Shrimp and Chicken Fried Rice (Easy Homemade Recipe!)

 Pin this Recipe

this for later...

I really hope you enjoy this Shrimp and Chicken Fried Rice recipe. If you do, please let me know in the comments below. I LOVE reading your comments ❤.

But hey, its flavor is not the only awesome thing about it. Here are a few more reasons why you’ll love this butter garlic chicken and shrimp fried rice-

• This simple shrimp and chicken fried rice is not just a regular side dish. It’s a main dish in itself! I mean, you can serve it along with your favorite Chinese food but you can have it on its own and feel amazingly full too thanks to it being absolutely delicious and filled with meat! It’s the complete meal ❤.
• This is a really easy recipe which makes it a super easy weeknight meal. There are a few steps you need to follow but it doesn’t make the recipe difficult or very long! This is one of those easy dinners your whole family will love. You can meal prep it too!
• Everything is made in one pan! So you don’t need a bajillion pans to clean up. Ah, this is the best chicken and shrimp fried rice recipe ever.
• And we use really simple ingredients as well. You can get them at your regular grocery stores! This fried rice with chicken and shrimp is also a great way to clean up your fridge of any extra ingredients you have! It’s the best way to repurpose leftover rice and literally everything else too!
• You also get better control of the flavors and ingredients you want in your fried rice when you make it at home instead of ordering it from Chinese restaurants ❤. You can make this chicken and shrimp rice less salty, add more meat or veggies… play around with the sauces…!

Don’t order takeout tonight. Make these restaurant-worthy dishes instead:

• Easy Creamy Coconut Shrimp (Chinese Buffet Style!)
• Crispy Korean Fried Chicken Recipe in Soy Garlic Sauce!
• 4 Ingredient Sweet and Sour Sauce
• Shrimp and Egg Recipe (Chinese Stir Fry & Scrambled Eggs!)
• One Pot Chicken Shawarma Rice with Garlic Sauce

Is cold leftover rice better than freshly cooked rice when making this fried rice with chicken and shrimp?

I would definitely suggest using leftover rice for best results when making this fried rice recipe.

Cold leftover rice is better because it’s drier and easier to toast over high heat. Freshly cooked rice on the other hand can get mushy thanks to it not getting time to cool down and dry out a little.

That said, you can still use freshly cooked rice if you don’t have any cold leftover rice. Just spread it on a baking tray in a single layer to let steam out and then once it cools down, pop it in the fridge for half an hour to dry it out and then use it!

INGREDIENTS & SUBSTITUTIONS FOR THIS SHRIMP AND CHICKEN FRIED RICE RECIPE

For exact ingredient measurements, please scroll down to the Recipe Card.

To cook the shrimp:

• Butter- Some butter for that buttery garlicky flavor in our succulent shrimp. Mmmm ❤!
• Regular cooking oil- Oil will prevent our butter from burning too fast. Use a neutral cooking oil here. You can use a vegetable oil of your preference. You can also maybe use olive oil here but since we will be pan frying our fresh shrimp at medium heat, it’s best to use light or pure olive oil. Don’t use sesame oil here.
• Fresh garlic- Just a little fresh garlic gives our butter that perfect garlic flavor and well, shrimp cooked in hot butter garlic tastes INCREDIBLE. I wouldn’t suggest garlic powder instead of fresh minced garlic here because that butter garlic flavor really comes from fresh garlic. If you are in a pinch though, you can use garlic powder.
• Raw shrimp- You can use fresh or frozen shrimp here. If you’re using frozen shrimp, make sure you thaw it well. Please peel and devein your fresh shrimp too! That cooked shrimp and juicy chicken is everything in this chicken shrimp fried rice. You can also cut your tender shrimp into halves to have more shrimp bites. You can use any size shrimp here. I prefer large shrimp or medium shrimp in this recipe. Don’t worry though, you can use small shrimp instead of medium or large shrimp too if that’s all you have at home right now ❤.
• Salt & White Pepper- Our regular seasonings!

To make the fried rice:

• Regular cooking oil- Oil helps prevent our butter from burning too fast in our better than Chinese takeout fried rice recipe. Use a neutral cooking oil here. You can use a vegetable oil of your preference. I wouldn’t suggest using olive oil to cook your chicken and shrimp with rice because we’ll be doing everything mostly at high heat here. Don’t use sesame oil here.
• Butter- Garlic butter gives us some of the best fried rice ever! Mmm… we fry our cold leftover rice in that buttery garlicky goodness to get some delicious crispy rice.
• Garlic- I suggest using fresh garlic cloves here. We want to cook our smashed and minced garlic in some hot butter. Once again, I wouldn’t suggest garlic powder here because that butter garlic flavor really comes from fresh garlic. If you don’t have fresh garlic though, you can use garlic powder.
• Onion– For a delicious onion flavor and small bites of browned buttered onion. Yum! You can use shallots here as well.
• Large Eggs- Oooh large eggs give us even extra protein and a delicious flavor in this easy recipe ❤. Bits of those fluffy scrambled eggs are delicious here. Some nice beaten eggs give us such great flavor, I can’t imagine this recipe without eggs!
• Leftover cooked rice- Using day old cold leftover rice is the best way to make this recipe! You can leave any leftover rice in the fridge for the next day. The type of rice doesn’t matter here so don’t worry too much about it, this is a versatile dish and our aim is to use up any leftover rice. Different people have different preferences. You can use Jasmine rice, Basmati rice or any white rice you prefer, long grain, medium grain or short grain. You can use brown rice as well. You can also use cauliflower rice. You can use fresh rice too, just go ahead and spread it on a baking tray in a single layer to let steam out. Then once it cools down, pop it in the fridge for half an hour to dry it out!
• White Pepper- For a hint of mild spice.
• Soy sauce– Ah, good old salty umami soy sauce. It adds the best flavor ever without taking over the whole recipe. You can find it at your local grocery stores without a problem! You can also use low sodium soy sauce or even tamari or coconut aminos. Tamari and coconut aminos are a great gluten free option.
• Toasted sesame oil- Oh boy, that rich nutty flavor of toasted sesame oil adds so much flavor here, it’s amazing! Toasted sesame oil brings about a perfect balance of flavors and I think it’s essential in this great fried rice. You’ll find it at your local grocery stores! And hey, sesame oil is only to drizzle at the end. Sesame oil shouldn’t be used to cook the dish in.
• Green onions– Green onions are SO good here with that added crunch and fresh onion-y flavor! I adore green onions in my fried rice and I think they’re almost a classic ingredient in fried rice now!

HOW TO MAKE SHRIMP AND CHICKEN FRIED RICE [Step-by-Step Instructions with Photos]

Please keep in mind that I go into lots of detail in all my recipes so you get to know all the super important tips and tricks when it comes to making a particular recipe. I always want you to make the BEST of whatever you’re cooking ❤.

STEP 2: COOK THE CHICKEN

Add soy sauce, salt and white pepper to your chicken and mix well. You can keep the chicken in an airtight container to marinate but it’s not necessary.

Time to get cooking!

Take a large wok. Many Chinese restaurants use a super large wok when making Chinese food, especially fried rice. Don’t worry if you don’t have a large wok though, you can use a large skillet as well. This is the cooking pan we’ll be making everything in!

And get a really nice ladle or spatula too cause we’ve got lots of mixing to do in this recipe!

Over medium heat (not medium-high heat), pour the vegetable oil into your wok or large skillet and swirl it around to get it on the side of the pan.

Once the oil is nice and hot, add the chicken pieces to the hot pan.

Let the chicken cook for 2 minutes on one side in the wok or large skillet. Then turn the chicken and cook it on the other side for another 2 minutes.

Then toss the tender chicken around for 2-3 minutes until it’s lightly browned.

Remove and keep the cooked chicken on the side. Don’t place the chicken over paper towels.

STEP 3: COOK THE SHRIMP

Reduce the heat down to low (not even medium-low heat, we want to reduce the temperature of the pan).

Now add vegetable oil and butter to the large skillet or wok. Wait for the butter to melt

Then add the minced garlic and stir for about a minute.

Then add the raw shrimp, salt and pepper to the hot pan. Raise the heat to medium heat (not medium-high heat, we want a high temperature without it being too hot).

Stir fry the shrimp a little. Let the tender shrimp cook for about 2-3 minutes until they turn pink and curl a little.

Remove the cooked shrimp and set aside. Don’t place it over paper towels.

* NOTE: While the shrimp cooks, it may let out water and along with the butter, you may see some liquid in the wok. This is normal as the shrimp cooks. Remove just the shrimp out after it’s cooked and cook the excess liquid over high heat until it evaporates and reduces. It can also brown in the process and it’s okay (it’s delish)! Then add that buttery garlic concentrated flavor on top of the shrimp. Please don’t throw this because it has all those delicious butter garlic flavors.

STEP 4: MAKE THE FRIED RICE BASE!

Over medium heat (not medium-high heat), add vegetable oil and butter to the hot pan.

As the butter starts to melt, add the smashed and minced garlic and fry for a minute until it turns a light golden brown. We want our oil to get some nice garlic flavor.

Now add in the chopped onion and cook for a minute or 2 until softened. If you’re adding some fresh vegetables, add them here and cook for about 3-4 minutes (maybe even 5) until everything is softened.

Now push the onion and garlic to one side of the pan and pour in the beaten eggs (all that extra protein from those beaten eggs 😍!).

Gently stir only the eggs in their corner with a ladle for about a minute. We want to cook the beaten eggs just a little to get some solid egg pieces (don’t worry if the eggs mix a little with the onions).

Once the egg has cooked and firmed up a bit, mix it with onions and garlic and stir while breaking the egg apart into further bite-sized pieces. We want some fluffy scrambled eggs here!

STEP 5: LET’S MAKE OUR FRIED RICE

Heat plays a big role here. Lots of chinese food is cooked in a hot pan. Chinese restaurants use a hot pan to cook their fried rice in too and it’s the best way to make some fried rice so keep a check on the heat you’re cooking at! Please follow my instructions whether it’s low heat, medium-high heat or high heat.

Now add in the cold leftover rice and white pepper.

Raise the heat to high (not medium-high heat, we need a hot pan here!) and stir everything well until the rice starts to pop, crackle and bounce around.

Stir in 10 second intervals so the white rice gets a nice browning on it.

Break apart lumps if any.

Keep spreading and stirring the rice around for about 5 to 6 minutes… have fun doing it ❤.

Now return the cooked shrimp and chicken to the hot pan.

Mix well.

Reduce heat to medium-low heat.

Move the white rice and meat to a corner and add in the soy sauce and chicken stock powder. Let it cook a little for about 5 seconds.

Then start stirring it in well with the rice.

Now give your fried rice a taste. If it needs more salt, add salt or soy sauce.

And switch off the heat. Drizzle toasted sesame oil (I love toasted sesame oil. Toasted sesame oil gives the best flavor ever, but a little goes a long way so don’t add too much!), add the remaining roughly chopped garlic and chopped green onions.

Mix everything one more time and serve.

And give it a taste…. doesn’t that taste absolutely incredible? And you made it all on your own ❤.

Hey you, I really hope you love this Shrimp and Chicken Fried Rice as much as I do!

If you do, I would appreciate a star rating SO much (you can rate this recipe right below or from the Recipe Card 💖).

Would you like to explore more such recipes? Check out our collection of absolutely lip-smacking Rice recipes, Seafood, Sides and Cozy Winter recipes.

You can share your stories with this recipe in the comment section below too whether this is the first time you’re trying this recipe or if you’ve already had it multiple times before, I would love to hear all about it!

What type of rice is best in this shrimp and chicken fried rice?

The type of rice doesn’t matter when making this shrimp and chicken fried rice so don’t worry too much about it, this is a versatile dish and our aim is to use up any leftover cooked rice.

It’s all good as long as it’s cold leftover rice for some great fried rice that the whole family will enjoy.

Different people have different preferences. I usually prefer a long grain white rice like Basmati rice here.

You can also use Jasmine rice or any white rice you prefer, long grain, medium grain or short grain.

You can use brown rice as well. Brown rice works pretty well here. You can also use cauliflower rice as a low carb option.

You can use fresh rice too, just go ahead and spread it on a baking tray in a single layer to let steam out. Then once it cools down and gets to room temperature, pop it in the fridge for half an hour to dry it out and use it!

Using day old cold leftover rice is the best way to make this recipe though! You can leave any leftover rice in the fridge for the next day to make it ready for this recipe.

But hey, here are a few ideas to serve this delicious recipe (one of the easiest dinners ever!):

• The perfect way to serve this garlic shrimp and chicken fried rice in my opinion is on its own with some sesame oil drizzled on top and yes, chopped green onions too. I love chopped green onions in my fried rice, it adds to the flavor and texture! Nice and simple.
• You can also top your fried rice with some fried golden brown bits of garlic or even fried shallots for a sweet deep rich flavor along with chopped green onions. Mmm ✨.
• Don’t order takeout. Serve this tender chicken and shrimp fried rice with your favorite homemade Chinese food and turn this easy weeknight meal into a complete meal. You can also serve it along with my Shrimp and Egg Recipe (Chinese Stir Fry & Scrambled Eggs!) for a shrimp and egg feast or serve it with my 4 Ingredient Sweet and Sour Sauce Recipe for some sweet tang or even with this Crispy Korean Fried Chicken in Soy Garlic Sauce!. Delish!
• Another great way to serve this homemade fried rice recipe is topped with your favorite hot sauce or sriracha mayo for some heat.
• Next time, go ahead and serve this delicious fried rice with some salad! A fresh bite cutting through all that scrumptious meat and garlicky butter goodness is everything ❤.
• Or top this easy weeknight meal up with a nice fried egg, yum!

This is a super easy recipe but here are a few tips to make things even easier –

• Please read through this chicken and shrimp fried rice recipe before making it. This is the perfect way to make any recipe out there. You’ll know what to expect and can keep all the ingredients ready too.
• The secret to Chinese takeout like fried rice is day-old rice (any leftover cooked rice you have!), toasted sesame oil and a nice hot wok in my opinion. Please try and use all these elements in your recipe for the best results!
• Use a large wok. Many Chinese restaurants use a super large wok when making Chinese food, especially fried rice. Don’t worry if you don’t have a large wok though, you can use a large skillet as well. A large skillet can work well here.
• You can use fresh shrimp as well as frozen shrimp here. If you’re using frozen shrimp though, make sure to thaw it well. If you’re using frozen chicken breasts or chicken thighs, make sure you thaw them well too.
• You can always cut your large shrimp into smaller pieces. Cutting your large shrimp into smaller pieces is a great way to get more shrimp with every bite!
• Use some nice and cold rice that has been in the refrigerator and has been made at least a day prior to making this recipe. Cold rice will be drier making it easy for those grains of rice to fry well.
• Using day-old rice is the best way to make this recipe! Fresh rice can turn out mushy here. The type of rice doesn’t matter so don’t worry too much about it. You can use any type of rice– Jasmine rice, Basmati rice or any white rice you prefer, long grain, medium grain or short grain. You can use brown rice or cauliflower rice too.
• Don’t have day old cold rice? You can use fresh rice as well, just spread the cooked white rice (or whatever rice you like!) on a baking tray in a single layer to let it steam out then once it cools down, pop it in the fridge for half an hour to dry it out!
• Play around with different sauces or even a combination of sauces and find the best flavor for you! Work with rice vinegar (rice vinegar will give you a slight acidic flavor), light soy sauce, brown sugar, dark soy sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce or even make some teriyaki sauce and find out what you like best!
• The best way to make this tender chicken shrimp fried rice even more filling? Add some fresh vegetables! You can use bell peppers (mmm chopped bell peppers!), green peas, broccoli, cauliflower or even mushrooms. You can add bean sprouts too. I love bean sprouts and bell peppers in my fried rice.
• This is a great fried rice and it tastes really good the next day too. Wait until your fried rice reaches room temperature. Once it reaches room temperature, transfer it to an airtight container. Then store the airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days. This recipe works well for meal prep as well!
• Cooking your chicken in a separate pan while the shrimp cooks is a great way to save on time. I don’t prefer this though as I feel it gets a bit too much!
• To plate this fried rice with chicken and shrimp, take a medium-sized bowl. Add some tender shrimp, chicken and green onions to the bottom. Then add your fried rice to the bowl and press it in nicely. Place a plate facing down over the bowl and while holding both the bowl and the plate, make a quick flip and gently lift the bowl up and there you have it, some deliciously pretty looking fried rice.

Here are a few ideas, try these variations next time:

• Use whatever meat you like here. You can add beef, fish, sausage… literally whatever you prefer. You can make this a seafood fried rice too and add in calamari, fish and scallops along with the shrimp! You can also leave a meat out in case you just want shrimp fried rice or chicken fried rice. It’s all your choice!
• Use rich chicken thighs instead of juicy chicken breasts if you like!
• You can leave out the meat if you want to make this dish vegetarian! Go ahead and add fresh veggies of your choice or use tofu.
• Use tamari or coconut aminos instead of soy sauce to make this recipe gluten free.
• Using day-old rice is the best way to make this recipe! You can leave any leftover rice in the fridge for the next day. The type of rice doesn’t matter here so don’t worry too much about it, this is a versatile dish and our aim is to repurpose leftover rice. You can use any type of rice– Jasmine rice, Basmati rice or any white rice you prefer, long grain, medium grain or short grain.
• Don’t have day old cold rice? You can use fresh rice too, just go ahead and spread it on a baking tray in a single layer to let steam out then once it cools down, pop it in the fridge for half an hour to dry it out!
• You don’t have to use only white rice here. You can use brown rice too. Brown rice is a great option.
• For a low carb option, go ahead and use cauliflower rice. Cauliflower rice works well here.
• Try using different sauces or even a combination of sauces and find the best flavor for you! Play around with rice vinegar (rice vinegar will give you a slight acidic flavor), light soy sauce, brown sugar, dark soy sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce or even make some teriyaki sauce and find out what works best for you!
• Add some fresh vegetables to this easy weeknight meal. You can use whatever fresh veggies you prefer like bell peppers (love some bell peppers in my fried rice!), green peas, broccoli, cauliflower or even mushrooms. You can add bean sprouts too. Bean sprouts work well in fried rice. Fresh vegetables will add flavor and make your fried rice super yum too! Go ahead and make this a complete meal.
• To add some spice to this easy recipe, add some red chili pepper flakes, chopped chilis or even your favorite chili sauce. You can also top your shrimp and chicken fried rice with sriracha mayo or chili oil!
• Add some toasted peanuts or crispy golden brown garlic to this shrimp and chicken fried rice for a delicious crunch!

Hey you, I really hope you love this Shrimp and Chicken Fried Rice as much as I do!

If you do, I would appreciate a star rating SO much (you can rate this recipe right below or from the Recipe Card 💖).

We would love to get to know you better, say hello in the comment section below ❤

Don’t forget to Subscribe to our Newsletter for more personalized conversations and exclusive interactions.

Also, keep in touch and follow us on Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook!

If you make this recipe, please post a picture of it and tag me on Pinterest or Instagram @thebutteryfairytale. You can also hashtag it with #thebutteryfairytale. I LOVE seeing your recipe creations and seeing you create our recipes is… the best feeling in the whole world! 😊💖