This Healthy Fried Rice Recipe is packed with chicken, veggies and brown rice. Full of flavor + so delicious – just like takeout chicken fried rice at home! This post is sponsored by our friends at ButcherBox.
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This healthy fried rice is one of our favorite quick and easy weeknight dinners. It’s light while still being filling and delicious. Plus, it’s much better than takeout fried rice!
Is Fried Rice Healthy? This Recipe Is!
Here’s what makes this fried rice better for you than takeout:
- Lower salt– Fried rice is typically loaded with salt. This recipe uses coconut aminos, which are lower in salt than soy sauce, and does not have any other added salt to it.
- Veggie Loaded- We added carrots, bell peppers and peas for a veggie loaded meal. You could add whatever veggies you have at home – mushrooms, cabbage.. pretty much anything will work!
- High Protein- This fried rice is made with ButcherBox organic chicken breasts that are low in fat and high in protein.
- Healthy carbs– We used brown rice to add whole grains to this dish. Brown rice is a complex carb and it can help you stay full for longer.
This is not an authentic fried rice recipe, but a lighter version of one of my favorite foods that I made for everyone to enjoy! I know many people can’t enjoy typical fried rice due to food allergies (gluten, dairy, nuts, etc) or other dietary restrictions which is why I recreated it at home with this recipe! If you are looking for an fried rice recipe – check out this recipe!
Now don’t get me wrong, I LOVE takeout. After cooking all week… sometimes on Friday night the only thing I want to do is veg out in my sweatpants and eat something someone else has cooked for me.
It always seems like the best idea in the moment, but then the next day I usually don’t feel great.
That’s why I came up with healthier versions of my favorite takeout foods like Healthy Chicken Pad Thai , Spicy Ground Turkey Stir Fry and Healthy Orange Chicken!
This lighter fried rice is right up there with healthy takeout fakeout food!
Healthy Ingredients for Fried Rice:
To make this healthy fried rice you’ll need:
- toasted sesame oil
- ButcherBox Organic Chicken Breasts
- onion, garlic, peppers, carrots
- ground ginger, pepper
- coconut aminos
- red pepper flakes
- eggs
- frozen peas
- cooked rice (white or brown)
We have listed substitutions/ways to customize this recipe with what you have on hand below in the post! Look for the shaded green box.
Whenever we are cooking, we like to use ButcherBox meat. If you’ve never heard of ButcherBox, they’re a meat delivery company that delivers the best quality meat right to your door! They have grass fed & grass finished beef, free range, organic chicken, wild caught seafood, and so much more.
We’ve used their boneless, skinless chicken breasts in this recipe. It’s my absolute favorite chicken to cook with. It has barely any fat on it and it cooks up to be so tender and juicy!
If you want to learn more about ButcherBox, we wrote a whole ButcherBox Review that you can read here. They have an awesome deal right now where new members can get 2 lbs ground beef, 3 lbs chicken thighs and a 3+lb pork butt for free in their first box.
Click here to join ButcherBox!
How to Make Healthy Homemade Fried Rice:`
Making fried rice is super simple!
- In a pan sauté ButcherBox chicken for 15-20 minutes until brown on edges. Remove chicken from the pan and set aside.
- In the same pan sauté onions and garlic for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes add in peppers and carrots. Sauté for an additional 5 minutes.
- Push the veggie mixture to one side of the pan. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs until combined. Add eggs to the pan and scramble on the empty side of the pan.
- Once eggs are cooked (about 1-2 minutes), stir together with veggie mixture.
- Add pepper, ginger, red pepper flakes, toasted sesame oil, coconut aminos, thawed peas, cooked rice and cooked chicken back to the pot. Stir over low heat until combined and warm.
Substitutions for this Healthy Fried Rice Recipe:
Rice: You can use any type of rice in this recipe. Brown or white rice will work. You can also use cauliflower rice.
Egg free: You can simply omit the eggs.
Oil: You can sub toasted sesame oil with olive oil, avocado oil or canola oil. It will not be as flavorful and we really recommend using toasted sesame oil.
Vegetables: Bulk up the dish by adding more carrots or peppers! I’ve also added mushrooms and match-stick sliced zucchini and it was yummy!
Vegetarian: Feel free to skip the chicken and bulk up on veggies to make this vegetarian!
Protein: You can sub in shrimp for the chicken if you’d like. Shrimp take much less time to cook, depending on their size I would cook about 2 minutes on each side until shrimp begin to turn pink. You can also use shaved steak/beef if you prefer! I have not tried this recipe with cooked tofu but I think it would work! ButcherBox also carries wild-caught shrimp and lots of grass-fed beef options!
Chicken: Boneless skinless thighs or chicken tenders will also work. (You can get free chicken thighs when you join ButcherBox today!)
Coconut Aminos: If you don’t have coconut aminos – substitute soy sauce or Bragg’s liquid aminos. If you use Bragg’s, use 1/2 the amount as it is much saltier.
How to cook rice:
You can cook your rice on the stovetop, instant pot, or even in the crockpot. You can also buy/use pre cooked or frozen brown rice in this recipe!
Stovetop: Check the back of your rice for instructions on how to cook the rice.
Instant Pot: Different types of rice require different cooking times. Here’s a link to a guide on how to cook rice in your instant pot.
Crockpot: I usually make my rice in the instant pot because it’s quicker but here’s a link to cooking rice in the crockpot.
Do you boil rice before frying it? Yes, you need to cook rice completely before frying it. You don’t need to boil it, you can cook it on the stove, instant pot, crockpot, or even in the microwave – but it does need to be cooked before adding it to fried rice.
Best Rice for Fried Rice
Long grain white rice is the best rice for fried rice. It cooks up to be very fluffy but also doesn’t stick together. Jasmine rice is often used for fried rice because it has a light flavor and texture.
Any rice will work in fried rice though. Use up whatever you have!
Is basmati rice good for fried rice? Yes! We recommend using basmati or Jasmine rice for fried rice. Both are long grain white rice and will work very well in fried rice!
Seasoning for Fried Rice
The seasoning for fried rice is a mixture of soy sauce, garlic, ginger, salt and pepper. The veggies and eggs also add extra flavor to it!
Tips for making Homemade Fried Rice
- Cutting carrots – an easy way to get small pieces of carrot is to peel in ‘ribbons’ and then chop with a knife. They’ll cook perfectly in this recipe that way!
- Precooked rice – You can buy precooked frozen brown rice or make it in the instant pot to save time. For brown rice we do a 2:1 ratio of chicken broth to rice at 14 minutes.
- Veggies – You can buy pre cut veggies to save time. I love the Healthy 8 Mix from Trader Joe’s. Coleslaw mix or broccoli slaw mix will also work! Load it up with as many veggies as you can!
- Extra soy sauce/coconut aminos – You might want your fried rice a little saucier (or saltier!) adding a few extra drops of coconut aminos or soy sauce can help with this
Fried Rice FAQ
Fried rice typically has a lot of fat and carbs, but this healthier version is great for weight loss! You can easily load it up with veggies and protein making it a great weight loss friendly meal!
No! Homemade fried rice isn’t bad for you – it can easily be made super healthy! This recipe has lots of veggies, protein and healthy carbs.
Long grain brown rice is the best rice for fried rice.
The secret to fried rice is a good sauce, and adding in alot of veggies. Fried rice can be boring if you only use a few veggies and a little bit of sauce. Adding in different colors, textures and flavors really helps to bring flavor to good fried rice!
You can add flavor to fried rice by adding more soy sauce or coconut aminos. Toasted sesame oil and ground ginger also help add a lot of flavor to fried rice
Homemade fried rice has an estimated 420 calories per 2 cup servings. Homemade fried rice is higher in protein and lower in fat, sodium and carbs than typical fried rice.
Storing/Serving Healthy Fried Rice
Storing: I keep this healthy fried rice in the refrigerator for up to 4 days
Reheating: You can reheat this fried rice in a pan or in the microwave.
Freezing: We have not tried freezing this healthy fried rice but I think it would work!
Other healthy recipes:
- Healthy Orange Chicken
- Healthy Mediterranean Chicken Orzo
- Healthy Chicken Pad Thai
- Easy Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry
- Healthy Sesame Chicken
- Healthy Sweet and Sour Chicken Recipe
- pressure cooker chicken breast
- crockpot shredded chicken recipe
- healthy chicken casserole
- best butternut squash soup recipe
- baked chicken tenderloins
- beef stew recipe instant pot
Don’t forget – ButcherBox has an awesome deal going on right now that when you join you can get 2 lbs ground beef, 3 lbs chicken thighs and a 3+lb pork butt for free in their first box.
Click here to join ButcherBox!
Healthy Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 lb ButcherBox Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1 cup onion finely chopped (1 medium onion)
- 1 tablespoon garlic finely minced
- 1 cup red bell pepper diced in small squares (1 large pepper)
- 1 cup carrots peeled then finely chopped
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional- omit if you like less spice
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1/2 cup coconut aminos
- 1 cup frozen green peas thawed
- 2 cups cooked white or brown rice (about 2/3 dry brown rice)
Instructions
- Cook rice according to the directions. Rice cooking time will vary depending on what type/method you use.
- In a pan, heat 1/2 tablespoon olive oil. Sauté chicken for 15-20 minutes until brown on edges. Remove chicken from the pan and set aside.
- In the same pan, add additional 1/2 tablespoon of olive oil. Heat the oil and sauté onions and garlic for 5 minutes.
- After 5 minutes add in peppers and carrots. Sauté for an additional 5 minutes until they start to soften.
- Push the veggie mixture to one side of the pan.
- In a small bowl, whisk together eggs until combined. Add eggs to the pan and scramble on the empty side of the pan.
- Once eggs are cooked (about 1-2 minutes), stir together with veggie mixture.
- Add pepper, ginger, red pepper flakes, toasted sesame oil, coconut aminos, thawed peas, cooked rice and cooked chicken back to the pot. Stir over low heat until combined and warm.
- Serve with sesame seeds or chopped scallions + enjoy!
Sondra
We made this to start of our New Year festive but healthy, it was delicious!! So far everything we have tried from your site has not only been healthy and tasty but easy to make and that helps me tremendously. Thank you for sharing all this with all of us.
Sondra
To start our New Years off right we made this delicious and healthy dish and we LOVED it. Every recipe I have tried from your site has been not only tasty and healthy but easy to prepare. Thanks for sharing!!
The Clean Eating Couple
This makes me so happy to hear, Sondra!! What an awesome way to start off 2019!
Paula
Made this tonight with just vegetables and rice ( meat free ) it was so good ! Once again , love your recipes !
The Clean Eating Couple
So glad you liked it, Paula!
Nikki
My new favorite stir fry recipe! I followed the directions exactly but did sub squash and zucchini for the peas. I am yet to find a recipe from this site that we don’t all love.
The Clean Eating Couple
Thank you so much, Nikki! Love those additions!
Elizabeth
So easy to sub things out! I had chicken thighs and not breasts- still worked great. I also used a bunch of extra veggies and only half the rice- still delicious!!
The Clean Eating Couple
Thanks, Elizabeth! Perfect way to substitute!
Holly
Literally the easiest recipe, especially during quarantine! I just used up some veggies I had in my fridge with chicken and rice and voila! A meal my husband actually wants to eat as leftovers! Definitely will be cooking this again and again!
The Clean Eating Couple
Yay! This makes me so happy to hear! Thanks Holly!
Cami
This was amazing!!!!! I needed something quick for dinner and just wasn’t feeling anything….. until I saw you posted this recipe! It was calling my name! It was so easy to make and so delicious. Love that you always include SO many substitutions and how well thought out your recipes are. We’ll be eating this for lunch the rest of the week ☺️
The Clean Eating Couple
Thank you so much, Cami! I really appreciate it!
Teresa gasca
I made this last night, my first time using coconut aminos and it definitely will be used again. This fried rice hit the spot! Yes we all enjoy take out, but believe me the red peppers and aminos made such a huge difference. It did not taste salty like some rices do. I enjoy trying the clean eating couples recipes. And this by far is one of my favorites!
The Clean Eating Couple
Thank you so much, Teresa! I’m so glad you like our recipes 🙂
Molly
Just made this for my late lunch, tastes amazing! Your recipes are so good and nutritious
The Clean Eating Couple
So glad you liked it, Molly! Thank you so much!
Stephanie Wilmott
I used cauliflower rice and it was delicious!
The Clean Eating Couple
Glad you liked it, Stephanie!
Bill
Really enjoyed this one as well as some of your other recipes. My wife and I have started eating vegetarian 3 days per week and subbed edamame for the chicken to get the protein (as well as good fiber). Keep up the great ideas. Going to try the Stuffed Acorn Squash on Friday!
The Clean Eating Couple
Thanks, Bill! Glad you liked it!
Liz
We always make too much rice as a side dish, so this is my go-to way to turn leftover rice into meal prepped lunches!! I’ve made it 3 times, and am keeping this in my rotation permanently!
The Clean Eating Couple
Thank you so much, Liz! I’m so glad you liked it! Great way to use up rice 🙂
Pedro Singh
Are you sure that the amount of Vitamin A is correct?
The Clean Eating Couple
Hi Pedro – All of our nutrition facts are estimates and will vary based on the ingredients you use. This is the number the calculator gave us.
Ashley
We loved this recipe! It was slightly sweeter than takeout, which was so yummy!! We loved eating this with less guilt! It made a ton and was super easy! Didn’t take too long! Would definitely make again!
The Clean Eating Couple
So happy you liked it, Ashley! Thank you so much!
Sarah
The whole family loves this recipe, thank you!
The Clean Eating Couple
Thanks, Sarah! So happy you liked it!
Elizabeth Taylor
Such an easy recipe and so delicious!! Also, had enough for leftovers!
The Clean Eating Couple
So glad you liked it!!
Michelle
All I have to say is WOW! This was the tastiest dish I’ve made in a long time. Once everything is prepped to be cook, it’s super easy and simple to make. Everything I have tried from your site has been phenomenal! I will definitely be back to look at more recipes! Amazing, healthy dinner❤️
The Clean Eating Couple
So glad you liked it, Michelle! Thank you!
Stacy
DELICIOUS!! Thank you for providing the conversion for Bragg’s Amino.
The Clean Eating Couple
So happy you enjoyed it!
Julie
I am not a cook. I don’t like cooking but we are trying to eat more at home and eat healthier. I found this recipe and made it for my family. My husband is picky and he gave us five stars. (Me too!) We will definitely make again and have this on our meal rotation.
The Clean Eating Couple
I love hearing this, Julie! Thank you so much!
Amanda
Loved the flavors in this dish ! It was super easy and definitely a hit with everyone in our family! I am not always a huge fan of brown rice and honestly have a hard time figuring out how to make it more flavourful! This recipe was just what we needed to add to one of our favorite meals, way better than take out !!! Thank you for sharing!
The Clean Eating Couple
So happy you liked it, Amanda! Thank you so much!