Chicken and vegetable stir fry. A simple chicken and veggie dish with the best stir fry sauce ever. High heat cooking, tender chicken, crisp vegetables, and glossy sauce make this classic stir fry fresh, vibrant and satisfying. With simple ingredients and bold flavors, it’s nourishing enough to satisfy even the pickiest eaters. Also, this stir fry is endlessly adaptable. Make it a staple on your weekly menu!
Why I Love This Quiet Hero Of The Weeknight Table
In fact, stir fries tend to be fast, flavorful, and endlessly adaptable all at once. And it’s a celebration of fast cooking, fresh ingredients, and bold, layered flavors. Totally customizable, they slip effortlessly into busy weeknights.
What makes this dish so appealing is its simplicity. Simple equipments and techniques is all you need to make this family favorite. A hot wok, sliced chicken, a handful of vegetables, and a well balanced stir fry sauce come together to create something genuinely delicious. However, the way you slice the chicken and veggies, the order in which you add the ingredients, and even the heat of the pan influences the taste of the final dish.
The chicken should be just tender not dry, the veggies should retain the crisp texture, and the sauce should be bold enough to tie everything together. When it comes to the perfect stir fry, ingredient prep is everything. Slice chicken and veggies beforehand, and make sure they are cut into uniform pieces to ensure even cooking. In short, all the ingredients should be ready to go, because once the heat is on, there’s no time to pause.
Plus, the adaptability makes this dish perfect for weeknights. You can use whatever vegetables you have on hand including snow peas, broccoli, bell peppers (capsicum), zucchini, and mushrooms. While chicken is my go-to protein choice, you can easily substitute it with beef, prawns (shrimp), or tofu. The stir fry sauce, the back bone of the dish, is a typical blend of soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, broth (stock), and sugar. Make sure you mix the sauce before cooking so it’s ready to pour in at the right moment.
Well, why you need it in your recipe repertoire? In simple words, it’s the right way to turn simple ingredients into a satisfying meal in under 30 minutes. And of course, it’s a reminder that great food doesn’t need to be complicated.
Key Ingredients In Chicken And Vegetable Stir Fry
- Chicken - Cut into thin slices for easy stir frying.
- Vegetables - Broccoli, Zucchini, Carrots, Bell peppers (capsicum).
- Soy sauce - Key ingredient of the stir fry sauce.
- Broth or stock - To add flavor.
How To Make Chicken And Vegetable Stir Fry
Prep the stir fry sauce - A simple combination of soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, oyster sauce and a touch of brown sugar. A little cornstarch (corn flour) mixed with water thickens the sauce.
Make the stir fry - The magic begins with a hot wok. A swirl of oil hits the pan, and the chicken slips into the pan with a soft hiss. Sear it quickly and let the edges turn opaque. Once cooked, remove from the pan. Now, the vegetables get a quick stir fry in the pan followed by the aromatics, ginger and garlic. Finally, toss the chicken and veggies in the thick, glossy sauce. Feeling indulgent? Toss in your favorite noodles, and let them soak up the sauce.
Chicken And Vegetable Stir Fry
Ingredients
Marinate chicken:
- 800 g chicken breast or thigh, thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
- Salt to taste
Cornstarch (corn flour) slurry:
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch (corn flour)
- 1 tablespoon water
Stir fry sauce:
- 1 cup chicken broth (stock)
- ¼ cup dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
Stir fry:
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- 1 small bell pepper (capsicum), diced
- 1 small zucchini, sliced
- 1 small carrot, sliced
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- Salt and white pepper to taste
To garnish:
- Chopped spring onions (scallions)
Instructions
Marinate chicken:
- Place chicken in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper.
- Cover and refrigerate for 15 minutes if time permits.
Make cornstarch (corn flour) slurry:
- Combine together cornstarch (corn flour) in a small bowl.
Make stir fry:
- Place a wok or large frying pan over high heat.
- Add 1 tablespoon oil. When hot, add chicken. Stir fry for about 3-4 minutes or until lightly browned and cooked through. Remove from pan. Fry in batches if needed.
- Add remaining oil.
- Toss in vegetables - broccoli, bell pepper (capsicum), zucchini and carrot. Season with salt and ground white pepper. Stir fry for about 3-4 minutes or until crisp-tender.
- Add garlic and ginger. Stir fry for about 30 seconds or until fragrant.
- Return chicken to the wok. Stir to combine.
- Pour in the stir fry sauce. Toss until the sauce thickens and coats everything.
- Garnish with spring onions (scallions). Serve as it is, or over rice and noodles.
Notes
- Vegetables - Slice everything thin and even so it cooks at the same pace.
- Substitutes - For chicken, tofu, prawns (shrimp), beef. For vegetables, snow peas, pak choy, mushrooms, baby corn.
- Gluten free adaptation - Use gluten free broth (stock) and swap soy sauce with tamari.
Nutrition
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