Spicy Chicken Fried Rice: The Takeaway Favourite Everyone’s Cooking at Home

Fried rice has always been a weeknight staple, but a spicier version has become one of the most searched and cooked recipes so far this year, and it’s easy to see why. This Spicy Chicken Fried Rice takes the comforting, familiar base we all know and love and turns up the heat with fresh chilli and a splash of sriracha, creating a genuinely restaurant-quality dish in the time it takes to order and wait for delivery. It’s also one of the best ways to use up leftover rice and whatever vegetables are hanging around in the crisper, making it as practical as it is delicious.

Spicy Chicken Fried Rice
Serves 4 | Prep: 10 minutes | Cook: 15 minutes

Ingredients

3 cups cooked, cooled rice (day-old rice works best)
2 chicken breasts, diced into small pieces
2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
1 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
1 long red chilli, finely sliced (deseed for less heat)
1 cup mixed frozen vegetables (peas, carrot, corn)
2 eggs, lightly beaten
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1–2 tablespoons sriracha, to taste
1 teaspoon sesame oil
2 spring onions, sliced, plus extra to serve
Salt and pepper, to taste

Method

Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large wok or frying pan over high heat. Add the diced chicken, season with salt and pepper, and stir-fry for 5–6 minutes until golden and cooked through. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Add the remaining oil to the pan, along with the onion, garlic, ginger and sliced chilli. Stir-fry for 1–2 minutes until fragrant.
Add the frozen mixed vegetables and cook for 2–3 minutes, until just tender.
Push the vegetables to one side of the pan and pour the beaten eggs into the cleared space. Scramble gently until just set, then mix through the vegetables.
Add the cooked rice to the pan, breaking up any clumps with your spatula. Stir-fry for 3–4 minutes, tossing regularly, until the rice is heated through and starting to catch slightly at the edges.
Return the cooked chicken to the pan, then add the soy sauce, sriracha and sesame oil. Toss everything together until well combined and evenly coated.
Stir through the spring onions, taste and adjust the seasoning or heat level as needed, then serve immediately, garnished with extra spring onion.

Tips

Day-old, cold rice is genuinely important here — freshly cooked rice is too moist and will turn the dish gluey rather than giving you those separate, slightly crisp grains.
Adjust the spice level to suit your own tolerance by scaling the chilli and sriracha up or down, or leaving the chilli out entirely for a milder version the whole family can enjoy.
This recipe is very forgiving — swap the chicken for prawns, tofu or leftover roast pork, and use whatever vegetables you have on hand.
Leftovers reheat well in a hot pan the next day, though it’s rarely around long enough to need reheating.