If you’ve never had Singapore fried rice before, it’s basically a fragrant, slightly spiced fried rice – similar to a regular egg fried rice but with a kick of curry powder that gives it a totally different flavour. It’s one of those dishes that sounds a bit fancy but is actually one of the quickest, easiest things you can make.
I make this all the time with leftover chicken – it’s perfect for a Monday night if you’ve got leftover roast chicken sitting in the fridge. Honestly one of the best ways to use it up. You can also fry fresh chicken if you don’t have leftovers, and it works just as well with prawns too.
Like my salt and pepper chicken fried rice, the secret is cold leftover rice – it fries up so much better than freshly cooked. This recipe is part of my eat well for £4 series and comes in at under £2 a portion.
How to make Singapore fried rice:
Scroll down for the full recipe card and ingredient list.
1. Start by chopping the pepper, spring onion, garlic and chilli into small pieces and set aside
2. If using leftover cooked chicken, slice it into bite-sized pieces. If using raw chicken, dice it and fry in a little oil with a pinch of curry powder until cooked through, then set aside
3. Heat a pan over medium-high heat with a little oil, then tip in the cold cooked rice and break it up with a spoon – let it heat through for a minute
4. Pour over the soy sauce and stir through until the rice is evenly coated
5. Add the peppers, spring onion, garlic and chilli to the pan and stir everything together
6. Tip in the chicken and stir to combine
7. Sprinkle over the curry powder and stir through until everything is golden and fragrant
8. Make a well in the middle of the pan, pour in the whisked eggs and scramble them slightly before stirring into the rice
9. Cook until everything is piping hot, then finish with a drizzle of sesame oil and serve
Singapore Fried Rice with Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp oil
- 250-300g cooked long grain rice (cold leftover rice is best)
- 2 eggs, whisked
- 1 tbsp soy sauce (I use Lee Kum Kee)
- 1 spring onion, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 pepper, diced
- 1 chilli, diced (optional)
- 1-2 chicken breasts, diced (leftover or fry fresh)
- 1/2-1 tsp curry powder, to taste
- Drizzle of sesame oil
Instructions
- If using raw chicken, fry in a little oil with a pinch of curry powder until cooked through, then set aside.
- Heat a pan over medium-high heat with the oil.
- Add the cold rice and break it up, letting it heat through for a minute.
- Pour over the soy sauce and stir through.
- Add the pepper, spring onion, garlic and chilli and stir fry for 2 minutes.
- Add the chicken and stir to combine.
- Sprinkle over the curry powder and stir through.
- Make a well in the pan, pour in the whisked eggs and scramble slightly before mixing into the rice.
- Cook until piping hot, then finish with a drizzle of sesame oil and serve.
Notes
Cold leftover rice is key here - freshly cooked rice can go stodgy in the pan. Cook your rice the day before and leave it in the fridge if you're planning ahead. This works just as well with prawns or any other protein you like.
