Easy Chicken Fried Rice (Better Than Takeaway)

I am starting my recipe section with something I genuinely enjoy making and find very easy to put together: chicken fried rice. It is one of those dishes that feels comforting, comes together quickly, and is perfect for busy days.

The actual cooking takes around 20 minutes, but do keep in mind that there is some pre-preparation involved. The 20 minutes refers only to the cooking time after everything is prepped.

Ingredients

For the fried rice

• ½ cup basmati rice, cooked the night before and stored in the fridge
• 3 cloves of garlic, finely diced
• ½ cup cabbage, finely chopped
• Spring onions (green and white parts separated)
• Vegetables of your choice (carrots, peas, etc.)
• 500 g chicken thighs (I find thighs more flavourful, but chicken breast works well if you prefer lean protein)
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 eggs, scrambled with salt and pepper (add chilli powder if you like heat)
• Coriander for garnish
• MSG (optional)

For the chicken marinade

• 500 g chicken
• 2–3 tbsp chilli powder
• 1 tbsp coriander powder
• ½  tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp cumin powder
• ½ tsp pepper
• 2 tsp salt to start with (adjust later if needed)
• 1 egg
• Cornflour (optional, if you prefer crispy chicken)
• A little oil

Tip: If you are unsure about salt, always add less at the beginning. You can adjust later, but fixing over-salted food is much harder 😊

Mix all the ingredients together and let the chicken marinate for about 1 hour.

Cooking the Chicken

Option 1: Air fryer

• Lightly spray the air fryer and the chicken with oil\

• Cook at 200°C for 12 minutes on each side

• Before adding the chicken to the rice, cook it for an additional 1 minute to get extra crispiness

Option 2: Pan frying

I try to avoid deep frying, so I use a mix of butter and oil instead.

• Cook the chicken on a medium flame for around 15 minutes
• Make sure all sides are evenly cooked