This Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice is the ultimate easy weeknight meal. It's simple, equally as quick as ordering takeout, and packed full of umami flavor. Simply spend 20 minutes prepping this family favorite and enjoy as a hearty main or savory side dish.
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📋 About the Recipe
- Meal prep friendly. If you're looking for Instant Pot recipes that can help make the work week easier, this Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice is a great option. Prep this recipe on Sunday and enjoy it for quick and easy lunches or simple dinners on busy weeknights.
- Vegetarian option. This rice dish can be easily made without chicken to suit several dietary needs. Try serving my Panko Chicken or Cast Iron Skillet Chicken Breasts on the side for meat eaters, if desired.
- Simple ingredients. Chicken fried rice is made primarily with kitchen staples and only requires 13 ingredients, many of which you likely already have on hand.
If you're looking for more simple ways to cook rice in the Instant Pot, you'll love this Instant Pot Sushi Rice, Instant Pot Rice Pilaf, Instant Pot Spanish Rice, Beef and Bacon Dirty Rice, and this Homemade Instant Pot Yellow Rice.
🛒 Ingredients
A few notes about the ingredients:
- Eggs - Scrambled eggs are a classic in any fried rice recipe and this one is no exception. Thanks to the sauté function on the Instant Pot, we can do this right in the bottom of the pot.
- Chicken - I developed this recipe using raw, cubed chicken, but if you have leftover Cast Iron Skillet Chicken Breasts you need to use up, feel free to skip cooking the chicken in step 3 and simply add it in with the onions and carrots.
- Veggies - You'll need a simple blend of yellow onion, carrots, corn, and peas.
- Soy sauce - Low sodium soy sauce adds flavor without adding too much sodium. If you are gluten free, use low sodium tamari or coconut aminos.
- Rice - I recommend using either basmati or long grain white rice. Any variations or substitutions to the rice will result in a different overall texture or require an altered cook time and cannot be recommended. Brown rice for example would require a much longer cooking time and additional liquid.
⁉️ Substitutions and Alterations
- Vegetarian fried rice - Simply omit the chicken and use low sodium vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
- Egg-free fried rice - If you do not eat eggs or simply don't have any on hand, the scrambled eggs can be omitted entirely.
- Use frozen vegetables - If you don't have any fresh carrots on hand, you can use a blended vegetable medley made with corn, peas, green beans, and carrots. Add this frozen vegetable medley in at recipe step 5 on top of the rice.
- Try an alternative protein - If you'd like to swap the chicken for another protein, try cubed steak, pork, or shrimp.
📓 Instructions
- Prep all of the ingredients in advance. Cut and measure all of your ingredient ahead of time so that they're ready to be thrown into the Instant Pot when the instructions say to do so.
- Cook the eggs. Set the Instant Pot to the sauté setting. Drizzle olive oil or vegetable oil in the bottom of your Instant Pot, then once hot, add in the beaten eggs. Continuously stir until the eggs are cooked through. This will prevent the eggs from sticking to the bottom and triggering a burn notice. Once cooked, remove the scrambled eggs and any remnants left on the bottom.
- Cook the diced chicken. Add in another tablespoon of olive oil to the pot. Once hot, add in the diced chicken and cook until nearly cooked through, about 3 minutes.
- Add the onions and carrots. Cook for an additional 3 to 5 minutes, or until the onions are soft and translucent.
- Add in the rice, corn, garlic, and ginger. Toast the rice in the Instant Pot for about 2 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent any sticking and burning.
- Cook for 6 minutes. Pour in the chicken broth and stir. Stir well to combine, then add the lid and seal the Instant Pot. Place the valve in the sealing position and pressure cook on manual high pressure for 6 minutes. Do a natural pressure release for 10 minutes, then switch the valve to the "venting" position and manually release the remaining pressure.
- Add in the eggs, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, scallions, and frozen peas. Stir well to combine.
- Serve. Using a wooden spoon, fluff up the cooked rice and serve the Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice while warm as a side dish or a main with additional green onion, soy sauce, or as desired.
❄️ How to Store
To store: Leftover fried rice can be cooled and stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
To freeze: Leftover chicken fried rice can also be stored in the freezer for long term storage. To freeze, allow the rice to cool completely to room temperature then transfer the fried rice to a freezer safe bag or container and tightly seal, removing as much excess air as possible. Freeze for up to 3 months.
To reheat: Fried rice is easiest to reheat in the microwave, on the stovetop, or in the Instant Pot on the sauté setting until warmed through. If microwaving, cover the bowl with a lightly dampened paper towel to prevent the rice from drying out.
🔍 Recipe FAQs
Although making fried rice is a good use of leftover rice, this Instant Pot version can only be made with dry, uncooked rice. If you were to substitute cooked rice, it would change the cook time and make the dish soggy because there would be too much liquid.
This savory rice dish can be served as a main dish, but if desired, it can be served as a side dish alongside egg rolls, spring rolls, or Chinese Chicken Dumplings with Sesame Soy Sauce.
You can also serve it with vegetable sides such as Air Fryer Zucchini, edamame, or steamed bok choy.
The most common ingredient used to flavor fried rice is soy sauce. It's naturally salty and packed with umami flavor.
I have not tested this recipe using different appliances and cannot advise. For best results, make this delicious recipe in a pressure cooker.
💭 One More Tip
Do your prep work up front. This recipe is much easier and more enjoyable to make when you have all of your ingredients pre-chopped and measured. It not only helps keep your kitchen workspace clean, but ensures you won't miss any steps or feel rushed through the recipe.
🍴 Related Recipes
Share your cooking with me! If you make this recipe, I'd love to know! Tag @yourhomemadehealthy on Instagram or leave a comment with a rating and some feedback at the bottom of this page!
📖 Recipe
Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice
Equipment
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 3 large eggs, beaten
- 1 raw chicken breast, diced
- 1 cup diced yellow onion (about ½ an onion)
- 1 cup diced carrots
- 2 cups basmati or long grain rice
- ¾ cup canned or frozen corn
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 2 cloves)
- ½ teaspoon freshly grated ginger
- 2 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 5 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 ½ tablespoons thinly sliced scallions
- 1 cup frozen peas
Instructions
- Prep all of your ingredients so that they’re ready to be thrown into the instant pot when the instructions say to do so.
- Set instant pot to the sauté setting. Drizzle olive oil in the bottom of your instant pot. Once hot, add beaten eggs. Continuously stir until the egg is cooked through, making sure it doesn’t stick to the bottom of the pot.
- Remove the egg and any remnants left on the bottom. Add another 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pot. Once hot, add the diced chicken. Cook chicken until nearly cooked through, about 3 minutes.
- Add the onions and carrots. Cook for about 3 to 5 minutes, until the onions become translucent and soft, again scraping the bottom of the pot so nothing sticks.
- Add in the rice, corn, garlic, and ginger. Toast the rice in the instant pot for about 2 minutes, stirring so the bottom doesn't burn.
- Pour in the chicken broth and stir. Cover the instant pot. Place the valve in the "sealing" position and pressure cook on high for 6 minutes. Once the time is up, let the pot naturally release pressure for 10 minutes before switching the valve to the "venting" position and manually releasing any remaining pressure.
- Remove the lid. Add in the cooked eggs, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, scallions, and frozen peas (they will defrost in the warm rice). Stir to coat everything in the soy sauce and sesame oil.
- Serve warm as a side or main dish.
Notes
- If you prefer vegetarian fried rice, omit the chicken and use vegetable broth or water instead of chicken broth. You can also omit the eggs if you don’t eat eggs.
- This recipe was tested using long grain basmati white rice. Any variations or substitutions to the rice may result in a different overall texture.
Nutrition
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