How To Make Chicken Fried Rice On The Griddle

One of my favorite dishes to make on the griddle is chicken fried rice. This dish comes together quick with marinated chicken breast, rice, frozen peas, carrots, scrambled egg and is topped with extra soy sauce, toasted sesame seeds, and green onions.

This is an easy dinner with basic ingredients that the whole family will enjoy, so let's make it! 

What if I don't have a griddle at home? 

No griddle, no problem! The next best option is a cast iron pan on your stove top or a Wok if you have one. You can follow the same instructions step by step, just remove the ingredients from the pan after they cook, then combine them all together at the end. 

Why use day-old rice for fried rice? 

Fresh rice tends to be very sticky and moist which doesn't make for the best fried rice. Day old rice that has been refrigerated and cold has a better texture and cooks better the second time around.

You can use fresh rice if you are in a hurry but try to let it cool down if you can so it doesn't clump together as much. 

I love my rice cooker by the way! I honestly don't know how people cook rice without it.

What type of rice do you use for fried rice? 

There are a lot of different types of white rice out there. The best I've found is Jasmine rice when making fried rice. The grains are softer and stickier which makes it a great choice for this recipe. 

How to make chicken fried rice on the griddle.

Marinading the chicken.

Take the time to marinade your chicken breast to make sure you get the best flavor possible. For this recipe I use boneless skinless chicken breasts.

I cube up my chicken into bite-sized pieces and marinade it in a combination of soy sauce, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar and minced garlic. 

Simply place the diced chicken in a medium size bowl and pour the marinade ingredients right on top. Then mix everything together to incorporate and place it in your refrigerator covered for at least an hour but up to 6 hours for best results.  

Cooking the chicken.

After the chicken has been marinading for at least an hour, fire up the griddle to medium heat. Make sure to leave one side of the griddle cool so you can slide your ingredients over for each step. From here, everything will cook pretty quickly. 

To my flat top grill I like to add a little olive oil first but vegetable oil works too. Then I place the chicken directly on the griddle to cook for a few minutes.  

Stir the chicken and flip back and forth until they are cooked all the way through.

Cooking the veggies and rice.

Ideally the chicken should be at an internal temperature of 165 degrees. If they are a little under thats ok as they will finish cooking with the rest of the ingredients in the final step. 

Once the chicken is done, slide it over to the cooler side of the griddle and add the frozen peas and carrots.

Cook them for a few minutes then add your leftover rice. Since we are working with cold rice it will take a few minutes before you can mix it properly with the vegetables. 

Add a few drizzles of soy sauce and take a large spatula or scraper and begin chopping into the rice to break it up. After a few minutes the rice will start to warm up and break down as you continue to chop and stir. Add more soy sauce as needed. 

This is the step where you measure with your heart. By that I mean you want all of the rice to turn brown from the soy sauce.

Don't be afraid to taste your food while you're cooking. A little drizzle of sesame oil is great as well. 

Once the cooked rice and vegetables are mixed together, add back the chicken.

Once everything is well combined, add beaten eggs and scramble them. They will cook quickly, just give them a good stir and then incorporate everything together.

Don't worry if some of the raw egg gets into the rice, it will all cook together and will be safe to eat. 

Plating the dish.

The last step is to plate the fried rice mixture onto a platter and garnish with toasted sesame seeds and green onions. Now you have a delicious recipe and complete meal.  

Feel free to add a little more soy sauce if desired. Some people like to add yum yum sauce or sriracha as well. 

Other variations of fried rice. 

Fried rice is basically a blank canvas. Feel free to substitute other proteins like steak, chicken, or shrimp. You can also add different vegetables like green beans , bell peppers, and diced onions.

Experiment and cook the type of food you like. If you are worried about the dish being too salty, use low sodium soy sauce. 

For me I grew up eating chicken fried rice because it was affordable and we always had these ingredients on hand.

How to store fried rice. 

You can store any leftover fried rice in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Reheat the fried rice back on the griddle or a pan for best results. 

Other Asian inspired recipes to try!

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