Quickest Fried Rice Ever Recipe
I’m going to show you how to make both “Chicken Fried Rice” and “Vegetarian Fried Rice” in less than 20 minutes all in the same recipe!
Somedays I make huge intricate meals that take 90 minutes or more to create, and other deals I need something quick (and tasty) because I’m in a hurry. I’ve learned over the years to keep certain things on hand for certain days like this. Our house is nothing special, some days we can have a mexican fiesta, others thai food, and sometimes chicken nuggets in a box with frozen fries and a canned vegetable are perfect! This recipe is inspired, at least in part, by the “Semi-Homemade” show on the Food Network. Why? Because this recipe is definitely “semi-homemade” as well!
When I was a kid, one of the things we always loved was “Rice-A-Roni Fried Rice”. It’s funny becase as a kid we didn’t have Chinese food a lot, but when we did have it we went out to the restaurant. I don’t remember ever getting, or seeing a plate or meal that ever contained “fried rice“. I guess no one in my immediate family ever ate it. I never knew (until I left high school) what “fried rice” was - I just thought that it was the rice a roni stuff from the box. I now love fried rice from Thai, Japenese, and Chinese restaurants and I’ve had it many, many ways with chicken, beef, pork, shrimp, and just plain with vegetables. So - today I was in the mood for some fried rice, but I just happenned to have a couple of boxes of “Rice-A-Roni” fried rice (the San Francisco treat!) on hand. I figured out how to have one of my childhood favorites AND make it more like the fried rice I’ve come to love in the restaurant - all in 20 minutes! This recipe serves at least 4 people very healthy plates of fried rice!
Ingredients you’ll need to make my homemade fried rice:
- 2 Boxes of “Rice-A-Roni” Fried Rice
- 6 tbsp margarine
- 4 cups hot water
- 1/2 Vidalia onion
- 1/2 bag frozen peas (5-6oz, seemed to be a big less than 2 cups)
- salt and pepper to taste
- 5-6 frozen skinless boneless ‘chicken tenders’ or 2 chicken breasts
You can easily make this meal in about 20 minutes if you follow right sequence of events. When I make a meal I’m usually doing multiple things at once. First put 4 tbsp margarine in a 2 quart pot on the stove on high. Once the butter starts to melt, turn down to med-high and dump in the rice only from the rice a roni boxes (set the sauce packets aside). Stir the rice and butter mixture for about 2-3 minutes, then add 4 cups hot water to the pan, and then the contents of the sauce packets. Mix everything well in the pan, and then turn burner back up to high until it boils.
I keep a 4 lb bag of boneless skiness chicken “tenders” (about 4 lbs) on hand in the freezer at all times. The “tenders” are about half the size of a regular chicken breast. I put them on “defrost” in a medium bowl in the microwave for about 4 1/2 minutes while I’m waiting for the rice mixture to boil. Next I get out my cutting board and the onion. By now, the rice is boiling - so turn it down to medium and cover tightly. Set the timer on your stove for about 15 minutes, and you don’t need to stir this as often, but be sure to visit it about every 4-5 minutes, and every few minutes towards the end.
Now, put a skillet on the stove and add a few capfuls of canola or olive oil. Get your chicken from the microwave bowl and place directly in the skillet on high. Salt and pepper to taste. Next, take the 1/2 bag of frozen peas and place in a medium bowl with 1″ of water in the bottom in the microwave for 2 minutes on high. Go back to your cutting board and julienne (cut in 1/8″ slices with the grain) about 1/2 of your sweet onion. Go back to the stove, it’s probably time to stir your rice, and also flip your chicken and turn the heat down to medium-high. When you’re done with this your peas should be done in the microwave. Get them out and drain them in a colander, rinse and then put them back in the bowl.
Add 2 tbsp margarine to the peas, put the sliced onions in the bowl, stir and place back in the microwave for 1 minute 30 seconds. Stir your rice again, and about this time you can flip your chicken again and just chop it up into small pieces with your spatula. As you chop it up you’ll see it’s cooked and done turn that burner off. The rice will start to stick to the bottom of the pan and rise to the top of the mixture as it’s done, it’s the last thing to complete cooking.
When it’s done turn off the burner, and add the peas and onions to the mixture and mix well. It’s at this point I dish up one plate for the “vegetarian” in our house, and that would conclude the “vegetarian fried rice” portion of this recipe. Then I add the chicken and mix well, and now you have “chicken fried rice” that is tasty AND ready in about 20 minutes.
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