This healthy chicken stir fry with vegetables is a quick and delicious meal perfect for busy weeknights, packed with flavor and nutritious ingredients.
If you’re looking for a simple yet satisfying dinner that comes together in a flash, you’ve found it. This recipe is designed to be straightforward, making it ideal for home cooks of all skill levels.
We’re going to dive into how to create a vibrant and tasty chicken and veggie fried rice that will become a regular in your meal rotation. It’s a fantastic way to use up leftover rice and incorporate a variety of colorful vegetables, ensuring a balanced and flavorful dish every time.
Table of Contents
- What You’ll Love About This Quick And Easy Recipe
- Everything You Need To Make This Recipe Without Stress
- Time Needed From Start To Finish
- How To Make It Step By Step With Visual Cues
- Easy Variations And Serving Ideas That Fit Real Life
- Common Slip-Ups And How To Avoid Them
- How To Store It And Make It Ahead Without Ruining Texture
Quick and Easy Chicken and Veggie Fried Rice
- Total Time: 30-35 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
This healthy chicken stir fry with vegetables is a quick and delicious meal perfect for busy weeknights, packed with flavor and nutritious ingredients. If you’re looking for a simple yet satisfying dinner that comes together in a flash, you’ve found it. This recipe is designed to be straightforward, making it ideal for home cooks of all skill levels.
Ingredients
Instructions
1. Heat 1 tablespoon of sesame oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is browned and cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Once cooked, remove the chicken from the skillet and set it aside on a clean plate.
2. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of sesame oil to the same skillet. Add the chopped yellow onion and cook until softened, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and grated ginger (if using) and cook for another minute until fragrant.
3. Add the frozen mixed vegetables and chopped bell pepper to the skillet. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3-5 minutes, until the vegetables are tender-crisp.
4. Push the vegetables to one side of the skillet. Add the chilled, cooked rice to the empty side, breaking up any clumps with your spatula. Let the rice heat through for 1-2 minutes without stirring, allowing it to get slightly crispy on the bottom. Then, stir the rice to combine it with the vegetables.
5. Pour the soy sauce and oyster sauce (if using) evenly over the rice and vegetables. Stir well to coat everything. Create a small well in the center of the rice mixture. Pour the lightly beaten eggs into this well and scramble them quickly with your spatula until just set. Once scrambled, mix the eggs into the rest of the fried rice.
6. Return the cooked chicken to the skillet and stir everything together until well combined and heated through. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper, or soy sauce if needed.
7. Divide the fried rice among serving plates. Garnish generously with sliced green onions before serving immediately.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15-20 minutes
- Category: main dish
- Method: stir fry
- Cuisine: asian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
Keywords: fried rice, chicken, vegetables, weeknight meal, easy, healthy, stir fry, quick, dinner, asian
What You’ll Love About This Quick And Easy Recipe
This quick and healthy chicken and veggie fried rice recipe is a true weeknight hero. It’s perfect for anyone who needs a delicious, satisfying meal on the table fast, without sacrificing nutrition or flavor. Busy parents will appreciate how easily it comes together after a long day, and it’s a fantastic way to introduce more vegetables into your family’s diet in a way that’s genuinely appealing. You can serve this dish as a complete meal on its own, making it an excellent choice for a casual family dinner, a packed lunch the next day, or even a light supper with friends. Its versatility and speed make it a go-to option for those evenings when time is short but you still want something homemade and wholesome.
Everything You Need To Make This Recipe Without Stress
Gathering your ingredients before you start cooking is key to a smooth and stress-free experience. This recipe uses common pantry staples and fresh produce that are easy to find at any grocery store. The beauty of fried rice is its flexibility, allowing for simple substitutions based on what you have on hand or what your family prefers.
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil, divided
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
- 1 small yellow onion, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, corn, green beans)
- 1/2 cup chopped bell pepper (any color)
- 4 cups cooked day-old white or brown rice, chilled
- 3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce (optional, for extra umami)
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated (optional)
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 2 green onions, sliced, for garnish
- Salt and black pepper to taste
For the chicken, boneless, skinless chicken breasts are lean and cook quickly, but chicken thighs offer a bit more flavor and tend to stay juicier. Feel free to use whichever you prefer. When it comes to vegetables, the frozen mixed bag is a fantastic shortcut, but you can certainly add or swap in fresh options like broccoli florets, snap peas, or thinly sliced cabbage. The key is to cut them into similar-sized pieces so they cook evenly. For the rice, using day-old, chilled rice is crucial for achieving that perfect fried rice texture; fresh, warm rice tends to clump and become mushy. If you don’t have oyster sauce, you can simply omit it or add an extra splash of soy sauce, though it does add a wonderful depth of flavor.
Time Needed From Start To Finish
This recipe is truly designed for speed, making it an ideal choice for busy schedules.
- Preparation Time: 15 minutes
- Cooking Time: 15-20 minutes
- Total Time: 30-35 minutes
These times are estimates and can vary slightly depending on how quickly you chop your vegetables and chicken, and the heat of your stove. The good news is that once you get going, the cooking process itself is very fast, making it easy to get dinner on the table in under 35 minutes.
How To Make It Step By Step With Visual Cues
Making this chicken and veggie fried rice is a straightforward process. Follow these steps for a delicious meal every time.
- Prepare the Chicken: Heat 1 tablespoon of sesame oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces and season with a pinch of salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is browned and cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Once cooked, remove the chicken from the skillet and set it aside on a clean plate. The chicken should have a nice golden crust.
- Sauté Aromatics and Vegetables: Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of sesame oil to the same skillet. Add the chopped yellow onion and cook until softened, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in the minced garlic and grated ginger (if using) and cook for another minute until fragrant. Do not let the garlic burn.
- Introduce the Vegetables: Add the frozen mixed vegetables and chopped bell pepper to the skillet. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3-5 minutes, until the vegetables are tender-crisp. They should still have a slight bite to them.
- Incorporate the Rice: Push the vegetables to one side of the skillet. Add the chilled, cooked rice to the empty side, breaking up any clumps with your spatula. Let the rice heat through for 1-2 minutes without stirring, allowing it to get slightly crispy on the bottom. Then, stir the rice to combine it with the vegetables.
- Add Sauces and Eggs: Pour the soy sauce and oyster sauce (if using) evenly over the rice and vegetables. Stir well to coat everything. Create a small well in the center of the rice mixture. Pour the lightly beaten eggs into this well and scramble them quickly with your spatula until just set. Once scrambled, mix the eggs into the rest of the fried rice.
- Combine and Finish: Return the cooked chicken to the skillet and stir everything together until well combined and heated through. Taste and adjust seasoning with additional salt, pepper, or soy sauce if needed. The fried rice should be uniformly colored and fragrant.
- Serve with Garnish: Divide the fried rice among serving plates. Garnish generously with sliced green onions before serving immediately. The fresh green onions add a nice pop of color and a mild oniony flavor.
Easy Variations And Serving Ideas That Fit Real Life
This chicken and veggie fried rice is incredibly versatile, making it easy to adapt to different tastes and occasions.
For a kid-friendly twist, you can finely dice the vegetables even smaller, or use their favorite frozen vegetable blend. Many kids love the simplicity of fried rice, especially if you go light on the ginger and add a little extra soy sauce. You can also add a touch of ketchup or a drizzle of sweet chili sauce on the side for dipping.
If you want to swap out the protein, shrimp or pork are excellent alternatives to chicken. Simply cook them in the same way as the chicken, ensuring they are cooked through before combining with the rice. For a vegetarian version, omit the chicken and oyster sauce, and add extra vegetables or even some pan-fried tofu or edamame for protein.
This dish is a fantastic party or buffet option because it can be made in a large batch and kept warm. It’s a complete meal on its own, but it also pairs wonderfully with other Asian-inspired dishes like spring rolls, potstickers, or a simple cucumber salad.
Consider these optional toppings and dips to elevate your fried rice: a fried egg on top for extra richness, a dash of sriracha or chili garlic sauce for heat, a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds for crunch, or a squeeze of fresh lime juice for brightness. A side of kimchi or pickled ginger can also add a delightful contrast.
Common Slip-Ups And How To Avoid Them
Even simple recipes can have common pitfalls. Knowing what to watch out for will help you achieve perfect fried rice every time.
One of the most frequent mistakes is using freshly cooked, warm rice. Warm rice contains too much moisture, which leads to a mushy, clumpy fried rice instead of distinct, fluffy grains. Always use day-old, chilled rice. If you’re in a pinch, you can spread warm rice on a baking sheet and refrigerate it for about 30 minutes to cool and dry it out slightly.
Overcrowding the pan is another common error. If you try to cook too much at once, the ingredients will steam instead of fry, preventing them from getting that desirable slightly crispy texture. If you’re making a large batch, cook the chicken and then the rice and vegetables in two separate batches, combining them at the very end.
Not having everything prepped before you start cooking can also lead to issues. Fried rice cooks very quickly over high heat, so you won’t have time to chop vegetables or measure sauces once you begin. Have all your ingredients chopped, measured, and ready to go (mise en place) before you turn on the stove.
Finally, overcooking the vegetables can make them soft and lose their vibrant color. You want them to be tender-crisp, so cook them just until they reach that point, usually 3-5 minutes for most common stir-fry vegetables.
How To Store It And Make It Ahead Without Ruining Texture
This chicken and veggie fried rice is excellent for meal prepping and storing leftovers, making your busy weeknights even easier.
To store any leftovers, allow the fried rice to cool completely to room temperature within two hours of
FAQs
- Can I make these ahead? Yes—prep ahead, refrigerate, then serve when ready.
- How long do leftovers last? Store covered in the fridge for 3–4 days for best texture.
- Can I adjust sweetness? Yes—add more or less sweetener to taste.
- Can I change the fruit? Yes—swap strawberries for blueberries, raspberries, or sliced banana.
