Pili Pili Chicken Fried Rice

My name is Momen Ali. I am 17 years old. My siblings and I were born here in Ottawa, with both of my parents and my grandmother coming from Sudan to Canada. I am a Grade 12 student in my last year at Ridgemont High School. In my free time, I enjoy being active, playing sports when I’m in a group, and learning about computer programming and hardware.

A big part of why I like working as part of the Thirteen team is because I get a chance to learn how businesses operate and interact with customers directly. Cooking is also an important part of life; I believe cooking is important for health and to bring people together. Learning more about food and recipes is another thing that connects me to Thirteen. Leadership, responsibility and collaboration are the best parts of being a team member.

Inspiration/Story 

I chose this recipe for many reasons. It’s simple, quick, healthy and tastes good. This is one of the go-to recipes that I cook throughout the week. It supplies me with a good amount of carbs and protein on a workout day or during recovery while still keeping it fairly light. This recipe is very simple because everything is being cooked in one pan, in the same place. After you cook your egg and protein, all you have to do is add an ingredient, saute and repeat, until everything is cooked together. If you have lots of people to feed, this is an excellent recipe for that exact reason; instead of having to use 2 or more pans, everything can be cooked on the same skillet, lowering the overall cleanup time and hassle from cooking.

One of the best parts of fried rice is that it’s very versatile. You can easily change and swap the ingredients while keeping the same cooking process, and you’ll still end up with a great dish. Instead of chicken, you could use a different protein option, like shrimp or beef. You can alternate between brown and white rice depending on what you like. You can choose to cook this without an egg or even add more. You can add almost any of your favourite vegetables when cooking this dish.

Finally, the measurements in the recipe instructions are a good baseline to start with. Once you start to master fried rice, you can start to ignore some of the measurements a little. I personally still measure most of the things listed in this recipe, but when it comes to seasoning, I usually sprinkle however much my taste has adjusted to. If you want to make 2 or more servings for meal prep, you can simply double, triple or multiply the ingredients by however many meals you want to make, and use the whole chicken breast instead of only half.

INGREDIENTS

1 cup White or Brown rice, chilled (not frozen)

½ Chicken breast, diced (100-150 grams, or 0.25 lbs)

1 large egg

½ cups assorted vegetables (broccoli, peas, diced carrots, corn)

1 Garlic clove, minced

2 Tbsp Onion, diced

½ Tbps Pili Pili spice

2 Tbsp + 1 tsp canola oil (35 mL) (or any cooking oil)

1 Tbsp Sesame oil

1 Tbsp Soy sauce

(Optional) 1 Tbsp Fried Onions and/or Chili Flakes

To buy Thirteen's Pili Pili Spice CLICK HERE

Yield

1 Serving

Time

Prep time: 5-10 mins (if rice is already chilled)

Cook time: 15-20 mins

Tools & Equipment

1 non-stick pan/skillet/wok

1 spatula

1 whisk or fork

Measuring cups & spoons

Bowls (min. 4)

1 Chopping board or flat plate/dish

1 Kitchen knife

Instructions

1. Have the rice aside and ready (ideally leftover and refrigerated to avoid clumping). If you only have fresh rice, spread it out on a flat pan or baking sheet, and refrigerator for 30 minutes, or freeze for 10-15 minutes.

2. Dice your chicken breast into small pieces (½ - ¾ inch cubes). Season with Pili Pili, salt and pepper. If the chicken cubes stick together, mix in 1 tsp of Canola oil.

3. Prepare the vegetables by dicing them into small cubes, if necessary. If using frozen vegetables, defrost them and set them aside. Mince your garlic clove and dice your onion, then set aside.

4. Crack your egg into a bowl, add ½ tsp salt, and beat your egg with a fork or whisk until the yolk has mixed with the white.

5. Heat 1 tsp canola oil in a pan until hot. Add the beaten egg and scramble, stirring occasionally. Transfer to a plate once fully scrambled. The egg should be almost set, but not runny nor browned.

6. Heat ½ Tbsp canola oil and ½ Tbsp sesame oil in a large non-stick pan or wok over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add your chicken breast. Saute until cooked, about 5 minutes, then set aside to a plate.

7. Add another ½ Tbsp of canola and sesame oil each to the pan. Once hot, add the vegetables, onion and garlic. Saute until cooked through and slightly browned, 1-2 minutes.

8. Turn the heat to high. Add the chicken, rice and soy sauce to the pan. Add salt and pepper to taste. Saute, stirring every 15-20 seconds, until slight browning occurs (approx. 3 - 5 minutes).

9. Remove the pan from the heat. Mix the scrambled egg in with the rice. Add additional soy sauce, if desired. Transfer to a bowl and enjoy.

10. (Optional) Sprinkle your Fried Onions and/or Chili Flakes evenly over your fried rice.

Serving Suggestions

Serve in bowls or deep plates.

 Recipe video on our YouTube channel 

https://youtu.be/q4M5TM1Vu6U