Chicken Stir-Fry

When in doubt, stir-fry it. Pretty much everything tastes better in a stir-fry, and I can name them all. Leftover rice? Absolutely. Tofu, shrimp, or beef? You know it. Heck, even chickpeas are borderline legendary when stir-fried. So while you can practically throw any combination of protein, veggies, and sauce in a pan and call it good, sometimes it’s helpful to have a basic formula to go off of to make things really extraordinary. Enter: my go-to chicken stir-fry recipe. A stir fry is one of my all-time favorite weeknight dinners when I just don’t have the energy to spend a long time in the kitchen or hit the grocery store—this recipe is no exception. Best of all, once you nail the basics you can make it as-is for my best-ever version, then use it as a jumping-off point to create your own perfect chicken stir-fry.

What People Are Saying:
“After reading the reviews, I decided to cut down on the salt by using low-sodium soy sauce (as recommended) and swapped in honey-roasted cashews for a little extra flavor. It turned out perfectly balanced for our family—just the right touch!” - txoldham

“My kids, who have become picky eaters, said this was a "10 out of 10" - which is a pretty stunning endorsement!” - mwraight

How To Make Chicken Stir-Fry

INGREDIENTS

• Chicken Breasts: I use chicken breasts in the recipe—they’re easy to prepare, and I usually always have a couple on hand. If you’re not a chicken breasts fan, you can also use chicken thighs instead. My top tip? No matter what protein you're using, try and keep the sizes all generally the same (and on the smaller side) to ensure even, fast cooking.
• Honey, Low-Sodium Soy Sauce & Sesame Oil: While a stir-fry sauce should be relatively simple, it’s also what brings the whole dish together—it deserves to be great. I created our sauce with three ingredients: low-sodium soy sauce, honey, and sesame oil. Make sure you’re using reduced-sodium soy sauce here; the regular stuff will be way too salty. Once you’ve whisked all of your sauce ingredients together, you’ll simmer in a skillet until thickened, around 5 minutes. Be patient—this is key to achieving a thick sauce that will coat all your chicken and veggies.
• Broccoli, Red Bell Peppers & Cashews: The real beauty of a stir-fry is how versatile it is. I went with broccoli, red bell peppers, and cashews for the mix-ins here, but you can really add in whatever you have on hand and prefer in your ideal stir-fry. Switch up the bell pepper type, swap the cashews for peanuts, or add in your favorite veggies—carrots, green beans, and scallions would be amazing here.
• Garlic: The savory backbone of all things delicious, garlic adds an integral bit of umami to our chicken stir-fry.
• Canola Oil: While I love sesame oil to impart nutty flavor to my sauce, I prefer to stir-fry with a more neutral-flavored oil (with a high smoke point) like canola oil.

STEP-BY-STEP INSTRUCTIONS

First things first, let’s mix our sauce. In a small bowl, whisk the low-sodium soy sauce, honey, and sesame oil together until thoroughly incorporated and set aside.

Next, in a large skillet over high heat, heat the canola oil. Add the broccoli, bell pepper, and garlic to the pan, stirring frequently, until softened, which should take about 5 minutes. Then, add the chicken and cook, tossing occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through, for another 8 minutes. Once cooked through, stir in the cashews and season the chicken-vegetable mixture with pepper.

Now, it’s time to bring it all together. Pour your sauce into the skillet and bring to a simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, until thickened, about 5 minutes. Be sure not to rush this step! A thickened sauce is key to bringing this stir-fry together and making sure all the flavors meld. Once thickened, serve your stir-fry over your favorite carb of choice (I’m partial to fried rice).

Full list of ingredients and instructions can be found in the recipe below.

Recipe Tips

• Taste-test your sauce: I highly recommend tasting your sauce before adding to your pan, and adjusting based on your preferences. Decrease the honey or soy sauce if you prefer a less sweet and/or salty sauce, or add some sriracha if you want a kick of heat.
• What to serve with chicken stir-fry: A bed of fluffy white or brown rice is the best friend of any stir-fry, but feel free to swap in cauliflower rice and cauliflower fried rice (if you’re looking to cut down on carbs), or fried rice, which is my own personal favorite pairing.

Storage

Once cooked and cooled, you can store any leftover chicken stir-fry in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.