Chicken Fried Rice

Michael Eisenwasser

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Day-old jasmine rice, chicken, egg, and scallion greens tossed in garlic-infused oil and tamari — a takeout-style fried rice that's low-FODMAP.

Prep 10 min

Cook 15 min

Serves 4

Gluten-freeDairy-free

Ingredients

Protein

• 1 lb (450 g) boneless skinless chicken breast or thigh, diced into 1/2-inch pieces
• Pinch of salt
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch (optional, for a silkier coating)
• 3 large eggs, beaten

Rice and Aromatics

• 4 cups cooked day-old jasmine rice (about 1 cup per serving, chilled overnight)
• 2 tablespoons garlic-infused olive oil, divided
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
• 1/2 cup scallion greens (~40 g), sliced thin, plus extra to finish

Vegetables

• 2 medium carrots, diced small (about 1 cup)
• 1 cup frozen green peas (about 1/4 cup per serving)

Sauce

• 2 tablespoons gluten-free tamari
• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar (optional, balances the tamari)
• Pinch of white pepper

To Finish

• Extra scallion greens
• A few drops of toasted sesame oil
• Sesame seeds (optional)

Instructions

Prep

1. Break the cold rice apart with your fingers or the back of a spoon so no clumps remain. This helps the rice fry instead of clumping.
2. Toss the diced chicken with salt, white pepper, and cornstarch if using.
3. Whisk the tamari, sesame oil, sugar, and pepper in a small bowl.
4. Have every ingredient within arm's reach of the stove. Fried rice cooks in under five minutes once the pan is hot.

Scramble the Eggs

1. Heat 1/2 tablespoon garlic-infused oil in a large wok or wide skillet over medium-high heat.
2. Pour in the beaten eggs and let them set for 10 seconds, then scramble with a spatula until just cooked but still glossy (about 30 to 45 seconds total).
3. Slide the eggs onto a plate and break into bite-sized curds. Wipe the pan if anything stuck.

Stir-Fry the Chicken

1. Add 1 tablespoon garlic-infused oil to the pan and turn the heat to high.
2. Add the chicken in a single layer. Let it sit untouched for 1 minute, then stir and cook 2 to 3 minutes more until just cooked through (165°F / 74°C).
3. Add the carrots and peas. Toss for 1 to 2 minutes until the carrots soften slightly.
4. Push everything to the edges of the pan.

Bring it Together

1. Add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon garlic-infused oil to the center of the pan, then add the ginger. Stir for 15 seconds until fragrant.
2. Add the cold rice. Press it against the hot pan, then toss. Keep tossing for 2 to 3 minutes so every grain gets contact with the metal. That's what gives it a toasted flavor.
3. Pour the sauce around the edge of the pan so it hits hot metal and steams into the rice. Toss to coat.
4. Return the eggs to the pan along with the scallion greens. Toss for another 30 seconds.
5. Finish with a few drops of sesame oil, extra scallion greens, and sesame seeds. Serve right away.

Tips & Substitutions

• Day-old rice matters. Freshly cooked rice holds too much moisture and turns gummy when you stir-fry it. Cook the rice a day ahead, spread it on a sheet tray to cool, and refrigerate uncovered overnight. If you're short on time, cook rice in the morning, spread it thin, and chill in the freezer for 30 minutes before frying.
• Swap vegetables within Monash serves. Bean sprouts (1 cup / 75 g low), diced bok choy (1 cup low), diced zucchini (1/3 cup / 65 g low), and canned bamboo shoots (1 cup low) all work in place of the carrot or peas. Avoid edamame, sweet corn at large serves, and peas beyond 1/4 cup per bowl.
• Shrimp variation. Swap the chicken for 1 lb (450 g) peeled raw shrimp. Prawns are Monash-tested low at 100 g per serve — cook for 1 to 2 minutes per side until pink, then proceed as written.
• Skip the peas if they don't sit well with you. Green peas are low at about 1/4 cup per serve and climb from there. Stay around 1 cup total across the pan, or leave them out and bump up the carrots.
• Bulk it up with extra protein. A second scrambled egg per serve is low-FODMAP and makes this a full meal without any extra FODMAP load.
• Choose gluten-free tamari if you need gluten-free. From a FODMAP perspective, small amounts of either soy sauce or tamari are generally low — 2 tablespoons total across four bowls stays under the limit. Check the Monash app for the specific brand you buy.

Why This Works

Garlic-infused oil gives you garlic flavor. Garlic's fructans don't move into the oil, so steeping garlic in oil pulls the flavor without the FODMAPs. Garlic-infused olive oil plus scallion greens (the white bulbs hold the fructans; the greens don't) gives you the classic takeout base without the bloat.

Tamari or soy sauce in small amounts. Choose gluten-free tamari if you need gluten-free. From a FODMAP perspective, both tamari and soy sauce are generally low at small serves — 2 tablespoons across four bowls works out to about 1/2 tablespoon each, comfortably under the Monash-tested threshold.

Pea serve stays in range. Green peas are low-FODMAP at about 1/4 cup per serve and climb from there. One cup of frozen peas across four bowls keeps each serving right around that low-FODMAP limit. If you want to keep it extra simple, halve the peas.

Day-old rice browns instead of steaming. Overnight in the fridge, cooked rice loses surface moisture and the starches firm up (retrogradation). In a hot pan, those dry grains fry and pick up flavor where fresh rice would clump and steam. Cold rice is what separates fried rice from rice pilaf.

Storage

Refrigerate in a sealed container for 2 to 3 days. Reheat in a hot pan with a splash of water or a second drizzle of garlic-infused oil — the microwave leaves it rubbery. Freezing works, but the texture softens on the thaw; eat it fresh if you can.

Not sure about an ingredient? FODMAP Tracker includes a database of 1,000+ foods with FODMAP ratings to help you cook with confidence.