Another tweak that made this fried rice recipe better was to cook eggs separately, till barely done, and folding them in at the last minute, also a suggestion from my reader. I loved the soft and creamy texture of the egg in this dish. When added sooner, before rice, the egg would dry out and become rubbery.
I also made butter in this recipe a mandatory ingredient. It was listed as optional in the hibachi-style rice recipe, but the more I made it, the more I realized how essential it was for achieving the best flavor.
The ingredients
The ingredient list in this recipe is not long, nor does it include fancy or hard to find ingredients. Chicken, rice, carrot, onion, ginger, water chestnuts, green onions, butter, cooking and sesame oils are all the ingredients. However, it’s important to have all ingredients cut and measured before cooking. The French call it ‘mise en place’. The cooking in this recipe is short and quick, so have all the ingredients handy. I recommend using jasmine rice in this recipe, just as I do in my Japanese fried rice recipe. Unlike basmati rice which becomes dry and fluffy after cooking, jasmine rice become moist and sticky. Jasmine rice is commonly used to make fried rice dishes, while basmati is a better choice for pilaf type dishes. That sticky, moist jasmine rice makes fried rice so irresistibly tasty. A day’s old rice works best, though I rarely have it, or have the discipline to prepare it a day ahead, so I cook my rice right before. It’s never been a problem for me.
What kind of chicken is best for this dish?
Chicken thighs, skinless or skin-on, are my top choice. They are always juicy and pack a lot of flavor, making fried rice that much better. You can try the recipe below, it’s very simple and very good, or you can try my other chicken thigh recipes, such as family favorite boneless chicken thighs, broiled boneless chicken thighs, or air fryer chicken thighs. Chicken legs, air fried, roasted, baked or grilled, work just as well as chicken thighs in this recipe. Chicken breasts are a close second. Sous vide chicken breast is a great choice, it’s tender and flavorful, and works very well in this recipe too. Pan-fried chicken breast, air fryer chicken breast, oven-roasted, broiled, or baked chicken breasts work very well as well.
Required cooking tools
A large non-stick wok is ideal for making chicken fried rice, I use it all the time. If you don’t have one handy, use a large non-stick frying pan, or both. You will need two pans for this recipe, or a pan and a wok, to make things easier and eliminate transferring food back and forth.
