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Ok, I have a confession to make. I LOVE takeout. Yes – you read that right, the natural food blogger loves calling up the local restaurant and having a super unhealthy dinner delivered to my door. It’s kinda my guilty pleasure… and I’m not ashamed to admit it!
After cooking all week… sometimes on Friday night the only thing I want to do is veg out in my sweatpants and eat my dinner out of a plastic container…It always seems like the best idea in the moment, but then the next day I usually don’t feel great.
Let’s be real – as delicious as your favorite takeout foods are – they’re not exactly the best things for you in terms of nutrition or ingredients. Sure – it’s fine every once in a while – but it’s definitely not something you probably want to eat all the time! That’s why I came up with this Lighter Chicken Fried Rice Recipe. It’s almost as easy to make as it is to dial and order your dinner – plus it’s ready in under 30 minutes!
Fried rice is one of our favorite things to order when we get takeout, and I knew I could make a lighter version of it…It’s not a complicated thing to make to begin with, so if you make a few simple swaps – you’ve got a nutritious meal that comes together quickly and will leave you feeling satisfied!
The number one ingredient that helps make this Lighter Chicken Fried Rice come together so quickly is Minute® Ready to Serve Whole Grain Brown Rice. It is SUCH a game changer! No waiting for rice to boil on the stove…it comes right out of the package ready to eat! All I had to do was cook the chicken, sauté the veggies for a few minutes + toss in the rice…then dinner was ready!
Click here to pin this recipe for later.
Tyler loves having rice with his meals, especially at lunch or post workout, but I don’t always have the time to cook it! Having Minute Ready to Serve Whole Grain Brown Rice in the pantry is key for getting quick meals together. In just 60 seconds you have perfectly cooked, 100 percent whole grain goodness that’s gluten free and has no preservatives. It’s a super simple, wholesome option for a meal or a snack because it comes in individual-sized serving cups, and both the container and the film are BPA free. When you add in veggies + a protein to the rice – you have a meal that’s packed with protein, complex carbs, and whole grains!
I think this Lighter Chicken Fried Rice is going to be your new favorite weeknight dinner… but you give it a try and let me know!
Things we used for this recipe:
Minute Ready to Serve Whole Grain Brown Rice
I swear I could eat this every night for dinner. Sometimes the simplest ingredients make the BEST meals. This is totally the case for this Lighter Chicken Fried Rice. It’s definitely becoming a rotation in our weekly dinner routine! This is a sponsored post written by me on behalf of Minute® Ready to Serve, but as you guys know – I only work with brands I truly use and love!
Tips for making chicken 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!
Other healthy chicken recipes:
- Healthy Orange Chicken
- Healthy Mediterranean Chicken Orzo
- Healthy Chicken Pad Thai
- Healthy Sesame Chicken
Lighter Chicken Fried Rice
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1 cup onion finely chopped
- 1 tablespoon garlic finely minced
- 1 cup peppers diced finely
- 1 cup carrots finely chopped
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/2 cup coconut aminos
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional- omit if you like less spice
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup frozen green peas
- 2 cups cooked rice
Instructions
- In a pan, heat 1 tablespoon toasted sesame 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 tablespoon of sesame oil. Heat the oil and sauté onions, garlic, peppers, carrots and spices until vegetables start to soften, approximately 5 minutes.
- Stir in cooked rice. Push rice/veggies to the 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. Stir together with rice/veggie mixture and cook for 1-2 minutes until eggs are cooked.
- Add cooked chicken, coconut aminos + peas to the pan, stir together until combined
- 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!