Chicken Stir Fry is a healthy, sweet and savory meal made in under 30 minutes. This dish is high in protein and loaded with a variety of fresh vegetables. Serve it over rice for a complete meal!
Nothing gets kids to eat their vegetables like cooking it in a sweet and savory sauce like in this Chicken Stir Fry! Gets me to eat more vegetables too! For more veggie filled delicious meals, try Grilled Steak Kabobs, Chicken & Vegetable Pasta Salad, and Summer Parmesan Chicken.
Chicken Stir Fry
Stir fry is so easy to make and very adaptable. This is my go-to meal for when I need to use up vegetables in my fridge before they go bad. Less waste and we eat more vegetables in a yummy way! Win-win!
Ingredients for Stir Fry Sauce:
- Soy Sauce– Adds a savory umami flavor. Since it is the base of the sauce be sure to use a good quality soy sauce.
- Water– This stretches the sauce.
- Brown Sugar– Brown sugar adds depth of flavor and a little sweetness to the dish. Feel free to adapt the amount to your liking.
- Garlic– This adds so much flavor. Fresh pressed garlic is best.
- Corn Starch– Corn starch is a thickening agent. When mixed with water or a sauce and then cooked, it makes a liquid more viscous which helps sauce cling whatever is in it.
- Red Pepper Flakes– These carry flavor as well as heat. Add more or less to your liking.
Ingredients for Chicken Stir Fry:
- Oil– Olive oil, canola, soybean, peanut, or avocado oil will work well for stir frying.
- Carrots– Carrots add a little sweetness to the dish. Slice with a mandolin for uniform thickness.
- Onion– Sweet or yellow onion works well in this dish. I prefer sweet onion for the flavor.
- Bell Pepper– Red peppers add flavor and color to the dish. Yellow or orange varieties can be used instead but I don’t recommend green for this dish.
- Broccoli– This adds color and texture to the dish. The florets do a wonderful job of holding sauce making them extra yummy.
- Water Chestnuts– This crisp mild tasting aquatic vegetable adds a nice texture (similar to an apple) to stir fries.
- Chicken– This lean cut of meat is affordable, tender, and cooks fairly quickly. Boneless skinless chicken breasts, tenders, or thighs work well in this stir fry.
- Toasted Sesame Oil– This is a finishing oil that adds a distinct flavor to the dish. If looking to cook with sesame oil, beside it is an UNtoasted variety. The toasted variety for finishing will be dark golden brown in color.
How to make Chicken Stir Fry:
Time needed: 30 minutes
- Make Sauce
Place all sauce ingredients in a bowl or jar and mix until combined. Set aside.
- Stir Fry Vegetables
Heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet or wok.
Cook the onions and carrots for 2 minutes. Add in the broccoli and pepper, cooking another 2 minutes and then add the water chestnuts and cook 1-2 minutes until vegetables are crisp tender. Remove from pan onto a plate.
- Cook Chicken
Heat remaining oil in the pan and add the chicken. Cook for 2-3 minutes, flip and cook another 2-3 minutes until cooked through.
- Combine
Add the vegetables back to the pan along with the sauce. Cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until sauce is thick and everything is coated.
- Garnish & Serve
Stir in the sesame oil, garnish with green onion and sesame seeds, and serve over rice.
FAQs
Water chestnuts come canned and can be found in the ethnic aisle of your local grocery store in the Asian section. For easy preparation, choose “sliced” instead of “whole”.
Toasted sesame oil can be found in the Asian section of the ethnic aisle in your local grocery store. It usually comes in a small (~5 ounce) bottle and will be golden brown in color.
Vegetables that work well in stir fries include: bell peppers, carrots, onions, broccoli, snow peas, sugar snap peas, zucchini, green beans, baby corn, water chestnuts, mushrooms, bok choy…
To get this meal to the table faster, consider getting more it it prepped by chopping all the vegetables the night before or in the morning. The sauce can also be made in advance, kept in the fridge, and stirred before adding.
TOOLS USED TO MAKE THIS STIR FRY:
- Cutting Board– I love having various sizes of cutting boards and these are awesome because they won’t slip and slide around on the counter.
- Knife Set– This set comes with all the knives you need and they are of great quality (going on 12 years in my home!).
- Garlic Press– Fresh garlic tastes best and this is the garlic press I’ve used. I love how easy it is to use and clean!
LOOKING FOR MORE ASIAN DISHES? CHECK OUT THESE:
- 15-Minute Korean Ground Beef
- Glazed Teriyaki Chicken Thighs
- Asian Jalapeno Chicken
- Shrimp Stir Fry
- The BEST General Tso Chicken
Chicken Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons oil, (divided)
- 3 carrots, sliced
- 1/2 sweet onion, chopped
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- 2 cups broccoli, chopped
- 8 ounce can water chestnuts, sliced
- 1 pound chicken breast, diced
- 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- green onions, (for garnish)
- sesame seeds, (for garnish)
For the Sauce:
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup water
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Place all sauce ingredients in a bowl or jar and mix until combined. Set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet or wok.
- Cook the onions and carrots for 2 minutes. Add in the broccoli and pepper, cooking another 2 minutes and then add the water chestnuts and cook 1-2 minutes until vegetables are crisp tender. Remove from pan onto a plate.
- Heat remaining oil in the pan and add the chicken. Cook for 2-3 minutes, flip and cook another 2-3 minutes until cooked through. Add the vegetables back to the pan along with the sauce. Cook and stir 1-2 minutes or until sauce is thick and everything is coated.
- Stir in the sesame oil, garnish with green onion and sesame seeds, and serve over rice.
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