Thai Red Curry Fried Rice

Thai red curry fried rice is an easy-to-make and delicious dish made with ground chicken, topped with a fried egg, and served with lime wedges for a tangy burst of flavor.

Watch how to make this

Ingredients

• Ground chicken: The main protein of the dish. Using ground chicken allows the fried rice to cook quickly, however you can use diced chopped chicken breast or thigh instead.
• Rice: For the best results, use day-old rice. Fresh rice has more moisture while day-old rice is drier, giving you the best texture.
• Red curry paste: Red curry paste is the main flavor component of this dish. You can find the paste at most Asian grocery stores.
• Egg: If you're not a fan of fried eggs, you can scramble the egg right into the fried rice or omit it completely.
• Herbs: Thai basil had a slightly savory, spicy, anise-like flavor that compliments the Thai red curry fried rice perfectly. However, if you can't find Thai basil, you can substitute it with Italian basil.

Substitutions and variations

• Protein: Instead of ground chicken, you can use other types of ground meat such as beef, pork, or turkey. You can also use chopped shrimp or tofu.
• Grains: Although this is a fried rice recipe, you can use other grains such as quinoa, farro, bulgur, or cauliflower rice.
• Vegetables: You can use a variety of vegetables such as carrots, green beans, broccoli, or mushrooms in addition to or in place of the red bell pepper.

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Cook the fillings

Start by browning the ground chicken in a large saute pan. No matter what protein you choose, you want to cook it first. Make sure to fully cook the chicken and drain all of the excess juices. If you add the juices to the rice, the fried rice will be mushy.

Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside while you saute the bell peppers. Cook the peppers until softened, then add the aromatics including shallots, garlic, Thai chilies, and chopped white scallion ends. Only add the white ends of the scallions; we will be adding the green ends later on.

Step 2: Add the rice

Add the ground chicken to the pan along with the rice. Use a wooden spatula to break up the rice and heat until warm. You want to make sure there are no clumps of rice. The perfect fried rice means making sure every single grain of rice is seasoned.

Once the rice is hot, add the seasonings including fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and black pepper. If you don't like fish sauce, you can substitute it with soy sauce instead.

Step 3: Garnish the fried rice

Finish the fried rice with the reserved green onions and Thai basil. Although this Thai red curry fried rice is delicious on its own, a fried egg on top is the perfect finish. When you break into the runny egg, the rice becomes richer from the yolk, more comforting, and yes, even tastier.

Serve the dish with lime wedges on the side if desired. I personally loved the little bit of tang from the lime to offset the creamy egg.

This Thai red curry fried rice was so satisfying, especially with the fried egg. And the best part? It comes together so quickly!

Make-ahead and storage

• Make-ahead: To help make it easier when it's time to make the fried rice, prepare all of the ingredients, including chopping the vegetables and measuring the amounts for the seasonings. If you like, you can cook the ground chicken ahead of time.
• Store: Keep leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Frequently asked questions

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Recipe

Print Recipe

Thai Red Curry Fried Rice

Total Time30 minutes mins

Servings: 4

Author: Christine Ma

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons oil divided
• 1 pound ground chicken
• 1 red bell pepper chopped
• 4 shallots chopped
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 1-2 Thai chilies minced
• 3 scallions chopped, white and green ends separated
• 2 tablespoons red curry paste
• 4 cups cooked rice
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ¼ cup chopped Thai basil
• 4 fried eggs
• lime wedges to serve

Instructions

• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large saute pan or wok over high heat. Add ground chicken and cook until browned, about 4-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and transfer to a plate.
• Heat another tablespoon oil in the same pan. Add chopped bell peppers and cook until softened, about 3 minutes. Add shallots, garlic, Thai chilies, and chopped white scallion ends. Stir to combine and saute for 2 minutes or until softened. Add red curry paste and saute for another minute, stirring to combine.
• Add back cooked ground chicken along with rice. Break up rice with a wooden spoon and mix until well combined. Continue to cook until rice is hot.
• Season fried rice with fish sauce, soy sauce, sugar, and black pepper. Remove from heat and stir in chopped Thai basil and chopped green scallion ends.
• Portion Thai red curry fried rice onto 4 plates and top with fried eggs. Serve with lime wedges if desired.

Notes

For best results, use day-old rice.