Name: Easy shrimp and chicken fried rice [prawn fried rice]
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 8 min
Total time: 18 min
Ingredients: 300 g cold, cooked white rice; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 2 tsps ginger puree/paste; 2 tbsps light soy sauce; 2 tbsp oyster sauce; 1 tbsp shaoxing rice wine; 2 eggs lightly beaten; 300 g raw king prawns; 2 lap cheung sausage (diced); 80g cooked roast chicken slices (chopped); 3 tbsp vegetable oil; 1 handful frozen peas; 1 handful frozen sweetcorn; 2 spring onions (sliced); Chinese chilli oil (for serving (optional))

One of the easiest meals to make is fried rice, a Chinese staple. Whether it’s a takeout or made quickly at home, you cannot fail to enjoy the comfort of stir-fried rice with various ingredients – including eggs, vegetables and a variety of meat. This is my shrimp and chicken fried recipe with the added flavour of lap cheong (Chinese sausage) – which elevates this prawn and chicken fried rice to another level.

Jump to Recipe

The simplicity of using leftover cold rice, and stir-frying in a base Chinese sauce means that you can adapt this dish to whatever you have in the fridge, and always have a satisfying, easy weeknight meal on the table in a matter of minutes. It can be as simple as delicious egg fried rice, or adding leftover chicken or beef, as well as a variety of chopped vegetables including onions and carrots. My family loves fried rice, so this is a great recipe for busy weeknights. So don’t order takeout, try this chicken and prawn fried rice instead.

What ingredients are needed?

This is one of my favourite combinations – fried rice with shrimp and chicken. Add some frozen peas and sweetcorn, as well as egg and some Chinese sausage, then you’ll have the ultimate fried rice.

Cold leftover rice – jasmine rice or long-grain white rice
Beaten eggs
Fresh garlic, minced
Grated ginger or ginger paste
Oyster sauce
Light soy sauce
Shaoxing Chinese rice wine
Raw large shrimp or raw prawns, peeled, washed and deveined
Cooked cold chicken pieces
Lap cheong, Chinese sausage (optional)
Frozen green peas
Frozen sweetcorn
Green onions/spring onions
Vegetable oil
Chilli sauce (optional)

What type of chicken is best?

I like to use cooked chicken breast that you can buy from the grocery store pre-prepared. The reason is it saves time. Or if you’ve got leftover cold cuts of chicken, it’s the perfect time to use it up in this shrimp and chicken fried rice. If you don’t have cold chicken, you can use skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs. All you have to do is slice it into bite-size pieces, and then stir-fry the tender chicken in hot vegetable oil until cooked through after you’ve cooked the egg, before adding the Chinese sausage and continuing the fried rice according to the recipe card instructions below.

What if I don’t have Chinese sausage

You can easily buy lap cheung sausage in Asian supermarkets or grocery stores – or even online. I appreciate, however, that this may not be something you’ll keep regularly in your refrigerator. You can opt to leave it out altogether or you can substitute it with bacon or pancetta. While bacon won’t offer the same slightly salty sweet taste, it will be a great alternative.

Is there an alternative to Shaoxing wine?

Shaoxing wine is an important ingredient in Chinese cooking. If you’ve ever wondered why your Chinese meals haven’t quite tasted like the food served at your local Chinese restaurant, then perhaps it’s because you didn’t add Chinese rice wine. It can be used to marinate and tenderise meat, add flavour to broths and soup, and is a must for all stir-fries, noodles and rice – adding a depth of flavour. It can widely be found in Asian supermarkets or online. But if you’re stuck, you can substitute with dry sherry.

Can cooked prawns or shrimp be used?

I prefer to use raw shrimp/prawns because I think they’re juicier – and once flashed cooked in the wok, they don’t become overcooked and rubbery in texture. However, you can also use cooked king prawns or cooked shrimp but rather than adding them alongside the vegetables, add the shrimp with the cold rice to warm through.

Do you need to use cold rice?

Ideally, yes. The reason the rice needs to be cold is that if you stir fry hot fresh rice, it becomes mushy and stuck together. Which isn’t what you’re after. You want the grains of rice to be separate and solid, with a bit of a bite. That’s why cold leftover cooked rice is so great for fried rice recipes. All you have to do is make extra and cover well and keep in the fridge. Or if you know you’re going to be making this recipe, cook the rice ahead of time, place it on a baking tray or dish and refrigerate ready to use later. You can choose the type of rice you prefer eating including basmati rice, however, I think Jasmine rice or long grain rice works best for fried rice.

How to make shrimp fried rice and chicken

Prep all the ingredients – Like most Chinese dishes, it’s all about the prep beforehand – so once all the chopping and slicing is done, it’s pretty much throwing it all into the wok and you’re done. Slice the chicken, dice the Chinese sausage, beat your eggs, and mix together the light soy sauce with the oyster sauce. Get your minced garlic and ginger paste ready, as well as the peas and the sweetcorn.

Time to cook the eggs first – Heat the oil in a wok, large sauté pan or large skillet then add the beaten egg. Cook for 2-3 minutes until you have scrambled eggs. You don’t want them too cooked, as you’ll be adding them back to warm through again. Put to one side.

Now for the rest of the ingredients – heat the remaining oil, and then add the lap cheung and chicken, then the ginger, garlic, peas, sweetcorn and the raw shrimp/raw prawns. Keep stir-frying, as the prawns begin to colour pink, and then add the Shaoxing wine, drizzling around the sides of the hot wok.

Add the sauce – add the soy sauce and oyster sauce, then the cold rice, and scrambled egg. Continue to combine and stir-fry over a high heat for another 2-3 minutes until all the rice is combined with the sauce and the other ingredients – and is piping hot.

How to keep leftovers

If you have any shrimp and chicken fried rice left over, then put it in a suitable air tight container and refrigerate it for up to two days. Reheat in a microwave for 3-4 minutes on a high heat and make sure it’s piping hot before eating.

Tips for the best fried rice

Use cold, leftover rice

Freshly cooked rice can be too moist and sticky for fried rice. Day-old rice that’s been refrigerated is drier and gives you that perfect fried rice texture. If you don’t have time to prepare rice a day ahead, you can spread freshly cooked rice on a baking sheet and chill it in the fridge for about 30 minutes.

For best results high heat is key

Cooking over high heat ensures that all ingredients are stir-fried quickly, preserving their flavour and texture. It also helps to achieve that slightly smoky flavour known as “wok hei” in Chinese cuisine.

Don’t overcrowd the wok

If you have too many ingredients in the pan, they will steam rather than fry. Cook in batches if necessary to maintain high heat and get that beautiful sear on your proteins and veggies.

Customise your fried rice

One of the joys of fried rice is its versatility. Feel free to add or substitute other vegetables such as mushrooms, shredded carrots, chopped pak choi or even broccoli, as well as different proteins, including Chinese BBQ pork, or beef.

Want to make more Chinese food?

If you want to make noodles instead here is another recipe for my prawn noodle stir-fry. Or maybe you fancy a Chinese feast? You could serve this prawn fried rice with chicken with some spicy salt and pepper chicken wings or make some dumplings as the perfect appetiser.