An easy, quick and family friendly meal, Leftover Chicken and Egg Fried Rice is perfect for a busy weeknight and a great way to use up your roast chicken leftovers… No leftover chicken? No problem. Read on to find out how to ‘create’ some leftovers…
The best leftover roast chicken recipe ever!
Hands up who loves a good chicken roast dinner? Me, me, me!! It’s definitely one of my favourites… especially my Greek Roast Chicken or my ever popular Classic Roast Chicken with Homemade Gravy.
But inevitably with a roast chicken there’s always some leftovers, and then there’s the dilemma of what to make with it…
Of course you could make chicken sandwiches or have cold meat and salad… but if you want to try something a bit more interesting, why not give my Leftover Chicken and Egg Fried Rice a go?
This recipe makes good use of leftovers, turning them into a really easy, family friendly – and totally delicious – weeknight dinner.
What’s more, by using a pack of ready prepared rice and easy veggies (hardly any chopping!), it’s quick too – this recipe takes just 15 minutes from start to finish – perfect for when time is tight, but you still want to eat well.
How to make Chicken Fried Rice with leftover chicken
This Leftover Chicken Fried Rice is so easy to make and only uses a few basic ingredients!
All you need to do is put the oil, cooked rice, shredded chicken, frozen peas, frozen sweetcorn, diced red pepper, spring onions and garlic into a frying pan, then stir-fry until everything is warmed through and the frozen veg is no longer frozen.
Next, make a well in the middle of the rice mixture and pour in the beaten eggs – leave to cook for 30 seconds, then continue stir-frying until you start to get some nice crispy bits. Pour in the soy sauce and sesame oil and fry for 1 more minute.
Serve scattered with a few extra spring onions.
(Full recipe given in the recipe card below.)
No leftover chicken? No problem!
This chicken fried rice recipe can also be made with rotisserie chicken.
Alternatively, you can simply pan fry two raw chicken breasts for about 6-7 minutes on each side on a medium heat, leave to rest for 5 minutes, shred using a couple of forks and then continue with the recipe.
My favourite fried rice cheat…
Hands down my favourite fried rice trick is to use pre-cooked rice – the kind they sell in supermarkets as “microwave rice”.
This is because one of the absolute “musts” of fried rice, is you must use COLD rice. By using pre-cooked microwave rice, you skip the faff of having to cook your rice and then cool it down!
This also dramatically cuts down on cooking time – the whole rice cooking/cooling palaver can take about 15-20 minutes. By skipping that step, you significantly cut down on total cooking time, meaning this delicious chicken fried rice takes just 15 minutes TOTAL time!
(To make this meal a little healthier I have used brown rice, but it will work just as well if you use white rice.)
Prefer to cook your rice?
I have used pre-cooked rice to make this dish really quick and easy, but if you prefer to cook your own rice, you absolutely can!
Start by cooking your rice according to packet instructions / your own preferences. (You will need about 170g uncooked rice to produce 500g cooked rice.)
When you have cooked your rice, you must cool it down first before starting to make the recipe – warm rice does not work well when making fried rice! I find the quickest way to do this is to drain my cooked rice in a sieve and then run the cold tap over it until it is cool.
Finally I leave the rice to sit over the pan it cooked in until it has dried out a little bit. Alternatively leave your rice to cool to room temperature, then put it in a lidded container in the fridge until you need it.
What to serve with Leftover Chicken Fried Rice
Leftover Chicken Fried Rice is a complete meal in its own right and so I don’t usually serve it with any sides.
However, if you wanted to turn this into a bigger meal, together with some of your other Chinese fakeaway favourites, you absolutely can!
Good options include:
- Sweet and Sour Chicken
- Sweet and Sour Pork
- Special Chow Mein
- Beef Chow Mein
- Crispy Sweet Chilli Chicken
- Sesame Chicken
Easy Sweet and Sour Pork
What to drink with Leftover Chicken Fried Rice
Chicken Fried Rice is very wine friendly and will go well with most white wines. Anything from Chardonnay, to Sauvignon Blanc, to more aromatic whites like Riesling.
Alternatively, this dish also works well with dry, fruity rosés.
At a push it would even work with lighter, fruitier reds too. But white wine would definitely be my first choice!
Love Chinese-style fried rice?
Here are some more variations for you to try!
- Leftover Pork Fried Rice
- Leftover Turkey Fried Rice
- Bacon And Egg Fried Rice
- Special Fried Rice
- Plain Egg Fried Rice (Chinese Takeaway Copycat)
Leftover Pork Fried Rice
Make it your own!
This is such a flexible recipe, you can easily adapt it to what you have available in the fridge and cupboards. For example, you can…
- Use white rice instead of brown rice
- Switch up the veggies: you could use broccoli, mangetouts, baby sweetcorn or mushrooms (instead of, or as well as, the veggies in the recipe)
- Use Worcestershire sauce instead of soy sauce
- Fry up some bacon pieces first, before continuing on with the rest of the recipe
- Use leftover pork, beef or turkey instead of the leftover chicken
- Add some cooked prawns in at the end
- Add some roasted peanuts or cashew nuts in at the end
(I’d love to hear about how you have adapted my recipe… Let me know in the comments section below!)
What to do with leftover Chicken Fried Rice
I don’t recommend reheating this dish, as it is not advisable to reheat rice that has already been reheated once before.
And besides, it’s so delicious, you are very unlikely to have any leftovers!
Can you freeze Chicken Fried Rice?
No, this recipe is not suitable for freezing.
If you like this recipe…
…you might also like:
- Chicken Fried Rice
- Chicken and Prawn Fried Rice
- Singapore Fried Rice (Chinese Takeaway Copycat)
- Turkey Mince Fried Rice
- Easy Beef Mince Fried Rice
Easy Beef Mince Fried Rice
Leftover Chicken and Egg Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (or rapeseed/canola oil or coconut oil)
- 300-500 g leftover chicken shredded (See Note 1)
- 500 g pre-cooked brown rice (See Note 2)
- 100 g frozen peas
- 100 g frozen sweetcorn
- 1 red pepper diced
- 4 spring onions sliced finely (plus 2 extra for garnish)
- 3 cloves garlic crushed or grated
- 4 medium eggs
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce (or GF tamari)
Instructions
- Put 2 tablespoons oil in a large frying pan or wok and heat over a medium-high heat for 1 minute.
- Add the cooked rice, shredded chicken, frozen peas, frozen sweetcorn, red pepper and spring onions. Stir fry 3-4 minutes, until everything is warmed through and the frozen veg is no longer frozen.
- Add the garlic and stir fry for 1 more minute.
- Meanwhile crack the eggs into a large mug or small jug and whisk together lightly with a fork. Make a well in the middle of the rice mixture and pour in the eggs – cook for 30 seconds, then mix the rice mixture and eggs together.
- Continue frying for a couple of minutes, stirring occasionally, until you start to get some nice crispy brown bits. Pour in the soy sauce and sesame oil and fry for 1 more minute.
- Serve scattered with a few extra spring onions. Put the bottles of soy sauce and sesame oil on the table for everyone to help themselves to extra, if needed.
Video
Notes
- No leftover chicken? No problem – simply pan fry two chicken breasts for about 6-7 minutes on each side on a medium heat, leave to rest for 5 minutes, shred using a couple of forks and then continue with the recipe above.
- I use the kind of pre-cooked rice they sell in supermarkets as “microwave rice”. But if you prefer to cook your own rice, you absolutely can! You will need about 170g uncooked rice to produce 500g cooked rice. You will also need to cool the rice, before proceeding with the recipe.
- Not suitable for freezing.
- Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
Pin Leftover Chicken Fried Rice for later
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Jhuls | The Not So Creative Cook says
I love fried rice and this tastes absolutely delicious! Thanks for sharing!
Eb Gargano says
Thanks Jhuls – me too! Such delicious flavours…and so easy! Eb x
Cat says
This looks so colourful and tasty. I’m always looking for new ways to use up leftover chicken and this looks great x
Eb Gargano says
Thanks Cat – I have quite a few on my site and another coming on Thursday. You are definitely not the only one…my chicken leftovers recipes are always super popular! Eb x
Jennifer @ Because Food Is Love says
I love fried rice. It’s so versatile, you can change it up and use whichever veggies and protein you have. I was actually planning to make fried rice tonight for dinner. Love that you added sesame oil. I always add it to mine too, it makes such a difference.
Eb Gargano says
It’s so good, isn’t it? One of my favourites for busy evenings. And yes, I always add sesame oil – you only need a little bit, but it makes such a difference! Thanks for your kind words. Eb x
Michelle Frank | Flipped-Out Food says
Hi, Eb! I saw this recipe over on #CookBlogShare and just HAD to check it out. Leftover chicken is a frequent commodity in my house. I’m especially fond of those rotisserie chickens from the grocery: I can turn them into four—and sometimes five—meals! I also frequently have leftover rice, which lends itself very well to fried rice dishes. However, I love your idea of using the little packets of rice that you can just pop into the microwave to save time. These flavors sound so fresh and delicious together!
Eb Gargano says
Thanks Michelle! I’m impressed with your chicken stretching skills…yes this is a great meal if you also happen to have some leftover cooked rice, but I don’t often, so those little packets are brilliant for cutting down the cutting time. If you keep a couple in your cupboards and have eggs in your fridge, egg fried rice is never far away…perfect when your dinner plans fall through or you need to get something on the table fast!! Eb x
Corina Blum says
I haven’t made my own egg fried rice for ages! This is definitely something I need to try out on Master Spice for lunch one day. Thanks so much for sharing with #CookOnceEatTwice x
Eb Gargano says
Oh it’s so good…and goes down so well with the kids too – you definitely need to try it out on Master Spice! Eb x
Jenny Paulin says
perfect mid week fast dinner for a night when we have had a club after school. I love how few ingredients it contains and how easy it is to make. To be honest with you, I could go one step easier and use the Uncle Ben’s egg fried rice LOL! BUT making your own egg friend rice is much tastier of course xx
Eb Gargano says
Thanks Jenny – yes, it’s the perfect after clubs recipe, isn’t it? I have a have a stock of this kind of recipe as my kids do loads of clubs!! Well yes you could use the pre-made egg fried rice…but I am the sort of girl who likes to cook from scratch…I love little cheats like pre-cooked grains…but prefer the taste and ingredients list of my own egg fried rice…and it hardly takes any more time or effort!! Eb x
Jo Allison - Jo's Kitchen Larder says
How Easy Peasy is that? 😉 Great recipe Eb and fantastic option for those hectic mid-week evenings when we need something on the table pronto. I love egg fried rice and knowing exactly what you put in it is great. Love it! x
Eb Gargano says
Very!! I try to make all my recipes easy, but this one is especially so! Yes I agree, this is such a fab option for busy weeknights…and a fab one if your dinner plans fall through too! Eb x
jacqui says
Like you I always make sure i have left over chicken to make another meal out of. Often its risotto but this would make a lovely change next time. Thank you for sharing with #CookBlogShare
Eb Gargano says
Oooh, yes risotto is another fab leftover chicken meal…and also for leftover ham! Yummy!! I try very hard when I am making a roast to ensure there is lots left over…and a leftovers meal planned the next day. Leftovers meals are the best! Eb x
jenny walters says
This looks so tasty Eb.A wonderful mid week meal if only my son would eat a few veggies!!Right up my street xx
Eb Gargano says
Thanks Jenny – these veggies are very small and inoffensive…could you not just sneak a few in??? I am so lucky my kids are actually quite good with veggies…I think it’s having a slightly maverick food blogger as a mum…they are just grateful it’s peas and sweetcorn not romanesco and kholrabi!! Eb x
Kirsty Hijacked By Twins says
I love a good leftovers meal and this looks delicious xx
Eb Gargano says
Thanks Kirsty – me too! 😀 Eb x
Mel says
Egg fried rice reminds me of my childhood so much. During the summer holidays, my mum would take me to work with her and most days, we’d have Vietnamese food for lunch, egg fried rice always one of the things we’d eat. I do love your idea of adding leftover chicken and making it a one pot dish, you clever lady! Thanks for joining in with #FreeFromFridays.
Eb Gargano says
Haha – you know me, on my days off from being the Traybake Queen and the 30 Minute Meals Queen I like to be the One Pot Queen 😉 I love that your mum gave you Vietnamese food for lunch! Jealous much!! A typical lunch for me growing up was a marmite sandwich and a piece of fruit. Needless to say, my lunches these days are somewhat different! Eb x
Priya says
I’m making a version of this tonight with a few spices! Thanks for the inspiration Eb 🙂
Eb Gargano says
Yay! I love the idea of adding in spices too. I hope you loved it as much as we do 😀 Eb x
GinaBThinagain says
I made this last night, and it was delicious, but I would make a few changes. The already cooked chicken and already cooked rice had the most time on the heat, and therefore came out over cooked and a bit dry (chicken was moist when we first had it). I would sauté and heat through the frozen veggies first, then add the chicken and rice. Warm that through then continue with the egg, etc. as in your recipe.
Eb Gargano says
Hi Gina, Thanks so much for your comment – I’m really pleased you found it delicious 🙂 And I am sorry you found the rice and chicken a little overdone. 🙁 I must confess with rice and chicken my first priority is to ensure nobody gets food poisoning! So perhaps when I write recipes I am a little over cautious in that regard. And also I like my rice really crispy when I make egg fried rice which is why I tend to cook it a little longer and over a reasonably high heat – I just love those little crispy bits!! But we all have different tastes, hey? I’m glad you’ve come up with a good solution on how to improve it for your tastes (and quite probably a bunch of other people too)…I’d love to know how that works out! Thanks again for taking the time to comment and let me know how it went…it really means a lot. Eb 🙂
Cynthia Best says
Thanks EB, thank you for the cooking guidance. Even though I am a Horticulturist, I’m not the best cook in the world. I can just grow the stuff, and I think that’s good enough!
I had left overs from a Costco chicken, followed the basic rules of your recipe and and had a wonderful, flavorful dinner tonight and plenty for tomorrow.
Thank you for giving me direction.
Cynthia
Eb Gargano says
Thanks so much for this lovely comment Cynthia! I am delighted to be able to help you out. I am the opposite. I am good at cooking, but HOPELESS at growing things. I kill everything I try to grow. I’m so bad I’ve given up – lucky we have shops or I’d starve!! Eb 🙂
Anony says
CAN YOU PLEASE say HOW MANY CUPS of COOKED RICE in the USA IS EQUIVALENT to the “500 GRAMS” you list in the Ingredients?! SO FRUSTRATING! Sorry! PLEASE CLARIFY!
Eb Gargano says
Hi there – the answer is 2½ cups! If you notice just below the ingredient list I include an easy toggle between the UK/European metric system and the US customary measurements – all you need to do is click ‘US customary’ and you’ll get all the measurements in the system you prefer. I’m still working through my recipes to get the all done, but I’ve done over half my recipes now! Hope you like the feature. Eb 🙂
Michael says
My friend has just come back from touring Asia for 6 months where she got to love chicken fried rice, even having it for breakfast. I could see she was missing it so googled for recipes and came across yours. I liked the fact that this recipe contains some lovely colourful vegetables, soy sauce and sesame oil to add to the flavour.
It was excellent and she loved it. I did too and will definitely be keeping the recipe and making it again. Thank you.
Eb Gargano says
Thanks for this lovely comment, Mike. I’m so pleased you and your friend liked this so much! Eb 🙂
Sarah says
Another great new recipe. A hit with my boys, who hate rice dishes but loved this meal, as did my hubby. I pre-cooked the rice first, whizzed up a mix of veggies and added grilled salmon instead of chicken. Leftovers for lunch tomorrow too! Thanks again
Eb Gargano says
Yay – oh that’s fab. I love it when my recipes go down so well with kids who don’t normally like one of the ingredients. That’s a big WIN! Love the sound of your adaptations too. Eb 🙂
Susan Kay says
I don’t buy precooked packet rice. Would you suggest that I cook my own rice. Firstly how much dried rice should I cook and secondly should I chill it for the recipe or use it hot freshly cooked ?
Eb Gargano says
Hi Susan, yes you can absolutely cook your own rice for this recipe. You will need 170g (6oz / 3/4 cup) uncooked rice. Cook according to packet instructions and then, yes – you will need to chill the rice until it is completely cold (which is why I suggest precooked rice in the recipe – I normally cook my own rice too, but in this recipe it means you need to think ahead a bit). Once cold, you can follow the recipe as written. Hope that helps! Eb 🙂
Carrie Ann says
I am really turned off to your grams rather than traditional cup measurements. At least use both. This gram measurement made me move on.
Eb Gargano says
Hi Carrie Ann, I am British and here in the UK we use metric units (grams, litres etc.) as our main unit of measurement. As the majority of my audience is also in the UK it makes sense for me to use grams as the main unit of measurement in my recipes. However, I also have a sizeable number of readers in the US and, as I know you guys tend to prefer cups and ounces, I also offer a ‘US Customary’ toggle on my recipes. All you need to do is click where it says ‘US Customary’ just above the ingredients list and it will automatically convert the recipe into US measurements. Hope that helps! Eb 🙂
Kate Fitzpatrick says
FYI the time it took you to write that review was more than the time to just google 500g = cups. OR just notice she has UK / US toggle on the recipe.Since I’m in the US, happened to miss the toggle but was excited to use up rice, chicken & make an easy meal… I googled & I had an amazing dish in 5 minutes later. Should have stayed the extra minute! Cheers!
Eb Gargano says
Thanks, Kate. Great to hear how much you liked this recipe! Thanks for the lovely review 😀
Supriya Kutty says
I’ve been wanting to try this recipe for a while now, and I’m so glad I finally did! It was so easy to follow, and the results were amazing. I’ll definitely be making this again.
Eb Gargano says
Yay – I am so happy to hear that! Thanks for this lovely review 😀
quiz says
This is a great recipe! I made it for dinner and it was so easy and delicious.
Eb Gargano says
That’s so great to hear! Thanks for this lovely review 😀
Kate says
This dish was perfection for our family of four…problem is, I may need to double so we can have left overs! I was able to use the slice chicken (chopped it into bite size) & rice from the day or 2 prior.Im not good with frozen peas so I actually threw the frozen peas & corn in the skillet 2 minutes before chicken & rice. It was ready in 5 minutes. A meal the adults AND kids eat so MOm is not a short order cook for the night. So THANK YOU for giving us a weekly dinner we can all love.
Florida, USA
Eb Gargano says
Aw, that’s fantastic to hear! Thanks for the lovely review 😀