Leftover Roast Chicken Fried Rice
A speedy, leftover-friendly stir-fry that turns cold rice and roast chicken into a saucy, satisfying one-pan supper in under 20 minutes.
Leftovers are magic when you know how to treat them — this fried rice turns cold, day-old rice and any leftover roast chicken into a speedy, saucy meal the whole family will actually applaud. It’s fast, forgiving and perfect for weeknights when you don’t want to cook from scratch.
The trick is high heat, cold rice and quick cooking: those three combine to make separate, glossy grains and a lovely smoky stir-fry flavour. Use whatever veg you have to hand — this recipe is built for leftovers, not rigidity.
Ingredients
- 300 g leftover roast chicken — shredded or diced
- 500 g cold cooked long grain rice — ideally refrigerated overnight
- 2 eggs — lightly beaten
- 120 g carrot — finely diced or grated
- 100 g frozen peas — thawed
- 3 spring onions — trimmed and sliced, whites and greens separated
- 2 garlic cloves — finely minced
- 10 g fresh ginger — peeled and grated
- 40 ml light soy sauce
- 15 ml sesame oil — for flavour
- 30 ml vegetable oil — for frying
- 10 g toasted sesame seeds — for garnish
- 1 lime — to serve
- freshly ground black pepper — to taste
- sea salt — a small pinch for eggs and to taste
Equipment
- wok or large frying pan
- spatula
- grater
Instructions
Prepare your mise en place: shred or dice the leftover roast chicken, slice the spring onions keeping whites and greens separate, grate or finely dice the carrot, mince the garlic and grate the ginger. Break up any clumps in the cold rice with a fork so it’s loose.
Heat a large wok or frying pan over a high hob. Add half the vegetable oil (15 ml). When the oil is smoking hot, add the beaten eggs and a very small pinch of sea salt. Stir quickly to create soft scrambled curds, then transfer the eggs to a bowl and set aside.
Return the pan to high heat and add the remaining vegetable oil and the sesame oil. Add the white parts of the spring onions, garlic and ginger and fry for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the carrot and peas and stir-fry for 2–3 minutes until the carrot softens but still has a little bite.
Add the cold cooked rice to the pan. Use a spatula to break up any remaining clumps and press the rice into the pan for a few seconds so it gets a little toasted. Stir-fry on high for 3–4 minutes until the rice is hot throughout.
Lower the heat to medium-high. Return the scrambled eggs to the pan, then add the shredded roast chicken and pour over the light soy sauce. Toss everything together until evenly combined and heated through, 1–2 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning with freshly ground black pepper; add a touch more soy if needed.
Stir in the green parts of the spring onions, sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds, squeeze over the lime and serve straight from the pan.
Tips
- Always use cold, refrigerated rice rather than freshly cooked rice — it fries up with separate grains instead of going gluey.
- If your leftover chicken is very lean, add an extra spoon of vegetable oil to keep the rice moist; dark meat also works beautifully.
- Toast the sesame seeds in a dry frying pan for 30 seconds until fragrant for a better finish.
- Make ahead: mix cooked rice and veg, cool and refrigerate in a sealed container for up to 24 hours; fry straight from cold.
- Leftover roast turkey or shredded ham work as well as chicken and are great winter variations.
Substitutions
leftover roast chicken → leftover roast turkey, shredded (same weight)
Stays closelight soy sauce → tamari, 40 ml (gluten-free)
Stays closefrozen peas → shelled edamame, 100 g
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 502
- Calories
- 30 g
- Protein
- 55 g
- Carbs
- 18 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 700 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I use freshly cooked rice?
Freshly cooked rice can be used but must be very well cooled and dried out first — spread on a tray to cool and refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Otherwise it will clump and the texture will be mushy.
How long will leftovers keep?
Store cooled fried rice in the fridge for up to 48 hours in an airtight container. Reheat thoroughly on the hob or in a microwave until piping hot throughout.
Can I make this vegetarian?
Yes — omit the roast chicken and increase the eggs to 3, or add firm tofu or extra edamame for protein. Use tamari if you need gluten-free.
Community Photos
No photos yet
Be the first to share your creation!