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Who else loves Chinese food as much as I do?!?!
Well, American Chinese food, that is. I have never been to China, but, from what I understand, what we consider to be Chinese food isn’t really authentic Chinese food. Not even close. Some day I hope to find out for myself. Although, my parents did find this out for themselves and didn’t really enjoy the Chinese food while they were in China, but that was before I was even born, so I am sure some things have changed since they went.
Either way, I really do enjoy Chinese food. Whether we go out out eat, or order carry out, which we have been doing for the past few months #QuarentineLife 🤣 ! It’s something I always look forward to eating. The thing is, as much as I enjoy eating out, or getting carry out food I always love learning how to make the same dishes I enjoy eating from a restaurant, at home. Partially because I am a bit of a nerd and want to simply know how it’s made, and because I like to be in control of my ingredients whenever I can. Oh, trust me, this doesn’t mean we will never order take out again, because we 110% will. It’s my time to have true break from cooking, and dishes.
All the same, today, I am so excited to share a simple chicken broccoli stir fry that I know you will like just as much as that take out you ordered from your local Chinese place. Maybe you will like it even more, because homemade is almost always better, right?!
The best part is this chicken broccoli stir fry only takes 30 minutes to make and only requires one pan!!! That just means this is the perfect recipe for busy weeknights.
Okay, yes, you do need a second pan if you are making rice to serve with your chicken broccoli stir fry, and who doesn’t want rice with their saucy Chinese food? You can easily do what I often do, which is to use frozen rice that you heat up in the microwave. Saves time, still tastes great, and no extra dishes to clean up. Everyone is happy!
Take out, Fake out on a weeknight, here we come!!!
The ingredients for the base of the stir fry are simple, chicken, onion, and broccoli. The ingredients for the sauce make use of many fridge and pantry staples you likely have on hand. These are the kinds of recipes we need in our lives, always, but especially while we are still doing our best to not make unnecessary multiple trips to grocery stores during Covid-19. (At least, that’s what I hope you’re doing😉).
Ingredients for chicken broccoli stir fry:
sauce:
- chicken broth
- soy sauce (or sub gluten free soy sauce, or coconut aminos)
- fish sauce (optional)
- sesame oil
- honey
- freshly grated ginger
- garlic cloves, minced
- red pepper flakes (optional)
- cornstarch (or sub arrowroot starch)
Stir fry:
- avocado or grapeseed oil
- chicken breast
- onion
- broccoli, cut into florets
Garnish:
- Green onion
- sesame seeds
That’s all you need to make chicken broccoli stir fry!
Oh yeah, and of course rice to serve it with. You can use white or brown rice, or even use cauliflower rice to rock even more veggies!
Chicken broccoli stir fry is so easy to make, gotta love Chinese food for their high heat, one pan, super fast cooking methods.
How to make chicken broccoli stir fry:
- Whisk up the sauce
- Cut up the chicken, broccoli, and onion.
- Cook the chicken in a skillet. Remove the chicken.
- Cook the onion, then the broccoli.
- Add the sauce to the pan, along with the chicken. Simmer the sauce for a few minutes, until it gets nice and thick and clings to everything.
- Serve over your choice of rice (or cauliflower rice).
- Garnish with sesame seeds and green onions
- Dinner is Served!!! Dig in!!!
That’s the gist of it! See, perfect for a quick weeknight dinner, right?
Bonus: you have your veggies, your grain (complex carbs), and your lean protein all in one meal. That’s my favorite kind of dinner, my friends!!!
You’re gonna love this chicken broccoli stir fry. The chicken is tender, the broccoli and onion are crunchy, the rice is fluffy, and the sauce clings perfectly to everything giving it that iconic savory, garlicky, umami, Asian taste that we all love. This recipe is easy to adapt to be gluten free, it’s naturally dairy free, and it’s pretty darn healthy for you.
I’m not going to tell you to make this recipe instead of ordering take out the next time you want it; because there is room for the occasional take out meal in everyone’s lives. However, I am going to tell you to add chicken broccoli stir fry to your menu next week, because it will be a delicious, nutritious, and easy recipe that will keep your family happy and get dinner on the table quickly with minimal clean up.
For me, these are the types of recipes that I rely on in my real-life/non-blog-life cooking. I hope this recipe becomes one your can rely on as well.
Happy Chinese cooking, my friends.
More Asian inspired chicken recipes:
- Healthy General Tso’s Chicken
- Sweet and Sour chicken with Pineapple
- Lighter butter chicken
- Chicken Pad Thai
- Thai Carrot Noodle Soup with Chicken
Did you make this recipe? It would mean a lot to me if you would leave a comment down below, along with a star rating. Also, be sure to share this recipe with any of your friends who you think might enjoy it. Thanks friends, I appreciate you being here.
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Chicken Broccoli Stir Fry (30 Minutes)
- Prep Time: 15 mins
- Cook Time: 15 mins
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 to 5 1x
- Category: entree, chicken, easy, one pan
- Method: saute
- Cuisine: gluten free, dairy free, healthy, superfood
- Diet: Gluten Free
Description
Chicken broccoli stir fry is a quick and easy meal that’s ready in 30 minutes, and only uses one pan. It tastes just like what you order at your favorite Chinese restaurant.
Ingredients
Sauce
- 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- Optional: 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 inch ginger, grated
- 3 to 4 garlic cloves, minced
- Optional: 1 to 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch (or arrowroot starch)
For the stir fry
- 2 pounds chicken breast, cut into 1 inch pieces
- salt and pepper
- 1 large white or yellow onion, cut into 1 inch wedges
- 2 heads of broccoli, cut into florets
- 2 to 3 tablespoons avocado oil, coconut oil, or grapeseed oil (you want to use a high heat cooking oil)
Options for serving
- white or brown rice
- cauliflower rice
- sesame seeds (for garnish)
- green onion, sliced (for garnish)
Instructions
- Make rice: if making rice the traditional stove top method you will want to start make it 10 minutes before you start the recipe. Other options are to make quick cooking rice (5 to 10 minutes), or microwave frozen rice.
- Make the sauce: In a small mixing bowl whisk together the chicken broth, soy sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil, grated ginger, minced garlic, and red pepper flakes (if using). To a separate small bowl add the corn starch and a small amount of water, use a small fork to whisk so that the slurry is smooth. Add the cornstarch slurry to the sauce and whisk to combine, set aside.
- Prepare: Prepare all of the remaining ingredients for the stir fry as instructed above. Place them all in separate bowls so everything is ready to go when you start cooking. Season the cubed chicken with salt and pepper.
- Cook the chicken: Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the oil, enough to coat the bottom of the pan. Once the oil is heated add the chicken in an even layer. Cook on one side about 3 to 4 minutes, or until the chicken easily releases from the pan. Flip and cook another 1 to 2 minutes, remove to a bowl or plate. It’s okay if not all the chicken is fully cooked because it will get cooked further with the sauce.
- Stir Fry: Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan, if needed. Add the onions and cook until they start to soften, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the broccoli and saute for another 4 to 5 minutes, or until the broccoli turns bright green. Add the sauce and the chicken (along with any chicken juices to the pan), turn the heat up to high and allow the sauce to come to a simmer. Allow the sauce to simmer for 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until the sauce has thickened enough so that when you drag your spoon across the pan the sauce stays separated for a while. Remove from the heat.
- To serve: Serve chicken broccoli over rice or cauliflower rice. Garnish with sesame seeds and sliced green onion, if desired.
Notes
Gluten free: To make this dish gluten free make sure to use gluten free soy sauce and fish sauce.
Soy free: you can substitute soy sauce for coconut aminos. If the sauce isn’t salty enough just add extra salt to taste.
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