This easy fried rice is a quick family favorite recipe. It can be made with or without meat.
Use chicken, pork, tofu or leave it plain! Make a big batch and freeze it for later. Win-Win-Win.
Meal #2: Chicken Fried Rice.
Today I am making a few meals out of one roasted chicken. If you missed Meal #1 Roast Chicken instructions you are in luck. I posted it a bit ago.
I love making a roast chicken because it allows me to make a few meals out of that first one.
Other reasons…
Its cheap
thrifty
saves time
and hey, more time means more time for couponing right?
Ingredients:
3.5 Cups uncooked rice
Sesame Oil
8-10 Eggs
1 cup Leftover Roast Chicken (or ham or any other kind of meat really) chopped
Package of frozen mixed vegetables (or use your food processor and finely chop any kinds of veggies you have lyin’ around…example broccoli, cabbage, carrots, celery, onion, etc.)
1/3 cup Chicken Soup Base from Winco (or 1-2 packages Fried Rice seasoning mix)
Directions:
Cook your Rice according to package instructions.
If you are making dinner ahead of time you can chill the rice, or if making it last minute like I do, just let the rice steam an additional 15 minutes after it is done after the heat is off.
Next, Mix your eggs, add a dash of salt n pepper. Then go ahead and scramble-cook them.
I normally just add a little butter to the pan. Then continually scrape pan and cook till done. Set eggs aside in a bowl.
Using the same pan, add 1/4 cup sesame oil. Toss in chopped roasted chicken or other meat.
Cook for a few minutes.
Then add your vegetables and chicken soup base/seasoning packets to the chicken and cook until vegetables are done.
It should look like this when done.
Add in your egg mixture.
Then just add your mix to the cooked rice.
Mix it all up and serve. Yum!
For Freezer Meal cooking you can add your cooked Fried Rice to gallon ziploc bags or in a 9×13 size pan covered with foil. Often I do the 9×13 size because I can just take it out of the freezer and put in the oven for about 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees to heat through.
Ingredients
- 3.5 cups Uncooked Rice
- 1/4 cup Sesame Oil
- 8 Eggs
- 1 cup Leftover Roast Chicken chopped or ham or any other kind of meat really
- 16 oz Package of frozen mixed vegetables (or use your food processor and finely chop any kinds of veggies you have lyin around...example broccoli cabbage, carrots, celery, onion, etc.)
- 1/3 cup Chicken Soup Base from Winco or 1-2 packages Fried Rice seasoning mix
Instructions
- Cook your Rice according to package instructions. If you are making dinner ahead of time you can chill the rice, or if making it last minute like I do, just let the rice steam an additional 15 minutes after it is done after the heat is off.
- Next, Mix your eggs, add a dash of salt n pepper. Then go ahead and scramble-cook them. I normally just add a little butter to the pan. Then continually scrape pan and cook till done. Set eggs aside in a bowl.
- Using the same pan, add 1/4 cup sesame oil. Toss in chopped roasted chicken or other meat. Cook for a few minutes.
- Then add your vegetables and chicken soup base/seasoning packets to the chicken and cook until vegetables are done.
- Then just add your mix to the cooked rice.
- Mix it all up and serve. Yum!
- For Freezer Meal cooking you can add your cooked Fried Rice to gallon freezer safe bags or in a 9x13 size pan covered with foil. Often I do the 9x13 size because I can just take it out of the freezer and put in the oven for about 30-40 minutes at 350 degrees to heat through.
—> See ALL of my Freezer Meals recipes here.
Don’t Forget to Pin It to Save It!
The chicken soup base you are referring to, from Winco. Is that in the bulk section? Wow, this sounds really yummy. Thanks for sharing! I don’t have any rice tonight and I’m HUNGRY, so I think I am going to try this with couscous. 🙂
I am trying this recipe tonight. I didn’t have any sesame oil so I popped over to get some at the store…$12.00!!!!! And that was the sale price. If this is a good recipe then I think I will try an Oriental store to get my sesame oil next time, to see if it’s any cheaper. Thanks for the recipe though. I LOVE fried rice and this makes a TON!
I just took a cooking class and they told us we can substitute canola oil for sesame or peanut. They recommend it because some people have nut allergies and the canola is safe to use.
You can definitely substitute with canola oil, but if you can find an affordable sesame oil & keep it around to at least use a tsp or 2 in your fried rice (or many other asian dishes) it really makes a big impact on the flavor 🙂
I agree – sesame oil has a very strong flavour (or at least the kind I buy does), so I use half sesame, half regular oil when I make fried rice. I think I use 1 tbsp per recipe, but that small amount makes a HUGE difference in the dish!
I use peanut oil, same effect. Both are great 🙂
p.s. totally good!!!
So glad you like it Becki! 🙂
You can substitute Olive Oil. The above ingredients are great and can be altered according to what u have on hand. Read the Fried Rice flavoring packet. http://www.ehow.com is a great resource for receipes also.
OMGosh!!! My 4 yr old daughter & I are literally eating this right now & it’s wonderful! She just loves it. Best of all it really makes alot. We love the Sesame Oil in other recipes so I would never change that & I used two packets of seasoning. I also added some splashes of soy sauce while cooking the veggies as well. I freeze meals over a couple weeks times to send back to work with my husband so he doesn’t have to cook & it saves us money so he doesn’t have to eat out. He works out of state. He’s gone for two weeks & home for one. He is going to love this one as well! My two teenage boys aren’t home right now but they eat everything. lol Thank you so much for sharing this!
For fried rice I have found using jasmine rice e really adds that authentic flavor also cooking a day before and letting the rice sit in the fridge before using to make the stir fry reduces the starch and the rice cooks better
Wow! A fried rice recipe almost identical to how my mom makes fried rice! I’ve never seen another family that makes it like that! I’m a little excited about this…
Thanks Sarah, I love this recipe!
I’m aghast at how much landfill you are creating. How is it saving money using plastic bags and disposable foil containers? All the processed ingredients you add. You buy salad dressing because you have a coupon yet don’t know what to do with it all?
To Sarah; What is different about this fried rice recipe? It’s exactly how fried rice is made all over the US with the exception of the processed soup base flavoring packet.
Not sure about the plastic bags,but the foil containers are recyclable materials. I’m sure with some research,for those who are so inclined,could find out about recycle programs in their areas.About the salad dressing,I usually get six month to a year supply for myself. There are many uses for the dressings,not just for salads.I know a lot of people are aghast about using processed foods, but for most of us it is the only practical way to buy food. Buying healthy foods all the time is very expensive and for those,who are on a limited income,it is nearly impossible to do. I truly hope you are having a bad day and are not always so negative
I would assume that you are actually putting less in landfills, I know we do while freezer cooking. Most items are purchased in bulk, resulting in less packaging. Less energy is used to prepare the meals, as you do multiples at the same times. By doing multiples, you are also saving on buying detergents (more packaging) to wash the dishes and run the dishwasher (or sink-which takes more water). Your freezer also uses less energy when it’s full.
All in all, you are leaving less of a footprint on the environment by using a recyclable pan.
You can recycle the bags too! I buy Ziploc and it clearly says on the box. Get you some of that green mean machine! You handled her cynical comment beautifully! I can’t stand people who pretend that they are sooo green, if she truly was so concerned, she would already know what was recyclable. Its not like your lading the freezer with styrofoam!
Wow , Janet you sound like a jerk…
So Janet I guess you freeze stuff in newspaper? Sounds like it’s time to take a “nice” pill.
I was always told that freezing rice doesnt work well because it gets mushy… how long do you usually freeze this for? I am trying to build up a cookbook for college and freezer meals seem to be my best bet.
-Thanks
I fully cook my rice – and make sure it’s steamed a bit longer before I add the veggies. So I have never had a mushy fried rice as of yet.
Can I use Quinoa instead of rice? Trying to be healthy.
I’ve never done it with quinoa but I’m sure it will work wonderfully!
I’ve had really good results with freezing rice. We eat brown rice, so it takes a while to cook. I usually make a double batch and keep the other half in the freezer for a night when I need rice quickly. I’ve had good results with white rice, as well. These are the less-sticky varieties, like basmati or jasmine (not the stickier asian varieties). I thaw it in a sink of hot water and either toss it straight in the pan (for fried rice) or microwave it in a partially covered glass dish with about a tsp of water to help it resteam and taste fresh.
Did I see a substitute for the Seasoning somewhere ? It called for sugar, nutritional yeast, onion powder, salt and garlic powder. But I’m not sure of the equivalents for this sized batch> Help anyone?
I don’t want to be demanding. But, I thought that you loved me. [I know you don’t know me but your posts show your love…plus you don’t know me so why not love me?] Am I just missing the nice printable recipe option? I’m trying to get ready for a big freezer meal extravaganza and I like to have all of my recipes printed out. Love your posts…I almost always get a smile or a laugh out of them and that is much needed when the wee ones are the main entertainment around here. Thanks so much and PLEASE add an awesome printer friendly doo-dad.
Ha ha ha!! I DO love you!! 🙂 Just added it to prove my love. Have fun freezer cooking! Oh and if you use instagram please post pictures and use hashtag #50FreezerMealsinaDay I wanna see!
My cousin and I are getting together in two weeks to do a session together. I don’t Instagram yet, but I might start. She has a smart phone and I don’t….makes Instagram a bit easier. I hear it’s what all of the cool kids are doing these days! I’m doing a modified version of yours.
You totally should figure out instagram before then and do it. It doesn’t have to be only my version…just that you are doing 50! Wow, how awesome!
Does this make multiple batches? Or is this just the recipe for one meal? I’m confused, unless I’m not seeing it somewhere. Thanks!
This batch makes enough for one meal for my family. We love it and usually don’t have leftovers but if you were feeding a smaller amount of people it could definitely last for a couple meals!
There are four in your family, correct? There are five in mine, 3 teen girls and the parental units, think this would be enough? Do you add anything to this meal side dish wise? Thanks!
Nope, no side dishes typically as it kind of seems to hit all the groups – meat, veggie and starch. This recipe makes quite a bit! I think you could get by with this batch for your family.
If I might make a suggestion… skip the egg-scrambling step. You can do everything else just the same, minus the rice, and freeze/save/store… we’ll circle back to that later.
About the rice, here’s how I make it: in a wok, or any deep skillet really, put a bit of olive oil and add some finely chopped onion until tender. Then throw in some day-old rice cooked with no salt or oil (smaller batches are easier to stir, but you can do one giant batch too), “fry” the rice for a couple of minutes and then add the eggs, roughly one egg for every 2 cups of rice, stirring swiftly until the eggs disappear into the rice. Then add soy sauce, sesame oil and a touch of hickory smoke sauce (sorry, I suck at measuring), stir until the rice is nice and dry and voila… you now have a nice fried rice “base” to get creative with. Read: keep adding ingredients to your heart’s desire hahaha. You can add your lovely previously described concoction, which I’m gonna try real soon, or simply throw in whatever leftovers you can find. I’ve had this as a side dish for Asian-inspired meat recipes, or as a main dish with a balanced combination of ingredients similar to the one you used
Last quick note, the egg-in-rice-first thing was a tip passed on to my mom way back when by some Chinese chef at a restaurant famous for its fried rice. By the way, no matter what kind of fried rice I’m making, my last two ingredients to add are always chopped green onions and bean sprouts, stir around for a couple of minutes until the bean sprouts are tender and that’s it
Thanks for the tip, Anna!
I’m following your 50 freezer meals post, and had a question regarding the recipes. Does each recipe only account for 1 meal instead of the number in parenthesis next to the recipe? If so, that would mean I need to multiple all the ingredients in this recipe “Fried Rice (5)” by 5, correct?
Thanks!
Yes, Tessa! That is right! You would make each recipe the amount of times in the parenthesis next to it!
Eggs galore for this recipe! Thanks for getting back to me so fast! I’ll be doing this all day Sunday :).
Let me know how it goes!
I am dying to make this recipe, but I am stumped on the seasoning packets. I don’t have a winco and for the life of me cannot find fried rice seasoning- any advice?
BTW- I live near a big Asian market and they have great deals on bulk rice, all types of oils and spices.
I would see if they have anything comparable at the stores near you. I have seen other varieties in the spice aisles of my stores. The Asian market might also be a great resource to you, too.
Instead of the Winco soup base, can I use Better than bouillon chicken flavor? Do you know how much I would use as an equivalent to your original recipe? Thanks.
Yes, absolutely. In fact I have been using better than boullion for the past year and love it. I just take a big scoop of that stuff out and add it instead. Maybe like 1-2 heaping tablespoons.
This may be a dumb question but I notice in your “quantities” for 50 freezer meals – you make 5 batches of this. Right? So do I multiply the ingredients by 5? Certainly not – that’s like 50 eggs. Haha. But seriously – how many “meals” does this yield?
Yes, I make five servings of this and multiply the ingredients by 5! I know it seems like a lot but it feeds my family for a full meal. 🙂
I’ve saved a couple of your recipes, great great ideas! The oven baked chicken strips, chicken taquitos, breakfast sandwiches are all on my shopping list! I have done a very similar recipe for freezer chicken (or terakai pork is awesome too) I have found that I can make a batch (or two) of rice in my rice cooker, cool, refrigerate for a day or so before assembling for freezer. The rice tends to cook up really nice that way (something about the starches) I add to the bag, cooked chicken (or pork) frozen veggies and prefer to add the egg fresh when cooking. Great blog with great ideas! Thank You!! Oh, and the sesame oil is a MUST! Got mine from an asian market at a very affordable price, do not need a lot for great flavor!
I just made three batches of this and I’m exhausted!! For anyone with smaller families (2 adults and 2 little kids) this is an enormous portion. I would definitely recommend splitting the recipe between two smaller pans. I used two heaping Tbs of Better than Bouillon and half toasted sesame oil and half regular sesame oil (still totaling 1/4 cup like the recipe suggests). This is seriously delicious. We’re all enjoying it right now! Thanks for a great recipe!
So glad you liked it! YUM!
This looks really yummy and easy! time to stop getting take-out!
I’m a little confused, do you add the rice in to the rest of the ingredients before you freeze it or do you leave the rice out and make it fresh when you want to eat it?
Sorry if that was unclear. 🙂 You add the rice and finish cooking it with all of the ingredients. THEN you freeze it!
Awesome, thank you!
We’re big fans of fried rice in my house, and this recipe looks very similar to how I make it, except that I use raw chicken. I was always taught to only reheat chicken once, maximum. I’m just a little concerned about using already cooked chicken, in a dish that is going to be cooled, frozen, and then reheated?
When it calls for 3.5 cups of uncooked rice that seems like a lot more then 6 servings no? What type of rice do you use?
Wow! This recipe sounds super easy and quick, but looks super yummy! I love that it’s a freezer meal. I will definitely try it out, and will only make some swaps to make it vegan!
Thanks a lot for the recipe!
Sina
Look YUM! I often make fried rice too! However, I prefer adding the egg directly to the frying rice. The color of rice will become yellow and it looks more tasty 😛
Hi hi – can this be reheated in a crockpot? I noticed you put that you’ll reheat in the oven, and if that’s the best way I’ve got no qualms, but curious to know if I could dump the bag in my crockpot and leave it alone until supper.
No, I wouldn’t recommend slow cooker, sorry! It’s a little too dry for cooking in the slowcooker.
Hi!! Thank you sooooo much for writing this post I love it!!! One quick question – can i substitute lobster for chicken? What about adding saffron would that work? I only ask bcos i live in Maine and just <3 eating lobster!!! 🙂 And saffron is just yummm in the tummm!!
Thank you soo much for blog and for your cooking inspiration! We all need roll models in life and you are 1 of mine!!
Ooooh – sounds interesting! I say give it a try! Lobster and saffron might work!