Creole Chicken and Ham Fried Rice

Name: Creole Chicken and Ham Fried Rice
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 6
Cuisine: Creole
Ingredients: 3 tablespoons Canola oil; 1 pound Skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces; Salt; Freshly ground black pepper; 1 Large red bell pepper, thinly sliced; 4 Large scallions, thickly sliced; ½ pound Smoked ham, cut into 1/2-inch dice; 1 teaspoon Sweet paprika; ¼ teaspoon Cayenne pepper; 3 cups Cooked white rice; ½ pound Medium shrimp, shelled and deveined; ½ cup Water; Hot sauce, for serving

Recipe GLPRfcbb88675ee9e8

Creole

Main Course

35 min

327 cal

Servings: 6

Stovetop

SNAP eligible

A vibrant one-pan Creole-style fried rice loaded with tender chicken thighs, smoked ham, plump shrimp, and colorful bell peppers. This satisfying dish combines aromatic spices—sweet paprika and cayenne—with fresh scallions and cooked rice for a flavorful, hearty main course. Serve with hot sauce for extra kick.

Save recipes you love

Create a free Grocery List Plus account to save recipes, rate them, and add every ingredient to your grocery list in one tap.

Create free account Sign in

Ingredients

3 tablespoons Canola oil

1 pound Skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

1 Large red bell pepper, thinly sliced

4 Large scallions, thickly sliced

½ pound Smoked ham, cut into 1/2-inch dice

1 teaspoon Sweet paprika

¼ teaspoon Cayenne pepper

3 cups Cooked white rice

½ pound Medium shrimp, shelled and deveined

½ cup Water

Hot sauce, for serving

Directions

Heat the canola oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat until shimmering.
Add the chicken pieces to the hot oil, season with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 6-8 minutes until golden and cooked through (internal temperature of 165°F). Transfer to a plate.
In the same skillet, add the red bell pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes until it begins to soften.
Add the smoked ham to the skillet and stir together with the bell pepper for 1 minute.
Sprinkle the sweet paprika and cayenne pepper over the mixture and stir well to coat everything evenly, about 30 seconds.
Add the cooked white rice to the skillet, breaking up any clumps with a wooden spoon, and stir constantly for 2-3 minutes until heated through.
Return the cooked chicken to the skillet and add the shrimp along with the water. Stir everything together and cook for 3-4 minutes until the shrimp turn opaque and pink throughout (internal temperature of 165°F).
Add the sliced scallions and toss everything together gently. Taste and adjust seasonings with additional salt and pepper as needed.
Transfer to a serving dish and offer hot sauce on the side for those who prefer extra heat.

Comments

Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff4

All ingredients are standard stock at Harris Teeter, Food Lion, Kroger, or Walmart—no special stops required. The stated 35 minutes assumes rice is already cooked; with raw rice, add 20 minutes minimum, bringing real time to 55 minutes on a weeknight. Cost per serving lands around $3 to $3.50 driven by chicken thighs and shrimp, which is reasonable for a complete protein-forward dish. This is a forgiving one-pan meal that reheats well and feeds a family of six without fussiness, though the combination of paprika, cayenne, ham, and hot sauce reads more Cajun than true Creole and may be sharper than some households prefer.