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Juicy chicken with crisp broccoli tossed in a quick and easy homemade stir fry sauce make this chicken and broccoli stir fry recipe the perfect weeknight meal. It doesn't hurt that it can be prepared in less than 30 minutes!
When I want something quick but super tasty, a stir fry dish is one of the firsts to pop up - from a chicken and vegetable stir fry to a chicken and green bean stir fry.
This chicken stir fry is actually something I've been making for years. I adapted it from the Food Network but just never got around to sharing my version of it.
Well the wait is over. Like any good stir fry recipe, this dish comes together quickly but tastes like you've been making it for hours. Oh and there is just one dish you have to clean up which is never a bad thing.
Another bonus is you can make this ahead of time and then use for lunch! Something I'm always down for. Whether it is for lunch for dinner, after one bite, this chicken and broccoli stir fry will be going in your rotation of recipes.
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Recipe Ingredients
- Chicken – use chicken breasts or thighs.
- Scallions, garlic, ginger - adds flavor to the quick marinade.
- Soy sauce – adds some saltiness.
- Sugar - gives a little sweetness.
- Cornstarch - helps thicken the sauce.
- Salt - enhances the flavor.
- Dry sherry - complements the chicken.
- Sesame oil – adds a toasty, nutty flavor.
- Red pepper flakes – adds some heat.
- Vegetable oil – can also use canola oil
- Broccoli – can’t have broccoli stir fry without broccoli.
- Hoisin sauce – almost like an Asian BBQ sauce.
- Sesame seeds – more texture and flavor.
- Jasmine rice – can use basmati rice as well.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- In a medium bowl, add the chicken, with diced scallions, half the minced garlic, half the minced ginger, soy sauce, sugar, 2 tsp cornstarch, salt, dry sherry and sesame oil. Stir to combine and let marinate at room temperature for 10 minutes. Mix the remaining 4 tsp cornstarch with ½ cup water.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tbsp oil and the broccoli stems, cooking for 30 seconds. Add the florets, the remaining garlic, ginger and 2 tbsp water. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until the florets are bright green but still crisp, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
- Return the skillet to medium-high heat and add 2 tbsp oil. Add the chicken and chili flakes. Cook for about 3 minutes on one side and then flip and brown the other side for about 2 minutes.
- Add the broccoli, hoisin sauce and cornstarch mixture, bringing to a boil to thicken. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve over rice and garnish with some sesame seeds and green chopped scallions.
FAQs
The key to cooking chicken in a wok is to not overcrowd it. If you overcrowd the wok, the chicken will just steam and won’t get a nice crust on them. To avoid this, I cook half the chicken at a time.
A large skillet works just as well.
Yes of course. I made this with chicken breasts as most people (including my wife) like white meat better, but if you’re a fan of dark meat go with the same amount of chicken thighs.
Most stir fry sauces consist of soy sauce, garlic and other seasonings like sesame oil and ginger among other things. While this stir fry sauce has many of those ingredients, I also added hoisin sauce, which has a sweet and salty taste.
PS this recipe has a lot of garlic. I’m of the opinion that you can never have too much garlic, but you can cut it in half if needed.
You know the chicken is cooked when it reaches 165°F with an instant-read thermometer or if you cut into the chicken and the juices run clear and there is no pink. Honestly, I always just cut the chicken to see when it is done. If it isn’t just cook slightly longer.
Pro Tips/Recipe Notes
- Start cooking the rice the same time you star the stir fry so it is ready at the same time.
- Be consistent with the size you cut the chicken so it cooks evenly.
- Cook the chicken in batches so you don’t overload the wok and cool it down. You want to cook the chicken quickly and adding too much at a time will slow the cooking process.
- Leftovers will store well in the fridge for 2-3 days in an air-tight container or be frozen for 3 months.
Similar Recipes
- Chinese Orange Chicken
- Thai Chicken Satay
- Cauliflower Fried Rice
- Spicy Pork Bulgogi
- Chicken Fried Rice
- General Tso's Chicken
If you’ve tried this chicken and broccoli stir fry recipe or any other recipe on Chisel & Fork, please let me know how it turned out in the comments below! You can also follow me on Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and YouTube to see more tasty meals and anything else I'm up to.
Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs chicken breasts, cubed into 1 in pieces
- 5 scallions, whites only, thinly sliced
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 ½ inch piece peeled fresh ginger, minced
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 tbsp sugar
- 6 tsp cornstarch, separated
- 1 tsp sea salt
- 1 ½ tbsp dry sherry
- 1 ½ tbsp dark sesame oil
- ½ cup water
- ½ - 1 tsp red chili flakes
- 3 tbsp vegetable or canola oil, divided
- 2 medium broccoli heads, stems cut from florets (about 5-6 cups)
- 2 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1 cup Jasmine rice (cooked according to package)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, add the chicken, with diced scallions, half the minced garlic, half the minced ginger, soy sauce, sugar, 2 tsp cornstarch, salt, dry sherry and sesame oil. Stir to combine and let marinate at room temperature for 10 minutes. Mix the remaining 4 tsp cornstarch with ½ cup water.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tbsp oil and the broccoli stems, cooking for 30 seconds. Add the florets, the remaining garlic, ginger and 2 tbsp water. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until the florets are bright green but still crisp, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate.
- Return the skillet to medium-high heat and add 2 tbsp oil. Add the chicken and chili flakes. Cook for about 3 minutes on one side and then flip and brown the other side for about 2 minutes. Add the broccoli, hoisin sauce and cornstarch mixture, bringing to a boil to thicken. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Serve over rice and garnish with some sesame seeds and green chopped scallions.
Notes
- Start cooking the rice the same time you star the stir fry so it is ready at the same time.
- Be consistent with the size you cut the chicken so it cooks evenly.
- Cook the chicken in batches so you don’t overload the wok and cool it down. You want to cook the chicken quickly and adding too much at a time will slow the cooking process.
- You know the chicken is cooked when it reaches 165°F with an instant-read thermometer or if you cut into the chicken and the juices run clear and there is no pink. Honestly, I always just cut the chicken to see when it is done. If it isn’t just cook slightly longer.
- Leftovers will store well in the fridge for 2-3 days in an air-tight container or be frozen for 3 months.
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