A fried dish that won't pack on the pounds.
Fried foods are irresistible to your taste buds – and your waistline. The next time you’re tempted to get fattening fried food to-go, pick up the ingredients yourself and cook our clean eating chicken fried rice instead. You’ll save a ton of money from ordering that take-out, and you’ll be in control of adding only nutrient-dense ingredients. In the end, you’ll thank yourself for how good you feel after eating a full serving of this incredibly flavorful dish.
This clean eating chicken fried rice recipe also makes incredible leftovers, so don’t be afraid of making a double batch. The flavors really come together in the refrigerator overnight (especially that fresh ginger root). It’ll taste like a brand new dish after its reheated. In fact, it can even be frozen. That means you’ll have a ready-to-eat, healthy meal waiting for you on those on-the-go days.
A Healthier Chicken Fried Rice Recipe
Our clean eating chicken fried rice has the same satisfying tastes as restaurant versions, but our flavors come from a plenitude healthy ingredients. The nutty brown rice fills you with fiber and minerals, and our stir-fry mix is a powerhouse of nutrient-dense foods. Onions, bell peppers, and scallions unleash the full depth of their flavor while frying. Plus, eggs and chicken provide a healthy dose of protein. This delicious stir-fry will fill the whole family with the nutrients they need for a healthy meal.
It’s also a pretty quick meal to throw together, too, making it perfect for weeknight meals. It does take about 30-4o minutes to cook the rice, but you can make that ahead of time since you need to let it cool completely. Once the rice is cooked, the dish comes together in about 15 minutes and it’s a one-pot meal! Less cleanup, more nutrition, and guilt-free flavor: sounds about perfect to me!
Clean Eating Chicken Fried Rice
Ingredients
For the Rice
- 1 cup long-grain brown rice
- 2 1/2 cups water
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
For the Fried Rice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup chopped onions
- 1 cup bell pepper red or green, diced
- 1 tablespoon gingerroot peeled, finely minced
- 3 tablespoons water
- 2 boneless and skinless chicken breasts cut into thin strips
- 2 eggs beaten
- 2-3 tablespoons lite soy sauce optional Tamari
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1/4 cup scallions or green onions, chopped (optional)
Instructions
For the Rice:
- Add rice, salt, and water to a pot, stir once, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and cover. Allow to cook, untouched, for 40 minutes or until tender and liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes, covered.
- Refrigerate rice until cold, preferably overnight.
To Fry the Rice:
- Add olive oil to a large nonstick skillet or wok. Over medium heat add chicken, onions, bell pepper, and ginger and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes, until onions are translucent and chicken is mostly cooked through. Add cooked rice and water and increase heat to medium-high.
- Push rice to one side and add beaten eggs to the other side, scramble quickly then toss in with the rice mixture. Stir in the soy sauce and sesame oil.
- Remove from the heat and toss in the scallions, if using. Enjoy!
Nutrition Information
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This rice pairs perfectly with some of our favorite Asian recipes!
- 5 Clean Asian Inspired Meal
- Spicy Asian Chicken Meatballs Recipe
- Easy Beef & Broccoli
- Asian Mango Chicken Stir Fry
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Editor’s Note: Originally Published Nov 29, 2015
Even better to do it with cauliflower as the rice substitute!
This was very good…. A hit with the whole fam. The only thing I changed was that I individually fried each portion because it was a little mushy in the big pan (I doubled the recipe). Will likely make it again.
We’re glad your family enjoyed the recipe, Kelly.
can i use olive oil? i have been searching for the seasame oil and nothing
Laura, In a pinch, yes! 🙂
I had a difficult time finding sesame oil too…and then found it in the Asian isle of my grocery store.
Hi, my children are allergic to eggs can that step be skipped and the taste be of the same quality?
Mrs D., Definitely, just omit the eggs. 🙂
In the picture you have red “something” in your rice. Is that a red bell pepper?
Karla, Sure is a red bell pepper! 🙂
Going to have to make this real soon really love chicken fried rice Thanks for a healthier option..
Why is my rice so mushy?ugh
Hi Ally, sorry to hear about your mushy rice! Instead of cooking for 40 minutes, try checking the rice at 30 minutes. Take a bite and if the rice is cooked you can drain off the extra water instead of waiting for the water to evaporate.
Will be pinning this for a later date, looks great. FYI when I found the pin it took me to someone else blog. (cookinmoments) Found your receipe by your tag on picture.
Cindy, That’s weird! Do you have the link to the other site where you saw our recipe?
Hi I’m not sure about the water pls.is it two cups???
Hi Lia,
The water to cook the rice is listed as two and a half cups in the recipe.
Allergic to sesame and soy, can substitute an oil, but can another seasoning be used? Am unfamiliar with Tamari and am new to eating around allergies.
Hi Mari,
Tamari does contain soy, so if you have an allergy this is not an ingredient to use! You can substitute coconut aminos, which can be found on Amazon if you can’t find it at a local store. Otherwise, you can leave this out if needed.
What are the nutrition facts for this recipe?
Please look under the recipe title. 🙂
Excellent recipe. I had never cooked with ginger root before today so I was unsure of the flavor. It is so delicious! I could taste just a hint of the fresh ginger which was perfect. Family loved it!
I was pushed for time so I added a microwave pack of wild rice, quinoa and bulgur wheat. Maybe not as clean but helps if you’re in a rush and can’t wait 40m for the rice.
Delish!! Will be making again.
We’re glad you enjoyed it!
How long do I cook the mixture all together after the two cups of water?
Elaine, For the rice:
Add rice, salt, and water to a pot, stir once, and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to low and cover. Allow to cook, untouched, for 40 minutes or until tender and liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 minutes, covered.
Can this be frozen
Maxine, Difinitely!
If you don’t have fresh ginger can ypu use pickled like they use for sushi?
Monica, Yes or use ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon, or more to taste.
This was sooo easy and delicious! Love it! Thank you for posting!!
My husband and I had this tonight! Super yummy! My husband added siracha to add a little kick to his!
Adding Sriracha sounds really good, Kayla! Glad you and your husband enjoyed the recipe!
I usualy soak the brown rice with plain water first for an hour before I cook them. It cooked much faster that way.
Great tip, Wendy! Thank you for sharing!
Made this using red and orange bell peppers. Delish. I learned in nutrition school to never eat the green bell peppers as they are not ripe and really not good for us.
You are correct, bell peppers are technically unripe. However they still contain many nutrients and a great for you – they’re a great source of vitamins and antioxidants!
I can’t eat peppers at all, so I leave them out and substitute mushrooms or any other veggies I might have in the fridge. This is delicious and so simple. My hubby who is very picky even likes this!!
Wonderful, Laurel! We’re happy to hear that you both enjoyed it! Thanks for the feedback! 🙂