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20 Minute Chicken Fried Rice

20 Minute Chicken Fried Rice is a takeout-style skillet dinner with tender chicken, softly scrambled eggs, and rice that toasts for separate, fluffy grains. Stir-fry with a soy-sesame sauce and finish with green onions for bright, savory flavor.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 20 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Calories: 560
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

vegetable oil
  • 1 tbsp vegetable oil divided
boneless skinless chicken breast
  • 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast cut into small pieces
  • 0.5 tsp salt
  • 0.25 tsp black pepper
eggs
  • 2 eggs lightly beaten
yellow onion
  • 0.5 cup diced yellow onion
garlic
  • 2 clove garlic, minced
frozen peas and carrots
  • 1 cup frozen peas and carrots
cold cooked long-grain white rice
  • 4 cup cold cooked long-grain white rice
soy sauce and sesame oil
  • 3 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
green onions
  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Cook chicken
  1. Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken breast with salt and black pepper.
  2. Cook the chicken for 5–6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden and cooked to 165°F. Transfer it to a plate.
Scramble eggs
  1. Add the beaten eggs to the skillet and cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring gently, until softly scrambled. Transfer them to the plate with the chicken.
Stir-fry vegetables
  1. Heat the remaining 1 tbsp vegetable oil. Add the yellow onion and cook for 2 minutes until slightly softened.
  2. Stir in the garlic and frozen peas and carrots. Cook for 1–2 minutes until the garlic is fragrant and the vegetables are hot.
Fry the rice and finish
  1. Add the cold cooked long-grain white rice. Cook over high heat for 2–3 minutes, tossing frequently until the grains separate and begin to lightly toast.
  2. Return the chicken breast and eggs to the skillet. Pour in the low-sodium soy sauce and toasted sesame oil.
  3. Toss everything for 1–2 minutes until evenly coated and hot. Stir in the green onions and serve immediately.

Notes

For best texture, use cold cooked rice so the grains separate instead of turning sticky. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat in a hot skillet or microwave until steaming. Freezing is not recommended because the rice and vegetables can soften after thawing. If you want a lighter option, swap half the chicken for shrimp or use less chicken and add extra peas and carrots for volume.