Takeout-Style Chicken Fried Rice

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

The friendliest possible introduction to wok cooking: day-old rice, soft egg ribbons, and juicy diced chicken thigh, seasoned with a light hand so the toasty rice — not the soy sauce — is what you taste. One skillet, about 12 minutes of actual cooking.

Ingredients

• 4 cups cooked long-grain white rice (jasmine preferred), cold from the fridge

• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2-inch dice
• 2 tsp Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1/4 tsp white pepper

• 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp oyster sauce
• 1/2 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1/2 tsp sugar

• 3 tbsp neutral oil, such as peanut or canola
• 3 large eggs, beaten with a pinch of salt
• 1 small yellow onion, finely diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp grated fresh ginger
• 3/4 cup frozen peas and carrots, thawed
• 4 scallions, whites and greens separated, thinly sliced
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt, or to taste

Instructions

1. If you don't have leftover rice, cook 1 1/2 cups raw jasmine rice with 25% less water than usual, spread it on a sheet pan, and refrigerate uncovered at least 1 hour (overnight is better). You want dry, separate grains.
2. Toss the diced chicken thigh with the Shaoxing wine, 1 tsp soy sauce, cornstarch, and white pepper. Let it sit 15 minutes at room temperature while you prep everything else.
3. Whisk the sauce ingredients — 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and sugar — in a small bowl. This is all the liquid the rice gets; resist adding more later.
4. Break up the cold rice with wet hands or a fork so there are no clumps. Have every ingredient measured and within arm's reach of the stove — fried rice moves fast.
5. Heat a 12-inch carbon steel skillet, cast iron, or wok over high heat until a drop of water skitters and evaporates in about 2 seconds, roughly 2 minutes. Add 1 tbsp oil and swirl.
6. Add the chicken in a single layer and let it sit undisturbed 90 seconds to brown, then stir-fry 2 to 3 minutes more until just cooked through and lightly caramelized. Transfer to a plate.
7. Reduce heat to medium, add 1/2 tbsp oil, and pour in the beaten eggs. Let them set for 20 seconds, then push and fold with a spatula for another 20 to 30 seconds until they form soft, barely-set ribbons. Scrape them onto the chicken plate — they will finish cooking later.
8. Return the pan to high heat with the remaining 1 1/2 tbsp oil. Add the onion and scallion whites and stir-fry 2 minutes until translucent at the edges. Add garlic and ginger and stir constantly for 30 seconds, just until fragrant.
9. Add the cold rice and the 1/2 tsp salt. Spread it out and press it against the hot surface, then flip and toss. Keep pressing and tossing for 3 to 4 minutes until the grains are hot, dry, and starting to pop and toast in the pan.
10. Drizzle the sauce around the edge of the pan rather than onto the rice — it sizzles and caramelizes on contact. Toss hard for 1 minute until the color is even and light golden brown, not dark.
11. Return the chicken, eggs, and thawed peas and carrots to the pan. Toss 1 to 2 minutes to heat through, breaking the egg into bite-size pieces with the spatula edge.
12. Kill the heat, fold in the scallion greens, and taste. Add salt in pinches if it needs it — more soy sauce at this point will make it muddy. Serve immediately in warmed bowls.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

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