Faster-than-Takeout
Fried Rice
Turn bags of frozen fried rice into a veggie and protein-packed one-pot meal that’ll be ready in 20 — faster than your typical Chinese takeout order! Who knew frozen fried rice could taste so good?
October 16, 2020
Here’s a cozy weeknight meal that you can have ready in 20 minutes — much faster (and cheaper!) than ordering and picking up Chinese takeout. And I must say, it’s got to be healthier too.
Simply take a few bags of frozen fried rice (I love the vegetable fried rice from Trader Joe’s), add in your favorite protein and extra vegetables, and top it with sauce if you want. It’s super flavorful, comforting, and easy for a last-minute dinner!
Veggies to use
I use a few vegetables I had on hand, but the options here are endless! Of course, most bags of frozen fried rice will already have vegetables, but I love having extra or doubling up. Just remember to sauté up any hard vegetables (onion, broccoli, carrot, peppers) first before adding in the rice
Here are a few ideas for dressing up your bag of fried rice:
- Broccoli
- Bell Pepper
- Onion
- Edamame
- Snow peas
- Carrot
- Bean sprouts
- Peas
- Water chestnuts
Protein ideas
I usually go for chicken, but there are lots of options here depending on your taste. Just keep in mind that you should adjust your cook time to make sure the protein is cooked through before adding rice or soft vegetables.
- Chicken
- Marinated beef
- Shrimp
- Pork
- Ground turkey
- Crab
In general, you’ll sauté up onion and garlic in olive oil, then add in your protein until almost cooked through. Then add in other hard vegetables while the protein cooks fully – I added broccoli and bell pepper because my fried rice package already had edamame, peas, and corn. Season while you go.
Add in frozen fried rice and then scramble in an egg. Cover it all with soy sauce and sweet chili sauce and let it stir fry until heated through and crispy. I love those crispy hunks of rice, so I usually turn my heat up a little at the end to make sure I get as many as possible. If you don’t care for that, you’re ready to eat whenever the rice is heated through.
That’s all! Serve with more sauce or sesame seeds, if desired. Let me know how it goes for you!
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Faster-Than-Takeout Fried Rice
Equipment
- large skillet or wok with lid
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb chicken breast, diced
- 1/2 large onion, diced
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 head broccoli, chopped
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 2 packages vegetable fried rice (16 oz. packages)
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup sweet chili sauce
Instructions
- Heat olive oil in a large skillet or wok (with a lid) on medium heat. Saute onion and garlic until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add in diced chicken, seasoning with salt and pepper, and cook until slightly pink, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add chopped bell pepper and broccoli. Season again with salt and pepper. Cover and cook for an additional 5 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink and vegetables are crisp and bright.
- Add in both bags of frozen fried rice. Make a well in the center and add in egg, scrambling in the pan and breaking into pieces as it cooks. Stir the egg into the rice and vegetable mixture and add in soy sauce and chili sauce.
- Stir fry until heated through and slightly crispy, about 5-7 minutes. Serve immediately, with additional sauce if desired.
As an Amazon Associate, I only recommend products I believe in. Please consider clicking my through my ads – I may earn on qualifying purchases!