Chicken stir fry

Chicken stir fry is fast, saucy, and one of those dinners that saves the week when you don’t feel like thinking. ♡

It’s crisp-tender veggies, juicy chicken, and a glossy stir fry sauce that clings to everything in the best way. Here’s the thing: most stir fries go wrong because the pan isn’t hot enough or the sauce is added too early. We’re going to cook in quick batches, then toss everything together at the end so nothing turns watery.

Serve it over rice, noodles, or even tucked into lettuce cups.

Let’s make it together.

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs, thinly sliced

• 2 tablespoons cornstarch (helps the chicken stay juicy and velvety)

• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt

• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper

• 2 tablespoons neutral oil (avocado, canola, grapeseed), divided

• 1 red bell pepper, sliced

• 2 cups broccoli florets

• 1 cup snap peas (or green beans)

• 1 medium carrot, thinly sliced

• 1/2 small onion, sliced (optional)

• 3 cloves garlic, grated or minced

• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated (optional but recommended)

Stir Fry Sauce

• 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce (or tamari)

• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce (optional but makes it taste restaurant-style)

• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)

• 1 tablespoon honey or brown sugar

• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

• 1/2 cup chicken broth or water

• 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil

For serving

• cooked jasmine rice or noodles

• sliced green onions and sesame seeds (optional)

• chili crisp or red pepper flakes (optional)

Tips

• Slice chicken thin. It cooks faster and stays tender.

• Coat chicken with cornstarch. This gives you that velvety texture and helps sauce cling.

• Prep everything first. Stir fry moves fast, so have your veggies and sauce ready before heat hits the pan.

• Cook in batches. Overcrowding makes the chicken and veggies steam instead of sear.

• Add sauce at the end. Let it bubble 30 to 60 seconds so it thickens into a glossy coating.

Variations

• Swap the protein: shrimp, beef strips, tofu, or ground turkey all work.

• Add more veggies: mushrooms, zucchini, baby corn, cabbage, or bok choy.

• Make it spicy: add sriracha to the sauce or toss in chili flakes with the garlic.

• Make it peanutty: whisk 1 to 2 tablespoons peanut butter into the sauce.

• Make it gluten free: use tamari and skip oyster sauce (or use a GF version).

FAQ

Chicken Stir Fry

Quick chicken stir fry with crisp-tender veggies and a glossy homemade stir fry sauce, ready in under 30 minutes.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 12 minutes mins

Total Time 27 minutes mins

Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Chicken and veggies

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs, thinly sliced
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp fine sea salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 2 tbsp neutral oil, divided
• 1 red bell pepper, sliced
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1 cup snap peas
• 1 cup thinly sliced carrots
• 1/2 small onion, sliced (optional)
• 3 cloves garlic, grated or minced
• 1 tbsp grated ginger (optional)

Stir fry sauce

• 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce (or tamari)
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce (optional)
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp honey or brown sugar
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1/2 cup chicken broth or water
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil

For serving

• rice or noodles, green onion, sesame seeds, chili crisp

Method

 

1. Make the sauce. In a bowl, whisk soy sauce, oyster sauce (if using), vinegar, honey, cornstarch, broth, and sesame oil until smooth. Set aside.
2. Coat the chicken. Toss sliced chicken with cornstarch, salt, and pepper until evenly coated.
3. Sear the chicken. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add chicken in a single layer and cook 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until mostly cooked through and lightly browned. Transfer to a plate.
4. Cook the veggies. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil. Add broccoli and carrots first and stir fry 2 minutes. Add bell pepper, snap peas, and onion (if using) and cook 2 to 3 minutes more until crisp-tender.
5. Add garlic and ginger. Stir in garlic and ginger and cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
6. Combine and sauce. Return chicken to the pan. Pour in the sauce and toss for 30 to 60 seconds until thickened and glossy.
7. Serve. Serve immediately over rice or noodles with green onions, sesame seeds, and chili crisp if you like.

Notes

• If your sauce thickens too much, splash in a tablespoon or two of water or broth and toss again.
• For extra crisp veggies, keep cook time short and don’t overcrowd the pan.
• Leftovers keep 3 to 4 days and reheat best in a skillet with a tiny splash of water.

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