Description
Bang Bang Chicken Fried Rice is a flavorful and satisfying dish that combines crispy air-fried chicken coated in a spicy-sweet bang bang sauce with savory fried rice loaded with vegetables and scrambled eggs. This recipe uses the air fryer for perfectly cooked chicken and a skillet for a quick, delicious fried rice mix, making it an easy and crowd-pleasing meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon paprika
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- 1 cup (250 g) bang bang sauce, divided
Fried Rice
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil, divided
- 4 large eggs, beaten
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- 2 large carrots, diced
- 1 large white onion, diced
- ¼ cup green onions, diced, plus more for garnish
- 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 4 cups long-grain white rice, cooked and cooled
- ¼ cup (½ stick / 57 g) unsalted butter, melted
- 1 teaspoon lemon juice
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- ⅓ cup (45 g) frozen peas
Instructions
- Prepare the chicken: In a large bowl, toss the cubed chicken with vegetable oil, paprika, garlic powder, kosher salt, and black pepper until evenly coated.
- Preheat and cook chicken in the air fryer: Preheat your air fryer to 400°F. Arrange the chicken in a single layer in the air fryer basket; cook for 11–12 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the chicken is golden and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Keep chicken warm: Transfer the cooked chicken to a medium bowl and tent with aluminum foil to keep warm while you prepare the rice.
- Cook scrambled eggs: Heat 1 tablespoon of sesame oil in a large skillet over high heat. Pour in beaten eggs sprinkled with kosher salt and scramble gently until just set into soft curds. Remove eggs from the skillet and set aside.
- Sauté vegetables: Lower heat to medium-high. Add remaining 1 tablespoon sesame oil to the skillet along with diced carrots, onion, and green onions. Cook for about 5 minutes or until carrots are tender, then stir in minced garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
- Add cooled rice: Add the cooled rice to the skillet with vegetables. Break it up with a spatula and stir to combine. Cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until heated through.
- Finish fried rice: Stir in the scrambled eggs, melted butter, lemon juice, soy sauce, and frozen peas. Cook for an additional 2–3 minutes until everything is heated and flavors blend well.
- Toss chicken with bang bang sauce: Just before serving, toss the warm chicken with ½ cup of bang bang sauce to coat evenly.
- Assemble and serve: Top the fried rice with the bang bang chicken. Drizzle with remaining bang bang sauce as desired and garnish with extra green onions for a fresh finish.
Notes
- For best results, use day-old rice that has been refrigerated and cooled to prevent clumping in the fried rice.
- If you don’t have an air fryer, you can cook the chicken in a hot skillet or oven, but air frying gives a crispier texture.
- Adjust the amount of bang bang sauce according to your preferred spice and sweetness level.
- Leftover fried rice can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Make sure the chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F for safe consumption.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Air Frying
- Cuisine: American Fusion
Keywords: Bang Bang Chicken, Fried Rice, Air Fryer Chicken, Asian Inspired Fried Rice, Quick Dinner, Easy Chicken Fried Rice
