I once accidentally stumbled upon a Chicken Fried Rice Recipe. I was tired of eating the same boring meals. It wasn’t a pay week, so DoorDash was out of the question. It was too cold to rally the troops and go to the store, and again, it wasn’t a pay week. The kids were on my heels, asking for snacks and food, anything that would go in their stomachs really, so demanding! What could I make that was quick and wouldn’t constipate my kids? I went searching in my kitchen and found the items pictured below, which were all purchased at different times for different meals. That’s what moms do best though, right? Make a meal out of random scraps? I know mine did! What a great lesson to pass down.
Here’s what I found:
- brown rice (white rice is fine) ($0.89 for 1 lb bag)
- frozen mixed vegetables ($2.49 for 32 oz bag)
- boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or tenderloins) ($9.99 for 3 lb bag)
- extra virgin olive oil ($3.99 for 16 oz bottle)
- lite soy sauce ($1.19 for 10 oz bottle)
Step 1: Follow the instructions on the bag to begin preparing the rice.
Pro tip: Let the rice cook while you cook the chicken and veggies to save time!
Another pro tip: Buy the big pack of meat and break it down into zip lock bags. This way you can easily grab what you need and you won’t waste meat! Saving money!
Step 2: Begin cooking the chicken! Season to taste! I used garlic powder, onion powder, seasoning salt, pepper, lemon-pepper, and garlic and herbs seasonings. It’s up to you whether you choose cut the chicken up before or after you cook it.
Step 3: Add the veggies and stir them in! If you like, you can add a little more seasoning after doing so (I did).
Step 4: Put the top on! This is something I like to do to seal in moisture in my food, especially meats. Don’t laugh at my too small top! I can barely keep up with socks, so I surely can’t keep up with kitchen supplies that also double as musical instruments!
Step 4: Check back and stir periodically. Add a little water if you need to and re-cover the food if you feel that your veggies aren’t soft enough yet.
Step 5: Add your soy sauce and stir! Let the food simmer for a bit. Add more seasoning if you wish!
Here is the finished product, homemade, Americanized chicken fried rice!
I wanted to whip up a quick meal and easily incorporate vegetables while doing so! It took about 35 minutes, including prep, from start to finish to prepare this. This meal in particular can have various substitutes. I’ve made a version with white rice, frozen broccoli, baby carrots, red, and green peppers (my favorite). One could substitute the rice with quinoa! I’ve also used egg noodles instead of rice before. One could even add a couple eggs if they wish.
Cooking doesn’t have to be boring, tedious, or predictable. Whereas I found these items in the cupboard, you could intentionally purchase them at the grocery store and add them to your mental book of go-to meals! If you’ll notice, I didn’t give measurements or any of that jazz. One, I don’t know how many people you’ll be serving, and two, I don’t use measurements. I go with the flow when I’m in the kitchen, like my grandmas. Although I like to call myself a chef, I’m only here to inspire! However, I have faith that you can recreate this meal for your family with your own cooking style! Get creative, get cookin, good lookin!
