Give your fried rice a South American makeover with this Arroz Chaufa recipe! A fusion of cuisines, this Peruvian fried rice is your easy weeknight dinner that’s packed with flavor.
With rice, protein and veggies, sometimes I have it as a complete meal, but it can also act as a flavorful side dish.
Lately, I’ve been experimenting with a lot of Peruvian Recipes. A combination of local indigenous culture and ingredients, combined with influences from Asian, European and African immigrants, it is one of the world’s great fusion cuisines.
We love their famous stir fry, Lomo Saltado, and their roast chicken, Pollo a la Brasa with Aji Verde sauce is just too good.
What is Arroz Chaufa?
Arroz Chaufa, or Chaufa Rice, is a delicious mix of Chinese and Peruvian cuisine. It combines flavors and techniques from both cultures to create a unique and tasty dish.
With a wave of Chinese immigrants to Peru in the 19th century, a new cuisine called chifa was born, where the immigrants adapted their dishes to use local ingredients.
The name for the dish itself is even a fusion. Arroz is the Spanish word for “rice”. Chaufa is derived from the Chinese word chaofan, which means “fried rice”. A person specialized in the art of making it is known as a chaufero.
Over time, this rice has become a staple in Peruvian cuisine.
Ingredient Notes
- Stir fry sauce – Soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil and dark soy sauce. I like a little heat, so will often add some ají amarillo paste as well. It’s typical in Peruvian dishes, and I order it online.
- Oil – Canola or vegetable oil works best for stir-frying.
- Chicken breast – Can be swapped for thighs, or other proteins. I marinate it for at least 15 minutes.
- Garlic and ginger – Asian aromatics.
- Cold cooked rice – Important for avoiding a mushy fried rice. I usually cook it the day before, but in a pinch you can cook the rice fresh, spread it on a sheet pan, then refrigerate it for half an hour.
- Bell peppers – Feel free to use any color. I prefer red.
- Scallion – The white parts go in the fried rice, the green parts are for garnish.
- Eggs – For making omelette or scramble for fried rice.
Easy Arroz Chaufa Recipe
1. Marinate the chicken: First I season chicken with 2 tsp soy sauce and a couple pinches of black pepper. Set aside while prepping the rest of the dish.
2. Make the sauce: Whisk together all sauce ingredients in a bowl.
3. Dice the veggies and aromatics: Get the ginger, garlic, peppers and scallions ready.
4. Cook the omelet: Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a small skillet. Whisk together eggs with salt. Add eggs into the skillet and cook 2-3 minutes per side to make an omelet. Remove to a plate and cut into squares or strips. Alpana takes care of this step, as she’s a better omelet maker than me.
5. Stir fry the chicken and veggies: Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over medium high heat. Once hot, add chicken and stir fry 4-5 minutes, until cooked through.
Add the ginger and garlic for about 30 seconds, then the scallions and bell peppers for 2-3 minutes.
6. Complete the dish: Add rice and sauce mixture. Toss until well mixed. Add omelet pieces and mix.
7. Serve: Garnish with the green parts of scallions and serve immediately.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- Marinate the Chicken – If you have the time, let the chicken marinate for at least 30 minutes to an hour.
- High Heat – Keep that skillet or wok piping hot for perfect stir-fry.
- Chop Ahead – I like to have all my ingredients prepped before I start cooking, as this dish comes together quickly.
Variations
- Swap the Protein: Sometimes I use pork, beef, or shrimp for this fried rice. You can also make it vegetarian by skipping the meat.
- Go Gluten-Free: Swap out the soy sauce for tamari if you’re avoiding gluten.
- Make it Spicy: I love the addition of ají amarillo paste in chaufa rice. It’s not traditional, but that kick is so good!
- Scramble the Eggs: Instead of making an omelet, simply make a well in the center of the rice, then pour in the eggs and scramble them right in the skillet.
The next time you have leftover rice, give this Peruvian Arroz Chaufa a try. I love this unique fusion fried rice, and I think you will too.
Arroz Chaufa, on our Gypsy Plate… enjoy!
More great fried rice recipes:
Hawaiian Pineapple Fried Rice
Thai Basil Fried Rice
Hibachi Fried Rice
Pork Fried Rice
Nasi Goreng
Arroz Chaufa (Peruvian Fried Rice)
Arroz Chaufa, or Peruvian Fried Rice, is a delightful Chinese Peruvian fusion of flavors and cooking techniques.
Ingredients
Sauce
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- ½ tsp dark soy sauce (optional, but I like it for color)
Fried Rice
- 3 Tbsp oil, divided
- 4 eggs
- salt, to taste
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, sliced
- 2 tsp soy sauce
- black pepper, a couple of pinches
- 3-4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 Tbsp fresh ginger, finely chopped
- 1 red bell peppers, diced into small cubes
- 3 scallions, sliced
- 4 cups cold cooked rice
Instructions
- Season chicken with 2 tsp soy sauce and a couple pinches of black pepper.
- Whisk together all sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
- Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a small skillet. Whisk together eggs with salt. Add eggs into the skillet and cook 2-3 minutes per side to make an omelet. Remove to a plate and cut into squares or strips.
- Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over medium high heat. Once hot, add chicken and stir fry 4-5 minutes, until cooked through.
- Add ginger and garlic. Mix well and cook for about 30 seconds.
- Add bell pepper and the white parts of the scallions. Stir fry 2-3 minutes.
- Add rice and sauce mixture. Toss until well mixed.
- Add omelet pieces and mix.
- Serve immediately, garnishing with green parts of scallions.
Notes
- For best results, use leftover cold rice. Freshly cooked rice is moist and can lead to a soggy, clumpy result. If you don’t have any on hand, you can cook rice fresh, spread it thinly on a baking sheet, and then freeze for 10-15 minutes.
- The same recipe can be used with different proteins. We especially love it with shrimp. Or, you can omit it altogether for a vegetarian version.
- If you like your rice to have some kick, which I do, add a little Peruvian Aji Amarillo paste. Though it can be tough to find in grocery stores, it is readily available online.
- Leftovers can be refrigerated for 3-4 days.
Nutrition Information
Yield 4 Serving Size 1Amount Per Serving Calories 443Total Fat 21gSaturated Fat 4gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 16gCholesterol 282mgSodium 1484mgCarbohydrates 17gFiber 1gSugar 2gProtein 45g
Nutrition information calculated by Nutritionix.
Welcome to GypsyPlate! I'm Alpana, former wordwide tour manager and professional caterer, now full time blogger. I love exploring cuisines from around the world, and my recipes have been featured on sites such as MSN, Parade, Brit + Co, CNET and AOL. You can explore my entire collection of sortable recipes in my Recipe Index or learn more about me here.
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