Easy Chicken Fried Rice Recipe - Savory Nothings (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret of Chinese fried rice? ›

The secret is all in the prep: use precooked rice for the best results, and leftover char siu pork is the perfect flavour burst. Make the fried rice stir-fry sauce by mixing the soy sauce, shaoxing wine and sugar. Prepare, measure and chop all ingredients before cooking.

To give your dish that signature fried rice taste, you'll need to drizzle in sesame oil and soy sauce, but feel free to use as much or as little as you wish. You can even mix in things like garlic powder, ginger root, or Sriracha sauce and chili pepper for a bit of a kick.

Starting with freshly cooked or well-chilled rice guarantees it won't clump up as you stir-fry it. Frying in batches compensates for the low heat output of Western stovetops. Keeping the seasoning very light allows the flavor of the rice and aromatics to come through.

In fact, it's critical. Unlike freshly cooked rice, which forms soft, mushy clumps when stir-fried, chilled leftover white rice undergoes a process called retrogradation, in which the starch molecules form crystalline structures that make the grains firm enough to withstand the second round of cooking.

How can you get that “taste” of fried rice from restaurants? The three main flavorings in most Chinese foods seem to be soy sauce, ginger and sesame oil. First you need cold rice. Then toss it with some soy sauce and let it sit in the fridge.

The answer: high heat, expert tosses, and something known as 'wok hei. ' As J. Kenji López-Alt writes for Serious Eats, expert cooking with a wok (and the gas range it requires) is one of the main reasons that fried rice from a Chinese restaurant tastes so much better than what you can make at home.

Pick the Right Ingredients

There are three main ingredients of fried rice: eggs, vegetables and meat. Scrambled throughout the rice, eggs bring savory flavors and protein, while vegetables like broccoli, peas, carrots, and edamame add variety and depth to the dish. The more you have, the more robust the flavor.

It is key to the authentic flavor of this dish. Peanut oil. this is another ingredient that adds authentic flavor to this recipe, but if you have a peanut allergy in your household you can substitute canola oil or additional sesame oil for the peanut oil.

Fried rice syndrome is caused by a bacterium called Bacillus cereus, which is present in these types of starchy foods prior to cooking. Bacillus cereus is a heat-resistant bacteria, so even recooking foods that have not been appropriately refrigerated can result in food poisoning.

Should rice be cold before frying? ›

Use COLD day old rice: For best results! Cold rice will crisp up in the hot oil. Warm rice will not toast and can even become mushy. If you are in a pinch make the rice first and spread it out onto a baking sheet in a single layer.

Yes, provided it has been stored and reheated properly. Any leftover rice that you use for this recipe should be refrigerated within a couple of hours of cooking it. Additionally, as long as the fried rice is cooked at high heat on the skillet, there should be little concern. The rice should be good for up to 5 days.

Place the rice into a fine sieve and wash with water to remove excess starch.

Rice dries a little as it cools, and then dryness will help stop the fried rice going sticky and claggy. Rice that has cooled and dried a little will also absorb more flavour. Serve up with your favourite Chinese dish or even on its own.

Chinese cooks normally use soybean oil, vegetable oil, or peanut oil, all of which have a high smoke point. Peanut oil usually has a pleasant nutty flavor and is suitable not only for stir-frying but also for deep-frying. Canola oil, which has a high smoke point but a neutral flavor, is also a good choice.

What gives Chinese Fried Rice its taste? Chinese fried rice uses ingredients like garlic, ginger, white pepper, msg, and soy sauce to give it an incredibly aromatic flavor with lots of umami! Additionally, I love cooking my fried rice dishes in a wok to add a smoky element or wok hei to the final dish.

Toasted sesame oil: Toasted sesame oil adds a nutty and earthy taste to the dish. Unlike regular sesame oil, toasted sesame oil doesn't have a high smoke point and can quickly turn rancid if it cooks for too long. That's why it must be added at the end of the cooking process.

Sugar will also offer a nice contrast to the saltiness in your homemade fried rice, which helps replicate the flavor of takeout. This is why sugar should be considered one of the underrated ingredients to amp up your fried rice game.