We’re taking the stress out of worrying about “what’s for dinner” this week and making this quick and easy Chicken Stir Fry recipe. It includes lots of chicken, tons of veggies, and THEE best sweet and savory stir fry sauce! It’s also perfect for using up vegetables that you already have on hand in your fridge or freezer. Not only is it great to add to your weekly dinner rotation, but it also makes a lot, so it’s perfect for meal prep! #winning
Why I Love Stir Fry Recipes
I make stir fry recipes quite often because it helps take away the mental stress of worrying about what to cook for dinner. They’re quick, easy to make, and super versatile so you can always switch things up. Just pick your favorite protein, a mix of vegetables, make a yummy stir fry sauce, and dinner is ready in about 30 minutes!
Ingredients For Chicken Stir Fry
Here’s what we used to make this easy chicken stir fry recipe:
- Chicken Breasts: I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts for this recipe, but if your budget is tight, you can also use boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead.
- Vegetables: This is where you can really be flexible. I used a combination of broccoli, carrots, red bell pepper, and onion for this stir fry. But feel free to choose different vegetables based on your budget, what’s in season, or what’s in your fridge. Sometimes I’ll use just one or two vegetables because that’s what I currently have on hand. Some other great veggie options are green beans, zucchini, mushrooms, snap peas, or different color bell peppers.
- Stir Fry Sauce: A good stir fry sauce will definitely bring the entire dish together. I used our same stir fry sauce from our Vegetable Stir Fry recipe as a base, because it’s sooo good, increased the measurements slightly to make it extra saucy, and added a touch of sriracha sauce for just a little kick!
Stir-Fry Recipe Tips
- Make the stir fry sauce first. Stir fry recipes cook fast, so you want the sauce to be ready when it’s time to add it to the skillet.
- Use a big wok or very large skillet. In order for all of the chicken and vegetables to fit in the skillet with enough space to cook fairly evenly, you’ll want to use a big wok or large skillet. We used a 12-inch skillet for this recipe.
- Don’t overcook the vegetables. You want the vegetables to just be tender-crisp and vibrantly colored. You can always cook them a little longer once the sauce is added at the end, but if you cook them too long in the first steps you’ll end up with limp vegetables that are a drab color.
What To Serve With Chicken Stir Fry
You can easily serve this chicken stir fry with a side of brown or white rice or give our Coconut Rice a try! And if you really want the full take-out experience, whip up some of our Vegetable Fried Rice to serve on the side.
Storing Leftovers
This chicken stir fry recipe stores very well in the fridge and works great for meal prep! You can make it on Sunday, divide it into equal portions, then store in meal prep containers along with your rice. This dish will stay good in the refrigerator for about four days.
Chicken Stir Fry
Equipment
Ingredients
Stir Fry Sauce
- 1/3 cup soy sauce $0.44
- 3 Tbsp brown sugar $0.12
- 2 tsp toasted sesame oil $0.20
- 2 cloves garlic, minced $0.16
- 2 tsp grated fresh ginger $0.20
- 1.5 Tbsp cornstarch $0.08
- 1/3 cup water $0.00
- 1 tsp sriracha $0.05
Stir Fry
- 3/4 lb. broccoli 1.75
- 2 carrots $0.31
- 1 red bell pepper $1.33
- 1 small onion $0.32
- 2 green onions $0.22
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1.5 lb. total) $5.25
- 3 Tbsp cooking oil, divided $0.12
Instructions
- Start by making the stir fry sauce. Combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, toasted sesame oil, garlic, ginger, sriracha, cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Set the sauce aside.
- Chop the broccoli into small florets. Slice the red bell pepper, onion, and carrots into similar sized pieces. Slice the green onions. Set all the vegetables aside.
- Next, cut the chicken breasts into small 1/2 inch sized pieces.
- Heat a very large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Once hot add 2 Tbsp of cooking oil and swirl to coat the surface of the skillet. Add the chicken and cook until browned on all sides. Be careful not to overcook the chicken. Once the chicken is browned, remove it from the skillet onto a separate plate and set aside.
- In the same skillet, add the remaining 1 Tbsp of cooking oil along with the carrots and broccoli. Cook and stir for one minute, or just until the broccoli begins to turn bright green.
- Next, add the red bell pepper and onion to the skillet. Continue to cook and stir for 1-2 more minutes.
- Give the stir fry sauce another brief stir. Now add the cooked chicken back to the skillet, then pour the stir fry sauce over the chicken and vegetables. Give everything a stir and allow the sauce to come up to a simmer, at which point it will start to thicken and turn glossy. Continue to cook for 1-2 more minutes or until it has reached your desired doneness.
- Remove the chicken stir fry from the heat, top with green onions and sesame seeds (optional) and serve!
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Nutrition
How to Make Chicken Stir Fry – Step by Step Photos
Start by making the stir fry sauce. Combine the 1/3 cup soy sauce, 3 Tbsp brown sugar, 2 tsp toasted sesame oil, 2 cloves minced garlic, 2 tsp grated fresh ginger, 1 tsp sriracha, 1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch and 1/3 cup water in a small bowl. Set the sauce aside.
Chop 3/4 lb. of broccoli into small florets. Slice 1 red bell pepper, 1 small yellow onion, and 2 carrots into similar sized pieces. Slice 2 green onions. Set the vegetables aside.
Cut 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts into small 1/2 inch sized pieces.
Heat a very large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Once hot add 2 Tbsp of cooking oil and swirl to coat the surface of the skillet. Add the chicken and cook until browned on all sides. Be careful not to overcook the chicken. Once chicken is browned, remove it from the skillet onto a separate plate and set aside.
In the same skillet, add the remaining 1 Tbsp of cooking oil along with the carrots and broccoli. Cook and stir for one minute, or just until the broccoli begins to turn bright green.
Next, add the red bell pepper and onion to the skillet. Continue to cook and stir for 1-2 more minutes.
Give the stir fry sauce another brief stir. Now add the cooked chicken back to the skillet, then pour the stir fry sauce over the chicken and vegetables. Give everything a stir and allow the sauce to come up to a simmer, at which point it will start to thicken and turn glossy. Continue to cook for 1-2 more minutes or until it has reached your desired doneness.
Remove the chicken stir fry from the heat, top with green onions and sesame seeds (optional) and dinner is served!
More Stir Fry Recipes
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