Described as a “smash hit” and “magic” by Jamie Oliver himself, the recipe is “delicious” and the “flavour is fantastic”.
Jamie Oliver said: “Sometimes after a long day, even I don’t have the energy to deal with the hassle of chopping vegetables, pulling out woks and smoking out my kitchen.”
This is why his super easy and super quick chicken fried rice dish is the ultimate comfort food that requires hardly any cooking.
The simple recipe is easily customisable, so don’t fret if you don’t have all the necessary ingredients – many of them can be substituted for something else.
As a bonus, the meal only takes as little as 10 minutes to prepare, although it will need 45 minutes in the oven.
Jamie Oliver’s ‘magic’ baked chicken fried rice recipe
Ingredients
Baked fried rice:
- 300g long-grain white rice, uncooked
- 375ml low-salt chicken stock
- One-and-a-half tablespoons of light soy sauce
- One tablespoon of Chinese cooking wine
- Two cloves of garlic, finely minced
- A quarter teaspoon of white pepper
- 270g frozen diced vegetables (carrots, peas and corn mix), still frozen
- 100g chopped bacon or ham
Marinated chicken:
- 500g chicken thigh fillets, cut into 1.5cm pieces
- One tablespoon oyster sauce
- One tablespoon Chinese cooking wine
- One tablespoon light soy sauce
- Two teaspoons sesame oil
- One clove of garlic
To finish:
- Two eggs, scrambled (optional)
- Two teaspoons sesame oil
- One green onion stem, finely sliced
Method
Preheat the oven to 200C (180°C fan). Place all the baked fried rice ingredients, except the vegetables and bacon, in a metal pan (not ceramic or glass).
Shake to spread the rice evenly, ensuring all the rice is submerged under the stock. Sprinkle the vegetables evenly across the surface, then sprinkle the bacon on top. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes.
Marinating the chicken
Meanwhile, lace the marinated chicken ingredients in a bowl and mix well to combine. Set aside to marinate while the rice cooks.
Once 25 minutes is up remove the foil (reserve foil), then spread the chicken in a single layer across the surface of the rice. Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
Remove from the oven, cover with the reserved foil and rest for 10 minutes. Use a rubber paddle to turn the rice over and gently break it up.
Add the scrambled egg (if using). Drizzle with sesame oil and sprinkle with the green onion. Gently toss the fried rice to mix it through, then serve.
Popular substitutions
Light soy sauce can be swapped for all-purpose soy sauce; Chinese cooking wine can be changed for mirin or dry sherry; if no alcohol can be consumed, there’s another alternative.
Instead of dry sherry, for example, Chinese cooking wine can be substituted for 60ml of low-salt chicken stock.
You will only need to cook for one minute longer if using the stock instead of alcohol.
