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Arroz Chaufa is Peru’s answer to fried rice. It is comforting, quick, and full of personality, combining Chinese cooking technique with local ingredients. It might look simple, but each serving carries a story that stretches across continents and generations.
The dish feels at home in many settings. Whether served in a humble kitchen or a lively restaurant, it brings warmth and satisfaction in equal measure. You will find it packed with rice, vegetables, and protein, all tossed together in a searing hot pan.
It is more than a convenient meal. Arroz Chaufa is a reminder of Peru’s diverse culinary identity, where old traditions and new influences find a shared language. Its flavours are bold, its roots deep, and its presence constant on tables across the country.
What Is Arroz Chaufa?
Arroz Chaufa is stir fried rice prepared with soy sauce, scrambled eggs, vegetables, and a choice of meat or seafood. What sets it apart is the mix of Chinese wok technique with distinctly Peruvian flair and ingredients.
The rice is often cooked a day ahead to hold its shape when stir fried. Then it is tossed in a hot wok with garlic, ginger, peppers, and spring onions. Proteins like chicken, beef, or prawns add richness, while soy sauce binds it all together.
The dish is fast, satisfying, and endlessly adaptable. It is commonly eaten as a main course, and while it may have started as a meal born from leftovers, it is now a beloved staple in both Peruvian homes and restaurants alike.
Ingredients and Taste
The main ingredient is white rice, preferably day-old for texture. Soy sauce gives it its umami backbone, while garlic and ginger provide depth. Spring onions and red peppers brighten the mix with a bit of crunch and colour.
Scrambled eggs are folded in for softness. Sesame oil is sometimes used to give the dish a subtle nutty aroma. Proteins vary, but chicken and chorizo are frequent choices, each adding their own distinct savoury note.
The result is layered in flavour. The soy brings salt and depth. The vegetables offer sweetness and freshness. Toasted rice at the bottom of the pan adds bite. It is a dish that feels familiar yet vibrant with each mouthful.
A Taste of History
Arroz Chaufa has its roots in Peru’s nineteenth century Chinese immigration. Cantonese labourers brought cooking traditions and ingredients like soy sauce, rice, and the use of woks, which gradually blended with local food culture.
As access to Chinese staples was limited, cooks turned to what they could find. Local meats, Peruvian vegetables, and regional spices became part of the mix, resulting in a dish that reflected both heritage and adaptation.
The word “chaufa” comes from the Cantonese phrase for fried rice. Over time, the term and the dish became woven into everyday Peruvian life. It was no longer just immigrant food. It was everyone’s food.
Today, Arroz Chaufa is a pillar of chifa cuisine, Peru’s Chinese Peruvian fusion. It continues to evolve while staying true to its roots, proving that some of the best dishes are born from two worlds learning to cook together.
How to Make Peruvian Arroz Chaufa
Arroz Chaufa is Peru’s iconic fried rice, a proud fusion of Chinese Cantonese technique with Peruvian soul. Expect fluffy rice stir fried with soy marinated meat, scrambled eggs, and crisp vegetables, all infused with smoky wok flavour. See the recipe card at the bottom for printable directions
Ingredients
For the rice and stir fry
- 4 cups cooked white rice (preferably day-old, long grain)
- 300g chicken thighs or beef, thinly sliced
- 4 large eggs
- 1 red bell pepper, finely diced
- 6 spring onions, chopped (white and green parts separated)
- 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 thumb sized piece of fresh ginger, grated
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce (optional but traditional)
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil (or neutral oil for frying)
- Salt and white pepper, to taste
Cooking Instructions
Step 1: Marinate the meat
To begin, place the sliced chicken or beef in a bowl. Add 1 tbsp soy sauce, a pinch of white pepper, and a splash of sesame oil. Toss to coat and let sit for 20 minutes while preparing other ingredients.
Step 2: Prepare the rice
If using freshly cooked rice, spread it on a tray to cool completely. Cold, dry rice is essential to avoid clumping when stir fried. Transition to beating the eggs.
Step 3: Scramble the eggs
Crack the eggs into a bowl and beat lightly with a pinch of salt. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok or large pan over medium heat. Pour in the eggs and scramble gently until just set. Remove and set aside.
Step 4: Stir fry the marinated meat
In the same wok, add another tablespoon of oil. Increase the heat and stir fry the marinated meat until browned and cooked through. Remove and set aside. Proceed to aromatics.
Step 5: Sauté garlic and ginger
Add the remaining oil, then stir fry garlic and ginger until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the white parts of the spring onions and cook for another 30 seconds. Transition to adding vegetables.
Step 6: Add bell pepper
Toss in the diced red bell pepper. Stir fry over high heat for 1–2 minutes until slightly softened but still crisp. Move to incorporating the rice.
Step 7: Add the rice
Add the cold rice to the wok. Break up any clumps with the back of your spatula. Stir vigorously to coat each grain with the aromatic oil and mix evenly with the vegetables.
Step 8: Season and combine
Return the scrambled eggs and cooked meat to the pan. Pour in the remaining soy sauce, oyster sauce (if using), and sesame oil. Stir fry everything together for 2–3 minutes until well combined and heated through.
Step 9: Finish with spring onions
Add the green parts of the spring onions and toss briefly. Adjust seasoning with salt and white pepper if needed. Move to plating.
Final step: Serve hot
Plate the Arroz Chaufa immediately while hot. Serve with lime wedges or a side of ají sauce for added zest. For presentation, top with extra chopped spring onions or a fried egg if preferred.
Variations and substitutions
- Use shrimp or a mix of meats like chorizo and chicken for richer flavour.
- Swap soy sauce with tamari for gluten free version.
- Add peas or bean sprouts for extra texture and colour.
Cooking Tips for Perfect Arroz Chaufa
- Always use cold, day-old rice for the best stir-fry texture.
- Use high heat to get a subtle smoky “wok hei” flavour.
- Cook each component separately to prevent sogginess.
- Cut all ingredients evenly for balanced bites and quick cooking.
- Do not overcook the eggs or vegetables to retain texture.
Arroz Chaufa (Peruvian Fried Rice)
Ingredients
For the rice and stir fry
- 4 cups cooked white rice preferably day-old, long grain
- 300 g chicken thighs or beef thinly sliced
- 4 large eggs
- 1 red bell pepper finely diced
- 6 spring onions chopped (white and green parts separated)
- 3 garlic cloves finely chopped
- 1 thumb sized piece of fresh ginger grated
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce optional but traditional
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil or neutral oil for frying
- Salt and white pepper to taste
Instructions
- To begin, place the sliced chicken or beef in a bowl. Add 1 tbsp soy sauce, a pinch of white pepper, and a splash of sesame oil. Toss to coat and let sit for 20 minutes while preparing other ingredients.
- If using freshly cooked rice, spread it on a tray to cool completely. Cold, dry rice is essential to avoid clumping when stir fried. Transition to beating the eggs.
- Crack the eggs into a bowl and beat lightly with a pinch of salt. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok or large pan over medium heat. Pour in the eggs and scramble gently until just set. Remove and set aside.
- In the same wok, add another tablespoon of oil. Increase the heat and stir fry the marinated meat until browned and cooked through. Remove and set aside. Proceed to aromatics.
- Add the remaining oil, then stir fry garlic and ginger until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the white parts of the spring onions and cook for another 30 seconds. Transition to adding vegetables.
- Toss in the diced red bell pepper. Stir fry over high heat for 1–2 minutes until slightly softened but still crisp. Move to incorporating the rice.
- Add the cold rice to the wok. Break up any clumps with the back of your spatula. Stir vigorously to coat each grain with the aromatic oil and mix evenly with the vegetables.
- Return the scrambled eggs and cooked meat to the pan. Pour in the remaining soy sauce, oyster sauce (if using), and sesame oil. Stir fry everything together for 2–3 minutes until well combined and heated through.
- Add the green parts of the spring onions and toss briefly. Adjust seasoning with salt and white pepper if needed. Move to plating.
- Plate the Arroz Chaufa immediately while hot. Serve with lime wedges or a side of ají sauce for added zest. For presentation, top with extra chopped spring onions or a fried egg if preferred.
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