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    Crispy Chicken Stir Fry

    Updated September 3, 2024 / By Holly Erickson & Natalie Mortimer

    Quick, easy and delicious, this crispy chicken stir-fry with blistered green beans and a garlicky sauce is perfect for a better-than-takeout weeknight dinner!

    Crispy Chicken Stir Fry With Blistered Green Beans in a skillet with a serving spoon

    Crispy Chicken Stir-Fry Recipe, Quick, Easy and Delicious.

    This crispy chicken stir-fry recipe is perfect for a weeknight dinner. A protein and at least one vegetable—the formulaic requirements of every dinner, right? So, we’re obsessed with any kind of stir-fry because they so easily encompass both requirements.

    The phrase “stir-fry” is really just an umbrella term hovering over any dish that is cooked at a very high heat (the “fry") and thus requires a lot of stirring (to prevent burning). A stir-fry can be whatever you make it. The options for add-ins are endless! There’s Garlic Shrimp Stir Fry for when you’re feeling more surf than turf. We’ll explore that more later, but first let’s start with this particular, easy-to-love combo of crispy chicken and blistered green beans.

    Ingredients laid out for chicken stir fry recipe: Green Beans, chicken breast, cilantro ginger, garlic, sesame oil cornstarch

    How Do You Make a Chicken Stir-Fry?

    Stir-fries are forgiving, but there is one hard and fast rule: cook the chicken separately from the vegetables. This allows your meat to be cooked perfectly, without overcooking the veggies. An easy chicken stir-fry is just a few quick steps away. Here's how to make stir-fry:

    1. Start with medium heat: because we are working with cubed chicken, you’ll need to start on medium heat instead of high to be sure you don’t end up with dry chicken.
    2. Heat the pan before you add anything else: once your pan is warm add in sesame oil, and let it heat up until the oil is glistening.
    3. Work in small batches! It’s really important not to crowd the pan or the chicken will give off too much liquid too fast and you won’t get crispy brown edges! Add some of the chicken to the hot oil, and stir constantly to ensure an even browning. Once it is crispy and cooked through, remove the chicken and continue with the next batch until all of the chicken is cooked.
    4. Crank the heat! Once chicken is done, turn the heat up super high! You want the pan almost smoking. Obviously, this is not the moment to have little ones near by—super-hot oil is serious business, so work carefully. Add a little more oil to the pan, and once it’s hot, carefully add the green beans. Move them around the high heat for a couple of minutes just until they start to blister—watch the pan closely to ensure that the green beans blister, not burn.
    5. Toss it all together! Once the green beans are done, toss the chicken back into the pan along with the simple, homemade stir-fry sauce, quickly toss everything together and dinner is done!
    raw chicken in a bowl with corn starch
    crispy chicken in a saute pan

    How Do You Cook Crispy Chicken?

    Cornstarch and high heat mean super-crispy chicken every time. Before cooking, toss the chicken in cornstarch until completely coated. When the cornstarch hits the hot oil, something magic happens and your chicken with gorgeously golden, crispy edges.

    blistered green beans in a sauté pan
    chicken starry sauce in a skillet garlic, soy sauce, chili oil
    stir fry sauce in a sauce pan with a wooden spoon
    green beans and crispy chicken in a sauté pan for homemade chicken starry recipe

    What Goes into This Easy Stir-Fry Recipe?

    Any great stir-fry is composed of three elements: protein, veggies and sauce! Here are our favorite stir-fry ingredients.

    1. Protein: We use chicken (specifically chicken breast) for this recipe, but you can use virtually any protein you want. Steak and tofu both are great options!
    2. Vegetables: Blistered green beans are pretty high on our favorites list, but cabbage, asparagus or red bell pepper make great alternatives.
    3. Sauce: as simple as a pour of soy sauce and sesame oil, or as complex as a ten-ingredient swirl of aromatics, oils and acids. Sweet and sticky, or rich and tangy. The sky’s the limit with this starry sauce! Here, we opted for a simple, classic mix of garlic, ginger, soy sauce (or tamari) and chili paste. It’s tangy, vibrant, and we’re in love.
    Stir Fry Chicken and vegetables in a pan

    What Can I Serve With This Stir-Fry?

    The beauty of this stir-fried chicken and vegetables is that it is a stand-alone dish. A little prep, a quick sauté and you’re done. Enjoy this chicken and green bean stir-fry on its own, or serve it over a bowl of steamed brown or white rice.

    Tools You'll Need:

    close up of crispy chicken and green beans

    More Easy Stir-Fry Dinners You'll Love!

    Show us Your Dinner!

    If you made this delicious chicken dinner, and you think it's the best stir fry recipe ever, we want to hear about it! Feel free to leave a comment below and don't forget to tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper or #themodernproper. Happy eating.

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    Crispy Chicken Stir Fry Recipe

    Updated September 3, 2024

    By Holly Erickson & Natalie Mortimer

    • Serves:  5
    • Prep Time:  15 min
    • Cook Time:  20 min
    • Calories:  365
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    Description

    Quick, easy and delicious, this crispy chicken stir-fry with blistered green beans and a garlicky sauce is perfect for a better-than-takeout weeknight dinner!

    Ingredients

    • 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 2-inch cubes
    • 3 tablespoons cornstarch
    • ¼ cup toasted sesame oil
    • ¾ pound green beans, trimmed and cut into 3" pieces
    • 3 large garlic cloves, minced
    • 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
    • ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce or tamari
    • 1 teaspoon chili paste, such as Sambal Oelek (or 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes)
    • ¼ teaspoon sea salt, optional
    • sesame seeds, optional
    • minced cilantro, optional

    Method

    1. In a medium sized bowl toss together the chicken and cornstarch.
    2. In a large skillet (or wok) heat 2 tablespoons of sesame oil over medium heat until glistening, about 2 minutes. Working in small batches, add in the chicken and allow to crisp, about 8 minutes. Turn often until all sides are golden brown and chicken is cooked through. Repeat steps until all chicken is cooked, adding more oil only if necessary.
    3. Once chicken is cooked add remaining 2 tablespoons of sesame oil to the pan and bring to high heat. The oil should be glistening and almost smoking. Add in green beans stirring often until blistered (little dark spots) and just barely tender, about 5 minutes. Remove from pan.
    4. Reduce heat to medium-low, allow skillet to cool down slightly. Stir in garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and chili paste. Stir until all ingredients are combine and garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes. Add chicken and green beans back to the pan stirring until coated in sauce. Taste and season with salt if desired.
    5. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and cilantro and serve warm.

    Nutrition Info

    • Per Serving
    • Amount
    • Calories 365
    • Protein 43 g
    • Carbohydrates 11 g
    • Total Fat 16 g
    • Dietary Fiber 2 g
    • Cholesterol 132 mg
    • Sodium 621 mg
    • Total Sugars 3 g

    Crispy Chicken Stir Fry

    Questions & Reviews

    Join the discussion below.

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    • Ben

      Hi, when I make this the cornstarch falls off the chicken and starts to burn in the pan on later batches. I coat the chicken with it dry. Am I supposed to be making a slurry from the cornstarch?

      it's ok if small amounts fall off, but maybe try adding a little vegetable oil along with the sesame oil in that first batch. Maybe switch the skillet you are using. I've never had heard of it falling off like that before.

    • Kay

      Hi! This sounds delicious and I’d love to make it this fall. I’m allergic to sesame. Which is such a bummer because sesame oil makes everything taste better. Any suggestions for a flavorful oil or substitute?

      You can just use coconut or olive oil. Hope you enjoy!

    • Brandy

      This is an amazing, easy to follow recipe, and the first time I've tried making a stir-fry! I brined the chicken cubes for an hour first in sugar salt pepper and water so the chicken stayed nice and tender, my husband loved it too he wants me to make it with rice next time to balance the saltiness (I didn't have the low sodium soy sauce), thanks so much for sharing this recipe! I didn't have that issue with the cornstarch at all, but I did add 1 tbsp flour to 2 tbsp cornstarch so it wouldn't get soggy at my coworkers suggestion

      Thanks Brandy, so glad you both enjoyed it!

    • Lisa

      I've tried this twice now and ruined it both times. The chicken sticks to the bottom of my pan as soon as I put it in, and then turns mushy. I have followed the oil and temperature recommendations. What am I doing wrong? Thank you

      Your stove top might run a little bit hot, try turning down the temperature a bit. Also if you aren't using a non-stick pan you could try that as well. Hope this helps!

    • Emily

      Can I make this using frozen green beans?

      Sure but you'll probably want to thaw them first before adding them in.

    • Juliana

      This is a fantastic recipe. We didnt even use the chili paste because this was being served to young children. It was crazy good and easy to prepare. I cant wait to make it again. Thank you for a great recipe.

      Thanks Juliana, we are so glad you loved it!

    • Catherine

      This is my favorite low-cal Asian dinner. I make it with thighs because I like them better and leave out the cornstarch for less calories. This is a fantastic, delicious recipe. Thank you!

      Thanks Catherine, we are so glad you loved it!

    • Renee

      I had a problem with the cornstarch sticking to the bottom of the pan, even though I shook them off well. Too much debris from it on the pan, so I had to use a second pan to do the rest. Too many dishes! But the cornstarch does make the chicken very crispy.

      I do find that some skillets work better than some. I hope you enjoyed the taste of the dish!

    • Diane

      Love this made multiple times in wok

      Thanks Diane, so glad you enjoyed it!

    • Alexis

      Have tried this recipe as written, and have also made adjustments. I’d like to say, it’s good both ways. I like to use a little more sesame oil than it calls for to fry the chicken, and I always make extra sauce to coat the green beans at the end and give it one last simmer. Adjustments I’ve liked in the past are sriracha for the chili component and the addition of thinly sliced white onion when blistering those beans. An amazing recipe. Add what you like :)

      Thanks Alexis! We are so happy you love this recipe and it's so fun to hear how you change it up to make it your own!