Best Chicken Stir Fry
This vibrant, one-pan meal features juicy chicken, colorful vegetables, and a sweet-and-savory, shimmering glaze. Easy to assemble, wildly versatile, and ready in minutes – this mind-blowing stir fry makes an excellent option for any busy weeknight.
This recipe was written for the Arizona Republic.
Stir fried dishes make weeknight meals a breeze. The best part about stir fries is that they come together quickly, and in one pan. Plus, they’re endlessly customizable, so you can grab ingredients you already have on hand, rather than running to the store. For example, I used broccoli, carrots, and bell peppers, but you can whip up this stir fry with most vegetables, including those already in your produce drawer and freezer.
There are no rules, just one piece of advice: No matter what ingredients you add to your stir fry, prep them before you start cooking.
Cube your chicken, chop your vegetables, and make your sauce in advance; once that oil is hot, things happen fast.
What ingredients do you need for this chicken stir fry?
You need a handful of everyday ingredients for the stir fry, and a few more for the sauce. Here’s the rundown.
- Chicken. I used boneless skinless chicken breasts in this stir fry, but you can certainly use chicken thighs and chicken tenders instead. Cut your chicken into bite-size pieces so it cooks quickly and is easy to eat. Pro tip: You can also make this stir fry with lean steak (such as sirloin and round), shrimp, and tofu.
- Vegetables. In this stir fry, I used broccoli, onion, carrots, and bell peppers. I love the variety of flavors, textures, and colors the assortment delivers. But stir fries are adaptable and can be made with what you have on hand, including sugar snap peas, snow peas, green beans, peas, mushrooms, asparagus, zucchini, yellow squash, green onions, and any vegetables you have in your freezer.
- Ginger and garlic. Since there are no herbs or spices in this stir fry, much of the flavor comes from aromatic ginger and garlic. For that reason, I strongly suggest you use fresh ginger and garlic, not their dried counterparts. Pro tip: Keep gingerroot in your freezer, so you always have it on hand. Wrap the root tightly in plastic wrap and freeze for up to 6 months. There’s no need to thaw frozen ginger before using.
- Chicken broth. Some stir fry sauces use water to thin out the ingredients, but I find water simply dilutes everything. Rather than weaken flavors, use a good-quality, flavorful chicken broth.
- Soy sauce. Soy sauce adds saltiness and a mild umami flavor. You may also use tamari sauce, a gluten-free option with very similar nuances.
- Honey. Sweet honey is added to balance the saltiness of the soy sauce. You may also use agave or brown sugar.
- Sesame oil. Sesame oil adds nuttiness to the sauce, elevating its depth and complexity. Pro tip: Choose toasted sesame oil (brown in color) for the best flavor.
- Cornstarch. Cornstarch is used as a thickener and turns the thin sauce into a satiny glaze. Unlike flour, cornstarch adds no color, so the sauce is clear and glossy, not cloudy. Pro tip: Cornstarch must be dissolved in cool liquid before adding to the stir fry. If added directly to hot liquid, cornstarch clumps.
- Crushed red pepper flakes. Crushed red pepper flakes are entirely optional, but they add a little kick and speckled fun to the sauce.
What’s the process for making this chicken stir fry?
It’s quite simple actually:
- Make the stir fry sauce. Set it aside.
- Brown the chicken in a pan. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
- Stir fry the vegetables in the same pan.
- Return the chicken to the pan and add the sauce.
- Simmer until the sauce thickens.
- Serve.
How should you serve your chicken stir fry? I served my chicken stir fry over fluffy jasmine rice, but you can serve the mixture over your favorite Asian noodles, or in lettuce leaves.
How should you store leftover chicken stir fry? Transfer leftover chicken stir fry to an airtight container and refrigerate up to 3 days or freeze up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating. Reheat leftovers in a large skillet over medium heat, adding more broth or water as necessary.
Best Chicken Stir Fry
Ingredients
For the Stir Fry Sauce
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup soy sauce, or tamari sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, optional
For the Stir Fry
- 2 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil, divided
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, tenders or thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 2 cups fresh broccoli florets
- 1/2 cup chopped onion, any color
- 1 small yellow bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 small red bell pepper, seeded and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced into rounds
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
- 2-3 cloves garlic, minced
For Serving
- Rice, or Asian noodles, or lettuce leaves
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the chicken broth, soy sauce, honey, cornstarch, sesame oil, and crushed red pepper flakes (if using). Set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. When using a skillet, make sure it’s large enough to spread the chicken out in an even layer. A 10- to 12-inch skillet will work.
- Add the chicken to the pan and season with salt and black pepper. Cook until the chicken is golden brown on all sides, stirring frequently. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
- Heat the remaining oil in the same pan over medium heat. Add the broccoli, onion, bell peppers, and carrots and cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until tender-crisp, stirring frequently. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Season the vegetables with salt and black pepper.
- Return the chicken to the pan with any accumulated juices from the plate.
- Whisk the stir fry sauce one more time to ensure the cornstarch isn’t stuck to the bottom of the bowl, then add the mixture to the pan. Bring to a simmer. Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes, until the sauce thickens and coats the chicken and vegetables.
- Spoon the chicken and vegetables over rice or noodles (or in lettuce leaves) and serve.