Total Time: 30 minutes Serves: 3-4
Recipe By: NYT Cooking
Add this flavorful fried rice to your roster of quick weeknight dishes: Pieces of juicy chicken thighs, richer and more forgiving than breasts, are sautéed with sweet red onion and fragrant curry powder then mixed with leftover, fridge-cold rice for a meal ready in less than half an hour. (It’s also almost worth making for the smell alone.) While so many fried rice dishes involve a significant amount of chopping, this one opts for frozen vegetables, cutting back on prep time. To maximize flavor, mild curry powder is cooked in oil to bloom toward the start of the recipe, but if you’re craving heat, reach for a spicier blend.
Ingredients:
- ¼ cup canola or another neutral-tasting oil
- ½ cup diced red onion
- 1 ½ TBSP mild curry powder
- Salt and pepper
- 2 TBSP soy sauce
- 2 TBSP lime juice
- 2 TBSP fresh grated ginger
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces (see Tip)
- 1 ½ cups frozen mixed vegetables (such as carrots, green beans, corn and peas)
- 2 ½ cups cooked rice, such as jasmine or basmati (preferably cold)
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Sliced scallions, for serving
- Fried eggs (optional), for serving
Directions:
- In a nonstick pan on medium-high, heat oil then add red onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the curry powder, ginger, 1 teaspoon salt and the chicken thighs. Cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is cooked through with no signs of pink, 5 to 6 minutes. Add the frozen vegetables and 1 teaspoon pepper and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
- Stir in the rice, making sure to flatten any clumps of rice to ensure the rice gets evenly covered with the oil and spices. Cook until the rice is heated through, about 4 minutes. Add the soy sauce and lime juice and cook for an additional minute. Adjust for seasoning, then stir in the cilantro.
- Serve hot, topped with scallions and fried eggs (if using).
TIP: Chicken breast can be subbed for the thighs, but since it’s leaner, you might want to slightly reduce its cook time to avoid overcooking it.