This high protein and fiber fried rice is my take on how I love to make and eat fried rice right now. It gives me the satisfaction of eating fried rice, but it’s packed full of crunchy vegetables, flavorful chicken, and tender shrimp.
As I’ve gotten older, I’ve started to dislike the classic frozen vegetable medley – the classic peas, corn, and carrot combo.
So instead of frozen vegetables, which are a common ingredient for fried rice, I opt for fresh sugar snap peas and red bell peppers – I use a hearty amount so that every bite is filled with just as much veg as it is rice.
There’s also 2 whole chicken breasts in this dish, and 6 ounces of shrimp, which packs in a lot of great protein in addition to the fiber from the vegetables. It’s bound to be a satisfying weeknight dinner, and I hope you enjoy this one as much as I do.

Table of Contents
- Chef Tips
- Ingredients
- Prep
- Cooking
- Storage and Reheating
- Looking for more similar recipes?
- The Recipe
Chef Tips:
For Ingredients:
- White pepper – My dad swears by using a tiny tiny tiny dash of white pepper in all his meat marinades. Personally, I think it smells horrible as it is, but it does add complexity and a nice flavor profile when cooked. I use it in this recipe, but you can skip it or sub black pepper.
- Balsamic vinegar – ok hear me out. This is not a normal ingredient for fried rice. I had a cook make staff meal a few weeks back, and I LOVED his version of fried rice. He said his secret ingredient was balsamic vinegar! Of course, you can skip this or sub with soy sauce, but I’d recommend trying it.
- Shrimp -Use the jumbo 18-20 count frozen shrimp that’s deveined already.
- Chicken – you can use either chicken breast or thighs, but I opted for breast in this recipe.
- Rice – it’s best to use old rice. If you need to make rice the same day, just use ⅓ cup less water and transfer it on a baking sheet to spread out the rice. This helps to quickly cool the rice and remove moisture. Making fried rice with hot rice will tend to create a more clumpy and sticky fried rice texture vs using day old rice makes the traditional texture where you have more separation of the individual grains.
- Veg – I’ve been liking fresh sugar snap peas and red bell peppers, but you can sub this out for 1.5 cups of frozen vegetables.
On prep:
- Thinly dice the vegetables so they cook quickly and stay crisp when eating.


For Cooking
- Cook the chicken first before adding the shrimp, as chicken requires more cook time than shrimp. The chicken will need about 5 minutes, and the shrimp will need just 2 minutes. Overcooked shrimp will feel tough and chewy, so you’ll want to cook the shrimp for just 2 minutes before removing from the pan.
- Use a pan that can get really hot – either a wok or a cast iron pan. Keep the heat on high or medium high the entire time you’re cooking.
- Make sure to cook the scallions in oil before adding the rice. It’s hard to get a wok hei flavor at home, but I find that charring the scallions in oil adds a bit of that wok flavor that makes fried rice so yummy. Look for some slightly charred / brown scallions before adding the rice.
Storage and Reheating
Storage: Store in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Reheating: Add this to a pan and reheat until hot, about 3-4 minutes. Alternatively, microwave with a damp paper towel over the plate until hot.
Other great recipes:
- Minced beef and bokchoy stir fry
- Salmon and Rice with Marinated Avocado Salad
- Sweet and Sour Fish (non-fried)
Video
Recipe

High Protein & Fiber Shrimp and Chicken Fried Rice
Equipment
Ingredients
- 6 ounces shrimp
- 5 ounces snap peas thinly sliced
- 1 each red pepper finely diced
- 2 stalks scallions thinly sliced
- 10 ounces chicken breast
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon White pepper
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1.5 cup cooked rice
- 1 teaspoon Balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil divided
- More kosher salt to taste
Instructions
- Defrost the shrimp if frozen – add the shrimp to a bowl with cold water and let sit while you work on the other prep.
- Prep the vegetables – thinly slice the sugar snap peas, finely dice the red pepper, and thinly slice the scallions.
- Slice the chicken into ½” pieces. Marinate with ⅔ teaspoon of kosher salt, ½ teaspoon of sugar, 2 teaspoons of soy sauce, and ¼ teaspoon of white pepper.
- At this point, the shrimp should be defrosted. Drain the water, then peel the shell and the tail off. Chop the shrimp into ½” pieces, then marinate with ¼ teaspoon of kosher salt, ½ teaspoon of sugar, 1 teaspoon of soy sauce, and ¼ teaspoon of white pepper.
- Heat a cast iron pan, wok, or pan on high heat. Add a tablespoon of neutral oil, then add the marinated diced chicken. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring occasionally, then add the shrimp. Cook for another 2 minutes, or until the shrimp is no longer opaque and the chicken is cooked. Use a meat thermometer to check that the inside of the chicken is at 165F, or cut a piece open to see if it’s no longer pink.
- Remove the chicken and shrimp into a bowl and set aside.
- To the pan, add another tablespoon of oil and the sliced scallions. Cook for 1-2 minutes, or until the some scallions have turned slightly brown, then add the rice and a pinch of salt. Use a wooden spoon to break apart the fried rice and toss with the scallions. Cook for 4-5 minutes.
- To the rice, add the sliced snap peas, red bell pepper, and another large pinch of salt. Toss and cook for 2 minutes. Add a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar, then the cooked chicken and shrimp. Cook for another 2 minutes, then turn off the heat. Taste, adjust seasoning as desired, then serve.
Leave a Reply