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This chicken fried rice tastes just like your favorite hibachi restaurant! That’s because we took this recipe straight from the hibachi grill and our mega-popular Hibachi Chicken recipe. On the table in just about 20 minutes, this fried rice is perfect as a main course or a side dish, and it’s guaranteed to please the whole family.

Overhead view of chicken fried rice in a large cast iron skillet.

What Makes This Recipe So Good

  • This hibachi-inspired chicken fried rice tastes just like the rice you’d order at your favorite restaurant, but it’s made right in the comfort of your own kitchen.
  • Depending on your portion sizes, this is filling enough to be its own meal, or you can pair it with something like my hibachi chicken or Instant Pot orange chicken. If you’re making it as a stand-alone dish, feel free to double the amount of chicken you put in the rice, to really pack in the protein.
  • All of the cooking happens right in one skillet, so clean up is a breeze! You’ll cook the chicken first, then set it aside and wipe out the skillet to start over with the veggies and rice.

Key Ingredients

Rice – Fried rice is traditionally a way to use up leftover rice, and leftover rice absolutely gives you the best “fried rice” texture. You can cook the rice ahead of time, or use pre-cooked rice from the grocery store. If you use fresh rice, it’ll be way too moist and clumpy.

Soy Sauce – Coconut aminos or lite tamari would also work here, so feel free to substitute if you’re avoiding soy. I like to use a low-sodium soy sauce, then just salt the rice and chicken to my preference.

Chef’s Tips

  • Don’t rely solely on the soy sauce to season your chicken fried rice. If that’s where all your seasoning comes from, you’ll end up using so much that the rice is soggy and too soy-flavored. I use plenty of salt and lots of pepper in both my chicken and fried rice.
  • You can also use this method for pork fried rice instead of chicken, or you can skip the meat altogether for a plain fried rice with egg. If you’re looking for a low-carb variation, use riced cauliflower instead of typical rice.
  • No need to thaw the peas and carrots, just toss them in the skillet straight from the freezer! You can use other vegetables, too, if you’d rather.
Overhead view of a bowl of chicken fried rice on a wooden table.

More Restaurant-Style Recipes You’ll Love

Overhead view of chicken fried rice in a large cast iron skillet.
Recipe By: Cheryl Malik
4.95 from 37 votes

Restaurant-Style Chicken Fried Rice

Prep 15 minutes
Cook 30 minutes
Total 45 minutes
We took this recipe straight from the hibachi grill and our mega-popular Hibachi Chicken recipe, for a perfect restaurant-style meal made at home.
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6 servings

Equipment

  • 1 large skillet or work
  • Spatula
  • Paper towels
  • 1 Medium bowl

Ingredients

  • 1 ½ teaspoons sesame oil
  • 4 teaspoons neutral oil like avocado or canola; 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon, divided
  • ¾ pound chicken breasts cut into very small pieces, roughly half of "bite-sized"
  • 5 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce divided
  • 4 tablespoons butter divided
  • 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
  • salt to taste
  • pepper to taste
  • ½ cup diced white onion
  • 1 cup frozen mixed vegetables peas, carrots
  • 2 large eggs
  • 4 cups cooked rice cool to touch, see Notes
  • sesame seeds optional, for garnish

Instructions

For the Chicken

  • In large skillet or wok over medium-high heat, warm 1 ½ teaspoons sesame oil and 1 tablespoon (3 teaspoons) neutral oil. Once oils are hot, add chicken pieces. Let chicken cook for 1 minute without stirring.
  • Add 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon butter, 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, salt, and pepper to skillet. Cook until chicken is no longer pink, approximately 1 to 3 minutes. Stir no more than once or twice so that chicken will brown nicely.
  • Transfer cooked chicken to medium bowl and set aside. Wipe out skillet (or wok) to use again.

For the Fried Rice

  • Heat 1 teaspoon neutral oil in skillet over medium-high heat. Add diced onion and frozen vegetables. Sauté until onions are almost translucent, approximately 3 minutes.
  • Move vegetables to one side of skillet. Crack eggs into skillet and scramble with spatula until cooked through.
  • Add 4 cups cooked rice and 3 tablespoons butter to skillet. Stir frequently and cook 5 minutes, then stir in 3 tablespoons soy sauce and cook 1 additional minute.
  • Stir in chicken, salt, and pepper. Cook until everything is well combined and warmed through, then portion into bowls, garnish with sesame seeds if desired, and serve warm.
  • Chicken: You can double the amount of chicken for more protein.
  • Rice: Don’t use fresh rice – it’ll be clumpy and way too moist. Leftover rice works best, and I like to use microwaveable ready rice, too.
  • Flavor: Be sure to salt and pepper your fried rice! Don’t rely solely on the soy sauce – if you rely on it to season to taste, you’ll end up with soppy rice that’s overly soy-flavored. I use plenty of salt and lots of pepper in this recipe.

Approximate Information for One Serving

Serving Size: 1servingCalories: 359calProtein: 20gFat: 15gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 118mgSodium: 1010mgPotassium: 389mgTotal Carbs: 36gFiber: 2gSugar: 1gNet Carbs: 34gVitamin A: 1881IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 39mgIron: 1mg
Nutrition Disclaimers
Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.
Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.
To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.

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Cheryl Malik

In addition to being a certified health coach, certified yoga instructor, and mom of 3, Cheryl is also the recipe developer, editor-in-chief, food photographer, and passionate foodie behind 40 Aprons. Having spent the last 10+ years as a food blogger, she's become known for her flavorful recipes, detailed instructions, gorgeous photography, and down-to-earth approach to food and cooking in general.

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81 Comments

  3. This recipe is the closest thing to restaurant fried rice that I ever made. So delicious! For once I’m not fried rice disappointed- victory!5 stars

    Reply

  4. I love this recipe. I “velvet” the chicken before cooking it and use a variety of fresh veggies instead of the frozen.5 stars

    Reply

    1. I’m so sorry, Angel! I’d love to help you troubleshoot if I can.

      – Did you use leftover rice that was cooked at least a day in advance? Freshly cooked rice will have way too much moisture and can definitely end up wet or mushy.
      – Did you use more soy sauce than the recipe calls for? It’s easy to get carried away with (guilty!), and too much soy sauce will absolutely give you soggy rice. Plus it overpowers all the other flavors, so you’d really only taste the soy.
      – After cooking the frozen vegetables, did they leave a lot of liquid in the skillet? If so, you’ll want to drain that before adding the eggs and rice.

      I hope you’ll give this one another try!

      Reply

    1. Sure! Keep in mind that after cooking, cooling, freezing, defrosting, and reheating the rice, it may be pretty mushy.

      Reply

  9. This dish is very good. I took away one star because it was too salty to our liking. Will defiantly make again and eliminate some of the salt.4 stars

    Reply

    1. Oh, I’m sorry, Ruth! That’s why we always recommend using low-sodium soy sauce, and of course, instruct to “salt, to taste”. Everyone’s preferences are so different!

      Please let us know how you like it when you try it again!

      Reply

  10. Definitely need to add oyster sauce to chicken and even making fried rice portion if you really want that restaurant taste. You’ll thank me later!

    Reply

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