Best Easy Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice
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Instant Pot Chicken fried Rice is such a great way to make a favorite dish. If you’ve ever had chicken fried rice, then you know that it’s one of the best takeout meals out there. It’s flavorful and has all that great Chinese food taste. If you haven’t experienced this wonder of a dish before, we can assure you that you will fall in love with chicken fried rice from the first bite.
In case you don’t already know, chicken fried rice is essentially just diced up chicken, rice and some spices that has been stir-fried together with veggies such as peas and carrots. Simple enough, right? This recipe for chicken fried rice works great in your instant pot and allows you to enjoy this dish without going out. And, of course cooking it in the instant pot makes it quick and easy. If you like quick and easy recipes, try these Carrabbas Chicken Bryan Copycat Goat Cheese & Sundried Tomato Recipe, Easy Homemade Chicken Crepes With Asparagus or Best Southwest Shredded Chicken Wraps.
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Why You Will Love Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice
- A healthy dish that you kids will love
- One pot meal (less cleanup)
- Quick and easy, so you can even make for a last minute weeknight meal.
- Can serve as a side dish with an entree or as a main dish with a salad.
- Can be made ahead.
Recommended Equipment
I highly recommend you get a large instant pot. You will use it for so many things and the larger the better. This 8-quart instant pot will work for most recipes. I even use mine for cheesecakes and they turn out perfet in so much less time than in the oven. If you like cheesecakes, try some of these recipes in your instant pot. Easy Instant Pot Bananas Foster Cheesecake, Instant Pot Hot Chocolate Cheesecake With Marshmallow Topping or Best Instant Pot Salted Caramel Apple Cheesecake.
A cutting board is helpful in this recipe to dice the chicken and mince the garlic. I like these flexible color coded cutting mats because they are coded to each type of food, such as beef, chicken, fish and vegetables. They wash well in the dishwasher, are easy to store and last a long time.
Ingredients For Chicken Fried Rice
(measurements in recipe card below)
- vegetable oil – used to saute the garlic and cook the eggs
- eggs
- chicken broth – I like to use the low salt since you will get plenty of saltiness from the soy sauce.
- minced garlic
- chicken breast – raw and diced
- white rice – White rice works perfectly for the time in the recipe
- frozen peas and carrots – May substitute canned veggies if you like.
- soy sauce – Get a quality brand.
- pepper
- salt
- sesame seeds
- green onions (optional) These are used for garnish if you like.
Variations and Substitutions
Try adding different vegetables. Some of my favorites to add to chicken fried rice are: red and yellow peppers – broccoli – zucchini – bean sprouts – onions – corn – scallions – water chestnuts – mushrooms.
Substitute brown rice. Increase the cook time to 20 minutes for brown rice.
Make a non-meat version by leaving out the chicken and switching out the chicken broth for a vegetable broth.
What to Serve With Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice
Storing and Freezing Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice
You can make Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice ahead and store it in the refrigerator in a tightly covered container for up to 5 days.
Chicken Fried Rice can also be frozen. Store in airtight containers for about 6 months. Simply take out when ready to serve and thaw in the refrigerator. Reheat in the microwave.
How to Make Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice
- Add two tablespoons of the oil to the instant pot in saute mode and cook the eggs, whisking until done. Remove eggs and set aside.
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil and saute the garlic for about 30 seconds to release the flavor.
- Press cancel on your instant pot and add the chicken broth. Using a spoon, scrape around the bottom of the pot to remove any remaining egg and garlic bits stuck to the bottom
- Add in chicken and rice. Mix well. Place lid on pot, seal and cook on high for 4 minutes.
- Allow to natural release for 10 minutes, then manually release.
- Remove lid and add in the soy sauce, seasonings, egg peas and carrots.
- Recover pot and allow the chicken fried rice to sit in the warm pot for about 5 minutes to heat through the vegetables.
- Serve topped with sesame seeds and top with green onions to garnish if you like.
What is the best oil for instant pot fried rice?
Peanut oil is a good choice. It has a nice light flavor.
Why does my chicken get rubbery in the instant pot?
Over cooking is the likely reason the chicken is rubbery. Be sure to not cook too long.
Which rice is best for chicken fried rice?
White rice works really wel. You can also use brown rice but will need to cook it longer. Be sure your rice is long grain.
Recipe for the Best Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice
Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice
Equipment
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon garlic (minced)
- 1¾ cups chicken broth
- 1 pound uncooked chicken breast (diced)
- 1½ cups uncooked white rice
- 1½ cups frozen peas and carrots (thawed)
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- ¾ teaspoon white pepper
- salt to taste
- ½ cup sesame seeds
- sliced green onion (optional to garnish)
Instructions
- With your instant pot in saute mode, heat until hot. Add 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil.
- Add the 2 eggs and whisk well until scrambled. Remove the eggs and set aside.
- Add the minced garlic into the pot and stir just long enough to release the flavor. (about 30 seconds)
- Add in the chicken broth. Press cancel on the pot and stir the bottom of the pot well to remove any egg and garlic stuck on the bottom. This will prevent the burn notice from coming on.
- Add in the chicken and mix well. Place lid on pot and seal. Set the instant pot for 4 minutes on high pressure.
- Once cooked, allow the instant pot to natural release for 10 minutes, then manually release it.
- Add in the soy sauce, seasonings, eggs and peas and carrots.
- Place the lid back on the pot and allow the heat from the pot to warm through the vegetables (about 5 minutes).
- Serve with sesame seeds and garnish with green onions if desired.
Nutrition
If you try this recipe, please come back and let us know how you like it.
