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!
After you fall in love with this stir fry, try our other easy weeknight dinners: chicken chow mein, beef lettuce wraps, or easy asian steak bites.
AUthor’S NOTE
The Stir Fry That Saves A Busy Weeknight
If there’s one recipe I rely on when life gets busy, it’s this Chicken Stir Fry (though Salsa Chicken Crockpot is also a favorite). It’s a quick and easy meal that, honestly, my family looks forward to more than takeout.
Some of my favorite parts?
- It comes together quick in just 30 minutes.
- Everything cooks in one pan, so less cleanup!
- It’s great for using up any veggies you have lying in the fridge.
- Love the leftovers! With just a quick reheat, enjoy it the next day too.
Ingredients
Stir Fry:
- Vegetable Oil: Used for stir-frying, provides the cooking medium.
- Garlic & Ginger: Enhances all the flavors in your chicken stir fry.
- Yellow Onion, Carrot, Sugar Snap Peas, Broccoli, Red Pepper: A mix of vegetables adding texture, color, and nutrients.
- Chicken Breast: The protein component, adding substance to the dish.
- Optional Additions (Red Pepper Flakes, Green Onion, Sesame Seeds): These add heat, freshness, and a crunchy texture.
Sauce: Corn starch (thickener), lite soy sauce and oyster sauce (for flavor and depth), chicken stock (liquid base and flavor), brown sugar (sweetness), sesame oil (nutty flavor), pepper (seasoning).
How To Make Chicken Stir Fry
- Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok.
- Sauté garlic and ginger briefly.
- Add onion and cook until it begins to soften.
- Add chicken and cook until it changes color from pink to white.
- Incorporate carrots, sugar snap peas, broccoli, and red pepper, stirring constantly.
- Pour in the prepared sauce and cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce thickens and vegetables are crisp-tender.
- Serve immediately, optionally over rice, garnished with red pepper flakes, green onions, or sesame seeds.
Best Chicken For Stir Fry
For chicken stir fry, use boneless chicken breast for a lean, quick-cooking option or thighs for more flavor. Cut into even, bite-sized pieces to cook evenly. Learn more here.
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!
What To Serve With Chicken Stir Fry?
Chicken Stir Fry
Equipment
- Large skillet nonstick, or wok
Ingredients
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1-1/2 tablespoons reduced-sodium 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 sesame oil or plain
- Freshly cracked pepper
- 1-1/2 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 boneless, skinless chicken breast 8 ounces, cut into 3/4-inch chunks
- 3/4 cup carrot very thinly sliced on the diagonal, 1 large carrot
- 1 cup snap peas
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- 1 cup red pepper cut into strips, 1 medium pepper
- Optional garnish see note 1
- White rice or brown rice, optional, for serving
Instructions
- 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.
- Prepare chicken and veggies. Cut chicken into small chunks (about 3/4 to 1 inch). Finely chop garlic and ginger. Slice onion into thin strips. Peel and very thinly slice the carrot into diagonal slices (important the slices are thin so they cook in time). Chop 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.
- 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 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!)
- Remove from heat and serve immediately with your preferred base (I like rice). Garnish with crushed red pepper flakes, thinly sliced green onions, and/or toasted sesame seeds as desired.
Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Excellent, again! Thank you so much for the detailed description
So glad to hear you enjoyed! 🙂 Thanks Marco!
This is tonights dinner! Thanks
So happy to hear! I hope you enjoyed it! 🙂
When would I add the veggies if they are frozen?
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!
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.
YAYY!! Can’t wait to hear what you think!! 🙂
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!!!!
So glad you enjoyed; thank you!
I have everything but oyster sauce! Will it still be good or should I add anything to sub?
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!
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.
So happy to hear this was a hit! 🙂 Thanks so much for the comment and review 🙂 And thanks for the compliment on the photos!
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.
Sounds great! Thanks Lisa!
I made this as a surprise for the family and my inlaws now even my mother in law loves me again
Haha!! So happy to hear it! Thanks for the comment Lou!