I have a weakness for Chinese takeout, especially with a heaping side of soy sauce-drenched fried rice. In fact, I always order extra so that I can eat the leftovers for lunch the next day... or two... or three. What can I say? I really like fried rice.
So when I was asked to participate in the Tabasco 10 Challenge this year and I saw that chicken, eggs, and rice were among the 10 ingredients I was allowed to use, I thought Oh, you know that I'm about to get my fried rice on.
To recap, the Tabasco 10 Challenge started yesterday (I made Spicy Egg Clouds in Ciabatta Boats, check it out) and continues through Friday. It's a sponsorship challenge--but all opinions and recipes are my own, of course-- in which I have to make 5 recipes and post 5 days in a row using only these 10 ingredients:
The challenge has been a lot more... uh... challenging than I initially expected, especially because I decided I wanted to a recipe for each breakfast, lunch, snack, appetizer, and dinner. However, the turnout has been great. Who knew those flavors could work together so well and make such a tasty menu?
As you can tell from the list, soy sauce was not an option. Instead, I decided to flavor my fried rice with chipotle-flavored Tabasco sauce, which gave it some smoky heat that I fell in love with. I also wasn't able to use the typical vegetables that you'd find in fried rice, but zucchini and fennel took their place and, surprisingly, I preferred them!
I already knew that I liked the flavor of zucchini with chipotle, from my Veggie Enchilada Skillet, but fennel... fennel was another story.
I hated the smell of fennel. The anise flavor. Ugh. Anything that vaguely reminds me of licorice gets an automatic "no" in my book. I went against my gut and gave it a try though, and I was pleasantly surprised. When sauteed and mixed with spicy ingredients, fennel provides an awesome contrast that doesn't come off licorice-like at all. Instead, it's almost like a sweet, bright onion. Yum.
You would never have known this Chipotle Chicken Fried Rice was a part of an ingredient challenge because it was scarfed down just as quickly as any typical meal I churn out in my kitchen. In fact, it will definitely be a repeat recipe around here!
Try it yourself, take a photo, and tag #hostthetoast on Instagram or Twitter to show off your lunchtime creation!
And check out the other bloggers who are participating in this year's challenge:
Chipotle Chicken Fried Rice
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Ingredients
- 3 cups cold, cooked leftover rice (I used white rice, but brown will work as well)
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts, chopped
- Kosher salt and black pepper
- 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
- 1 zucchini, sliced and quartered
- 1 bulb fennel, sliced
- 2 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons chipotle Tabasco sauce
Instructions
- In a large, nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon canola oil. Add in the chicken breast pieces and season with salt and pepper. Saute until lightly browned and cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove from the skillet and set aside.
- Add the remaining tablespoon of canola oil to the pan. Once hot, add in the zucchini and fennel. Saute until softened, about 3 minutes.
- Push the vegetables to the side of the pan. In the open space, scramble the eggs. Once the eggs are cooked, add the chicken back to the pan and add in the rice. Add in the 3 tablespoons chipotle Tabasco a bit at a time, stirring to combine well, and tasting as you go along (you may want to use less or more, depending on your tolerance for heat!)
- Season generously with salt and pepper and serve warm.
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
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