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 to salmon stir fry to beef salpicao.
This chicken stir fry is actually something I've been making for years but just never got around to sharing.
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.
Why This Recipe Works
- One skillet meal - I absolutely love recipes that can be whipped up in just one skillet. While it highlights, its simplicity, it also means fewer dishes to wash afterwards, which is always a win in my book!
- Quick to prepare - When it comes to choosing meals to prepare during a busy workweek, the 30-minute mark is a magic number for me and this fits the bill perfectly.
- Meal prep - Not only is this chicken and broccoli stir fry perfect for dinner, but it's also a great option to make ahead for lunch, which is a bonus.
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Recipe Notes
- Chicken - Just use boneless chicken breasts for this recipe.
- Veggies - The scallions, garlic and ginger all enhance the flavors of the sauce while the broccoli adds crunch and a slightly sweet and bitter flavor.
- Sauces - The soy sauce is for saltiness, the dry sherry is for its tanginess, while the sesame oil adds a nutty flavor and the hoisin sauce is like Asian BBQ sauce.
- Sugar - Gives a slight sweetness to the sauce.
- Cornstarch - Helps thicken up the sauce and is also gluten free.
- Crushed red pepper flakes - Adds a hint of heat.
- Sesame seeds - Adds a nutty flavor and some additional texture.
Ingredient Swaps
Like any recipe you can mix up the ingredients. Some variations include:
- I like boneless, skinless chicken breasts, but you can also use chicken thighs.
- Chinese recipes usually calls for cornstarch to thicken sauce but tapioca flour is a good substitute. If you don't need a gluten free recipe, all-purpose flour works fine.
- If you are gluten free, you can use tamari sauce instead of soy sauce.
- White wine vinegar can be used in place of dry sherry.
- If you don't have hoisin sauce, use your favorite BBQ sauce.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Please note full ingredient list and instructions can be found in recipe card below.
Cook the broccoli stems over medium-high heat with some oil for 30 seconds before adding the florets, garlic ginger and water.
Season with salt and pepper and cook for 2 minutes or until bright green before removing and transferring to a plate.
Add the marinated chicken and crushed red pepper flakes, cooking for about 3 minutes per side.
Once done, add the broccoli, hoisin sauce and cornstarch mixture, bringing to a simmer and cooking until the sauce is thickened.
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.
Leftovers will store well in the fridge for 2-3 days in an air-tight container or be frozen for 3 months.
Although you have the option to microwave, I personally prefer reheating this dish in a skillet over low heat with the sauce until it's warmed through.
Side Dish Options
This chicken and broccoli stir fry recipe is great on its own but works with some side dishes.
- White rice - A good white rice like jasmine or basmati complements the chicken.
- Fried rice - If you want to step up the game of regular white rice, fried rice works great.
- Additional vegetables - While broccoli is the star, you could add some additional veggies like mushrooms or sugar snap peas.
Equipment
The equipment you use is important to how the recipe turns out. What is needed is the following:
- Skillet/Wok - You want something large enough to cook the chicken.
- Spoon - You want a good wooden spoon to stir everything together.
- Chef's knife - You want a good knife to slice/cut the veggies and chicken.
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.
- You control the heat by the amount of crushed red pepper flakes. Add or remove by ¼ teaspoon increments, depending on how much heat you like.
Similar Recipes
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 tablespoon soy sauce
- 3 tablespoon sugar
- 6 teaspoon cornstarch, separated
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 1 ½ tablespoon dry sherry
- 1 ½ tablespoon dark sesame oil
- ½ cup water
- ½ - 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- 3 tablespoon vegetable or canola oil, divided
- 2 medium broccoli heads, stems cut from florets (about 5-6 cups)
- 2 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoon 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 teaspoon cornstarch, salt, dry sherry and sesame oil. Stir to combine and let marinate at room temperature for 10 minutes. Mix the remaining 4 teaspoon cornstarch with ½ cup water.
- Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil and the broccoli stems, cooking for 30 seconds. Add the florets, the remaining garlic, ginger and 2 tablespoon 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 tablespoon oil. Add the chicken and red pepper 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 control the heat by the amount of crushed red pepper flakes. Add or remove by ¼ teaspoon increments, depending on how much heat you like.
- Leftovers will store well in the fridge for 2-3 days in an air-tight container or be frozen for 3 months.
Cindy says
Made this for dinner tonight! This was delicious, I used chicken tenderloins and the chicken was tender and very flavorful! Thanks for the great recipes!