Stir Fry Chicken Recipe

A bowl of chicken stir fry on top of white rice.

This chef-approved Chicken Stir Fry recipe uses a Chinese culinary technique called velveting for ultra-tender, juicy chicken. Packed with colorful vegetables and a glossy, flavorful homemade sauce, it’s a quick weeknight favorite you’ll make again and again.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Asian

Prep Time 15

Cook Time 15

Total Time 30

Servings servings (1 cup each)

Calories 350kcal

Author Meggan Hill

Ingredients

For the chicken:

1 pound boneless, skinless, chicken breasts cut into 1 inch cubes
1 tablespoon baking soda (see note 1)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the stir fry sauce:

1 tablespoon corn starch
2 tablespoons water cold
1/4 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup honey
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes (optional)

For the stir fry:

2 tablespoons olive oil divided
2 cups broccoli florets cut into bite-sized pieces
1 bell pepper stemmed, seeded, and cut into 1 inch pieces
2 carrots sliced into 1/4-inch pieces on a bias
1 small onion peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces
2 cloves garlic minced
2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger (see note 2)
green onions thinly sliced, for garnish
cooked rice or cooked noodles (such as chow mein), for serving

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

In a medium bowl, toss chicken and baking soda together. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Rinse chicken and pat dry. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, whisk together cornstarch and water. Add chicken broth, honey, soy sauce, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes (if using). Whisk to combine. Set aside.
In a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil until shimmering. Add chicken, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, and cook until chicken is light golden brown and reaches 165 degrees internally on an internal thermometer, about 5 minutes. Stir occasionally. Remove chicken from pan and set aside.
Add remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet. Add broccoli, bell pepper, carrots, and onion, and stir-fry over medium-high heat until crispy on edges and tender, about 5 to 7 minutes. Add garlic and ginger, and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Return chicken to pan with vegetables. Whisk stir fry sauce to recombine, and add to pan. Stir to combine, scraping any brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil. Cook until sauce is thickened, about 1 minute, stirring often. Garnish with green onions. Serve on cooked rice, if desired.

Video

Notes

Baking soda: Used here as a simple way to tenderize the chicken quickly at home. Velveting the chicken typically involves creating slurry using ingredients such as cornstarch, egg white, oil, water, and seasoning such as soy sauce, oyster sauce, and vinegar. The chicken is then blanched or fried, then added back into the dish to finish cooking.
Ginger: Store the whole root ginger in the freezer, as-is and grate it when you need it using a box grater or microplane grater. To peel the ginger, scrape of the skin with the tip of a spoon or use a sharp knife.
Chicken: This technique for velveting chicken works on chicken thighs, too.
Yield: This Stir Fry Chicken Recipe makes enough for 4 entree-sized servings, about 1 cup each.
Storage: Store leftover stir fry chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 4 days, or freeze up to 3 months.

Nutrition