Oven Baked Chicken Fried Rice Recipe (2024)

4.47 from 176 votes

ByStacie VaughanOn Updated

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Oven Baked Chicken Fried Rice is a hearty and satisfying dish perfect for family dinners or potlucks. It’s loaded with tender chunks of chicken, fluffy rice, veggies and other flavorful ingredients. You’ll love how easy and hands-off this recipe is to make!

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Skip the Chinese food takeout tonight and whip up this homemade fried rice recipe. It’s a family favorite for busy weeknights because it’s SO simple to make in the oven.

My mom used to make Chicken Fried Rice all the time when I was a kid. She knew it was a main dish that the whole family would enjoy AND it’s easy (and inexpensive) to make. You can make it last for an extra day or two with leftovers!

We often eat this dish as the main course, but it could easily be a side dish. Add in some egg rolls and chicken stir-fry and you have a complete family meal. Your kitchen will be your new favorite Chinese restaurant.

Why buy Chinese takeout when you can make your own Chicken Fried Rice at home? I think this recipe tastes better and won’t cost you as much to enjoy.

What I love most about this recipe isn’t how delicious it is (it’s soooo good!), it’s, instead, how easy it is to make. You can use leftover chicken if you like. It’s a matter of dumping all the ingredients into a casserole dish and baking in the oven. It’s not really “fried”, but still tastes the same, in my opinion. It’s the lazy way to make it!

Why You’ll Love Oven Baked Chicken Fried Rice

  • Great way to use up leftover chicken
  • Leftover rice tastes delicious the next day
  • An easier way to make chicken fried rice
  • Add your favourite mix-ins to customize it to your family’s preferences
  • Crowd pleaser for potlucks
  • The best way to make chicken fried rice (in my opinion!)

Ingredients

  • Rice – Don’t use Instant Rice. I used white rice.
  • Water
  • Soy sauce – Use low sodium if you are watching your salt intake.
  • Vegetable oil
  • Onion soup mix packet
  • Onion
  • Mushroom pieces
  • Green pepper
  • Celery
  • Cooked chicken – Can be any cut like chicken breast, chicken thighs, rotisserie chicken, etc.
  • Green onions (garnish)
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How to Make Chicken Fried Rice

  • Step One: Preheat oven to 350°F. Stir together all ingredients in a 9×13 casserole dish. Cover with aluminum foil.
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  • Step Two: Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Serve hot.
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What to Serve with Baked Chicken Fried Rice

  • Steamed veggies like broccoli, green beans or bok choy
  • Egg rolls or spring rolls
  • Stir fry
  • Sheet pan chicken
  • Wontons
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Variations and Substitutions

  • Add in more bell peppers like red pepper, yellow pepper or orange pepper.
  • Leave out the chicken to make it vegetarian.
  • Use cooked turkey or cooked ground beef in place of the chicken.
  • Use brown rice instead of white rice.
  • Try chicken broth instead of water.
  • Add in oyster sauce (1 or 2 tablespoons) if you like the flavor
  • Garnish with sesame seeds
  • Use freshly sliced mushrooms if you don’t want to use canned mushroom pieces.

What Are The Best Vegetables to Use in Oven-Baked Chicken Fried Rice?

The veggies you used is pretty much up to you based on your personal preference.

  • Celery – My mom always used celery in her fried rice. It softens up as it bakes.
  • Bell peppers – Adds some color and a slight sweetness.
  • Onions – Try white onions or yellow onions.
  • Mushrooms – I used canned mushroom pieces or sliced white mushrooms.
  • Carrots – Try diced or sliced carrots for a sweet crunch.
  • Peas – Fresh or frozen peas adds a pop of color.
  • Corn – Adds some sweetness.
  • Broccoli florets – Adds some bulk and crunch to the dish.

Storage Instructions

Store leftover chicken fried rice in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. You can reheat it in the microwave. It makes a great work lunch!

Can I Freeze?

Yes! Make sure to let the recipe cool completely and then place in zip top freezer bags. Store in the freezer for up to 3 months.

When you want to eat it again, let the freezer bag thaw in the fridge over night. You can heat it up either on the stovetop, microwave or oven.

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FAQ

Can I Make Ahead?

Yes, you can prepare the dish ahead of time and bake at a later date.
Store the baking dish, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 2 days before baking. You may need to adjust the baking time slightly because the ingredients will be cold going into the oven when you do bake it.

Can I Use Any Kind of Rice?

Mostly yes. However, do not use Instant Rice (ie. Minute Rice). The recipe won’t turn out. I like using long grain rice because it cooks more evenly and has nice fluffy texture.
Brown rice can be used, but you’ll require more liquid and a longer cooking time. You could also try jasmine rice or basmati rice.

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Rice Recipes

  • Curried Lentil Rice
  • Sardine Fried Rice
  • Hawaiian Fried Rice
  • Cabbage Roll Rice
  • One-Pot Chicken Fajita Rice

You’ll also like Slow Cooker Chicken Lo Mein and Slow Cooker Beef and Broccoli Ramen.

Follow me on Instagram@simplystacieblog, Facebook atSimply Stacie, TikTok@simplystacierecipesor Pinterest at@simplystacieand let me know how you liked this recipe and my other recipes.

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Rate this Recipe

Chicken Fried Rice

Created by Stacie Vaughan

Servings 8

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 1 hour hour 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 1 hour hour 30 minutes minutes

Skip the takeout and make this homemade side dish! Tender rice is loaded with veggies, spices, and, of course, pieces of chicken in every bite. A must-make rice recipe.

Rate this Recipe

Ingredients

  • 2 cups long grain white rice uncooked (Not Instant rice)
  • 3 ½ cups water
  • ½ cup soy sauce
  • ½ cup vegetable oil
  • 1 envelope onion soup mix
  • 1 yellow onion chopped
  • 1 8oz/284ml can mushroom pieces
  • 1 green pepper chopped
  • 1 celery stalk chopped
  • 3 cups cooked chicken chopped

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 350F.

  • Stir together all ingredients in a 9×13 casserole dish. Cover with aluminum foil.

  • Bake for 1 hour 15 minutes or until liquid is absorbed and rice is tender. Serve hot.

Video

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 310kcal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 16g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 996mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 2g

The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

Course Side Dishes

Cuisine Chinese

Keyword chicken, chicken fried rice, rice

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Oven Baked Chicken Fried Rice Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret ingredient to restaurant fried rice? ›

Cooking bits of chopped vegetables, seasoning, soy sauce, and oil, seems easy enough. However, when making fried rice at home, there's one ingredient you may be overlooking: Sugar.

What is the difference between fried rice and Chinese fried rice? ›

In Fried Rice, most quick-service restaurants (QSRs) use long-grain white rice like Basmati, whereas Jasmine Rice is used in Chinese Rice. If you love rice unconditionally, you should definitely try out Fried Rice varieties (available in veg & no-veg) from Hong's Kitchen.

What gives Japanese fried rice its flavor? ›

Typically seasoned with soy sauce. In Osaka, fried rice seasoned with Worcestershire sauce is called Sauce Yakimeshi (ソース焼き飯).

What makes chicken fried rice taste so good? ›

There are a few different seasonings that make fried rice taste just right. The most important sauces to add are soy sauce, oyster sauce, and fish sauce in fried rice. All three add unique flavors to rice, but it can be easy to go overboard. Make sure you add small amounts of each and regularly taste the rice.

Why does homemade fried rice not taste like restaurant? ›

In fact, the use of classic Chinese sauces is exactly what makes takeout fried rice so incredibly moreish. Key amongst these is soy sauce. By adding soy sauce during cooking chefs are adding both salt and umami to the fried rice which, unsurprisingly, greatly improves the dish's overall flavor.

What is fried rice syndrome? ›

Fried rice syndrome is food poisoning caused by a bacterium known as Bacillus cereus (B. cereus). This microscopic germ likes to live on starchy foods like rice and pasta, but it can set up shop on nearly any food.

Do you have to let rice cool before making fried rice? ›

Fresh-cooked: So long as you spread the rice out on a plate or tray while it's still hot and give it a few minutes to allow some surface moisture to evaporate, you can make excellent fried rice with fresh rice. Day-old rice: Day-old rice tends to clump, so you'll need to break it up by hand before stir-frying.

Why do you need to refrigerate rice before frying? ›

In fact, it's critical. Unlike freshly cooked rice, which forms soft, mushy clumps when stir-fried, chilled leftover white rice undergoes a process called retrogradation, in which the starch molecules form crystalline structures that make the grains firm enough to withstand the second round of cooking.

How do you make fried rice taste like restaurant? ›

To get restaurant-quality fried rice at home, it's essential to use aromatics, a group of vegetables and herbs that are so named because they lend your dish a distinct aroma. Common aromatics that are used to flavor fried rice are onion, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, and red peppers.

Which spice is good for fried rice? ›

The Perfect Nigerian Fried Rice
  • 2 bay leaves.
  • 2 sprigs fresh rosemary (optional)
  • 2 Tasty Cubes.
  • 1 teaspoon salt.
  • 1 teaspoon white pepper (substitute other ground pepper)
  • 2 teaspoon curry powder (divided)
  • 1 teaspoon thyme.

Do Chinese restaurants use butter for fried rice? ›

That's one of the major differences between how Chinese and Japanese restaurants prepare fried rice. Whereas the former only uses oil, the latter cooks leftover grains with butter (plus soy sauce).

Do restaurants use MSG in fried rice? ›

Some restaurants add MSG to a number of popular dishes, including fried rice. MSG is also used by franchises like Kentucky Fried Chicken and Chick-fil-A to enhance the flavor of foods.

Do Chinese put MSG in fried rice? ›

What gives Chinese Fried Rice its taste? Chinese fried rice uses ingredients like garlic, ginger, white pepper, msg, and soy sauce to give it an incredibly aromatic flavor with lots of umami!

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