Delicious and very easy Chinese-style chicken stir fry features juicy chicken breast and tasty veggies that are perfectly tender-crisp.
I was never much into Asian-style food until I met my husband. Back in the nineties, his parents had spent several years working in China, and his entire family was enamored with Chinese cooking.
He used to make me a wonderful dish of sweet and spicy shrimp, keeping the vegetables wonderfully crisp. That’s how I fell in love with Chinese cooking. Though to this day, I still can’t properly handle chopsticks, and not for lack of trying. 😳
An easy weeknight recipe
This chicken stir fry is one of the Chinese style dishes I make most often for my family (pork stir fry is another good one). It’s an easy recipe, it’s quick, and it’s very flavorful thanks to the wonderful sauce.
Even the leftovers are pretty good, although admittedly the dish tatses best when served fresh.
The ingredients you’ll need
Here’s an overview of what you’ll need to make this tasty stir fry. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below:
Fresh chicken: I use boneless skinless chicken breasts.
Vegetables: To make life easy, I use a mix of frozen chopped vegetables.
For the sauce: Soy sauce or a gluten-free alternative, rice vinegar, honey, red pepper flakes, and cornstarch.
For frying: Refined coconut oil. You can also use avocado oil.
Aromatics: Onion, minced garlic, and minced ginger.
To finish the dish: Sesame oil and sesame seeds.
How to make a chicken stir-fry
Like most stir fry recipes, most of the work when making this recipe is gathering and prepping the ingredients.
Once you have your ingredients ready, the cooking part is very fast – this dish is ready in a matter of minutes. Scroll down to the recipe card for the detailed instructions. These are the basic steps:
1. Cook chicken pieces with onions, garlic, and ginger.
2. Add vegetables and a Chinese-style sauce.
3. Cook briefly, then drizzle with sesame oil and serve.
How to serve chicken stir-fry
Since my husband and I eat a low carb diet, I usually serve this dish on a bed of cauliflower rice. If you don’t mind the extra carbs, white or brown rice would obviously work too.
Other than that, since this dish contains chicken and vegetables, it makes a complete meal, so there’s no need to serve it with a side dish.
Can I make a keto version of this recipe?
Yes. Simply omit the carrots, and use a sugar-free sweetener instead of the honey, or simply omit the honey. A serving of this version has about 8 grams of carb and 3 grams of fiber.
What about leftovers?
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 4 days. Reheat them gently, covered, in the microwave on 50% power.
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Chicken Stir Fry
INGREDIENTS
- 2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 lb. frozen chopped vegetables (I used a mix of broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots)
- 3 tablespoon light soy sauce (or use a gluten-free alternative and add salt as needed)
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons refined coconut oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped (6oz)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger root
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
- Cube the chicken breast into 1-inch cubes. Set aside.
- Place the frozen vegetables in a large, microwave-safe bowl. Add 2 tablespoons water, cover and microwave 3 minutes. Stir, cover again, and microwave 2 more minutes or until just tender. Drain and set aside.
- Prepare the sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, red pepper flakes and cornstarch. Set aside.
- In a large, deep skillet, heat the coconut oil over medium-high heat, about 2 minutes. Add the onions and cook, stirring often, until translucent but not browned, about 5 minutes.
- Add the chicken breast cubes and stir-fry until no longer raw, turning the chicken pieces so that they are cooked on all sides, about 5 minutes.
- Add the garlic and ginger and cook, stirring, 1 minute.
- Add the vegetables and the sauce. Cook, stirring gently, until everything is well-coated and sauce thickens, 2-3 minutes.
- Off heat, drizzle with the sesame oil and sprinkle with the sesame seeds. Serve immediately.
NOTES
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Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, Reader's Digest, and Better Homes and Gardens.