Home > Dinner > Chicken Stir Fry Chicken Stir Fry June 15, 2019 | 52 Comments SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Jump to Recipe This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy. Skip the take out– this Chicken Stir Fry is the real deal. It’s packed with fresh sautéed veggies, flavorful chicken, and an addictive savory sauce all ready in 30 minutes or less! This stir fry is the perfect easy weeknight dinner solution. After you’ve tried this stir fry, make sure to try these other easy dinner favorites: chicken chow mein, beef lettuce wraps, or easy asian steak bites. Quick and easy dinner recipe When you’re looking for a quick weeknight dinner or a meal to clear out those leftover veggies hanging out in your fridge, a chicken stir fry always comes through. But not just any chicken stir fry — this recipe is loaded with flavors and a delicious sauce that coats it all. You can prep the veggies, chicken and sauce ahead of time to have a dinner that will take less than 10 minutes to cook through after a busy day of work. This meal also makes a great meal prep recipe as leftovers store well for 3 to 4 days. What do you eat with Chicken Stir Fry? The great thing about Chicken Stir Fry, is that it’s pretty all inclusive — you’ve got protein, vegetables, and a sauce all in one dish. I recommend serving Chicken Stir Fry over rice (brown or white) or quinoa (how to cook quinoa here). Whenever we make Chicken Stir Fry, we like pairing it with a simple cucumber salad that I’m sharing below (it’s a delicious pairing!) You can also pair this stir fry with a fruit salad, spring rolls, egg rolls, or dumplings. Cucumber salad: 1 large English cucumber (~2 cups sliced) 2 green onions (~2 tablespoons) 1 tablespoon sesame oil 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar 1 teaspoon white sugar Salt and Pepper Optional: toasted sesame seeds Peel cucumber and then halve lengthwise; slice the halves into thin half moons. Thinly slice green onions. In a medium bowl, toss together cucumber, green onion, sesame oil, vinegar, sugar, and a large pinch of salt and pepper (or to taste). Stir and let sit and marinate for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until chicken stir fry is ready to eat! Right before serving you can add a sprinkle of sesame seeds if desired. What seasonings go well with Chicken Stir Fry? Chicken Stir Fry is loaded with delicious flavor, thanks to the sauce we use. Other seasonings that go really well are crushed red pepper flakes (if you like some heat) and/or toasted sesame seeds. For this recipe, we add fresh ginger and fresh garlic to further enhance flavors. QUICK TIP To cut raw chicken without the fuss, freeze boneless breasts until slightly icy but not solid. The meat will hold still and cut much more easily than when it’s at its normal slipperiness! Vegetables to put in a stir fry There are so many great options for vegetables to use in a stir fry. I used some of my favorites: broccoli, onion, carrots, snow peas, and a sweet bell pepper. Below are some other ideas: Mushrooms Green bell pepper Zucchini Red onion Water chestnuts Baby corn Bok choy Green (or red) cabbage Asparagus Bean sprouts Chicken Stir Fry sauce Let’s be honest– plain chicken and veggies are fine and all, but it’s the sauce that really makes this dish! It’s a combination of these simple ingredients: Corn starch: Corn starch is what thickens the sauce and coats every bite. Soy sauce: This is the base of the flavor for the sauce. I recommend buying lite soy sauce to avoid all the sodium. Oyster sauce: a “secret” ingredient that really brings the flavor to the next level! Chicken stock/broth: This bulks up and flavors the sauce; it’s a neutral flavor that allows all the other flavors to shine. Brown sugar: A little bit of sugar balances all the flavors. Sesame oil: Another “secret” ingredient that adds an incredible depth of flavor. This sauce can be made ahead of time and refrigerated in a Mason jar. Shake it up right before adding it in! Is stir fry good for you? Yes! Stir fry is packed with vegetables and are cooked in a small amount of oil so the fat content is low. Also, when sauteing in a pan, the vegetables will retain more nutrients than if they were boiled. (More information here.) The only part of this recipe that can get out of hand is the sauce; it’s important to avoid too much sugar or sodium. The sauce recipe I’ve provided fits the bill! Below are some of the health benefits of the Chicken Stir Fry ingredients: Ginger aids in digestion, helps prevents nausea, lowers blood sugar and improves heart disease risk factors. Fresh vegetables are rich in potassium, folate, dietary fiber, vitamin A & C. Chicken breasts are a great source of protein, phosphorus, niacin, and vitamin B6. Garlic cloves combat the common cold, reduce blood pressure, improve cholesterol levels, help detoxify your body. More easy chicken dinners Chicken Ramen 20-minute meal Mango Chicken marinated grilled chicken with a mango salsa Chicken Salad reader favorite Pesto Chicken with corn and bean salsa Coconut Curry Chicken 30-minute meal FOLLOW ALONG! Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for the latest updates, recipes and content. Chicken Stir Fry 4.92 from 24 votes - Review this recipe Skip the take out, this Chicken Stir Fry is the real deal. Packed with fresh sautéed veggies, flavorful chicken, and an addictive savory sauce all ready in 30 minutes or less! SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Chicken Stir Fry 4.92 from 24 votes - Review this recipe SAVE TO RECIPE BOX Print Recipe Skip the take out, this Chicken Stir Fry is the real deal. Packed with fresh sautéed veggies, flavorful chicken, and an addictive savory sauce all ready in 30 minutes or less! Course Dinner, Main Course Cuisine American, Chinese Keyword Chicken Stir Fry Prep Time 20 minutes Cook Time 10 minutes Total Time 30 minutes Servings 4 servings Calories 210kcal Author Chelsea Lords IngredientsSAUCE▢ 2 teaspoons corn starch▢ 1 and 1/2 tablespoons lite soy sauce▢ 1 tablespoon oyster sauce▢ 3/4 cup chicken stock (chicken broth works)▢ 1 tablespoon brown sugar lightly measured, do not pack!▢ 1/2 teaspoon toasted (or plain) sesame oil▢ Freshly cracked pepperSTIR FRY▢ 1 and 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil▢ 2 garlic cloves finely chopped▢ 1/2 tablespoon fresh ginger finely chopped▢ 1 cup yellow onion thinly sliced (~1/2 medium onion)▢ 1/2 pound (8 ounces) boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 3/4-inch chunks▢ 3/4 cup carrot very thinly sliced on the diagonal (~1 large carrot)▢ 1 cup sugar snap peas▢ 1 cup broccoli florets▢ 1 cup red pepper cut into strips (~1 medium pepper)▢ Optional: crushed red pepper flakes, green onion, toasted sesame seeds▢ Optional: serve over white or brown riceUS - Metric USMetric InstructionsSAUCE: Start by making the sauce. In a small bowl, add the corn starch and soy sauce. Whisk with a fork until smooth. Add in the oyster sauce, chicken stock, brown sugar, sesame oil, and a few cracks of pepper (to taste). Whisk until smooth and set aside.PREP: Prepare the chicken and veggies. Cut the chicken into small chunks (about 3/4 to 1 inch). Finely chop the garlic and ginger. Slice the onion into thin strips. Peel and then very thinly slice the carrot into diagonal slices (important the slices are thin so they cook in time). Chop the broccoli into small pieces; very thinly slice the pepper. The veggies need to be thinly sliced (or chopped small) so they can cook through quickly.COOK: Add the vegetable oil to a very large nonstick skillet or wok. Heat to high heat. Once hot, add garlic and ginger, stirring quickly to keep from burning. Add onion. Cook, stirring constantly for 1 minute or until onion begins to soften. Add chicken and stir for 1 minute until surface goes from pink to white. Add in the carrots, sugar snap peas, broccoli, and red pepper. Stir constantly for 1 minute. Pour in the sauce and cook, stirring near constantly for another 2-3 minutes or until the sauce has thickened, chicken is cooked through, and veggies are crisp-tender (they shouldn't get soggy or soft -- you want some bite to them!)SERVE: Remove from heat and serve immediately with your preferred base (we like rice). Garnish with crushed red pepper flakes, thinly sliced green onions, and/or toasted sesame seeds as desired.See the blog post for my favorite side dish for Chicken Stir Fry -- a simple cucumber salad! Video Nutrition FactsCalories: 210kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 16g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 38mg | Sodium: 660mg | Potassium: 606mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 5601IU | Vitamin C: 88mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 1mg We do our best to provide accurate nutritional analysis for our recipes. Our nutritional data is calculated using a third-party algorithm and may vary, based on individual cooking styles, measurements, and ingredient sizes. Please use this information for comparison purposes and consult a health professional for nutrition guidance as needed. DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE? I love hearing from you when you've made one of my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @ChelseasMessyApron or leave me a comment below.
This looked delish, so I doubled the recipe. Worked fine. So colorful. I added a pinch of salt and the optional crushed red pepper flakes. Perfect. Thanks Chelsea! Reply
Delicious, nutritious and easy to make meal! Still not sure how this is considered American cuisine *scratches head* but delish nonetheless. Thanks! Reply
When the chinese community settled they opened a lot of this chinese restaurants. Merely for their community but other people started to like it and they americanized their dishes a little more. If you go to a Real chinese restaurant cuisine you’ll see the discrepancy. Reply
PERFECT! I added zucchini. I doubled the recipe and fed 6 with a little left over. Served over medium grain white rice. Compliments all around. Reply
I followed this recipe for dinner last night and it was delicious! My family really enjoyed it. Thank you for sharing your recipe! Will definitely cook again! Reply
I made this as a surprise for the family and my inlaws now even my mother in law loves me again Reply
I made this recipe tonight. It was pretty easy to make and the directions were clearly written. I would make a few changes next time. I would put more cornstarch to make the sauce thicker and I would add more ginger to make the sauce a little more spicy. Otherwise it was great. Thank you for the recipe. Reply
As soon as I saw your photo with all those colorful vegetables I knew I had to make this. I made it this week and my kids loved it. We all did. I added green and yellow bell peppers as well (just because we love peppers). It was so delicious, I’ll be making it again soon. Thanks for including those excellent photos of the recipe, it really helps to know what it looks like when I’m trying to decide on a new recipe. Reply
So happy to hear this was a hit! 🙂 Thanks so much for the comment and review 🙂 And thanks for the compliment on the photos! Reply
The oyster sauce adds a whole lot! I would try substituting it (maybe hoisin, fish sauce, or more soy sauce) or wait until you have it! Reply
This is a VERY healthy dish. I cooked with all the ingredients, plus instant rice and added “cashews” and “red pepper”. It came out DELICIOUS!!!! Reply
Next Tuesday is Senior Day where I shop. I’m going to get the fixings for your recipe. If mine tastes half as good as your picture looks, I’ll definitely have a new favorite to add to my Copy Me That. Reply
Love this recipe! It’s now my stand by stir fry recipe. I make it for my guys. I use the same recipe, minus the chicken, for me. (With tofu or cashews in it instead.) It’s delicious!!!! Thank you!!! We are all grateful! Reply
I have made this countless times, always a big hit! When some friends sent me an email chain for a recipe during this quarantine, I responded that I don’t do chain emails, but did send them this recipe as an “apology” for not participating. They loved it! Reply
Used your marinade but added honey instead of sugar and paprika for heat. Added rice to cook with chicken in water after chicken was 3/4 cooked. Taste great. Reply
Tried stir fry it turned out very well. Added mushrooms tasted very good thanks very simple to make and not time consuming Reply
I made this recipe tonight and it was absolutely delicious – even my daughter who hates veggies liked it! Thank you for the recipe. Elaine Reply
This was soooooo good. My family went for seconds and it was a super quick dinner. I work 9-5 and so does my husband and sometimes you want to make a home cooked meal that is quick. This was it. And I am making it again tonight. 🙂 Reply
made this tonight using a frozen veggie pkg and chicken breast and it was very yummy. I’ll be saving this recipe!! Reply
