Chicken Singapore Fried Rice Recipe | Indo Chinese Singapore Fried Rice

Chicken Singapore Fried Rice Recipe is a fusion mix of Indo-Chinese cuisine. This Singapore fried rice recipe is just like what you get in your favorite Chinese restaurant.

Today I’m sharing with you another family favorite – Chicken Singapore Fried Rice. It has some extra awesomeness to the regular fried rice.

Actually, there is a short story behind it. Growing up in Mumbai, I always looked forward to going out for dinner at our neighborhood’s favorite local Chinese restaurant. After relocating to Hyderabad, I spent a long time tinkering around with multiple experiments, attempting to recreate a fried rice recipe that tasted as good as Mumbai-style fried rice.

After relishing egg fried rice, chicken fried rice, schezwan chicken fried rice a number of times, I wanted a change and that made me order Chicken Singapore Fried Rice. At the first glance, the rice dish felt funny as it had ingredients that are not commonly seen in Indo-Chinese rice dishes. But surprisingly, I loved the taste.

I have a fascination with Indo-Chinese cuisine. It pops up on my weekly menu every now and then. First of all, they are super easy to whip up. With leftover rice and cooked meat handy, you can make this dish within 10 minutes. Again, stir fry makes the dish healthy and can customize as per preference.

What is Singapore Fried Rice?

Fried rice is a quick and flavorful dish of cooked rice that has been stir-fried in a wok or a frying pan and is usually mixed with other ingredients such as eggs, vegetables, seafood, or chicken. It is often eaten by itself or as an accompaniment to another dish.

Despite its name, Singaporean Fried Rice is not from Singapore. The local Singapore food has influenced cuisines that include Indian, Chinese, Indonesian, and Malay. So, Singapore Fried Rice has its origin in Indo-Chinese cuisine which is a fusion of Indian, Chinese, and Malay cuisine.

The Singapore Fried rice that we relish in restaurants or street carts is an Indian rendition to suit local taste buds. It is vibrant, aromatic, and mildly spicy or spicy fried rice filled with unique flavors.

Unlike regular fried rice, Chicken Singapore Fried Rice is hot and spicy with bursting flavors of ginger, garlic, whole spices, spice powders, and sauces. Compared to other fried rice dishes, this one has vibrant yellow in color.

About Chicken Singapore Fried Rice Recipe

While there is no such special recipe of fried rice pertaining to Singapore, this Chicken Singapore Fried Rice recipe is an Indian interpretation of the Singaporean classic.

Depending on restaurants, fine-dining restaurants, and roadside fast food stalls, there are many variations on this wonderful dish. While restaurants use curry powder or madras curry powder, street vendors use garam masala as a replacement to it.

In this post, I am sharing an Indo-Chinese takeaway-style chicken Singapore fried rice recipe with simple ingredients and cupboard-friendly spices.

To make chicken Singapore fried rice, a few important ingredients are whole spices (cinnamon stick and star anise), dry red chilies, and madras curry powder.

Singapore fried rice or noodles gets their signature color from madras curry powder. You can use Madras Curry Powder in this dish or garam masala powder with a little turmeric powder added as I did.

There is no rocket science when it comes to making chicken Singapore fried rice. But certainly, a few helpful tips to make the best one. This recipe gives you the total scoop on how to cook long-grain and non-sticky basmati rice and also restaurant-style Singapore fried rice.

For the chicken, you have two options.

1. Cut boneless chicken into thin strips or chop it into bite-size pieces and then stir fry in the wok.

2. Boil chicken with bone or boneless separately. Shred the cooked meat roughly or cut it into pieces.

3. Coat the boneless chicken pieces with a mixture of all-purpose flour, cornflour, egg, salt, black pepper powder, ginger, and garlic. Then deep fry. This process keeps the chicken moist and soft.

Reasons to make

A restaurant favorite.

Irresistibly delicious.

Customize with your favorite mix-ins.

Hearty and filling one-plate-meal by itself.

Does not need a side dish.

Pro Tips

One of the most critical components of making fried rice is the texture of the rice, it should not stick together. I still remember my first trial of cooking fried rice on my own. I made the mistake of using freshly cooked hot rice and it turned out a disaster. The taste and texture of the fried rice were not appealing to eat but I learned a big lesson. Below are the important tips I have learned over the years about how to make the best-fried rice. So, this Chicken Singapore Fried Rice recipe is tried and tested recipe.

A day-old cooked rice is best for fried rice dishes. I prefer and recommend using leftover rice that was refrigerated for a few hours or overnight. Refrigerated rice is dry in texture. The firm rice grains hold their shape and most importantly, they remain separate when stir-fried.

But if there are no leftovers, you can cook a batch of fresh rice separately and let it cool completely. Cook the rice a few hours before and spread it on a large baking sheet or large plate. Let it cool completely and dry out for about 30-60 minutes to make the perfect fried rice. If in a hurry, then pop the cooled rice in the fridge for 30 minutes or in the freezer for 10-15 minutes until it is thoroughly chilled (not frozen).

Do not use hot or just-cooked rice, otherwise, the fried rice will be a disaster. The hot rice will have moisture, so the rice grains will break and fried rice will turn mushy.

For authentic restaurant flavor and texture, use a wok. If not available, use a wide and thin pan/kadhai.

Use a burner with the highest flame.

Prep the ingredients: Fried rice is a quick stir-fry dish. Once you start cooking, the ingredients go very quickly and are tossed on high flame. There’s no time to pause or chop veggies or find other ingredients. So you want all your ingredients ready and by the stove.

Don’t overcook the veggies! Just saute long enough to a crisp-tender.

Do not overdo the spices and seasonings. Allow all the ingredients to shine and add flavor to the overall dish.

Soy sauce contains a good amount of salt. So be careful while seasoning the rice dish.

Mix everything well on high heat. Also, let the rice sit for 5-10 seconds in between stirs for even heating.

Ingredients

Rice: I prefer to use basmati rice to make fried rice. It is known for its long and slender grain.

Oil: I used vegetable oil. You can use canola, olive oil, sesame oil, or any neutral-flavored oil.

Whole Spices: whole dry red chilly, cinnamon stick, and star anise.

Veggies: I used a combo of bell peppers, carrots, beans, and spring onions (scallions). This is the base mix of veggies commonly used for fried rice.

However, don’t hesitate to throw in whatever veggies you have – red and yellow bell pepper, bok choy, baby corn, broccoli, zucchini, Chinese cabbage, mushrooms, corn, cabbage, or green peas.

Aromatics & Sauces: finely minced garlic and soya sauce.

Spice powders: turmeric powder, garam masala, and black pepper powder.

Garam masala gives the dish a warm spiciness and turmeric powder gives the rice it’s signature bright yellow color. While making it for kids, feel free to decrease the quantity or leave it out.

Spring onion: It adds both aroma and flavor to the fried rice. Milder than red or white onions, they complement any Indo-Chinese items perfectly. I also use the spring onion greens to garnish, it adds a nice crunch. Also, save some of the green parts for garnish.

How to make Chicken Singapore Fried Rice

Pre-prep

1. Cook the basmati rice. I followed my basmati rice recipe to make the rice, it is a full proof recipe that includes instructions and tips for the stove-top method.

2. Boil the chicken pieces for 15-20 minutes. Shred or dice into small cubes.

3. Finely dice the vegetables.

3. Break eggs in a bowl. Add salt and black pepper to the egg and whisk it well.

Steps to make Chicken Singapore Fried Rice

1. Shred or dice the cooked chicken pieces and keep them aside.

2. Heat the wok over a high flame and let it get super hot. When it is hot, add 2 tbsp oil and swirl it all over the wok.

By doing this, it creates a non-stick layer.

3. Now add the whisked egg.

Adding whisked eggs will give more volume of scrambled eggs compared to adding eggs directly.

4. Spread the whisked egg and let it set for a few seconds.

5. Now scramble the eggs.

6. Turn the flame to low. Push the scrambled eggs to one side of the wok. Add 1 tbsp of oil and add 2 dry red chilies, 1 cinnamon stick, and 1 star anise.

Alternatively, you can transfer the scrambled eggs onto a plate and add them after step 8.

7. Add the finely chopped 2-3 garlic cloves and 1/2 cup of diced veggies. Saute on high flame for 5-10 seconds.

Be careful not to burn the garlic.

8. Add the cooked and shredded chicken and continue to saute for 10 seconds.

9. Season with 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp black pepper powder, and 1/2 to 1 tsp garam masala. Stir fry for a few seconds.

11. Add the cooked rice. Saute on high flame until all the ingredients combine well and the flavors coat the rice well.

12. Add soya sauce and vinegar. Saute for 5 seconds.

14. Taste for seasoning and add salt accordingly. Continue sauteing the rice on high flame, stirring every 15-20 seconds or so for 2 minutes.

Let the rice rest in between stirs so that the rice grains are heated evenly and can crisp up on the bottom.

15. Add the spring onion greens. Toss well and turn off the flame.

16. Chicken Singapore Fried Rice is ready. Transfer to a serving plate and garnish with more spring onion greens.

Serving Suggestions

Chicken Singapore Fried rice is one of those dishes that is a complete meal in itself and does not need a side dish. However, if you are cooking for guests or for a crowd, you might need a side dish to satisfy everyone. Listing a few options below.

Chinese Gravy

Veg Manchurian

Street style Chili Chicken

Chicken 65

Storage Suggestions

Like any fried rice, chicken Singapore fried rice tastes the best when eaten hot right off the wok. But the leftovers aren’t really bad either. Transfer the leftovers to an air-tight container and store them in the fridge for up to three days.

Before serving, reheat in a microwave or in a pan on the stovetop. Refrigerating rice makes it dry, so splash a little water over top to help it stay moist (not sticky).

Variations

This Singapore Fried Rice recipe is very versatile.

Along with garlic, add an inch of ginger finely chopped.

To make Vegetarian and Vegan, skip eggs and chicken. Add more veggies of your choice.

If you are a paneer lover, add chopped paneer pieces. For a crisp texture, fry the chopped paneer pieces in 2-3 tbsp oil until golden and crispy.

To add spice, you can add 1 to 2 tsp of red chili flakes, schezwan sauce, red chili sauce, or any other hot sauce.

For a sweet and tangy taste, add 1/2 to 1 tbsp tomato sauce.

Add chicken broth powder for umami flavor.

Skip scrambled eggs. After the fried rice is ready, fry the egg(s) then place it on top of the rice.

More Recipes to try

Egg Fried Rice

Schezwan Fried Rice Veg

Chicken Fried Rice Indian style

Street style Egg Fried Rice

If you’ve tried this authentic Restaurant style Chicken Singapore Fried Rice Recipe, then don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below! Feedback and suggestions are highly appreciated. Also, please share the recipes with your friends and family members.

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