Arroz chaufa
Peruvian-Chinese fried rice with chicken, egg, spring onion, ginger and soy sauce, tossed in a very hot wok. The everyday dish of Lima's chifas.
Recipe by I Want Some Food · Reviewed by the editorial kitchen.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 12 min
- Rest
- None
- Total
- 27 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Spice
- No chilli
- Cost
- Cheap nightUnder $8 USD · indicative, not a store price
About
Arroz chaufa is the fried rice of the chifa, Peru's Chinese-Peruvian restaurants. Day-old rice is fried hard in a smoking wok with diced chicken, scrambled egg, ginger, garlic and plenty of spring onion, then seasoned with soy sauce, called sillao in Peru, and a few drops of sesame oil. It is plainer than many Chinese fried rices and relies on the wok to give it a toasty, slightly smoky edge. Cold cooked rice is not optional; fresh rice clumps and steams. Cook in two batches if your burner is weak. Overloading the pan is how fried rice turns into a stew.
What you'll need
10 ingredients. Tap each one once it's out on the bench.
Ingredients
- Rice, cooked and cold, from about 220 g raw; day-old is best600 g
- Chicken, boneless thigh, in 1 cm dice300 g
- Egg, beaten with a pinch of salt3
- Spring onion, sliced, white and green parts kept apart1 bunch
- Ginger, finely chopped20 g
- Garlic, finely chopped3 clove
- Soy sauce44 ml
- Toasted sesame oil4.9 ml
- Neutral oil59 ml
- Salt2½ ml
Scaling multiplies the written quantities. Baking still prefers a scale.
Steps
Step 1
Break up the cold rice with your fingers so there are no clumps. Put every ingredient within reach of the stove, because once the wok is hot it moves fast.
5 min
Watch: Cooked rice left warm can grow bacteria whose toxins survive frying. Cool it within an hour, keep it in the fridge and use it within a day.
Step 2
Heat the wok over the highest heat until it smokes. Add 1 tbsp oil, pour in the eggs and scramble into large, soft curds, about 30 seconds. Tip out on to a plate.
2 min
Step 3
Add another tablespoon of oil and the chicken with a pinch of salt. Stir-fry 3 to 4 minutes until browned and cooked through, then tip out with the egg.
4 min
Step 4
Add the rest of the oil with the ginger, garlic and white spring onion and stir for 30 seconds. Add the rice, spread it out, leave it 30 seconds, then toss. Repeat for 3 to 4 minutes until the rice is hot and toasted in places.
5 min
Tip: If your hob is weak, do this step in two batches.
Step 5
Return the chicken and egg. Pour the soy sauce around the hot edge of the wok so it sizzles, then toss everything. Add the green spring onion and sesame oil, toss for 30 seconds more, taste for salt and serve at once.
2 min
Nutrition
Per serving · estimate
- Calories
- 518 kcal
- Protein
- 34 g
- Carbs
- 46.8 g
- Fat
- 20.7 g
- Saturated fat
- 3.5 g
- Fibre
- 1.5 g
- Sugar
- 1.3 g
- Sodium
- 1141 mg
Calculated from canonical ingredient data (USDA FoodData Central averages and equivalent published tables). Estimates only.
Allergens
Informational only. Not a medical guarantee. Cross-contamination happens in real kitchens.
- Eggs
- Soy
- Wheat
- Sesame
- Dairy-free
- Nut-free
Adapt this recipe
The original recipe stays as it is. Personal versions are labelled. Serving changes are simple maths.
Adaptations · 0 / 15 used. Resets 12 November.
Substitutions
Chicken → Chinese roast pork (char siu) or prawns
Chaufa especial often has chicken and roast pork together.
Wok → Large cast-iron frying pan
Works if it is very hot. Cook in two batches.
Tips
- No leftover rice? Cook it, spread it on a tray and chill it uncovered for an hour.
- Soy poured on the hot metal caramelises. Soy poured on the rice just makes it wet.
History & culture
There are thousands of chifas in Lima, and chaufa is on every menu, often as the side to another dish. It is also cooked at home on weeknights to use up yesterday's rice. Chaufa de pollo is the default. There are versions with roast pork, prawns or hot dog sausage, and aeropuerto mixes it with fried noodles.
Chinese labourers, mostly Cantonese, were brought to Peru from 1849 to work on coastal plantations and the guano islands. When their contracts ended, many opened shops and eating houses in Lima's Barrio Chino around Calle Capón. Chaufa is the Peruvian rendering of chao fan, fried rice, and it passed from those kitchens into the national one.
Traditional — Chifa kitchens use a wok burner far stronger than a home hob. On a domestic stove, cook in two batches and let the rice catch a little before each toss. Some cooks add a spoon of oyster sauce or a little ají amarillo; neither is required.
Provenance: Editorial adaptation.
Questions about this recipe
Answers taken from this dish's times, amounts, swaps and tips.
How long does Arroz chaufa take?
27 min all in — 15 min prep, 12 min cook. Cook and rest follow the method. Leftover storage and optional extra waits are not included.
How many does it serve?
The recipe is written for 4 plates. Scale the ingredient list on the page if you are cooking for a different number.
How hard is it?
Easy.
How spicy is it?
No chilli.
What allergens should I watch?
This recipe is labelled for Eggs, Soy, Wheat, Sesame. Labels are informational — check the packets in your kitchen. This is not medical advice.
Does it fit a diet?
The published recipe is labelled Dairy-free, Nut-free.
10 more questionsFewer questions
What does it cost to cook?
Cheap night — about Under $8 USD, as a grocery budget for this recipe, not a restaurant price.
What equipment do I need?
Wok, Chef's knife, Cutting board.
How much salt do I put in?
The recipe lists Salt at ½ tsp.
How much soy sauce?
3 tbsp of Soy sauce.
How much toasted sesame oil?
1 tsp of Toasted sesame oil.
What can I use instead?
Chicken → Chinese roast pork (char siu) or prawns. Chaufa especial often has chicken and roast pork together. Wok → Large cast-iron frying pan. Works if it is very hot. Cook in two batches.
What should I watch for?
Cooked rice left warm can grow bacteria whose toxins survive frying. Cool it within an hour, keep it in the fridge and use it within a day.
Any tips from this recipe?
No leftover rice? Cook it, spread it on a tray and chill it uncovered for an hour. Soy poured on the hot metal caramelises. Soy poured on the rice just makes it wet.
Can I prepare this ahead?
No leftover rice? Cook it, spread it on a tray and chill it uncovered for an hour.
Can I use an air fryer?
This method is not written for an air fryer. The core technique on the page still applies.
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