Chicken Stir Fry Recipe

Everyone’s NO. 1 go-to stir fry is probably Chicken Stir Fry. Why not? It’s super quick, super easy and super tasty.

But do you stir fry your chicken with just soy sauce or teriyaki? Well, try this easy chicken stir fry recipe, which has a little more Chinese staple sauces in the mix, and is loaded with veggies.

The result? An absolutely delicious stir fry loaded with umami flavors and perfect crunch in every single bite...

We love wok time big time here at GypsyPlate. From Thai Cashew Chicken to Hunan Shrimp to General Tso’s Chicken, and so many more. It’s one cracker meal after another for your busy weeknights.

One of the simplest of all is this chicken stir fry, where the chicken is juicy and tender, as we choose chicken thighs rather than breast. It comes with lots of flavors in every single bite, with lots of veggies and a perfect stir fry sauce, which is the most important factor for the best tasting stir fry.

This Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry Recipe is a Keeper, Why?

1. This one is loaded with lots of veggies. The more the merrier, or should I say tastier. It’s a perfect clean out your refrigerator type recipe. Stir fry’s are a great way to feed veggies to the kiddos in your family.
2. Like any other stir fry, it happens quick… 20 minutes quick.
3. It’s a great meal prep contender. Go ahead and make a huge batch for all your weekly lunches.
4. There is a healthy balance of protein and veggies, all cooked in one skillet. Less mess, less clean up.
5. It’s versatile. Don’t have chicken? Try other protein, the rest of the recipe is same. Think beef, shrimp or pork.

Stir Fry Sauce: The Secret for the BEST Stir Fry

We feel if you want to have a great stir fry, then there is no way around adding more flavors into that sauce. Just regular soy or teriyaki is not going to get your there. Stir Fry Sauce is the main essence of any stir fry dish, and rounds up the whole meal to another level.

Really, it’s just a combination of these different ingredients, which may already exist in your pantry. If not, it’s worth grabbing those sauce bottles the next time you are grocery shopping.

• Soy sauce – The main ingredient for any stir fry. Can you think of any stir fry without soy?
• Dark Soy Sauce – Totally optional, but if you have it, DO use it for great color. All you need is a tiny dash to brighten the dish.
• Oyster sauce – This one is an UMAMI bomb. Gives a great depth of flavor to Asian dishes.
• Hoisin sauce – We love this extra added flavor. But if you don’t have it, you can sub it with extra oyster sauce.
• Rice vinegar – Gives a tiny bit of tang to the recipe. You can sub it with plain white vinegar.
• Honey – Just a little sweetness completes the perfect savory, sweet and tangy profile of that awesome stir fry.
• Red chili flakes – Optional, but so so good.

Other Chicken Stir Fry Ingredients

This chicken and vegetable stir fry is basically combining chicken with any vegetables available in your refrigerator. Today we used the following:

• Chicken – We love boneless skinless chicken thighs for this stir fry, as it yields juicy, tender morsels. But feel free to use chicken breast or chicken tenders if that’s what you prefer.
• Veggies – Carrots, bell peppers (use multi-colored for a colorful stir fry), red onion, mushrooms, broccoli and snow peas.
• Aromatics – Ginger and garlic.
• Oil – Your preferred neutral cooking oil
• Salt – Just a little when sautéing the chicken, as most of the saltiness comes from the sauce.

Easy Chicken Stir Fry Recipe

Once you cut your veggies, aromatics and protein, this stir fry happens super fast. Here is how to wok it…

1. Make the stir-fry sauce: Whisk all the stir fry sauce ingredients together in a small bowl.

2. Stir fry the chicken: Add oil to a large skillet or wok and heat on medium high heat. Once oil is hot, add chicken to the wok and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring every now and then. Add in salt, ginger and garlic and stir fry till most of the liquid evaporates.

3. Stir fry the vegetables: Add in all the veggies except snow peas, and cook till veggies are crisp tender.

4. Add in the stir fry sauce: Mix in the stir fry sauce and combine everything for a minute or two, till everything is well coated with sauce. Add in snow peas and cook for a minute or two.

Tips for the BEST Stir Fry:

• Cut the vegetables into similar sized pieces, so they will cook evenly. Cut the carrots into thin slices or cubes, so they can cook quickly with the rest of the veggies.
• We like to cut the chicken into thin strips instead of cubes, as they are more tender and delicious this way, especially if you are using chicken breast. Cut against the grain.
• Try to use vegetable with similar cooking times, to avoid under or overcooking. You want all the veggies crisp tender, not mushy.
• Cook the stir fry in a large wok so the chicken doesn’t overcrowd when cooking. Try to spread it all over the wok, to get a good sear on all the pieces. Cook in a sizzling hot wok on high heat.

Variations

Once you have a great sauce base, this is a very versatile recipe…

• Use different protein: You can use shrimp, sliced steak, pork or tofu instead of chicken. You can even use ground chicken, turkey or pork.
• Try other veggies: Use bok choy, baby corn, zucchini, green beans, asparagus, bean sprouts, water chestnut or cabbage. For lazy days, you can use frozen veggies.
• Add in cashews or peanuts.
• Try adding sriracha or other hot sauce, toasted sesame oil, or peanut butter into your stir fry sauce mix.
• Use garnishing like sesame seeds, scallions, cilantro, or crushed peanuts,

What to Serve with Chicken Stir Fry?

Rice. Our first choice for any stir fry is, of course, on a bed or warm white rice. It’s also great with brown rice and even cauliflower rice.

Noodles. Any Asian noodles are great with this chicken stir fry. If you like some kick, try our Spicy Noodles.

It’s not common, though we’ve tried it in lettuce wraps. It’s yum.

Leftovers and Storage

It’s great as a leftovers, as all the flavors blend well while it sits in the refrigerator. Simply store the leftovers in an air tight container and place in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. 

When you’re ready to eat, simply reheat it in the microwave until the stir fry is heated thorough. You can also reheat on the stove top over medium high heat in a skillet.

To Freeze: Stir-fry can be frozen for up to 3 months in an airtight container. It’s a great meal prep contender, as you can store and freeze it along with rice or noodles.

The next time you feel like woking, give our version of chicken stir fry a try. It’s more flavorful, more colorful, and more nutritious.

Stir fries are a great way to feed veggie power to all those picky eaters. No one complains when a big bowl of colorful, tasty chicken stir fry comes to the table… Chopstick time is ON!!

Be sure to check our other cracking Asian Recipes on GypsyPlate, and come back again for all the new flavors coming to you.

Chicken Stir Fry, on our Gypsy Plate… enjoy!

Try these other great stir fry recipes!
Ground Turkey Stir Fry
Mongolian Beef
Orange Chicken
Thai Basil Chicken
Bo Luc Lac
Pork Stir Fry
Beijing Beef
Kung Pao Chicken