Chicken Fried Rice Recipe

This is one cheap meal. And everything is cooked in one pan. You can't get much cheaper than rice, veggies and chicken. Oh, and you add two eggs to make my Chicken Fried Rice.

I marinade the chicken in a couple of sauces that I get from my local 99c only Store. Most regular grocery stores sell soy sauce and oyster sauce. If you can't find oyster sauce then use easy-to-get Teriyaki or Sweet and Sour sauce.

For chicken you only need a half breast or a leg quarter (combined leg and thigh.) So your stir fry can be white or dark meat, it's up to you. I take off the skin and slice the meat off the bone. You can purchase boneless and skinless chicken for convenience and more money. You could also just saute the large chicken segments with skin and bone and break it down later.

I get chicken from my local Latin market for 99 cent per pound or less.

The main thing is to use cooked/steamed rice. And it's best if the rice has been in the refrigerator for a couple of hours or overnight. This allows the rice grains to separate and slightly dry out, so they don't get soggy when refrying. Anyway I always have leftover rice in the freezer. So just defrost it if you have any.

Everything is sauteed in a wok or a large frying pan and it all come together quickly. Also, my Chicken Fried Rice microwaves well the next day(s).

This is the first in my Cheapie Chicken Recipe Series, so check back as I have a coopfull of tasty entrees for you for the rest of the month, including a Fried Chicken Sandwich video.

Ingredients (about 2 servings)

• 1 pound of chicken - a half breast or leg quarter (thigh and leg,) or any favorite combination. Cut into bite sized pieces. You can also just saute whole chicken piece in marinade and slice it off the bone.
• 2 cups cooked rice - I mixed brown and white rice. Follow package directions. Best to let cooked rice set a couple hours in the refrigerator or overnight. 1 cup of uncooked rice makes 2 cups of cooked.
• 1/4 cup frozen peas - defrosted (canned are too mushy.)
• 1/2 carrot - about a 1/4 cup peeled and chopped. I used shredded from the bag.
• 2 green onions - sliced, about 1/4 cup, include green stem. Okay to substitute with regular white or yellow onion.
• 1 teaspoon chopped garlic - fresh or from jar.
• 2 eggs - scramble
  
• 2 tablespoons cooking oil - or sesame oil, for sauteing veggies and chicken.
• Pepper to taste - optional. No salt necessary as soy sauce has plenty.

* Add more or less carrot, peas and onion to suit your taste.

Chicken Marinade

• 1/2 teaspoon ginger - chopped or grated. I used it from a jar. Okay to use powdered ginger.
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic - chopped. I used it from a jar.
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce - I used low sodium.
• 2 tablespoons of oyster sauce - or a favorite Oriental sauce like Teriyaki or Sweet and Sour. If you use Teriyaki or Sweet and Sour sauce then leave out honey, as it's now plenty sweet.
• 1 teaspoon honey or favorite sweetener.

Directions
First cook 1 cup of rice according to package directions (brown rice takes a little longer to steam.) Best to refrigerate overnight, or at least a couple of hours. This allows rice grains to set and separate -- so it doesn't get too mushy during stir frying. My recipe uses 2 cups of cooked rice.

Remove skin and slice chicken off the bone (or use boneless and skinless) and add to a bowl. Pour in the marinade ingredients and mix well. You can let the chicken set in the marinade (in the refrigerator) for half an hour, or go right to sauteing.

If you don't want to fool with removing the bone then just saute the chicken whole and remove the flesh when it cools down. It takes longer to cook the chicken all the way through, so add extra cooking time.

Over a medium hot, wide pan, add oil and get the pan hot. Next put in the chicken with marinade. Saute the chicken until cooked through, about 5 minutes. Slice into largest chicken piece, it's done when there is no pink color or pink juices. 

When chicken is done, move it to a plate or bowl and set aside while you make the fried rice.

Add tablespoon oil to a medium/high heating pan. Add carrot, peas and green onion. Stir fry about 2 minutes to desired tenderness. I like my veggies a little crunchy.

Add cooked rice and mix well. Heat though about 2 minutes, continuously stirring to heat up all the rice.

Add cooked chicken and heat through for a minute. Push it aside with veggies and leave space for the rice.

Finally, push the veggies, chicken and rice to the edge of pan, forming a clear space in the middle of the pan.

Add 2 eggs and lightly scramble. (You could also pre-cook the scrambled egg and add it at this stage.) When egg is almost cooked through and firm, mix it into the rice, veggies and chicken. Cook another minute.

I like larger pieces of egg to show in my stir fry, so I don't break it up too much. Mix well and serve hot.

Hindsight
And this recipe is easy to double, if you are feeding a brood, or want leftovers to bring for lunch during the week - it reheats quickly and deliciously.

For the cheapest version use chicken legs or thighs. Don't worry about taking off the skin or bone. Just marinade the pieces and fry them up until done. When they cool down take the meat off the bone. You can get rid of the crispy fried skin if you want - or save it for the cook!

Add more or less chicken and veggies to suit your taste buds. Also, you can substitute broccoli or almost any favorite veggie, instead of peas and carrot.

Chinese Fried Rice

When I make pot of rice, I always make too much. Well, now The 99 Cent Chef has a tasty Chinese Fried Rice recipe, so, not a grain will ever be wasted again!

My fried rice is quick and easy to do -- from now on you'll be making extra rice just for this recipe. Just saute a few veggies, add a couple of eggs with the cooked rice, and flavor with soy sauce.

You can't get much cheaper than a bag of rice. If you live near a Latin or Oriental market, then rice is a lot cheaper than at a typical chain grocery store.

 In East Hollywood there is a great Thai grocery store on Melrose Avenue called Bangkok Market. Uncommon produce like lemon grass, bok choy, fish sauce and all types of fresh made noodles are on sale. (I have some Thai noodle dishes in the queue to figure out and share with you.) Click here to see what Yelpers have to say about Bangkok Market.

The main thing is to allow the cooked rice to set a few hours in the refrigerator, so the rice stays firm when reheated. Working with fresh, hot cooked rice can gum up the works. I usually freeze my leftover cooked rice and take it out, when I crave a stir fry. For my recipe below I mixed leftover brown and white rice.

You can make this recipe your own by adding different veggies to saute with the rice. I used frozen peas, carrot, garlic and green onions. I've had other fried rice with a bit of cabbage, chopped broccoli, and topped with a few slices of fresh cucumber as well.

There are as many different and nuanced fried rice versions; my Chinese Fried Rice is a delicious leaping-off recipe. And at the end of this post I have a few different fried rice recipe ideas for you to try out.

Ingredients (about 2 servings)

• 2 cups cooked rice - I mixed brown and white rice. Follow package directions.
• 1/4 cup frozen peas - defrosted (canned are too mushy.)
• 1/2 whole carrot - about a 1/4 cup peeled and chopped.
• 2 green onions - sliced, about 1/4 cup, include green stem. Okay to substitute with regular white or yellow onion.
• 1 teaspoon chopped garlic - fresh or from jar.
• 2 eggs
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon oil - for sauteing veggies.
• Pepper to taste - optional. No salt necessary as soy sauce has plenty.
• 1/2 teaspoon sweetener - your favorite, optional. Add at the end, to taste.

* Add more or less carrot, peas and onion to suit your taste.

Directions
First cook rice according to package directions (brown rice takes longer to steam.) Best to refrigerate overnight, or at least a couple of hours. This allows rice grains to set and separate -- so it doesn't get too mushy during stir frying. My recipe uses 2 cups of cooked rice.

Add tablespoon oil to a medium/high heating pan. Add carrot, peas and garlic. Stir fry about 3-5 minutes to desired tenderness. I like my veggies a little crunchy. Add chopped green onion and cook another minute.

Add cooked rice and mix well. Drizzle in soy sauce. Heat though about 2 minutes, continuously stirring to heat up all the rice.

Finally, push aside the veggies and rice to the edge of pan, forming a clear space in the middle of the pan.

Add 2 eggs and lightly scramble. (You could also pre-cook the scrambled egg and add it at this stage.) When egg is almost cooked through and firm, mix it into the rice.

I like larger pieces of egg to show in my stir fry, so I don't break it up too much. Finally add a little sweetener if you want. Mix well and serve hot.

Hindsight
You can add or subtract the amount of stir fry veggies I use. Don't have peas, don't worry about it, add a bit more carrot and onion.

Fried rice is a great accompaniment to steamed veggies. So you can mix in a cup of any favorite steamed veggie, right into the finished Chinese Fried Rice. I used typical carrot, peas and green onion, but you could use any favorite veggie you have on hand like: mushrooms, corn (from can or frozen,) broccoli, spinach, cabbage, cucumber, squash, or even a frozen packaged veggie mix.

If you want protein, then precook a cup of chicken, ground beef, steak, pork or seafood (like shrimp, scallops and krab.) You can just season and stir fry the meat. If you have a favorite teriyaki sauce then cook the meat or seafood in a couple of tablespoons. I like a mix of soy and oyster sauce -- about a tablespoon of each. You can also use leftover roasted chicken you get from any local market.

Fried rice freezes well, so double my recipe and chow down on my Chinese Fried Rice anytime!

Papaya Thai Fried Rice

Papaya is readily available at one of the Chef's favorite local Latin markets. Papayas are quite large, so along with a fresh drink using blended papaya and 99.99 cent carbonated water flavored with lime or lemon, the Chef came up with a Thai stir-fry rice dish to use up the rest of this mildly sweet Central American tropical fruit. Just peel and seed two cups of papaya and add it to sauteed Oriental flavored ground turkey or chicken, cooked white or brown rice, and a scrambled egg. It is a dish more subtly flavored than a typical Thai pineapple fried rice.

Ingredients
1 lb. 99.99 cent ground turkey or chicken- - substitutions include sliced chicken or pork
2 cups of peeled cubed papaya
1/4 cup each ketchup, oyster sauce, soy sauce
1/2 cup each chopped onion and bell pepper (optional)
4 cups of cooked white or brown rice
1 tbsp. of garlic - fresh or from jar
1 large egg
2 tbsps. of oil 
Directions
Scramble one egg in tsp. of oil and set aside. Stir fry ground turkey, garlic, ketchup, oyster sauce and soy sauce in one tbsp. of oil until turkey is done, 5 to 10 minutes and set aside. Mix rice, veggies and papaya and heat through for 5 minutes. Mix in meat and eggs. Ready to serve.