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Easy Chicken Stir Fry Recipe
Ash Tyrrell

Easy Chicken Stir Fry Recipe

I still remember the night I made this chicken stir fry for the first time. I was scrambling to get dinner on the table and only had a handful of vegetables and some chicken breast in the fridge. I tossed everything into a skillet with a quick homemade sauce, and within thirty minutes, I had a meal that tasted better than anything I could have ordered for takeout
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Servings: 6
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • Chicken breast diced into bite-size pieces – the star of the dish, and dicing it evenly helps it cook at the same rate.
  • Salt and black pepper – season the chicken before it hits the pan so every bite has flavor.
  • Olive oil divided – used to cook the chicken and then the vegetables separately.
  • Broccoli florets cut small – adds crunch and soaks up the sauce beautifully.
  • Yellow bell pepper sliced – brings natural sweetness and a pop of color.
  • Red bell pepper sliced – balances the yellow pepper and makes the dish look vibrant.
  • Carrots shredded – cook quickly and add a little extra sweetness to the mix.
  • Ground ginger – gives the sauce that warm slightly spicy stir fry flavor.
  • Minced garlic – fresh garlic makes a noticeable difference over the jarred kind.
  • Cornstarch – thickens the sauce so it clings to the chicken and vegetables instead of pooling in the pan.
  • Chicken broth – builds the base of the sauce and keeps it from tasting flat.
  • Low sodium soy sauce – the backbone of the sauce so don't skip it or swap it for regular soy sauce unless you plan to cut back on added salt.
  • Honey – rounds out the salty soy sauce with a touch of natural sweetness.
  • Sesame seeds for topping – a simple garnish that adds a nutty crunch at the end.

Method
 

  1. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, chicken broth, soy sauce, and honey until smooth. Set this bowl aside while you work on the chicken and vegetables. Whisking it early means it's ready to pour in the moment you need it, so the sauce doesn't slow you down later in the process.
  2. Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the diced chicken and season it with salt and pepper right in the pan. Cook for three to five minutes, stirring occasionally, until the pieces are browned on the outside and cooked through, then move them to a separate plate.
  3. Add the remaining olive oil to the same skillet and toss in the broccoli, bell peppers, and shredded carrots. Stir them occasionally so they cook evenly, and let them go until they're tender but still have a little bite left. This usually takes about four to five minutes over medium-high heat.
  4. Stir the minced garlic and ground ginger into the vegetables and let them cook for another minute or two. You'll know they're ready once the garlic smells fragrant and toasty rather than raw. Keep an eye on it here, since garlic can burn quickly if you walk away.
  5. Add the cooked chicken back into the skillet with the vegetables. Pour the stir fry sauce over the top and stir everything together so the chicken and vegetables are evenly coated. Bring the mixture to a boil and let it bubble for about a minute so the sauce thickens up.
  6. Sprinkle sesame seeds over the top of the finished stir fry for a bit of crunch and a nice presentation. Serve it right out of the skillet on its own, or spoon it over a bowl of rice or noodles. I like to give it a final taste and adjust the salt and pepper before bringing it to the table.

Notes

  • I always cut my chicken into even pieces so nothing ends up undercooked while other pieces overcook.
  • I cook the chicken first and set it aside rather than crowding it in with the vegetables, since that keeps it from steaming and losing that nice sear.
  • I keep my heat on medium-high for the vegetables so they cook fast and stay crisp instead of turning soggy.
  • I whisk the sauce before I start cooking anything else, because once the pan is hot, I don't want to be scrambling to measure ingredients.
  • I taste the sauce before it goes into the pan so I can adjust the honey or soy sauce to my liking.