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Thai Yellow Curry Fried Rice

Closeup of yellow curry fried rice on a black plate with sliced cucumber and lime wedge.
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Quick and easy to make in under 30 minutes and incredibly flavorful, this Thai Yellow Curry Fried Rice is full of tender chicken, garlic, chilies, veggies, fluffy rice grains that are kissed by Thai yellow curry paste! It’s a showstopping one wok wonder!!

Ingredients

Scale

For the Chicken Marinade:

  • 300 grams / 10.6 ounces Chicken Breast, boneless, skinless – cut into bite-sized pieces
  • ⅛ TSP Fine Sea Salt (or ¼ TSP Kosher Salt)
  • ¼ TSP ground White Pepper
  • 1 TSP Fish Sauce
  • 1 TSP Light Soy Sauce (preferably a Thai one, substitute with any low sodium light soy sauce)

For the Thai Yellow Curry Fried Rice:

  • 80 grams / ⅓ medium Red Onion – finely chopped
  • 100 grams / ½ medium Red Bell Pepper – diced
  • 20 grams / 4-5 Garlic cloves – minced
  • 6 grams / ¾ TBLS minced Ginger
  • 9-10 fresh Red Chilies (Thai Bird’s Eye or any other small hot red chilies – note 1*), to taste – finely chopped
  • 60 grams / 4-5 pieces Baby Corn – sliced through the middle lengthwise, then again widthwise
  • 6 grams / 3 sprigs Coriander (Cilantro) – chopped
  • 3 Makrut Lime Leaves (note 2) – destemmed, finely minced into a powder
  • 100 grams / 1 cup Frozen Mixed Vegetables (I used a bag with corn, peas and carrots), thawed
  • 50 grams / about ¼ cup frozen Green Peas, thawed
  • 1 TBSP Canola Oil (or any other neutral flavored cooking oil with a high smoke point)
  • 20 grams / 4 TSP Thai Yellow Curry Paste (I use Mae Ploy brand – note 3)
  • ¼ TSP Turmeric Powder
  • 240 grams / 1.5 cups cooked Thai Jasmine Brown Rice, day-old, chilled (100 grams / 3.5 ounces uncooked weight – note 4)
  • ½ TSP Fish Sauce
  • ½ TSP granulated Sugar-free Sweetener (or regular granulated white sugar – I used Wholesome Zero Sugar – note 5)
  • ½ TSP Thai Chili Powder (optional – substitute with crushed red pepper flakes), to taste
  • 1 TSP freshly squeezed Lime Juice
  • To Serve (optional): Lime wedges for squeezing, sliced cucumber

Instructions

Prep:

  1. Marinate the chicken: Clean and pat-dry the chicken and cut into bite-sized pieces. Add to a medium bowl, followed by the fine sea salt, ground white pepper, fish sauce and light soy sauce. Mix well to coat and set aside.
  2. Prepare the fresh ingredients: Chop the red onion, red bell pepper, garlic, ginger, red chilies, baby corn, coriander and makrut lime leaves as indicated in the ‘ingredients’ section. Measure out the frozen mixed vegetables and green peas in a microwave safe bowl and thaw in the microwave by heating on high for 40-50 seconds.

For the Thai Yellow Curry Fried Rice:

  1. Cook the chicken: Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a large nonstick wok (or heavy bottomed deep skillet) over high heat. Add the chicken and immediately spread the pieces out in the wok. Allow to sear for 30-40 seconds, then stir-fry until no longer pink but not fully cooked yet – about 30 seconds.
  2. Stir-fry the onion, bell pepper and aromatics: Add the red onion and bell pepper and stir-fry for 30 seconds until starting to soften. Add the garlic, ginger and red chilies and stir-fry for 20-30 seconds until fragrant.
  3. Add remaining veggies, curry paste and makrut lime leaves: Add the baby corn, frozen mixed veggies and peas, minced makrut lime leaves and turmeric powder. Stir-fry until the curry paste has broken down and is combined well with everything.
  4. Add the rice and seasonings: Add the cooked rice, fish sauce, granulated sugar-free sweetener, and Thai chili powder (if using). Stir-fry for 1 minute until everything is combined well.
  5. Toss through the coriander: Add the lime juice and toss through most of the chopped coriander (reserve some for garnish). Switch off the heat.
  6. To Serve: Divide evenly onto plates and sprinkle with the reserved coriander. Serve with a lime wedge for squeezing and cucumber slices if desired.

Equipment

Notes

  1. Fresh Red Chilies. Adjust quantity to taste based on your heat level preference. Leave them out for a milder fried rice.
  2. Makrut Lime Leaves. Also known as kaffir lime leaves, this fragrant Thai herb has a citrusy aroma and adds a sweet lime-like scent and flavor to Thai food. Find them in a Thai grocery store or substitute with the ground dried version or dried makrut lime leaves, which can be found in most well-stocked mainstream supermarkets.
  3. Thai Yellow Curry Paste. I recommend using a Thai brand yellow curry paste to yield the best authentic flavor. More often than not, western brand made yellow curry pastes don’t taste like the real deal. I mostly use Mae Ploy brand curry pastes in my home. Mae Ploy’s Thai yellow curry paste is mild in flavor, vegetarian and vegan friendly. Maesri is another great brand that I can vouch for in terms of flavor and authenticity. Order it online or pick it up at an Asian or Thai supermarket. Your local mainstream supermarket might carry a Thai brand yellow curry paste too if it’s well-stocked with international ingredients. In a pinch, you can use any type of yellow curry paste that is easily available to you.
  4. Thai Jasmine Brown Rice. White jasmine rice or any long grain rice will work. Day-old or even two day-old cooked and chilled rice works best for making fried rice and won’t become mushy. Freshly cooked warm rice will have too much moisture and will become soggy in the wok even if you are cooking over high heat
  5. Granulated Sugar-free Sweetener. I used Wholesome Zero Sugar (made from erythritol) to balance out the savory and spicy flavors. As Thai yellow curry paste is mild, you won’t need a lot. Feel free to use regular granulated white sugar, coconut sugar, or any other sweetener of your choice.
  6. Meal prep option. Double the ingredients by clicking the ‘2x’ button at the top of the recipe card to make four 4 servings. Use a large enough wok or pan to cook the fried rice, then divide into meal prep containers. Store in the fridge and enjoy for an easy lunch or dinner during the week!
  7. Storing and reheating leftovers. Store in an airtight sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat on high in the microwave for 1.5 to 2 minutes or until hot throughout.

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