Easy Shrimp and Chicken Fried Rice

Making shrimp and chicken fried rice at home is easy and delicious. You just need shrimp, chicken, rice, soy sauce, sesame oil, and veggies. It’s a simple dish that’s full of flavor. You don’t need a wok or any other special tools.

This recipe is excellent for a quick and tasty meal. It’s also a good way to use up leftover rice. Whether you’re cooking for yourself or others, this fried rice with chicken and shrimp is always a good choice.

Ingredients:

• Chicken
• Peeled and deveined shrimp
• Day old rice
• Oil
• Onion
• Garlic or garlic paste
• Ginger or ginger paste
• Carrots
• Frozen peas
• Eggs
• Dark soy sauce
• Regular soy sauce, (optional for marinating proteins)
• Oyster or hoisin sauce
• Green onions
• Sesame oil
• Salt and pepper

Ingredient Substitutions:

• Chicken: Use turkey, pork, or tofu for a different protein.You can also leave it out for a simple shrimp fried rice.
• Shrimp: Substitute with cubed firm fish or scallops, or leave out for a chicken-only version.
• Day-old rice: You can also use steamable frozen rice. It’s a great shortcut.  
• Vegetable Oil: Canola oil or light olive oil are good alternatives.
• Dark Soy Sauce: Tamari is great for a gluten-free option. Regular soy sauce is saltier than dark, so you may want to cut back to 1 1/2 tablespoons and add a couple of teaspoons of brown sugar or molasses. You can add more soy sauce later, it’s best to err on the less salty side.
• Oyster Sauce: Hoisin sauce can be used, but it’s a little sweeter.
• Eggs: Leave out or use scrambled tofu for a vegan version.

Instructions:

1 – Cut the chicken into bite-sized chunks and transfer them to a bowl.

2 – Blend the marinade components together. Drizzle the chicken with half of this mixture, ensuring it’s evenly coated. Let it marinate.

3 – Place the shrimp in a different bowl. Toss them with the remaining marinade, ensuring they’re well covered. Set this aside as well.

4 – Prepare all your ingredients – chicken, shrimp, prepped veggies, and other items you’ll use.

5 – Warm up 2 tablespoons of oil over a medium-high flame in a wok or large skillet.

6 – Sauté the shrimp until they’re almost completely cooked. Remove them from the skillet and keep them aside.

7 – If needed, add an extra 2 tablespoons of oil to the skillet. Once hot, cook the chicken pieces until they’re no longer pink. Remove these and set them aside with the shrimp

8 – Add more oil to the skillet if needed, and wait a minute for it to heat.

9 – Toss in the onion and the remaining garlic and ginger, cooking for a couple of minutes.

10 – Introduce the diced carrots and peas, continuing to cook for an additional few minutes.

11 – Move the veggies to one side of the skillet. Pour in the eggs, softly scrambling them in the pan.

12 – When cooked, mix them with the veggies.

13 – Now, add in the cooked rice, breaking up any clumps. Stir and cook for around 5 minutes.

14 – Drizzle the mixture with soy sauce and oyster sauce, ensuring the rice gets an even coating of color.

15 – Reintroduce the chicken and shrimp to the skillet, stirring well until everything is warmed and cooked through.

16 – Finish off by sprinkling sesame oil over the dish, stirring well.

17 – Season with salt and pepper if desired.

18 – Take the skillet off the heat.

19 – Garnish with freshly sliced green onions before serving.

Tips and Tricks:

• For the best fried rice, use rice that has been refrigerated overnight. It’s drier and less sticky, making it perfect for frying.
• Frozen, steamable rice can be used as a substitute for day-old rice.
• Make your rice on the dry side. I use 1 1/4 cups of water for every cup of Jasmine Rice. 
• The rice will be sticky when it is hot, and you move it onto a baking sheet to cool it. It’s OK,  just spread it out as best you can.
• Use relatively high heat to get that authentic fried rice texture.
• Feel free to swap out or leave out vegetables based on your preference or what you have on hand. Bell peppers, corn, or bean sprouts are great additions.
• Adjust the amount of soy and oyster sauce (or hoisin sauce if used) according to your preference. Be mindful of the saltiness.
• Make sure your ingredients are as dry as possible. Moisture, until the right moment, is terrible for fried rice.
• Season your shrimp and chicken before cooking. Letting the proteins marinate for 30 to 60 minutes is even better.
• You don’t need a wok to make this. A large skillet will work just fine. You could even use an electric skillet.
• Cook your proteins first. Don’t clean out the skillet. You want all that extra flavor in your rice.

Add In Ideas

• Sliced mushrooms: Earthy and umami-rich for extra textural contrast.
• Diced water chestnuts: Crunchy bites with a subtle sweetness.
• Corn: Adds vibrant color and a touch of summer sweetness.
• Green beans: Light crunch.
• Chopped bell peppers: Vibrant color and sweetness in red, yellow, or orange varieties.
• Broccoli: Healthy touch with a subtle bitterness that balances flavors.
• Snow peas: Delicate sweetness with a pleasing snap.

Remember, this is just a starting point. Feel free to get creative and experiment with other veggies you have on hand. The possibilities are endless!

Do I Have to Marinate the Chicken and Shrimp?

Marinating the proteins for fried rice is totally optional. It will add more flavor to the chicken and shrimp, but sometimes I forget or get lazy. It is delicious either way.

I use a Simple Soy-Garlic-Ginger Marinade: 2 tablespoons of light soy sauce mixed with 1 teaspoon of ginger and 1 teaspoon of garlic paste.

Marinating Shrimp

Gently coat the shrimp in the marinade and let it sit in the refrigerator for 15-30 minutes. Shrimp are delicate and can become over-marinated quickly, so a shorter time is better.

Marinating Chicken

Coat the chicken pieces in marinade. Allow them to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to an hour, or longer if you have time for deeper flavor penetration.

What If I Don’t Have Any Day-old Rice?

Fried rice recipes work best with rice that’s been dried out a bit. You can make fresh rice if you find yourself without any old rice. 

Cook the rice with less water than is called for on the package. When I make fried rice, I use 1.25 cups of water and 1 cup of jasmine rice.

Remove the lid from the rice the moment it is cooked, pour it out onto a large baking sheet lightly oiled or covered with parchment paper, and spread it out. Put the rice into the refrigerator while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

The longer you can let the rice sit in the refrigerator, the better the results will be. When you can, prepare your rice the day before.

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