This Chicken Fried Rice is a game-changer for everyone trying to eat healthier but wants to do it the easiest way possible!
Recently, I started a 90-Day 6-Pack Challenge where my goal is to lose weight and get the gainz so I can be healthier and stronger for my family. To be honest, I’ve tried many diets like keto, intermittent fasting, and going hard on workouts before, but with my current lifestyle as a dad, I just can’t keep it up. My genes and kids need rice! Lol!
But since I started this journey, I’ve been learning that for me to lose weight, I have to count my calories and make sure that I burn more than what I intake aka a calorie deficit. And for the 6-Pack, I gotta hit my protein macros.
I think this Chicken Fried Rice is the answer. It’s a one-pan dish, done in under 30 minutes. I did my best to make it balanced and wholesome while still incorporating the delicious and umami-packed Asian flavors, so that I will look forward to eating this for my meal prep! But what I love most about this recipe is that it’s a quick, simple, but filling meal, not just for me but also for my family! I’m sure my kids will enjoy this too!
Chicken Fried Rice for Diet?!
When you’re on a diet, you have to get creative, and Chicken Fried Rice is one of the solutions I thought of. I honestly hate chicken breast because it can get dry and bland, but I know I need it as it is higher in protein and lower in calories. Adding it to fried rice and seasoning it well makes it delicious and keeps it juicy.
I also added low-calorie veggies to make the fried rice nutrient-dense and more filling without having to add too much rice. This allows me to eat more while still hitting my deficit.
In total, one bowl of this chicken fried rice will be about 400 calories and 36 grams of protein. As such, if I’m within the 2000-calorie range, then I could simply eat 5 bowls of this throughout the day. I think that solves my problem—I stay on track, I get to transform boring food into something I like, and I get to eat Asian food!
Ingredients for Chicken Fried Rice
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- Chicken Breast – I use boneless and skinless chicken breast.
- Day-old Rice – You can use any type of rice (short, medium, long, brown, red, etc.).
- Scallions, Onion, and Garlic – The trifecta of aromatics that will add freshness and flavor to the fried rice. The key is to saute this well in oil to bring out its fragrance!
- Cabbage and Mung Bean Sprouts – These are the veggies I used in the fried rice.
- Soy Sauce, Fish Sauce, and Oyster Sauce – One of the keys to truly enjoying eating healthy is to make your food taste good. These are the seasonings I use to make the fried rice savory and umami-filled.
- Black Pepper – To taste
- Sesame Oil and Sesame Seeds – For garnish, and the nutty and earthy flavors will complement other sauce ingredients I used.
Substitutions
- If you’re not very particular about being in a calorie deficit or hitting your macros, you can use chicken thighs.
- Besides cabbage and bean sprouts, you can swap or add other veggies like frozen mix, broccoli, green beans, zucchini, or mushrooms into the fried rice to bulk it up with what you like or what’s available to you.
- For fried rice using other proteins, you can check out pork belly fried rice, steak fried rice, shrimp fried rice, spam fried rice, or mushroom rice!
How to Make Easy and Healthy Chicken Fried Rice?
Prepare the Ingredients: Chop the aromatics and cabbage, and mince the chicken. Wash the bean sprouts and prepare all the seasonings.
Cook the Chicken: Place the pan on high heat, add a bit of oil, then saute the scallions. Once it is fragrant, add the chicken and season it with one tablespoon of soy sauce, one tablespoon of fish sauce, one tablespoon of oyster sauce, and black pepper. Sauté it well until cooked, then remove from the pan and set aside to keep it from drying out.
Cook the Cabbage & Egg: In the same pan, add oil, then saute the onion. Once fragrant, add the cabbage and saute it well. When the cabbage is slightly wilted, push it to the side of the pan and scramble eggs on the other side. Once the egg is cooked through, add butter and saute it all together.
Add Bean Sprouts and Rice: Add mung bean sprouts and rice, season this with two tablespoons of soy sauce, one tablespoon of fish sauce, one tablespoon of oyster sauce, one tablespoon of sesame oil, and black pepper. Mix this well until the bean sprouts are wilting.
Finish the Fried Rice: Add back the chicken breast and mix it well. Let it sit in the pan so the moisture from the chicken and veggies is absorbed by the rice. Taste and adjust with salt and pepper, then garnish with sesame seeds.
Recipe Notes
- Mincing the chicken breast will help it cook faster and remain juicy, so what I do is halve it, strip it, then mince it until it’s bite-sized.
- While I love freshly cooked rice in fried rice, the moisture from the chicken and the vegetables will soften up the day-old rice.
- Fried rice is a very quick dish to make, so make sure to prepare all the ingredients before you start cooking. This will also help keep the veggies from overcooking, so you still get the crunch!
- Use a wok or a big pan as the vegetables will be a lot at first, but will later wilt down. The space will allow you to mix the fried rice well.
Serving and Storage
This chicken fried rice can be served by itself as it is already packed with carbs, protein, and vegetables, which makes it a well-rounded meal. However, this is also great with:
- Dumplings or Fresh Spring Rolls, if you want an add-on to make the meal fuller
- Corn Soup or Egg Soup, to complement the fried rice
- Vegetable Side Dishes like Kimchi, Cucumber Salad, etc., also to complement the fried rice
Besides this, you can also turn this recipe into a meal prep. Whether it’s leftovers or when you make a big batch, it stores well in the fridge for 4-5 days and simply reheat in the microwave or stir fry again in the pan.
Other healthy Asian recipes you can add to your diet:
Make sure to leave a rating, a comment, or tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Tiktok when you chop them up! Yeobosayo!
Easy and Healthy Chicken Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 2 stalks Scallions Chopped
- 1/2 of Whole Onion Chopped
- 250 grams Cabbage Chopped
- 400 grams Mung Bean Sprouts
- 600 grams Day-old Rice
- 600 grams Boneless and Skinless Chicken Breast Minced
- 1 tbsp Garlic Minced
- 3 tbsp Soy Sauce Divided
- 2 tbsp Fish Sauce Divided
- 2 tbsp Oyster Sauce Divided
- 1 tbsp Sesame Oil
- Black Pepper To taste
- 1 tbsp Butter
- Sesame Seeds For garnish
- Canola or Vegetable Oil For sauteing
Instructions
- Prepare the ingredients. Chop the scallions, onion, and garlic. Chop the cabbage and wash the mung bean sprouts. Halve, strip, and mince the chicken breast.
- Place the pan on high heat, add oil, and saute the scallions.
- Once fragrant, add the minced chicken breast and season with one tablespoon each of soy sauce, fish sauce, and oyster sauce, plus black pepper. Sauté the chicken until cooked, then remove from the pan and set aside.
- In the same pan, add oil, saute the onion and cabbage together.
- Push the cabbage to the side, then scramble the eggs on the other side.
- Once the egg is cooked, add butter and saute it all together.
- Add mung bean sprouts and rice, season it with two tablespoons of soy sauce, one tablespoon of fish sauce, one tablespoon of oyster sauce, one tablespoon of sesame oil, and black pepper, then mix it well.
- Add back the chicken and mix it again. Let it sit in the pan so the moisture from the chicken and veggies is absorbed by the rice.
- Plate or store in meal prep containers, garnish with sesame seeds, and enjoy!
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