Low FODMAP Gentle Chicken & Carrot Fried Rice
A light, comforting low FODMAP fried rice that soothes your gut without compromising on flavour. Ready in under 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 300 g cooked white rice (roughly 120 g uncooked — ideally cooked the day before and refrigerated overnight)
- 250 g chicken breast, cut into small cubes
- 2 medium carrots (approximately 180 g), peeled and finely julienned or coarsely grated
- 2 eggs
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil (or a mild olive oil)
- 2 tablespoons gluten-free tamari sauce (the low FODMAP alternative to regular soy sauce)
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 tablespoon fresh chives, finely chopped (green tops only — the white bulb end is high in FODMAPs)
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds (optional, to garnish)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- A squeeze of fresh lemon juice (approximately ½ lemon)
Instructions
Preparation Steps
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Prepare all your ingredients before you start cooking. Cut the chicken into even cubes of roughly 1.5 cm for uniform cooking. Peel and coarsely grate the carrots or cut them into a fine julienne. Grate the fresh ginger. Beat the 2 eggs in a small bowl with a pinch of salt. If your rice wasn't cooked the day before, spread it out on a baking tray and leave it to cool completely before using — cold or thoroughly cooled rice fries far better and prevents it from clumping together.
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Cook the chicken. Heat 1 tablespoon of sesame oil in a wok or large non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat. Add the chicken cubes in a single layer. Sear without moving them for 2–3 minutes until golden, then stir and continue cooking for a further 3–4 minutes until cooked through. Season lightly with salt, then transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
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Fry the carrots with the ginger. In the same pan, add the second tablespoon of oil. Stir-fry the carrots over a medium heat for 4–5 minutes, stirring regularly. They should remain slightly tender-crisp — a little bite preserves their gentle fibre and vitamins. Add the grated ginger and cook for a further minute until fragrant.
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Add the eggs. Push the carrots to the edges of the pan to clear the centre. Pour the beaten eggs into the middle and scramble them gently with a wooden spatula, gradually folding them into the carrots as they begin to set. This step should take no more than 1–2 minutes so the eggs stay soft and silky.
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Add the rice and chicken. Tip the cooled cooked rice into the pan, breaking up any clumps with your hands or a fork before adding it. Return the reserved chicken. Turn the heat up slightly and stir-fry everything together for 3–4 minutes, stirring constantly, until the rice is piping hot and just starting to catch on the bottom — that light toasting is what gives a great fried rice its character.
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Season and finish. Pour the tamari sauce over the rice and mix thoroughly so every grain is evenly coated. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Remove from the heat, then add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to brighten the dish and support digestibility.
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Serve and garnish. Spoon the fried rice into shallow bowls or deep plates. Scatter over the chopped chives (green tops only) and, if you like, a pinch of sesame seeds for a gentle crunch. Serve immediately, piping hot.
💡 Gut-friendly tip: Where possible, use white rice that has been cooked the day before and refrigerated overnight. This process increases the resistant starch content, which acts as a gentle prebiotic fibre — feeding your beneficial gut bacteria without triggering excess fermentation.
🔄 Fancy a change? Swap the chicken for diced salmon or prawns for an anti-inflammatory omega-3 boost. Replace the carrots with courgette or red pepper (in moderate portions) to vary your intake whilst keeping the dish firmly low FODMAP.