Bang Bang Chicken Fried Rice

A delicious sweet, spicy, creamy and savory fried rice with crispy chicken, vegetables, egg, and homemade Bang Bang sauce. This version serves about 4–6 people and works best with cold, day-old rice.

Ingredients

For the chicken

• 1½ lb (680 g) boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper

For the Bang Bang sauce

• ½ cup mayonnaise
• ¼ cup Thai sweet chili sauce
• 1 tablespoon Sriracha, or more to taste
• 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon lime or lemon juice, optional

For the fried rice

• 4 cups cooked, cold long-grain white rice
• 4 large eggs, beaten
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil, divided
• 2 carrots, finely diced
• 1 medium white onion, diced
• ¼ cup green onions, chopped, plus extra for garnish
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• ⅓ cup frozen peas
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• ¼ cup melted unsalted butter
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon salt, or to taste

Instructions

1. Make the Bang Bang sauce.
   In a bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sweet chili sauce, Sriracha, honey and lime/lemon juice until smooth. Set aside. Reserve about half for drizzling over the finished dish.
2. Prepare the chicken.
   Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces. Toss with vegetable oil, paprika, garlic powder, salt and black pepper.
3. Cook the chicken.
   Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 6–8 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden brown and completely cooked through. The chicken should reach 165°F/74°C internally. You can also air-fry it at 400°F/200°C for about 11–12 minutes,
4. Coat the chicken.
   Transfer the cooked chicken to a bowl and toss with about ½ cup of the Bang Bang sauce. Set aside.
5. Cook the eggs.
   Heat 1 tablespoon sesame oil in a large wok or skillet over high heat. Add the beaten eggs and scramble until just cooked into soft pieces. Remove and set aside.
6. Cook the vegetables.
   Add the remaining sesame oil. Add carrots and onion and stir-fry for about 4–5 minutes, until the carrots begin to soften. Add garlic and green onions and cook for another minute.
7. Add the rice.
   Add the cold cooked rice. Break up any clumps with your spatula and stir-fry for 2–3 minutes. Using cold, day-old rice helps keep the fried rice from becoming mushy.
8. Season the rice.
   Add the scrambled eggs, melted butter, lemon juice, soy sauce and frozen peas. Stir everything together and cook for another 2–3 minutes, until hot and well combined.
9. Add the chicken.
   Gently fold the Bang Bang chicken into the fried rice.
10. Finish and serve.
    Drizzle the remaining Bang Bang sauce over the top and garnish generously with chopped green onions.

🌶️ For extra Bang Bang flavor

For a spicier version, add another 1–2 teaspoons Sriracha to the sauce. For a sweeter, restaurant-style sauce, add a little extra honey or sweet chili sauce. You can also top it with chopped peanuts or cashews for crunch.

Tip: If you’re making the rice specifically for this recipe, cook it ahead of time, spread it out to cool, and refrigerate it before frying. This gives you much better individual grains.