Chicken Green Onion Fried Rice

Let’s talk fried rice. A topic I would gladly chat with anyone in depth about. It is a meal that we cook often in our house, using up whatever protein or vegetable we have. They are generally never the same combo’s, but always using this basic formula, and producing some of my favorite foods. And I’ll be honest. I love it even more cold the next day, standing in the kitchen eating it out of the container cold.

I have always been the type of cook that really believes in making substitutions as to what you have on hand, or what your preferences are. Fried rice is the perfect example, I’m just here to give you a few tips and ideas for what works.

RICE: My love for rice grew even deeper after my trip last fall to a rice farm. I learned all about the US sustainable process of growing rice, and instantly became even more inspired to make rice a staple in our house. You can use long grain, or short grain, white or brown. My biggest tip for rice, and really for the whole recipe is, use day old rice. You do not want any steamy moisture from your just cooked rice while making fried rice. It will make it mushy, and just not great. But, I hear you, sometimes I am not the best plan ahead sort of girl either. So if that is the case. Use about 10% less water than you normally would. As soon as it is done cooking, spread the rice onto a baking sheet and place it in the fridge for one hour. You are forcing the rice to cool and dry out.

THE ORDER: Ok, now that you have your day old rice, or just cooked but sat in the fridge and chilled/dried out rice, let’s talk order of ingredients going into your wok. Take a look at these ideas, and get inspired for creating your perfect Fried Rice. Use the recipe as a guide, and this order for how to make it your own.

FIRST: Onions || Garlic || Ginger

SECOND: Small - Cut Vegetables - Carrots || Peas || Asparagus || Green Beans || Squash || Peppers || Mushrooms || Tomatoes

THIRD: Proteins - Chicken || Shrimp || Tofu || Pork || Beef

FOURTH: Eggs

FIFTH: Rice

SIXTH: Liquid Sauces and Seasonings

When the Fried Rice is done, and you have moved the wok off the heat. You can mix in and or top with these things: Garlic Chips, Cilantro, Green Onion, Cashews, Peanuts, Pineapple, Cooked Crab Meat and Cooked Shrimp

I always like to serve my fried rice with some sort of spicy sauce. So use the recipe below, or you can easily use any hot sauce you have in your fridge. And just remember, leftover fried rice is great with an egg on it the next day.

This blog post was sponsored by my friends at The FeedFeed and USA Rice.

Chicken Green Onion Fried Rice
Serves 4

Chicken Brine * (do this 1st)
INGREDIENTS:
1/2 pound bone-in chicken thighs
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

STEPS:
Place chicken in a large bowl and sprinkle with minced garlic and kosher salt. Cover chicken with cold water and let sit for 20 minutes while you prep the rest of your ingredients. Remove chicken from bowl, discard liquid, and cut chicken into bite-size pieces.

Soy-Chili Sauce (do this 2nd)
INGREDIENTS:
3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tsp chili oil
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

STEPS:
Whisk everything together in a small bowl until the sugar has dissolved, set aside.

Chicken Green Onion Fried Rice (do this 3rd)
INGREDIENTS:
3 tablespoons vegetable oil (coconut oil will also work)
1/2 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
1 cup thawed frozen peas
1/2 pound chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces *
2 eggs
4 cup US grown long grain white rice, day old *
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon gochunjang
4 green onions, cut on an angle into 2” pieces

STEPS:
Turn on your stove vent fan/open a window. Heat an empty wok or large skillet over high heat, as soon as you see smoke, add the oil. Swirling the oil in the pan, once it begins to shimmer, add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally until softened and translucent. Add the peas and mix together. Add the chicken and cook until opaque.

Crack both eggs on top of the chicken mixture and mix together, it should begin to look like scrambled eggs. Add the rice, soy sauce, sesame oil, and gochunjang. Continue to stir until the rice develops a golden color and the moisture has dried up. You want to really move that rice around the pan, allowing it not to stick.

Remove from the heat, mix in the green onions and serve with the soy-chili sauce.