sweet & spicy chicken fried rice

when the leftovers are better than the original dish.

the superior leftover solution

i always have rice in the fridge. maybe that’s just be the asian in me, but i can always count on having an extra serving or two stored away post-dinner. while rice is good on its own, it’s GREAT when mixed. toss in whatever veggies and protein are about to expire and you’ve got a hearty, well-rounded meal, bursting with flavor (and a clean fridge lol). best part is it requires little culinary skill to achieve: this is one of the first meals i learned how to make.

while there are many fried rice recipes i can’t wait to share, this one is the perfect combo of sweet & spicy, and packed with lots of protein!

while fried rice is one of the easiest things i ever learned how to make, there are a few simple tips i always keep in mind:

helpful tips to make the perfect fried rice:

• Always use day-old rice — rice that has been cooled and left to harden in the fridge is ideal as fresh, warm rice will stick to the pan, making a mushy mess!
• Cook on high heat — this is a stir fry, so you’ll want to keep the pan hot and constantly stir so nothing gets stuck to the bottom!
• Anything goes — this is more of a general tip, but take a peak in your fridge and if there’s anything resembling a veggie or protein, toss it in! frozen veggies/meats work perfectly too. the taste of the sauce is the main flavoring, so as long as you’re not using ingredients with striking flavors of their own, almost anything can be a great addition of texture and nutrition.

the sauce

usually when i make fried rice i’ll add in the sauce ingredients as i cook. this way i can taste and add more as i please. but since this is a recipe i want to make it fail-proof (i’ve definitely added too much soy sauce measuring by eye before). since chicken takes a little while to cook, this is the perfect time to whisk up the sauce and adjust it to your liking!

here’s the deats:

• 1/4 cup kimchi juice
• 2 tbsp gochujang
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp sesame oil

plating

if you want to get fancy with the plating like i did for the photos, then don’t mix the corn in right away. i used canned sweet corn for this, so heating it up is technically an *option*. instead of tossing it in the pan like you typically would with veggies, scoop the fried rice into a bowl first, then surround it with pieces of sweet corn. add a crispy fried egg atop the scoop, and finally, sprinkle some chopped green onion for even more color! it looks way more impressive than it is ha…

how-to:

prep work — clean & cut your chicken into bite-size pieces. you can choose to season it here with some salt & pepper or do it in the skillet, it doesn’t make much difference. optional: mix the sauce (kimchi juice, gochujang, soy sauce, honey, sugar, sesame oil) in a small bowl. again, another thing that can be done directly in the skillet if you’re going for an easy dishes night, but it can be easier to mix separately to ensure the thicker components (gochujang, honey) get evenly dispersed.

cooking — heat some neutral oil in a large skillet or wok. you’re going to need plenty of room to toss the ingredients. start by adding minced garlic. next add the chicken. rotate the pieces in 1-2 minute intervals to ensure it cooks evenly. the chicken doesn’t need to be cooked the entire way at this point, it will continue to cook as you add in the rest of the ingredients. pour in the sauce and stir to combine. toss your rice and corn in last and use a rice paddle or spatula to break up the rice. it usually takes a few minutes for the rice to be soft enough to break apart, so if you want to speed up the process you can take the rice out of the fridge 5-10 minutes before cooking. use chopping motions to stir without smooshing the rice on the bottom of the skillet. once everything is thoroughly heated and the rice is no longer white, you’re ready to serve!

serve — fry an egg or two in a separate pan for the extra protein, and top with thinly sliced green onion. if you want to serve it how i’ve photographed it, skip adding the corn to the skillet while cooking. scoop your rice into a rice bowl, forming a neat mountain. add the corn around the base of the rice (and pray it doesn’t collapse on you 😅).

sweet & spicy chicken fried rice

mother of fried rice recipes

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Prep Time:10 minutes mins

Cook Time:15 minutes mins

Total Time:25 minutes mins

Servings: 2

Ingredients

• 4 cups leftover rice
• 170 g boneless, skiness chicken breast diced
• 3 cloves minced garlic
• 1/4 cup kimchi juice
• 2 tbsp gochujang
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp sesame oil
• ½ cup sweet corn
• 2 eggs
• green onion for garnish

Instructions

• In a large skillet, heat 2 tbsp of oil over medium high heat. Add in minced garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
• Cut chicken into bite-size pieces and season with salt & pepper. Add to skillet and cook until no longer pink, about 5 – 6 minutes.
• In a small bowl, mix together kimchi juice, gochujang, soy sauce, honey, sugar, and sesame oil. Add to pan with rice and corn. Use chopping motions to break apart the rice and ensure everything it evenly coated in sauce, 5-7 minutes. Stir constantly so rice doesn’t stick to pan.
• Serve with a fried egg and chopped green onion for garnish.

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