If you're craving take-out, but want something healthier, this healthy fried rice is the perfect solution. Made with brown rice, chicken, and extra veggies all tossed with coconut aminos and toasted sesame oil for that signature fried rice taste. Flavorful, family-friendly, and ready in less than 30 minutes.
If you love healthy twists on classic take-out recipes (like we do), then try my gluten-free teriyaki chicken breasts or ground chicken stir-fry next.
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"Healthy?! Really?! This was SO DELISH I didn't even miss the unhealthy stuff! LOL! I loaded it up with the veggies I had on hand--broccoli and red pepper--and it was a hit!" - Casey
About This Healthy Fried Rice
I grew up loving the flavors of takeout fried rice, but once I started paying more attention to ingredients, I knew I needed a version I could actually feel good about serving my family.
Typical fried rice is high in sodium and really lacking in nutrients. You get a plate full of mostly white rice, and if you're lucky, a few vegetables (but they don't amount to anything).
This healthy fried rice is diffferent! It's...
- Made with brown rice - Higher in fiber and more micronutrients, compared to white rice.
- Soy-free - Just like my soy-free teriyaki sauce, I use coconut aminos to also make this a soy-free fried rice (and gluten-free).
- No highly refined vegetable oils - I use avocado oil as opposed to refined vegetable oils that you'd find in most fried rice recipes.
- Packed with protein and veggies - Typical fried rice has a few peas and carrots thrown in, but not this dish! This healthy fried rice is made with lean chicken and veggie packed. If you love veggie packed twists on classic foods, then try my healthy chicken pot pie soup with cauliflower.
This healthy fried rice still tastes like take-out, but doesn't come with refined ingredients and minimal nutrition. It tastes just like the real thing, that I never miss the original, and you won't either 🙂
And just like my skillet vegetarian lasagna and one-dish oven baked fajitas, it's easy and made it one skillet! Perfect for busy nights!
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Chicken - I use chicken breasts, but you can use boneless and skinless chicken thighs too. You'll want the chicken diced into ½" to ¾" cubes. For vegetarian, just skip the chicken.
- Pre-cooked brown rice - The key to the perfect fried rice is using pre-cooked COLD rice! This helps to dry out the grains and give your fried rice the perfect texture. I use long-grain brown rice in this recipe, but white rice can also be used.
- Coconut aminos - Coconut aminos is a common substitute for soy sauce and what makes this a soy-free fried rice. It has a nice, deep, sweet flavor; a little savory, but not as salty as soy sauce. In addition, it is typically organic/non-GMO, low-sodium, and gluten-free.
- Toasted sesame oil - Don't skip the toasted sesame oil. Has a distinct flavor and adds so much depth to this healthy fried rice. Toasted sesame oil is NOT the same as sesame oil, so make sure you are using one that says "toasted" on the label.
- Veggies - You can use whatever veggies you have on hand. For this specific recipe I used onions, broccoli, red pepper, and frozen peas and carrots.
- Eggs - I love some scrambled eggs thrown in with my fried rice, but you an omit if that's not your thing.
- Avocado oil - Not pictured above, but you will need some avocado oil for cooking the chicken and veggies. You can also use extra-virgin olive oil.
A complete list of ingredients can be found in the recipe card below. The above are some specific notes to help with selecting ingredients.
🤍Clean food tips: To avoid antibiotics and GMO food, opt for organic chicken if you can. In addition, I like to look for certifications like "Certified Humane Raised and Handled" or "Global Animal Partnership" to ensure quality treatment of the animals.
Because conventionally grown rice is high in pesticides, I choose organic rice.
Step-by-Step Directions
- Step 1: Heat 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add diced chicken and cook, stirring frequently, until fully cooked. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Step 2: Add an additional tablespoon of oil to pan. Add onion, broccoli, and red pepper and sautee for about 5 minutes. Next, add in frozen peas/carrots and garlic and continue cooking until frozen veggies are warm.
- Step 3: Turn to medium heat and push veggies off to the side of the skillet. and add the eggs. You can whisk the eggs first or crack them directly into the pan. Scramble eggs and once fully cooked, mix them in with the veggies.
- Step 4: Turn heat back to med-high and add rice, cooked chicken, coconut aminos, toasted sesame oil, and green onions. Mix everything together and continue cooking for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently.
How to Get The Best Rice for FRied Rice
- Use day-old, cold rice! Day-old rice has had a chance to dry, which will fry up better and prevent soggy rice.
- If you don't have day old rice, you can cook the rice and then lay it out on a baking sheet and throw in the freezer to cool off and dry out.
- When cooking rice for fried rice, use slightly less water than the directions actually call for. You can also use pre-cooked rice from the bag or the pre-cooked rice you find in the freezer. If using frozen rice, no need to thaw. Just fry a few extra minutes until hot.
- Long grain rice is good for fried rice since its more fluffy and less sticky. For healthy fried rice, I prefer long grain brown rice or brown basmati rice.
Healthy Chicken Fried Rice Recipe FAQs
Yes, you can use cauliflower rice in place of regular rice. Follow the same steps and use cauliflower rice in place of the brown rice. You can use either frozen cauliflower rice or chop fresh cauliflower yourself.
This veggie packed fried rice is really good with any variation of veggies. Others I think would be good with this chicken fried rice are mushrooms, green beans, and/or zucchini.
"Healthy" is a very subjective term, however, I consider this a healthy fried rice because of the whole grain brown rice, extra veggies, and soy-free sauce. Plus, I use extra-virgin olive oil to stir-fry the veggies, as opposed to refined vegetable oils.
Long grain rice is best since is fluffy and less sticky. For healthy fried rice, I prefer brown rice, like long grain brown rice or brown basmati rice.
This is most likely due to not allowing your rice to cool in the fridge and dry out, or having too much moisture in the rice. I like to reduce the amount of water called for when making rice for fried rice to help with overall texture.
Sara's Tips for the Best FRied Rice
- For added nutrients and flavor, cook the rice in chicken bone broth. I am a huge fan of bone broth, just like in my chicken kale soup.
- Break up the cold rice with a fork before adding to the skillet. Cold rice straight from the fridge may settle and take on the shape of the container.
- Swap the chicken and use steak or shrimp instead. Same with the chicken, just cook first, set aside, and then add back to the skillet when you add the rice, toasted sesame oil, and coconut aminos.
- Use all frozen veggies. You can really use any mix of frozen veggies. I like to really pack in the veggies to keep this a healthy fried rice.
- Use an extra-large skillet/fry pan (or Wok if you have one). If you don't have an extra-large skillet, I recommend you stir-fry in batches. I love my All-Clad 14" fry pan.
- Add a little additional avocado oil when you add the coconut aminos and sesame oil. This helps give it a light, glossy coating, giving it the classic takeout look and flavor.
Storage & Meal Prep
Storing: Leftovers should be stored in an airtight container in the fridge and will keep for 3-4 days.
Freezing: Any leftovers, or to meal prep, you can store this fried rice in the freezer. I recommend portioning it out, either in individual zip-top bags or silicone molds for easy storage. Best within 1 month, but will stay good for up to 3.
Making ahead: To make getting dinner on the table even easier, have all your veggies pre-chopped and chicken cut and ready in the fridge. Alternatively, this keeps great in the fridge, so make ahead and have it ready to re-heat on busy nights.
To reheat: You can reheat this healthy fried rice in the microwave, or over med-low heat in shallow skillet or fry-pan until heated throughout.
Healthy Fried Rice
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Equipment
- 1 large skillet
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp. avocado oil (or extra-virgin olive oil)
- 1 lb. chicken, cut into ½" cubes
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 2 cups chopped broccoli
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 cup frozen peas and carrots mix
- 2 eggs
- 3 cups cooked brown rice (see notes)
- ¼ cup thinly sliced green onions
- ¼ cup coconut aminos (see notes)
- 2 tbsp. toasted sesame oil
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon of extra-virgin olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add diced chicken and season lightly with salt and pepper. Sauté, stirring frequently, until all pieces of chicken are cooked through (about 10 minutes). Remove chicken from pan and set aside.1 lb. chicken, cut into ½" cubes
- Add an additional tablespoon of oil to the pan and add onion, pepper, and broccoli. Sautee for about 5 minutes, or until onions are translucent. Next, add in the garlic and frozen peas/carrots. Continue cooking until frozen veggies are warm (about 2 minutes).1 small yellow onion, chopped, 1 red bell pepper, chopped, 2 cups chopped broccoli, 2 garlic cloves, minced, 1 cup frozen peas and carrots mix
- Turn to medium heat and push veggies off to one side of the skillet and add the eggs (you can whisk the eggs first or crack them directly into the pan- you may want to add some more oil to this side of the pan to avoid sticking). Scramble eggs. Once eggs are fully cooked, mix them in with the veggies.2 eggs
- Turn heat back to med-high and add cooked rice, cooked chicken, green onions, coconut aminos, and toasted sesame oil. Mix everything together and continue cooking, stirring frequently, to allow rice to cook around the edges and for chicken to heat back up (about 3-5 minutes).3 cups cooked brown rice , ¼ cup thinly sliced green onions, ¼ cup coconut aminos, 2 tbsp. toasted sesame oil
- Taste and add more coconut aminos and/or salt if desired. Serve immediately and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- The larger the skillet you have the better. If you don't have a large skillet, I recommend frying the rice in batches (starting on step #4).
- Day old cooked rice is best for making fried rice. See blog post for tips on the best rice. Long grain rice is best for fried rice.
- I like to add in an extra tablespoon, or two, of avocado oil in with the coconut aminos. It helps the rice to fry up as well is give it that glossy take-out look.
- Coconut aminos is a common substitute for soy sauce. It is typically organic/non-GMO, low-sodium, and gluten-free. You can sub regular soy sauce or liquid aminos in it's place. Just note if needing this to be gluten free, make sure your soy sauce does not contain wheat.
- This makes 4 large servings. You can get 6 servings if on the smaller side.
Nutrition
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Kari says
Sara’s recipes never disappoint and this one was no exception. Full of flavor, healthy, and so delicious!! Thanks for sharing your creations!
Sara Ecklin says
You're so welcome and thanks for sharing!
Julie says
This was really good! I was surprised by how much it really tastes like take-out. I added in some leftover cabbage I had and it turned out great. Will for sure be making this one again soon.
Sara Ecklin says
Love the addition of cabbage!
Mary Muzzy says
Can this be made without the egg?
Sara says
Hi! Yes, you can for sure skip the eggs in this recipe! After the veggies are cooked, just add the remaining ingredients and omit the eggs.
Pam Rusk says
I made this last night. I added some leftover pork with poached chicken. We loved it.
Sara says
Thanks for letting me know and so happy to hear how much you loved this recipe 🙂
Tara says
Healthy AND easy! I will be making this for dinner again soon.
Shashi at Savory Spin says
I love that this is a soy free dish - it is absolutely delicious and a meal on rotation in our home.
Sue says
We're making this tonight ~ thanks for a fabulous recipe!
Sara says
Yay... I hope you enjoy!
Anita says
I love making fried rice whenever I have leftover rice. Using brown rice makes it more nutritious than white rice, and I love your add-ons for this recipe.
Casey says
Healthy?! Really?! This was SO DELISH I didn't even miss the unhealthy stuff! LOL! I loaded it up with the veggies I had on hand--broccoli and red pepper--and it was a hit!
Sara says
Haha... yes, I love that healthy food can still be delicious!