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    Chicken Stir Fry

    September 19, 2024

    This quintessential stir fry recipe has steamed chicken and broccoli and a handful of vegetables cooked in a hot skillet for a satisfying crunch.

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    chicken stir fry with broccoli, carrots, onion & peppers on top of white rice sprinkled with green onions and sesame seeds
    Photography by Gayle McLeod

    More stir fry recipes

    A Quick Chicken Stir Fry With Vegetables For Any Night

    Our chicken and broccoli stir fry recipe is a favorite go-to for a quick weeknight dinner. It has steamed chicken and broccoli and a rainbow of other veggies cooked with soy sauce and sesame oil for tons of flavor. We serve it with a good heap of rice (either brown rice or white rice) on the side. If weโ€™re making an all out classic takeout feast, we also make orange chicken, hot and sour cabbage, cumin beef and kung pao chicken too (fortune cookies not included)! Our Garlic Shrimp Stir Fry is another classically simple stir fry meal to make in a hurry.

    chicken, vegetables, tamari, sesame oil, vegetable oil, sesame oil and green onions in prep bowls

    Ingredients For Our Easy Chicken Stir Fry Recipe

    • Seasoning: kosher salt, red pepper flakes (optional), sesame seeds (optional, for serving)

    • Pantry: cornstarch, soy sauce or tamari, toasted sesame oil, brown sugar or honey, avocado or vegetable oil

    • Veggies: broccoli florets, garlic, ginger, yellow onion, red bell pepper, carrot, green onions

    • Protein: boneless, skinless chicken breasts

    broccoli being blanched in a large pot of hot water
    soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, brown sugar, red pepper flakes, and cornstarch stirred together in a small bowl
    sliced chicken being tossed with salt and corn starch
    broccoli, onion, bell pepper, and carrots being cooked in oil in a skillet

    How to Make Chicken Stir Fry

    1. Par cook the broccoli in a large pot. Or see our full instructions in our post about How to Steam Broccoli.

    2. Season the chicken with salt, then coat it in cornstarch. Cook the coated chicken in the same boiling water you cooked the broccoli, about 4 minutes. Drain the chicken using (a spider strainer or similar tool is helpful) and set aside.

    3. In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, brown sugar, red pepper flakes, and the remaining 1 tablespoon of cornstarch.

    4. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is glistening, add the broccoli, onion, bell pepper, and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, about 4 minutes. Add the chicken and sauce and cook, stirring, until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.

    5. Serve topped with green onions and sesame seeds if using.

    chicken stir fry in a pan made with broccoli, onion, bell pepper, carrots and homemade stir fry sauce

    How to Store Leftover Stir Fry + Tips

    • Leftover chicken stir stir fry can be stored in the fridge for 3-4 days. If weโ€™re serving leftovers, we like to make a fresh batch of rice, or throw leftover rice in the skillet to reheat it. We donโ€™t recommend freezing leftover chicken stir fry because the vegetables wonโ€™t hold their crisp texture.

    • This chicken stir fry sauce is a quickie version of our classic stir fry sauce, which can be made in advance and used for this chicken stir fry recipe.

    • Did you know that you can keep fresh ginger in the freezer? Itโ€™s a great hack to have fresh ginger in the house at all times, and we think it grates easier when itโ€™s frozen!

    chicken stir fry in a pan made with broccoli, onion, bell pepper, carrots and homemade stir fry sauce
    chicken stir fry with broccoli, carrots, onion & peppers on top of white rice sprinkled with green onions and sesame seeds

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    Chicken Stir Fry

    Updated on September 19, 2024

    • Serves:  4
    • Prep Time:  15 min
    • Cook Time:  15 min
    • Calories:  307
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    Ingredients

    • 3 teaspoons kosher salt
    • 4 ounces broccoli florets (about 2 cups)
    • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
    • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
    • ยฝ cup low-sodium soy sauce or tamari
    • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
    • 4 cloves garlic, minced
    • 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
    • ยผ cup brown sugar or honey
    • Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)
    • 1 tablespoon avocado or vegetable oil
    • 1 small yellow onion, thinly sliced
    • 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
    • 1 medium carrot, peeled and very thinly sliced
    • Sliced green onions, for serving (optional)
    • Sesame seeds, for serving (optional)

    Method

    1. Fill a large pot with water and add 2 teaspoons of the salt. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add the broccoli and cook until bright green and slightly tender, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the broccoli to a plate, reserving the boiling water in the pot.

    2. Season the chicken all over with the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt. Add the chicken to a medium bowl along with 2 tablespoons of the cornstarch; toss to evenly coat. To the boiling water, add the coated chicken and cook until just opaque, about 4 minutes. Drain the chicken and set aside.

    3. In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, brown sugar, red pepper flakes, and the remaining 1 tablespoon of cornstarch.

    4. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is glistening, add the broccoli, onion, bell pepper, and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, until beginning to brown, about 4 minutes. Add the chicken and sauce and cook, stirring, until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.

    5. Serve topped with green onions and sesame seeds if using.

    Nutrition Info

    • Per Serving
    • Amount
    • Calories 307
    • Protein 5 g
    • Carbohydrates 26 g
    • Total Fat 9 g
    • Dietary Fiber 3 g
    • Cholesterol 96 mg
    • sodium 2106 mg
    • Total Sugars 13 g

    Chicken Stir Fry

    Questions & Reviews

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    • Anne

      AMAZING
      I live in Australia and was visiting my son, who is living in Nashville. One night my beautiful daughter in law cooked this for dinner land I asked for the recipe. It is SO GOOD ๐Ÿ˜Š

      Thanks Anne, we are so happy you loved it!

    • Priscilla

      It was really tasty! The boiling of the chicken was an interesting step, but in the end everything was done perfectly and had a nice thick sauce thanks to the cornstarch. Bravo ladies! Another win!๐Ÿ™Œ๐Ÿผ

      Thanks so much Priscilla, glad you loved it!

    • sophia

      very easy to make and good to make

      Thanks Sophia, we are so glad you loved it!

    • Jenn

      My family really enjoyed this meal. The sauce is so good.

      Thanks Jenn, glad you all enjoyed it!