Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry is an excellent go-to lunch or dinner option. You know those busy busy days when you need a meal on the table quickly (and you’ve literally got nothing to go to at 5pm)… this is going to be your saving grace!
Juicy chicken pieces and tender crisp broccoli are mixed with a homemade stir fry sauce to create a quick meal that the whole family will love!
I love serving this chicken broccoli stir fry recipe over rice, but you can serve it over noodles if you’d like, or even enjoy it on its own!
Chicken Stir Fry is a go-to around here! All of us absolutely love it, it takes just minutes to make and it’s fresh and healthy!
I’m always looking for homemade lunches (and dinners) that taste great and reheat well and this Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry fits the bill perfectly.
The great thing about chicken stir fry is that it’s loaded with fresh veggies and lean protein so it’s the perfect meal! While this recipe is simple with just broccoli, feel free to add in whatever is in your fridge to make it your own! Peppers, mushrooms and zucchini are great choices too!
It’s just one of many recipes I’ve tried from the newest addition to my beloved cookbook collection, The Weekday Lunches & Breakfasts Cookbook! This yummy book was written by my good friend Mary (who blogs over at Barefeet in the Kitchen)!
It’s packed with easy meal ideas for breakfasts and lunches (and if you’re anything like us, they make perfect dinners too). I can assure you first hand that Mary’s recipes are always easy to make and nothing short of delicious. You can grab your copy here on Amazon!
How to Make Chicken Stir Fry
Chicken Stir Fry always turns out the best when you cook it at a high temperature. This ensures that you don’t overcook the chicken or broccoli and adds a nice brown crust to the chicken. I like to make sure that all of my ingredients are prepped before I begin cooking so I am not scrambling to get everything into the skillet on time!
Browning your onion and chicken in your skillet adds tons of flavor to this dish, so resist the urge to stir your skillet too soon! Using chicken thighs ensures delicious juicy bites of chicken every time however you can certainly replace it with chicken breasts if you prefer. Be sure to watch the chicken breasts don’t overcook.
Adding oil your skillet ensures the chicken doesn’t stick while it’s cooking. If it does stick a bit that’s ok because the sauce will deglaze, and all of that deliciousness will add a ton of flavor to this chicken and broccoli stir fry.
While you cook your chicken and steam your broccoli, you can quickly stir together your sauce ingredients. Once you add your sauce, make sure you scrape the bottom of your skillet well to add in those yummy browned bits and stir it all to combine.
Once it is thickened, you are set with a delicious at-home meal option that tastes better than take-out! Serve this easy meal over rice or noodles for the perfect meal!
This chicken and broccoli stir fry can be made ahead, which makes dinner time even faster. I love packing it for school lunches too! It will last about 3 days in the fridge in an airtight container, and can be reheated in a microwave or on the stove top! (And remember you can grab your copy of this awesome book here).
More Take Out Favorites
- Sticky Bourbon Chicken
- Easy Ramen Stir fry
- Homemade Wonton Soup
- Easy Fried Rice Recipe
- Cashew Chicken Stir Fry
- Easy Beef Stir Fry
- Easy Mongolian Beef
Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 1 ½ tablespoon light flavored olive oil or coconut oil divided
- 1 medium onion sliced into thin strips, about 1 ½ cups
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 ½ pound boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 2 inch pieces
- 1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
- ⅓ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon chili paste
- 3 cups bite-sized broccoli florets
- cooked rice for serving optional
Instructions
- Heat a large stainless steel skillet over medium-high heat. Add ½ tablespoon of oil, and let it warm for a few seconds. Add the onion strips and let them cook for 2 minutes. Add the garlic and stir. Push the garlic and onion to the outside of the pan.
- Pour the remaining oil in the center of the skillet. Add the chicken. Spread across the skillet and sprinkle with cornstarch. Cook without stirring for 2 minutes, until browned, and then use a sturdy metal spatula to lift and flip each piece of chicken. Cook for 1 minute.
- While the chicken is cooking, stir together the soy sauce, honey, and chili paste. Add the sauce to the skillet and stir to combine.
- Add the broccoli on top of the other ingredients and cover with lid. Cook for 2 minutes. The broccoli should be bright green and barely softened. Remove the lid and stir, scraping up any bits of sauce or meat from the bottom of the skillet. Simmer 1 minute to thicken the sauce, stirring frequently. Serve on its own or over rice, if desired.
Make-Ahead Directions
- Store this in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove. This can be stored in one large container or portioned into individual servings for storage and reheating.
Notes
Nutrition Information
Nutrition information provided is an estimate and will vary based on cooking methods and brands of ingredients used.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Asian© SpendWithPennies.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited. Please view my photo use policy here.
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Repin this Scrumptious Stir Fry
A rare resounding 5 star rating from the whole family. Thanks!
This was so good!!!!! I made exact recipe and it was delicious, flavorful and juicy. My extremely hard to please bf loved it and now this will be added to our monthly swap! I am so glad I found you!
Just a couple things to note overall it is a wonderful recipe! I used Sriracha because I didn’t have chili paste (little less than tablespoon) and it turned out great also I don’t have a stainless steel pan so I used a non-stick pan instead and when you add the corn starch it does cake at the bottom. So if you were using a nonstick pan I would suggest making a little bit of a slurry with the corn starch and the sauce. Use a pan with walls not a sauté pan and add more broccoli. I’m excited to try adding pineapple next time. Awesome job with this recipe lady!
Thank you! So glad you enjoyed it, Anna.
Family favorite!!!!!
My family loves this recipe. We sometimes add water chestnuts (when I remember) and cashews at the end before serving. Tonight, my husband said, the recipe needs to be added to the weekly rotation. Thanks again. You have great recipes!
Thank you Jill! So happy that you and your husband love this stir fry!
Sounds great, will try soon.
I really loved it had to substitute a few ingredients but came out like I was in a restaurant. Thank you so much for posting this recipe.
Looking forward to discovering your recipes, they look so delicious.
I haven’t tried your recipes yet I will try them when I get home
Some great recipes here
Listen I am sooooo glad I stumbled upon this recipe. All of my children loved it ranging from age 5 to 14. My husband even liked it. They wanted seconds. The recipe was very easy to make. Thank you sooooooo much!!!
I am so happy to hear that Sherry! Glad everyone loved it :)
Hi Holly, allergic time chili/paste. What can I replace it with please?
Thank you so much.
Hi Ferryal, You could try replacing it with your favorite hot sauce or crushed red pepper flakes.
I tried this last night, and chose this because many of the recipes called for Hoisin sauce or oyster sauce which I did not have. Luckily I did have everything in this recipe and with a couple adjustments. I cut the honey in half since I don’t like sweet sauces, and added several tablespoons of fresh ginger, as well as took a recommendation of another reviewer and added the corn starch to about a 1/3 of a cup of chicken broth before I added it to the chicken (increasing the corn starch also and even at that the sauce wasn’t as thick as I’d like). But overall it was a huge hit! I also loved the fact that after letting the chicken cook for a while, you just add the broccoli on top of the chicken and then cover. It steams the broccoli so nicely, then toss it all together. The chicken was tender, the broccoli was bright green and cooked to perfection. I am planning on using this sauce for so many stir fries in the future, substituting with pork or steak and other vegetable combinations. Fabulous! Thank you so much!
Those sound like great additions Tess! Glad you enjoyed it.
When do we add the cornstarch?
In step 2. Pour the remaining oil in the center of the skillet. Add the chicken. Spread across the skillet and sprinkle with cornstarch.
Perfect!!! I made this for the first time tonight. It was delicious and a hit.
The recipe was easy to prepare, required minimal ingredients, and healthy. My college-aged, son loved it and wants me to make it again tomorrow night.
Thanks!
Awesome! We have made it twice and everyone loves it. Thank you, You have great recipes and have enjoyed many that I have yet to review…but they are all winners!
Hi if I don’t have cornstarch what can I use? All purpose flour?
Hi Cinthia, we haven’t tried this recipe with flour but it should work!
Fantastic! Tasted just like restaurant dish and has healthy ingredients too.
This sounds great! Does the chili paste make it very spicy/hot? I want my 10 year old grandson to like it. I also plan to use onion powder instead of the onion, because he does not like the onion but I think he’ll be fine with the flavor of onion. Is this a reasonable solution or should I just grate the onion so small that it will dissolve as it’s cooking? If onion powder is ok, how much would you suggest?
While we don’t find the chili paste spicy, you may want to start with half of the amount if you’re not sure. While I’ve never tried it, you could substitute about 1 – 1 1/2 Tablespoons of onion powder in place of the onion. Enjoy Julie!
Family loved this — even the kid who says she doesn’t like stir-fries! Thank you for a terrific recipe! The only thing I would change is when the corn starch is added; I would add it to the sauce and stir it in, or to a Tablespoon or two of chicken stock. Sprinkling it on caused some to drop to bottom of pan and cake on it.
So glad the recipe was enjoyed by your family Meg. Thanks for the tip on the cornstarch!