Making homemade fried rice is so much easier than you think and a fabulous way to use up leftover protein, vegetables, and cooked rice. Using just a few common pantry staples, you can prepare a nutritious and satisfying meal in less than 20 minutes your fried rice is done.
Preparing take-out dishes at home also helps you avoid any potential gluten in the meal. When you cook at home, you control everything that's going into your recipe, so not only can you omit ingredients that don't bode well with your system, but you can also add ingredients that provide nutrients like fiber, which may be lacking from take-out meals.
This fried rice recipe, for example, is packed with veggies and swaps out soy sauce for gluten-free tamari to make the dish celiac-friendly.
Ingredients for caliber chicken fried rice
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium gluten-free tamari
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons canola oil
- 1 large egg, beaten
- 8 ounces cooked chicken breast, chopped or shredded
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms
- 1 cup grated carrot
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 1 cup shredded green cabbage
- 4 cups cooked brown rice
- ¼ cup roasted and salted cashews, roughly chopped
Preparation for caliber chicken fried rice
- In a small bowl whisk sesame oil, tamari, rice vinegar, sugar, and cornstarch; set aside.
- Heat one tablespoon of oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat.
- Add egg and gently scramble; remove from pan and set aside.
- Heat remaining oil in skillet; add chicken and vegetables and cook for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add sauce and cook for 2 minutes more to thicken the sauce
- Add rice and cooked egg.
- Continue to cook, stirring frequently until all ingredients are heated through, about 5 minutes.
- Serve topped with cashews.
Ingredient Variations and Substitutions
Unlike soy sauce, tamari is not brewed with wheat. Look for it at your local grocery store or Asian market. It's also readily available in low-sodium varieties. If you do use soy sauce and have celiac disease or gluten intolerances, make sure to use a gluten-free brand.
Instead of chicken, use leftover pork, steak, shrimp or leave the meat out for a vegetarian version.
Use any type of quick cooking fresh or frozen vegetables in this recipe. Alternatives include sliced bell pepper, frozen cut green beans, chopped broccoli, or baby spinach. Look for pre-packaged coleslaw mix with shredded cabbage and carrots that are cleaned and ready to cook.
Cooking and Serving Tips
Cook a large batch of rice at the beginning of the week for burritos and rice bowls. A few days later use what’s leftover to make this quick and healthy fried rice recipe.
| Nutrition Facts | |
|---|---|
| Servings: 6 (1 1/3 cups each) | |
| Amount per serving | |
| Calories | 353 |
| % Daily Value* | |
| Total Fat 12g | 15% |
| Saturated Fat 2g | 10% |
| Cholesterol 67mg | 22% |
| Sodium 508mg | 22% |
| Total Carbohydrate 42g | 15% |
| Dietary Fiber 5g | 18% |
| Total Sugars 6g | |
| Includes 2g Added Sugars | 4% |
| Protein 19g | |
| Vitamin D 0mcg | 0% |
| Calcium 49mg | 4% |
| Iron 2mg | 11% |
| Potassium 387mg | 8% |
| *The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet.2,000 calorie a day is used for general nutrition advice.SOURCEVERY WELL ON CHICKEN FRIED RICE AND CALORIE | |
