This spicy chicken fried rice recipe is so comforting and easy to make, with lots of chopped chicken, sriracha and the perfect blend of seasonings.

Chicken Fried Rice served in a white plate

Chicken Fried Rice Recipe

We're cooking up Chicken Fried Rice in the Chili Pepper Madness kitchen tonight, my friends, and I think you're going to love it. A good fried recipe is easy to cook up and usually whips up pretty quickly. It's good to have leftover rice around just so you can make this particular dish.

Fried rice is great as a side dish for all sorts of Chinese cuisine, and when you add in chicken, you have yourself a complete meal, though it still makes for a nice side.

I like to make a spicy version here, which includes a number of elements, including spicy chili peppers (jalapenos and serranos), chili paste, chili flakes as well as sriracha hot sauce. If you're a spicy food lover like me, this is going to make you quite happy.

Chili pastes are essential for flavor building. They are concentrated peppers and other ingredients that are perfect for layering in piquancy and umami. I have several homemade chili pastes on hand from my own garden grown peppers, though there are many great ones available.

Be sure to try pastes like Chinese doubanjiang or Thai nam prik pao. So many wonderful options.

You'll never want for Chinese take out from your local Chinese restaurant again when you can make your own chicken fried rice at home, and the bonus is you can make it as spicy as you want it.

The chicken is moist and tender, the rice wonderfully fluffy, and we have just the right amount of spices and heat to make this truly satisfying.

Let's talk about how to make spicy chicken fried rice, shall we?

Spicy Chicken Fried Rice Ingredients

Oil and Butter. Vegetable oil is good, or use toasted sesame oil for great flavor. Olive oil is fine to use.
Eggs. Scrambled.
Chicken. Use chicken breast or chicken thighs.
Peppers. I am using jalapeno peppers and serrano pepper. Use Chinese Tien Tsin peppers instead if you can obtain them.
Other Vegetables. Onion, carrot, garlic, green onions.
Spices. Chinese 5 spice, spicy red pepper flakes (optional), salt and pepper.
Chili Paste. Use your favorite, or try my homemade chili paste recipe - sub in Thai chili paste if desired- see the Recipe Notes section for options.
Rice. Chilled - day old rice is best for this recipe - use long grain or medium grain.
Flavor Builders. Soy sauce, fish sauce, sriracha.
Sesame oil. I love toasted sesame oil.
Garnish. Chopped peppers, spicy chili flakes, sliced green onions

How to Make Spicy Chicken Fried Rice - the Recipe Method

Cook the Eggs. Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large pan or wok to medium-high heat. Add eggs and cook, stirring, until the eggs set and are nice and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Don't overcook the eggs. Transfer the eggs to a bowl and set aside.

Cook the Chicken and Vegetables. Return the pan to medium high heat and add 1 tablespoon oil. Add the chopped chicken, peppers, onion and carrot. Cook for 7-8 minutes, stirring a bit, until the chicken cooks through and the vegetables soften.

You'll want to keep the ingredients moving in the pan to achieve that classic "stir fry" texture and flavor.

Cooking chopped chicken in a hot pan with peppers, onions and carrots

Add the Garlic and Spices. Add the garlic, Chinese 5 spice, chili flakes, chili paste, and salt and black pepper to taste. Stir and cook for 1 minute, until you can smell the gorgeous garlic. You can add extra garlic if you'd like. I love a lot of garlic.

Stir Fry the Rice. Add the butter and melt. Stir in the rice, green onions, soy sauce and fish sauce. Lightly fry the rice for 5 minutes, stirring a bit, until everything is combined. Season with salt and pepper to taste. See how the color of the rice changes from all of the additions.

Adding the cooked rice to the hot pan with the chicken and vegetables

Spice it Up. Stir in the sriracha, sesame oil and reserved scrambled eggs. Stir to combine.

Garnish and serve!

Boom! Done! Such an easy recipe, isn't it? Spicy Chicken Fried Rice. This just might be your new go-to spicy recipe, my friends. I love it. So tasty, and very satisfying. Turns out great every time with oil and soy sauce and chili paste and, just, so many flavors.

Recipe Tips & Notes

The Peppers. I use jalapeno peppers for a good level of every day heat, though serrano peppers will add a bit of an extra kick for you. You can use hotter peppers to really spice things up, such as habanero peppers for even ghost peppers. Use Chinese Tien Tsin peppers if you can obtain them.
The Rice. Most fried rice recipes are made with day old or leftover rice, which works best because it is more dried out and easier for frying. If you make your rice fresh, be sure to chill it first before making this recipe. It will still come out good without chilling the rice, but your rice won't be as light and fluffy after stir frying. White rice is more commonly used, though you can also use brown rice.
The Chicken. I prefer chicken thighs for this recipe, though chicken breast is just as good. Also, you can cook the chicken separately from the vegetables, or used pre-cooked chopped or shredded chicken. This is great for leftovers.
Chili Pastes. My recipe calls for chili paste, and you have many options. I like to make my own homemade chili paste from fresh peppers, though you can use your favorites, such as gochujang, sambal oelek, harissa, Chinese doubanjiang, Thai nam prik pao, or others. Or, just use extra sriracha. Try my homemade sriracha sauce recipe. So good!
Other Vegetables. You can use other vegetables for your chicken fried rice if you'd like. Some popular additions include peas and carrots, broccoli, sugar snap peas, bok choy, kimchi, or others. Use your favorites. It's your dish!

Chicken Fried Rice in a pan, ready to serve

That's it, my friends. I hope you enjoy my spicy chicken fried recipe. Let me know if you make it. I'd love to hear how it turned out for you. This is great for a quick and easy weeknight dinner, or an anytime comfort food meal. I also like to serve it as a side dish. Such a great recipe. Keep it spicy!

Storage & Leftovers

Storing your Spicy Chicken Fried Rice in an airtight container in the fridge may allow you to store the leftovers for up to 3-4 days. To maximize the storage life, make sure to refrigerate it promptly.

Try Some of My Other Spicy Chicken Recipes

Try Some of My Other Popular Recipes

Chicken Fried Rice in a bowl, ready to eat

Got any questions? Ask away! I’m happy to help. If you enjoy this recipe, I hope you’ll leave a comment with some STARS. Also, please share it on social media. Don’t forget to tag us at #ChiliPepperMadness. I’ll be sure to share! Thanks! — Mike H.

Spicy Chicken Fried Rice Recipe

This spicy chicken fried rice recipe is so comforting and easy to make, with lots of chopped chicken, sriracha and the perfect blend of seasonings.

Save Recipe

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: American, Chinese

Keyword: chicken, Chinese 5 spice, rice, spicy

Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 10

Calories: 342kcal

Author: Mike Hultquist

Servings:

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4.89 from 9 votes

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Ingredients

1 teaspoon olive oil + 1 tablespoon or use butter
2 large eggs scrambled
1 pound chicken breast chopped (or use chicken thighs)
2 jalapeno peppers diced
1 serrano pepper diced (optional, for extra spicy - Use Chinese Tien Tsin peppers instead if you can obtain them)
1 medium onion diced
1 medium carrot peeled and diced
4 cloves garlic chopped
1 tablespoon Chinese 5 spice
1 tablespoon spicy red pepper flakes optional
1 teaspoon chili paste
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon butter
4 cups cooked rice chilled - day old rice is best for this recipe
4 green onions chopped
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons fish sauce
3 tablespoons sriracha or to taste
1 tablespoon sesame oil
FOR GARNISH: Chopped peppers spicy chili flakes, sliced green onions

Instructions

Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a large pan or wok to medium-high. Add the scrambled eggs and cook, stirring, until the eggs set and are nice and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.
Return the pan to medium heat and add 1 tablespoon oil. Add the chopped chicken, peppers, onion and carrot. Cook for 7-8 minutes, stirring a bit, until the chicken cooks through and the vegetables soften.
Add the garlic, Chinese 5 spice, chili flake, chili paste, and salt and black pepper to taste. Stir and cook for 1 minute, until you can smell the gorgeous garlic.
Add the butter and melt. Stir in the rice, green onions, soy sauce and fish sauce. Lightly stir fry the rice for 5 minutes, stirring a bit, until everything is combined.
Stir in the sriracha, sesame oil and reserved scrambled eggs.
Garnish and serve!

Video

Notes

The Peppers. I use jalapeno peppers for a good level of every day heat, though serrano peppers will add a bit of an extra kick for you. You can use hotter peppers to really spice things up, such as habanero peppers for even ghost peppers. Use Chinese Tien Tsin peppers if you can obtain them.

The Rice. Most fried rice recipes are made with day old or leftover rice, which works best because it is more dried out and easier for frying. If you make your rice fresh, be sure to chill it first before making this recipe. It will still come out good without chilling the rice, but your rice won't be as light and fluffy after stir frying. White rice is more commonly used, though you can also use brown rice.

The Chicken. I prefer chicken thighs for this recipe, though chicken breast is just as good. Also, you can cook the chicken separately from the vegetables, or used pre-cooked chopped or shredded chicken. This is great for leftovers.

Chili Pastes. My recipe calls for chili paste, and you have many options. I like to make my own homemade chili paste from fresh peppers, though you can use your favorites, such as gochujang, sambal oelek, harissa, or others. Or, just use extra sriracha. Try my homemade sriracha sauce recipe. So good!

Nutrition Information

Calories: 342kcal Carbohydrates: 36g Protein: 23g Fat: 11g Saturated Fat: 3g Cholesterol: 108mg Sodium: 1027mg Potassium: 510mg Fiber: 2g Sugar: 2g Vitamin A: 2404IU Vitamin C: 16mg Calcium: 53mg Iron: 2mg

Did You Enjoy This Recipe?I love hearing how you like it and how you made it your own. Leave a comment below and tag @ChiliPepperMadness on social media.

Chicken Fried Rice in a bowl with garnish

NOTE: This recipe was updated on 3/12/21 to include new information and video. It was originally published on 6/8/2020.