Sticky Chicken with Vegetable Fried Rice

This is not your average fried rice—this dish is elevated with incredible sticky chicken! It’s a super quick and easy meal perfect for a busy weeknight. The secret is in the sauce, which coats the chicken in a beautifully rich and savory glaze. You can customize the fried rice with any vegetables you have on hand, making it a great way to use up what’s in your fridge. The recipe is designed to be largely made ahead of time, so you can have a delicious, home-cooked meal on the table in no time.

Instructions

1. 1

   To make the chicken marinade, combine the chicken with the soy sauce, tomato sauce, rice vinegar, honey, ginger, minced garlic, and sriracha (if using) in a bowl. Mix everything together to coat the chicken evenly. Set it aside for 20 minutes, or for more flavor, you can freeze it in a ziplock bag for later.

2. 2

   Next, let's prepare the rice. Place 1 cup of uncooked long grain rice and 1 1/2 cups of water in a medium saucepan. Bring it to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until all the water is absorbed, which takes about 8 to 10 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat, keep the lid on, and let the rice rest for 10 minutes. After it cools, you can divide it into two freezer bags—you'll only need about 1 1/2 cups of cooked rice for this recipe. Save the other portion for next time!

3. 3

   Once you’re ready to cook, remove the chicken and rice from the freezer and allow them to defrost. Cut the bok choy by separating the stems from the leaves, and then slice the stems vertically into 1cm sticks.

4. 4

   Now, we'll start on the fried rice. Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat. If you're using sesame seeds for garnish, toast them for about 15 seconds, then remove them and set aside.

5. 5

   Add 1 tbsp of oil to the wok. Add the smashed garlic clove and stir-fry for about 20 seconds to infuse the oil with flavor. Then, remove and discard the garlic.

6. 6

   Add the diced onion and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Then, add the carrots, peas, and baby corn, and stir-fry for another 30 seconds.

7. 7

   Add the bok choy stems and cook for 30 seconds.

8. 8

   Add the cooked rice, Chinese cooking wine, soy sauce, and chicken stock powder. Stir-fry for another 30 seconds to combine.

9. 9

   Remove the wok from the heat and add the bok choy leaves. Stir quickly to mix them into the hot rice. Transfer the finished fried rice to a large bowl and set it aside.

10. 10

    Time for the chicken! Add the remaining 1/2 tbsp of oil to the wok and return it to high heat. Take the chicken out of the marinade (but reserve the marinade) and place it in the wok. Stir-fry for about 1 1/2 minutes until it's nicely browned but not yet fully cooked through.

11. 11

    Pour the reserved marinade into the wok along with 2 tbsp of water. Cook for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens and becomes syrupy and glossy, coating the chicken beautifully. Remove the wok from the heat.

12. 12

    To serve, divide the fried rice into bowls, top it with the sticky chicken, and garnish with the finely sliced shallots and toasted sesame seeds, if you like.

Recipe Notes

• The best kind of rice for fried rice is long grain rice because it doesn't get as sticky as short grain varieties. If you don't have long grain rice, you can use brown rice, medium grain, jasmine, or basmati. Short grain rice is a last resort as it tends to clump together, which isn't ideal for fried rice. Risotto rice is not suitable for this recipe.

• This recipe only calls for 1 1/2 cups of cooked rice, but 1 cup of uncooked rice yields about 3 cups. It's difficult to cook a small amount of rice without it either being undercooked or scorched, so we cook a full cup and save the rest for another meal.

• When the recipe says to smash the garlic clove, you should use the flat side of your knife to press down on it. The goal is to burst it open and release the flavors while keeping the clove mostly intact, so you can easily remove it later.

• If you need to defrost your rice in the microwave, make sure you don't cover it. Microwaving rice with a lid on can create steam, which will make your rice mushy and ruin the texture for fried rice.

• Baby corn spears are typically found in the canned vegetables or Asian food aisles at most supermarkets. They are a great addition, but you can also use canned or frozen corn kernels if you prefer.