Easy Chicken And Shrimp Fried Rice Recipe
If you love a Chinese takeout to kickstart your weekend, you are not alone. Amongst the most popular Chinese takeout meal options has to be stir-fried rice, with its richly aromatic, savory flavors and perfect balance of textures. When made well, it is a wonderfully satisfying dish. While ordering out definitely has its advantages, learning how to cook some of your favorite takeout meals at home is a really fun and rewarding experience, and it has the added bonus of lowering your weekly food costs, meaning you get to dig into your favorite dishes without taking a hit to your bank balance.
This easy chicken and shrimp fried rice recipe, from the kitchen of recipe developer Jennine Rye, provides a simple yet mouthwatering way to recreate some of your favorite Chinese takeout flavors in the comfort of your own home. Juicy, marinated chicken pieces are paired with sweet, buttery shrimp in a fluffy and chewy stir-fried rice dish. Finished off with a mixture of fresh colorful vegetables as well as the all-important scrambled egg, this is a whole meal in one that is packed full of protein, vitamins, and minerals to keep your body as well as your taste buds happy.
Gather the ingredients for this easy chicken and shrimp fried rice recipe
To begin this easy chicken and shrimp fried rice recipe, first, you will need to gather the ingredients. To marinate the chicken, you will want boneless and skinless chicken thighs, soy sauce, and sesame oil. To assemble the fried rice, you will want pre-cooked long-grain rice, olive oil, shrimp, eggs, soy sauce, garlic cloves, and salt and pepper. To complete the dish and add lots of color and nutrients, you will additionally need a carrot, red bell pepper, peas, and scallions.
Step 1: Combine the chicken and marinade ingredients
Combine the chicken pieces with the soy sauce and sesame oil.
Step 2: Leave to marinate
Leave the chicken to marinate for at least 30 minutes (to marinate for longer, cover and return the chicken to the fridge for maximum 24 hours).
Step 3: Heat a pan
Heat a large, heavy-bottomed pan containing 1 tablespoon olive oil to a medium-high heat.
Step 4: Add the shrimp
Add the shrimp to the pan and season well with salt and pepper.
Step 5: Fry the shrimp
Fry the shrimp for 3 to 4 minutes until they are cooked through.
Step 6: Set the shrimp aside
Remove the shrimp from the pan and set them aside.
Step 7: Add the chicken
Add the marinated chicken to the pan.
Step 8: Fry the chicken
Fry the chicken for 4 to 5 minutes until cooked through.
Step 9: Set the chicken aside
Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside.
Step 10: Add the carrot and pepper
Add the remaining olive oil to the pan along with the diced carrots and pepper.
Step 11: Saute the vegetables
Saute the carrots and bell pepper for 3 to 4 minutes.
Step 12: Add the peas and garlic
Add the peas and garlic to the pan and saute for another 2 to 3 minutes.
Step 13: Add the rice and soy sauce
Add the cooked rice and soy sauce to the pan and stir-fry for a few minutes.
Step 14: Add the eggs
Move the rice mixture to one side of the pan and pour the whisked eggs into the empty space.
Step 15: Scramble the eggs
Scramble the eggs in the pan.
Step 16: Add the chicken and shrimp to the pan
Add the shrimp and chicken back to the pan, and thoroughly mix the contents of the pan together.
Step 17: Serve the fried rice
Serve the chicken and shrimp fried rice immediately, topped with sliced green onions.
What pairs well with fried rice?
Easy Chicken And Shrimp Fried Rice Recipe
Recreate your favorite Chinese takeout flavors in the comfort of your own home with our easy ad delicious chicken and shrimp fried rice recipe.
Ingredients
- For the chicken
- 12 ounces boneless and skinless chicken thighs, chopped into small pieces
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- For the fried rice
- 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 14 ounces shrimp
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 large carrot, diced
- ½ cup red bell pepper, diced
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 2 large garlic cloves, crushed
- 3 ½ cups cooked long-grain rice
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 medium eggs, slightly beaten
- 3 tablespoons scallions, sliced, to serve
Directions
- Combine the chicken pieces with the soy sauce and sesame oil.
- Leave the chicken to marinate for at least 30 minutes (to marinate for longer, cover and return the chicken to the fridge for maximum 24 hours).
- Heat a large, heavy-bottomed pan containing 1 tablespoon olive oil to a medium-high heat.
- Add the shrimp to the pan and season well with salt and pepper.
- Fry the shrimp for 3 to 4 minutes until they are cooked through.
- Remove the shrimp from the pan and set them aside.
- Add the marinated chicken to the pan.
- Fry the chicken for 4 to 5 minutes until cooked through.
- Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside.
- Add the remaining olive oil to the pan along with the diced carrots and pepper.
- Saute the carrots and bell pepper for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the peas and garlic to the pan and saute for another 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the cooked rice and soy sauce to the pan and stir-fry for a few minutes.
- Move the rice mixture to one side of the pan and pour the whisked eggs into the empty space.
- Scramble the eggs in the pan.
- Add the shrimp and chicken back to the pan, and thoroughly mix the contents of the pan together.
- Serve the chicken and shrimp fried rice immediately, topped with sliced green onions.
Nutrition
| Calories per Serving | 972 |
| Total Fat | 18.8 g |
| Saturated Fat | 3.9 g |
| Trans Fat | 0.0 g |
| Cholesterol | 362.5 mg |
| Total Carbohydrates | 140.2 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 5.2 g |
| Total Sugars | 3.8 g |
| Sodium | 1,402.7 mg |
| Protein | 56.5 g |
How can this chicken and shrimp fried rice recipe be adapted?
This chicken and shrimp fried rice makes a wonderfully filling and satisfying dinner option, and it can easily be switched up according to your preferences and any leftovers you may have hanging around in the fridge. The most simple way to start adding variety to this dish is by choosing different vegetables. Onions can add heaps of flavor to your fried rice, and you can also consider reaching for small broccoli florets, shredded cabbage, green beans, or bamboo shoots to mix things up. Mushrooms also make an excellent addition, giving the dish more texture as well as adding more savory, earthy flavor.
To add more depth, you can lean further into the aromatics. Adding shallots and ginger alongside the minced garlic would make a great base for your fried rice. Adding rice wine will add a little more sweetness, and you can supplement this with other sauces such as fish sauce, oyster sauce, or chili oil, depending on your personal tastes. Mixing in miso paste will add salty umami depth, or for something different, adding some kimchi will give you great tangy fermented flavor and added crunch with little effort.
What is the best kind of rice for this dish?
When it comes to making good-quality fried rice, the type of rice you choose absolutely matters. This recipe is a great option for using up any leftover cooked rice you may have in your fridge or freezer, but just keep in mind that different varieties of rice are best suited to different dishes.
For top-quality fried rice, you'll want to reach for long-grain white rice. Our top two choices for this recipe are basmati or jasmine rice, and both will serve you well, though each has its own particular characteristics. While both varieties hold their form well instead of turning to mush when fried, jasmine rice is known for being fragrant and slightly more chewy in texture. Basmati, on the other hand, will retain a lightness and grains will become crisp when fried, and this variety will also impart a nutty flavor to the resulting dish.
While medium-grain rice can also be used to make fried rice, we recommend steering well clear of any short-grain varieties, which are best kept for dishes that require soft, creamy, or stodgy rice such as risotto or sushi.