Greek Chicken Fried Rice

Lately / forever, I’ve been a big fan of “snack lunches”. They typically involved a few selections of the following: kalamata olives, a small hunk of feta cheese, crackers, a few pieces of salami, clementines, a hard boiled egg, sliced tomatoes (if they’re in season), roasted beets, avocado toast, or an everything english muffin. Jeff sometimes pokes fun at me for these oddball little lunches, but they make me happy.

As you probably tell from the olives, feta and beets, I’m a big fan of Mediterranean flavors. I decided to take some of those favorite ingredients and turn my snack lunch into a real-deal dinner. I’m bringing you budget-friendly meals this month, and this Greek Chicken Fried Rice fits the bill.

Made with the same techniques of a classic Chinese fried rice (right down to the scrambled egg), this rice is packed with chicken breast, chickpeas, olives, cow’s milk feta, red onion, tomatoes and parsley. Seasoned with just a bit of lemon juice and salt and pepper, this fun, affordable meal can be on the table in no time.

Yield: 4 servings

Greek Chicken Fried Rice

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Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 13 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1 large chicken breast, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped red onion
• 3 cups prepared white rice
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1/2 cup roughly chopped fresh parsley leaves
• 1/2 cup crumbled cow's milk feta cheese
• 1/2 cup grape tomatoes, quartered
• 1/3 cup kalamata olives, halved
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper

Instructions

1. In wok or large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken; cook until almost cooked through, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes.
2. Add onion; cook 1 minute, stirring frequently.
3. Add rice; cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Push rice to sides of wok, creating a well in center of wok. Crack eggs into well, scramble vigorously with wooden spoon; cook 2 minutes (keeping eggs in well) or until eggs are full cooked.
4. Add chickpeas, parsley, cheese, tomatoes, olives, lemon juice, salt and pepper; cook 2 minutes or until warmed through; stirring frequently.

Notes

Home Chef Tip: Fried rice works best with day-old rice! Use leftovers from a previous night's meal, or make a batch of rice the night before. Spread the cooked rice on a small rimmed baking pan lined with parchment paper. Transfer to refrigerator and let sit, uncovered, overnight.