Chicken Fried Rice

Most of the time, when I make rice for dinner, I am sure to have extras in order to fix some version of fried rice the following night. Fried rice is best prepared with rice that is a day old because it tends to loose its moisture and will be less likely to stick together. I have previously posted a recipe for shrimp fried rice and this version, made with chicken is very similar, very simple to do at home and very delicious!

It is helpful to prepare all of the ingredients before starting to cook because once the process begins there is very little time from start to finish. Start with having your left over rice ready to go and then mince 1-2 cloves of garlic and about a 1 inch knob of fresh ginger and set aside. Next, chop about a 1/4 cup of onion and other vegetables you wish to include such as broccoli, celery, carrots, etc., I used orange bell pepper because that is what I happened to have in the refrigerator. Dice 1 cooked boneless skinless chicken breast into small cubes (you can also substitute rotisserie chicken, or left over chicken/game hen as well). In a small bowl combine 1/4 cup of soy sauce with 1 tablespoon of rice wine vinegar, 1 teaspoon of chili garlic paste and 1 teaspoon of sweet chili sauce. Crack 1 egg in a small bowl and whisk to break up the yolk and combine well with the whites.

Now, preheat a large skillet (or wok if you have one) over medium high heat with 2 tablespoons of peanut or canola oil. When the pan is nice and hot add the whisked egg to the pan and scrabble (this should only take about 10-15 seconds). When finished set aside for use at the very end. To the same pan, add the vegetables and the chopped onion and stir fry for a minute or two. Next add the garlic and ginger being careful not to let them burn and again stir fry for a few minutes. Add the chopped chicken, followed by the rice and stir to combine and warm through. Place the reserved scrabbled egg back in the pan and thoroughly incorporate in the fried rice. Pour over the soy sauce mixture, turn off the heart and toss, being sure to remove any tasty brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Serve hot with soy and hot sauce on the side.