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garlic butter fried rice

Easy Garlic Butter Fried Rice (15-Minute Recipe)

Glossy garlic butter fried rice with leftover chicken and a crispy fried egg — one pan, 7 ingredients, ready in just 15 minutes. Easy weeknight dinner!
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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings: 2 servings
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American, asian
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

For the fried rice:
  • 2 cups cooked Thai jasmine rice — day-old and cold from the fridge is best. Fresh warm rice will steam instead of fry.
  • 1 cup leftover cooked chicken shredded or diced — rotisserie chicken is my go-to
  • 3 tablespoons butter — salted or unsalted both work just adjust your seasoning at the end
  • 4 garlic cloves minced — fresh cloves, not the jarred stuff. This is a garlic recipe, the garlic matters!
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce — low-sodium if that's what you have
  • Salt to taste
  • White pepper a pinch — this is the secret. White pepper has that gentle, floral heat you taste in takeout fried rice. Black pepper is not the same thing.
For the egg (per serving):
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 teaspoon neutral oil or a small knob of butter for frying
To finish:
  • Sliced green onions
  • Cracked black pepper
  • Chili oil for drizzling — optional but so good

Equipment

Method
 

  1. Prep everything first: Fried rice moves fast, so have your garlic minced, your chicken shredded, and your rice broken up and ready before the pan gets hot. Once the butter goes in, you won't have time to chop.
  2. Bloom the garlic in butter: Melt the 3 tablespoons of butter in a large pan over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for 45 seconds to a minute, stirring constantly, until it's golden and smells incredible. Watch it closely here — garlic goes from golden to burnt and bitter in about ten seconds. (WATCH VIDEO BELOW)
  3. Warm the chicken: Add the shredded chicken and toss for about 2 minutes, until it's warmed through and coated in the garlic butter. You want it picking up all that flavor before the rice goes in.
  4. Add the rice and break it up: Add the 2 cups of cold jasmine rice, breaking up any clumps with the back of your spoon or spatula. Toss to coat, then let it sit undisturbed for 30 seconds at a time between tosses — that little bit of contact time is what gives you those slightly crispy edges.
  5. Season and gloss: Drizzle in the 1 tablespoon of soy sauce around the edge of the pan (not straight onto the rice) and toss until every grain is coated and glossy. Add a pinch of salt and a pinch of white pepper, then taste and adjust. (WATCH VIDEO BELOW)
  6. Fry the egg: In a separate small pan, heat your oil over medium-high until it shimmers. Crack in the egg and fry for 2 to 3 minutes, until the whites are set with lacy crispy edges and the yolk is still runny. Don't flip it.
  7. Plate and break the yolk: Pile the rice into a bowl, slide the fried egg on top, and finish with sliced green onions, cracked black pepper, and a drizzle of chili oil. Break the yolk right before you eat so it runs through the rice. (WATCH VIDEO BELOW)
    8. Use cold, day-old rice — this is the one rule. Fresh rice is full of moisture and will steam into mush the second it hits the pan. If you only have fresh rice, spread it on a baking sheet and refrigerate uncovered for 30 minutes. It genuinely works.
    Don't stir the rice constantly. Toss, then let it sit for 30 seconds. Toss again. Those pauses are what create the lightly crispy bits — constant stirring just makes everything soft and uniform.

Notes

Storage

  • Fridge: Store the rice in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Cool it to room temperature within an hour before refrigerating, and store the fried egg separately (or better, fry a fresh one when you reheat).
  • Reheat — stovetop (best): Melt a small knob of butter in a pan over medium heat, add the rice, and toss for 3 to 4 minutes. If it looks dry, add half a teaspoon of butter and a tiny splash of water — the steam loosens the grains and the butter brings back the gloss.
  • Reheat — microwave: Cover with a damp paper towel and heat in 45-second bursts, stirring between each, until hot throughout.
  • Freezer: Freeze the rice and chicken in a flat, sealed bag for up to 1 month. Reheat from frozen in a hot buttered pan. Never freeze the fried

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