This shrimp and chicken fried rice recipe is your solution to any weeknight dinner woes. In just about 30 minutes, this veggie- and protein-packed skillet meal is ready and on the table--faster than it would take for the delivery guy to get to your door.
If you're craving takeout or you're in a dinner rut, then this is the recipe for you!
We are in the thick of it with back to school events and weeknight soccer practices, so being able to get a family friendly meal on the table quickly can be tough. Yes, going through a drive-through or ordering take-out is an option, but that gets expensive.
With this easy meal, you can enjoy your favorite Chinese food right at home. And it gets better--you know those sad leftovers lurking in the fridge? They're perfect for this dish. In fact, this recipe is a great way to use them up.
Leftover rice, cooked chicken, and some thawed frozen or fresh shrimp and frozen veggies are given new life with this tasty recipe. Give it a try. I bet it'll become a family favorite just like it is in our house. You can even serve it with egg drop soup and crab rangoon eggrolls for a fun Chinese-inspired meal!
Looking for more easy weeknight meal ideas? Be sure to check out my Shortcut Brunswick Stew recipe. It's another recipe that uses frozen veggies plus pulled pork from the local BBQ joint and chopped cooked chicken.
My Hawaiian loco moco with brown gravy is another one of my favorite easy dinners. Juicy hamburger patties are smothered in a savory gravy and served over rice. It's comfort food to the max.
A nostalgic recipe that's perfect for busy weeknights is Homemade Hamburger Helper. I often have most, it not all of those ingredients on-hand, and it's a recipe the whole family loves. You'll also love this easy Shrimp Curry taking advantage of frozen ingredients to help get dinner on the table quickly.
Finally, when you just don't have the energy to cook, pick up a rotisserie chicken and make sandwiches out of it with my Alabama white sauce. It's another easy recipe that's become a family favorite.
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Ingredients
Before we get started, let's gather the ingredients we need for this recipe!
- cold leftover rice
- diced onion
- frozen green peas and carrots
- chopped cooked chicken breast
- medium shrimp
- eggs
- fresh garlic cloves
- fresh ginger
- soy sauce
- rice vinegar
- brown sugar
- dark sesame oil
- vegetable oil
- green onions
(See recipe card for quantities.)
Instructions
Now that we've got our ingredients, it's time to get cooking!
- First, combine the soy sauce, vinegar, and brown sugar in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Next, cook the shrimp in a wok or large skillet in hot vegetable oil until pink. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Then, add sesame oil to the pan. Add the onion, minced garlic, and grated ginger. Add the frozen vegetables and cook until tender. Push the ingredients to one side of the pan and add the beaten eggs. Cook until scrambled.
- Finally, add the rice and cook until thoroughly heated through. Stir in the chicken, shrimp, and sauce. Cook until hot.
Hint: To easily peel fresh ginger, use the sharp edge of an everyday spoon to scrape off the skin.
Substitutions
Out of an ingredient? Need to use up something? Check out these substitution suggestions:
- Frozen vegetables - Instead of frozen peas and carrots, use frozen mixed vegetables or your favorite stir-fry blend.
- Soy sauce - For this recipe, I used regular soy sauce but feel free to use low sodium soy sauce if you prefer.
- Rice - I love the extra floral flavor that jasmine rice gives to this recipe, but feel free to use whatever type of rice you may have on hand. Regular long grain white rice, brown rice, and basmati rice are good options. Sushi rice will be too gummy in texture and cause the fried rice to become mushy so I don't recommend using it.
- Shrimp - If you've only got cooked shrimp instead of raw shrimp, that'll work too!
- Leftover rice - Oops! No rice? That's okay! Cook the rice and spread it out in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet to cool. Refrigerate it for as long as you can to dry it out.
Variations
Here are even more ways to change up this recipe:
- Spicy - Stir in a little crushed red pepper flakes to the veggies as you cook them to give this dish some heat. You can also serve it with sriracha.
- Gluten-free - Make this fried rice gluten-free by using tamari or coconut aminos instead of soy sauce.
- Vegetarian - Instead of shrimp and chicken use your favorite vegetarian protein. Sautéed tofu or shelled edamame are great choices.
- Pineapple Fried Rice - Add some diced fresh pineapple at the end when you add the chicken and shrimp for a sweet and savory version. Learn how to make a pineapple bowl from the pineapple you start with. Everyone will be so impressed by this fun preparation!
Equipment
Here's the equipment you'll need to make this recipe:
- dry measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- chef's knife
- liquid measuring cup
- small bowl
- large skillet or wok
- microplane grater
Storage
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days.
This recipe doesn't freeze well.
Tasty Tip
Don't have any leftover rice? Microwaveable rice (those sold in pouches) are a great alternative. Instead of following the microwave instructions, use the rice as-is and pretend it's leftover. Cooking it in the skillet will heat it up to the right temperature.
Frequently asked questions
The key to delicious fried rice is the combination of seasonings from soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger.
For fried rice to taste like it does in a restaurant, I use a combo of vegetable oil (or other neutral oil) and dark sesame oil.
There are several things that could have happened. Was the leftover rice overcooked to begin with? Another possibility is how you add the egg. Either scramble the egg separately and add it to the finished dish at the end, or be sure to push the rice and veggies to the side before scrambling.
Long-grain white rice will work great, but my favorite rice to use for fried rice is jasmine.
For rice, I was always told 1:2:3. So for every 1 cup of rice, you need 2 cups of water, and your yield will be 3 cups. However, I've found that less water yields a better texture. I usually use 1 ½ cups of water for 1 cup of uncooked rice.
Related
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Even more
These are more of my favorite recipes:
🍽Get the recipe
Better Than Takeout Shrimp and Chicken Fried Rice
Equipment
- dry measuring cups
- measuring spoons
- chef's knife
- liquid measuring cup
- small bowl
- large skillet or wok
- microplane grater
Ingredients
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- ½ pound peeled and deveined medium shrimp
- 1 tablespoon dark sesame oil
- ½ cup finely chopped onion
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 (12-ounce) package frozen peas and carrots
- 2 large eggs, lightly beaten
- 3 cups leftover cooked rice
- 1 ½ cups chopped cooked chicken
- Green onions for garnish
Instructions
- Stir together the soy sauce, vinegar, and brown sugar in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Heat the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat until hot. Add the shrimp and cook 2-3 minutes or until pink. Remove from the pan and set aside.
- Add sesame oil to the pan. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger and cook 3 minutes or until tender. Add the frozen vegetables and cook until tender. Push the ingredients to one side and add the beaten eggs. Cook until the eggs are scrambled.
- Add the rice to the pan and cook until thoroughly heated through. Stir in the chicken, shrimp, and sauce. Cook until hot, stirring frequently. Remove the rice to serving bowls and garnish with green onions.
Recipe guidelines and test kitchen tips
When developing and testing recipes, here are some key things that I do for more success in the kitchen:
- Be sure to use dry measuring cups for things like flour, sugar, and mayonnaise and a liquid measuring cup for things like water, milk, and broth.
- When measuring dry ingredients like flour and powdered sugar that can pack down, spoon the ingredient into a dry measuring cup and level with a knife as opposed to scooping the measuring cup into the ingredient.
- I test and develop recipes using a standard electric oven and standard gas stovetop. Be aware that if you use an electric stovetop or convection oven, your bake times will be different.
- When recipes call for kosher salt, I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt.
Food safety
Finally, don't forget to keep these food safety tips in mind when making this recipe.
- Be sure to cook the ground beef to an internal temperature of 160°F when tested with a meat thermometer.
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods.
- Never leave cooking food unattended.
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove.
Juyali says
We liked this recipe so much the first time around, that had to make it again over the weekend. Amazing once again. 🙂 It reminded me of the fried rice we'd get at a local Chinnese restaurant growing up in Venezuela. Delicious!!
AshleyFreeman says
Well that is the best review ever. Thank you so much! So glad you liked it!
DK says
Love how easy yet delicious this is! It was a hit during last night's family dinner! Healthy and so packed with protein!
Krystle says
You are spot on, so much better than takeout. We will make this again.
AshleyFreeman says
Super! So glad to hear it was a hit!
Nicole Kendrick says
I absolutely love this recipe! Fried rice is my favorite thing to order form our local take out spot, and this is better than anything I've had there.
AshleyFreeman says
This makes my day Nicole! Thanks so much!
Rob says
I skipped the shrimp and doubled up the chicken. It was absolutely delicious and flavorful.
AshleyFreeman says
Awesome! It's an easy recipe to make adjustments!
Elizabeth says
So easy and delicious! This was a huge hit with my family!!!
AshleyFreeman says
Hooray! I'm so glad to hear that!
Maayke says
This fried rice looks delicious! Thank you for sharing.
AshleyFreeman says
Thanks Maayke! It's a weeknight favorite!