Chicken Stir Fry
201 Comments
Updated Sep 17, 2023
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Chicken stir-fry is a speedy dinner that’s jam-packed with flavor! Just grab a large pan and watch how juicy chicken, loads of veggies, and a savory-sweet sauce quickly come together in this colorful, healthy meal.
I love a good stir-fry because it ticks all the boxes for the ideal weeknight dinner. It delivers in flavor, simplicity, and a healthy balance of protein and veggies, just like my all-time favorites like this kung pao chicken, teriyaki chicken, or shrimp fried rice.
But the key to an insanely good stir-fry is the sauce. In this case, diced chicken and vibrant veggies are coated in a rich, sweet, and savory sauce – basically all the flavors and textures you want to experience in a stir-fry!
Then all you need to do is whip up some rice for a well-rounded, easy dinner recipe the whole family will love.
What’s In This Easy Stir-Fry Recipe?
This dish is really just a throw-together of a ton of veggies, plus chicken. You can use a variety of vegetables (hello fridge leftovers!), but here’s what’s in this classic version.
- Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast: Both chicken breasts and chicken thighs will work in this recipe.
- Bell Pepper: Red bell peppers are ideal for their subtle sweetness and vibrant color. But any color works!
- Carrot: I’ve cut the carrot into thin rounds for convenience, but you can also julienne it.
- Broccoli: I think a pop of green is always necessary in a classic chicken stir fry. Don’t love broccoli? Swap in sugar snap peas!
- Onion: Either white or yellow onions work in this recipe.
- Ginger & Garlic: Essential aromatics for any stir-fry recipe.
- Green Onion & Sesame Seeds: A sprinkle of green onion and sesame seeds on the serving plate is the perfect finishing touch.
Now comes the best part, the stir-fry sauce! This one tastes deliciously complex, but is actually really easy to make. Here’s what you need.
- Chicken broth: Makes up the base of this sauce and adds much more flavor than using water.
- Tamari Soy Sauce: I’m using tamari soy sauce to keep this recipe gluten-free. You could also use coconut aminos for a soy-free sauce.
- Sesame Oil: Just a teaspoon for a rich, nutty taste.
- Honey: Adds a touch of natural sweetness to this savory sauce.
- Rice Vinegar: Alternatively, you can use apple cider vinegar.
- Arrowroot Powder: Helps to make the sauce extra rich and thick.
- Dry Sherry (optional): The secret ingredient in Chinese restaurant stir fry’s is Shaoxing Wine – but it’s not gluten-free! I love to add a splash of dry sherry instead if I have it (which is a cooking wine, and not sherry vinegar). You don’t need much, but it really does add a delicious layer of flavor. If you don’t have dry sherry you could also swap in mirin or sake. But this isn’t required – think of it as a flavor boost!
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
Let’s Make The Best Chicken And Broccoli Stir-Fry
There’s not much work required, except chopping up a few veggies and dicing the chicken. Once that’s done, the rest comes together easy! Here’s how to make it.
- Make the stir-fry sauce. Whisk together the chicken broth, soy sauce, sesame oil, dry sherry, honey, rice vinegar, and arrowroot powder in a small bowl.
- Saute the chicken. In a large skillet or wok on medium high heat, cook the chicken with salt, pepper, and a little avocado oil for about 4-5 minutes until lightly browned. Then remove to a plate.
- Cook the vegetables. Add a splash more oil, then saute the bell pepper, onion, carrot, and broccoli until tender.
- Stir-fry everything together! Add the chicken back in with the garlic, ginger, and stir-fry sauce. Toss it all together until everything is well coated in the sauce – that’s it!
Tips For The Best Stir-Fry
Although this recipe is pretty straight forward, there’s a few things to keep in mind to make this the best chicken stir-fry yet.
- Avoid undercooked ingredients by stir-frying the chicken and vegetables separately. Trust me, it makes all the difference.
- Avoid overcooking the vegetables by sauteing them until they’re slightly tender, yet still crisp in the third step. That way they won’t become too soft as you continue cooking them with the sauce.
- Let the sauce simmer for a good minute or so. It needs time to heat up in the pan to thicken properly.
Ways To Store
What’s great about this recipe is that it makes for such delicious leftovers. Alternatively, you can batch cook this on a Sunday night to eat all week long.
- To store: Let it cool before storing in airtight containers. They will keep in the fridge for about 4-5 days.
- To freeze: The entire stir-fry can be frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight container. And yes, you can freeze it with the rice too!
More Easy Chicken Recipes You’ll Love
This chicken stir-fry is just one of many chicken breast recipes to love. Give these easy and flavorful dinner ideas a try!
Chicken Stir-Fry Recipe Video
Want to see how I make this quick and easy recipe? Watch the video below!
If you make this chicken stir-fry, let me know how it turned out! I’d love to hear what you think in the comments below.
Chicken Stir Fry
Description
Video
Ingredients
Stir Fry Sauce
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup tamari soy sauce (or coconut aminos)
- 1 tablespoon dry sherry (optional – this isn't required, it's just an extra flavor-boost if you have it)
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
- 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder
Chicken Stir Fry
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch pieces
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1 red bell pepper, deseeded and chopped
- 1 small carrot, thinly sliced
- 2 cups broccoli florets, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
Optional Garnish
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 1 green onion, sliced
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the chicken broth, soy sauce, dry sherry, honey, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and arrowroot powder. Set aside.
- In a large skillet or wok on medium high heat, add 1 tablespoon of oil. Add the chicken in a flat layer. Season with salt and pepper, and cook until lightly browned, about 4-5 minutes, stirring as needed. Remove the chicken to a plate.
- Leaving any juices in the pan, add 1 tablespoon of oil along with the red bell pepper, onion, carrot, and broccoli. Cook the vegetables until tender, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add the chicken back to the pan with the minced ginger and garlic. Stir for 30 seconds. Pour in the sauce and stir fry for another 1-2 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Garnish with green onion and sesame seeds before serving.
Lisa’s Tips
- I always use low-sodium tamari soy sauce, so it’s not overly salty. This is my favorite brand.
Nutrition
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This is so good! My husband even liked it without putting some sort of “hot” sauce on it, which he puts on everything. Thank you for a great recipe.
I’m happy you both loved it, Michelle!
Love how simple yet flavourful this is! Will be on repeat for those busy weekday nights. I added tiny bit of bird’s eye chilli for some extra spiciness.
Sounds like a great addition for an extra spicy kick!
I made this tonight for the first time and it was a hit. It was delicious, healthy and filling. I only used one cup of broccoli and then added snap peas and water chestnuts. We decided this will be added to the permanent rotation.
I love the addition of snap peas and water chestnuts to this chicken stir fry, Val!
Outstanding!!! I added the dry sherry as suggested….YES!! What awesome flavors!! I will not be doing Chinese takeout anymore!!! Thank you!🙏🙏🙏
Happy to hear you’ve found the perfect Chinese kung pao chicken recipe to make at home now, Dani.
Love, love, love. I have made this so many times and everyone in my house loves it.
My favorite chicken stir fry.
That’s great to hear your household is loving this chicken stir fry, Jaime!
This was quick and easy and delicious!! I shredded the carrots so they would cook quicker and served it over brown rice. Another winner!!!
Happy you loved the recipe, Laureen!
Is there any substitute for sesame oil? It’s hard to come by where I live😊
I absolutely love your food and appreciate all the options and links you have incorporated in preparing the meals. My go-to has to be your “cooking tips” section, that extra boost of flavour is the WOW FACTOR.
Happy to hear that section has been helpful!
VERY GOOD recipe! Plenty of liquid and seasoning was perfect for us. Will definitely have this again and again!
Happy to hear this chicken stir fry was a win, Mary!
I feel like a broken record, but this was quite yummy. I switched up a couple of ingredients based on what I had and it came out perfectly. Simple but delish. Loved the sauce!
Sometimes, simple is best! Glad you enjoyed this stir fry Leone :)
Great mild and tasty sauce in this recipe. I used GF noodles instead of rice; and pork instead of chicken since it was on sale. Would make this again. :)
Loved this recipe. I didn’t have red pepper or broccoli so substituted haricot (green) beans and spiralised courgette (zucchini) from my garden and a fresh chilli. The sauce was delicious. Thank you Lisa.
Glad you enjoyed this chicken stir fry Carole!
I had a dreaded fear of the Wok but this recipe helped me conquer it! The stir fry sauce was delicious and not too thick at all. It was easy to prep and fun to make. I am trying to make more dishes from scratch because they are so much more healthy. I will definitely be a repeat offender here because of the tastiness and ease of preparation in your recipes.
Fabulous recipe!! It was very easy to make and really flavorful!! I added an extra red bell pepper because we love bell peppers!!
Nothing wrong with adding more bell peppers! :)
This recipe was not yummy. The sauce was way too sticky and it was VERY VERY ginger heavy. I would not recommend it at all. Very disappointed.
Loved this recipe. I can’t believe I could actually make stir fry that tasted this delicious. I didn’t have broccoli so I added zucchini and everyone in the family loved it. Thank you for the recipe!
Glad you and your family enjoyed this chicken stir fry Elizabeth!
Tried this tonight and my picky husband and I both loved it. I made it with coconut aminos and cornstarch. I didn’t have any carrots but I will add mushrooms next time. I also added pineapple over top and it was delish!
This recipe is a keeper!
Made this wonderful stir fry. So incredibly scrumptious. I added mushrooms to the mix for my hubby who loves them. Served with white rice. The perfect meal. And so easy to throw together. Thanks for the inspiration!!
Followed exactly but deglazed with sherry on the second batch, adding a little more. Worked magically.
So good! We have made this so many times since finding it. The arrowroot powder and tamari soy really do make a difference. We added baby bok choy to ours.
Great idea on the bok choy! Glad you’re enjoying this stir fry recipe Miranda.
I made this recipe; oh my goodness was it delicious!!! Plus, I have leftovers too. Thank you for this recipe; I was in the mood for some Chinese food and thanks to you, I made it at home for myself!
Nothing beats homemade Chinese takeout!
Love this! So flavorful AND colorful. The addition of arrowroot powder is a game changer for all my sauces. It even gives the dish a little shine to it.
Delicious! Didn’t have broccoli, so used mushrooms and then served over sauteed cabbage. Enjoyed roasted cashews in lieu of sesame seeds.
Thank you for another great recipe!
I was interested more in the sauce so I made the stir fry to see how it would turn out and the sauce was great. Is it possible to mix the sauce ingredients in bulk and store for future use (possibly in a jar or to freeze in batches)? I’d like to save time having to make a sauce each time I stir fry.
Great idea!
I’m not sure how the sauce will store with the arrowroot powder mixed in. But you could likely store the sauce without the arrowroot powder, and then just stir the powder into a portion right before you need it.
This was simple, quick and everyone loved the flavor!
Glad you enjoyed this stir fry recipe Richard!
This chicken stir fry was great. Healthy and very tasty. I used coconut aminos. I had never used that before. I have high blood pressure so I chose that because the sodium is so low. I will definitely make that again. A+ is my vote!
Glad this turned out great Karen!
The whole family likes this recipe. I did add some hot pepper flakes as I do in most stir fry recipes. The sauce is perfect.
So happy you and the family love this recipe Deborah!
Probably the best and easiest stir fry I have ever made ;-)
Happy to hear that Babette!
Can you use something besides arrow root powder?
Cornstarch, same amount
Absolutely delicious. Thank you.
You’re more than welcome Karen! So happy you loved the chicken stir fry. :)
I love it! So simple but such great flavours. This one will be a keeper. Thanks so much.
Glad you’re loving this chicken stir fry Sue!
This was delicious and easy, healthy and loved by all in my family. Thank you for another winning recipe.
The perfect base to any stif fry. Thanks Lisa!
Great and simple recipe 💕
Thank you💕
question about the sesame oil- is it just plain sesame oil or toasted sesame oil?
I’m just using regular sesame oil.
Wow that sauce is incredible! I only had onions and zucchini on hand but this turned out fabulous. Substituted corn starch for arrowroot powder. Served with rice and sprinkled some green onions and peanuts on top. Yummy! Can’t wait to make it again and add other veggies.
Looks amazing want to eat it. :)
I don’t normally review recipes, however this one deserves a review!
Added chili flake and fresh chilli for a bit of spice! Also, added some noodles because I’m greedy (extra soy sauce to ensure noodles were flavoured)
Delicious recipe! Would definitely recommend.
Thanks so much for leaving a review and glad you enjoyed this stir fry recipe Chantelle!
I love stir fry’s and have been trying to up my family’s stir fry intake for a while now as a quick to cook weekday meal full of veggies, but have struggled to find sauces with enough flavour. Very pleased to say this one met with everyone’s approval!
Glad you found a new winning stir fry the whole family loves Fiona!
Delicious – superb sauce. Im veggie so cooked the chicken separately in some of the sauce for the non-veggie. I also added mushrooms, Pak Choi & some noodles. .
Awesome easy and good! It doesn’t matter what veggies you have, it’ll always be a success. Thanks for another fantastic recipe.
Made for the first time tonight. Had one or two veggie variations but absolutely delicious & no need for any accompaniment. Will definitely make again & will use to serve to friends also. An absolute winner x
Delicious success!
I made this for my father who was suffering from a gallstone and hadn’t eaten in 3 days. The vegetables and fresh ingredients were absolutely to die for and he absolutely loved it, even went up for seconds;)!!! Thank you Lisa!!
Oh no, hope your father is okay Lydia. But, glad he enjoyed this stir fry recipe!
Made tonight, it was yummy. A little too sweet so next time I will not put in the honey. Served over brown rice. :)
Added boiled and drained hokkien noodles before serving
Very good
Crowd pleaser.
I removed seeds from chilies and added sliced mushrooms towards end of vegetable cooking.
Recommend
Happy to hear everyone enjoyed this chicken stir fry Paul!
Delicious! My family enjoys it a lot.
Thanks Lisa
So delicious! Just the stir fry I have been looking for. I love the sauce it just perfect. It doesn’t over power all those delicious veggies. I look forward making this again!
I made this with some lo mein, doubled the sauce, and it was delicious. So much better than takeout.
Glad this worked out great with lo-mein!
The way you showing the video is mouthwatering. always chicken is the best favorite food for me. liked the video sir.
Super delicious as always Lisa!! Super tasty but also nice and refreshing with all of the veggies! We added chili oil to give it a little kick!