tasting fried Rice.
3. Skipping the veggies keeps the recipe authentic for the Indo-Chinese version that we eat in the Southern part of India. But it tastes good if you decide to add any vegetable to this recipe. Veggies should not be overcooked and sauteed for 3 minutes on high heat. Some of the vegetables that go well with this recipe are carrots, peas, cabbage, bell peppers, etc. (similar veggies in authentic Chinese fried Rice).  
4. I have used regular cooking oil and not sesame oil (again, using sesame oil is the authentic Chinese version)!
5. In the Indo-Chinese version, dark soy (Example: Ching’s secret) sauce is better (very thick and concentrated when compared to Chinese soy sauce (Kikkoman, Lee Kum Kee, Koon Chun Soy Sauces).

Ingredients, Alternatives, and Tips

Chicken: I have used chicken tenders in this recipe (soft, boneless presliced chicken). If you are using chicken breasts, cut them into thin slices to cook faster on the skillet. 

Oil: I have used regular cooking oil. Any neutral oil is good to use for this recipe. 

Onions: I have used red onions (adds a little sweetness). Any other variety of onions are okay to use.

Eggs: If you are not a fan of scrambled eggs, you can skip them. 

White Rice: I have used Indian Basmati rice. Change to your favorite rice variety. Fried rice recipes typically call for Chinese-style medium-grain. Thai-style versions use fragrant jasmine and Japanese-style short-grain Rice.

Sauce: Mirin, Brown sugar, Garlic flakes, Red chili flakes, Soy Sauce, Cilantro, Scallions. Some other ingredients you can add are freshly grated ginger, hot sauce, and stir fry sauce.

Main Steps of the Recipe:

1. Prepping the Chicken: Cooking the chicken on a pan and shredding it to add to the fried Rice
2. Sauteeing: Sauteing the onions, eggs and adding the Rice and chicken
3. Preparing the Sauce: Mixing all the ingredients to make the sauce
4. Garnishing: Garnshing the fried Rice with cilantro and scallions.

Process Instructions:

Step 1

Take the chicken pieces, preferably tenderloins (cut into think slices if using chicken breasts), in a pan or a skillet with 1 1/2 Tbsp of oil. Saute the chicken on both sides with salt and black pepper as needed. Make sure that both sides of the chicken cook thoroughly.
Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate and shred the chicken pieces into small bite-sized pieces with the fork and a knife.

Step 2

In a wok, take 1 1/2 Tbsp of oil, add 3/4 cup of chopped onions. Saute the onions for a minute or until translucent. Make some space in the center of the pan and add two eggs. Cook the eggs and mix them with the onions.
Add 3 cups of cooked white Rice and the shredded chicken pieces. Mix the chicken and Rice well with eggs and onions.

Step 3

To make the sauce, add 1 Tbsp of mirin, 1 tsp brown sugar, 1 tsp garlic flakes, 1 tsp chili flakes, 1 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce in a small bowl, and mix everything well.
Pour the sauce onto the prepared Rice and adjust the salt if needed. Cook the Rice with the sauce for a couple of minutes on high flame.
Add 1/4 cup of cilantro and 1/4 cup of scallions to garnish and serve hot with stir-fried veggies and sauce.

Storage Instructions

1. It stores well at room temperature for about 4 to 5 hours. It will stay good in the refrigerator for almost a day.
2. If planning to make this ahead of time, it is easy to store all the dish components separately. Chicken can be prepared two days in advance and refrigerated in an airtight container. You can prep the Rice and veggies a few hours before. 

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