Chicken Fried Rice
Fried rice is the best use of leftover rice there is, and this version costs about $1.76 a serving because nearly everything in it is a pantry or freezer item. Diced chicken thigh, cold cooked rice, frozen peas and carrots, a couple of eggs, soy sauce, and a teaspoon of sesame oil — that is the whole list, and it comes to roughly $7.02 for four generous bowls. The trick is cold rice: fresh rice steams and clumps, while day-old rice fries into separate, slightly crisp grains. Twenty minutes and one very hot pan. It is also the best way to stretch a single pound of chicken across four people, which is exactly what a cheap week needs.
20 min
4
$7.02
$1.75
Ingredients
Estimated Aldi prices for the amount this dinner uses, based on regular shelf prices and the current weekly ad.
Steps
- 1Cook the rice ahead and chill it (cold rice fries best); or use leftover rice from the fridge.
- 2Dice the chicken and season with salt and pepper; stir-fry in a hot wok with 1 tbsp oil 5–6 minutes until cooked; remove.
- 3Push the rice to one side, scramble the egg quickly, then break it into small bits.
- 4Add the frozen peas and carrots and stir-fry 2 minutes until hot.
- 5Return the chicken to the wok, add the soy sauce and sesame oil, and toss everything over high heat 2 minutes.
- 6Taste and add more soy if needed; serve hot.
Tips & swaps
- Rotisserie or leftover roast chicken skips the cooking step entirely.
- Frozen mixed vegetables work in the same quantity if you do not have peas and carrots.
- A teaspoon of oyster sauce or a splash of rice vinegar deepens the flavor if you have either.
- Keep the pan very hot and do not crowd it — cook in two batches if your pan is small.
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Creamy Tuscan Chicken
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Put Chicken Fried Rice into your week
Add it to a plan built around this week's Aldi deals, or browse all 50 cheap dinner ideas and pick the rest of the week yourself.
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