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The Best Chicken Stir Fry is a quick and flavorful dinner loaded with chicken, your favorite vegetables, and a sweet and savory sauce. Ready in under 30 minutes, this easy recipe is perfect for busy weeknights.
When it comes to fast and delicious dinners, nothing beats a homemade chicken stir fry. With juicy chicken, fresh vegetables, and a perfectly balanced sauce, this recipe is a go-to for busy nights when you want something better than takeout but just as satisfying.
What makes this stir fry the best is how easy it is to customize. Swap in whatever veggies you have on hand, adjust the sauce to your taste, or serve it over rice, noodles, or even cauliflower rice for a lighter option. It’s a super versatile, family-friendly meal that’s fast and easy to make.
What You’ll Need
Be sure to scroll to the bottom of the post for the FULL PRINTABLE recipe card.
- Chicken Breasts – you can use chicken thighs as well
- Broccoli
- Zucchini
- Mushrooms
- Garlic
- Cashews – I love the added crunch, you can whatever nut you like or leave it out if you need nut free.
- Vegetable Oil
- Soy Sauce
- Chicken Broth
- Honey
- Sesame Oil
- Chile Garlic Sauce – this is optional, I just like a little bit of spice in the background. It is not enough to be spicy, just adds that extra something. You can use crushed red pepper flakes, or just leave it out.
- Cornstarch
- Water
How To Make Chicken Stir Fry
- Brown Chicken. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add the oil and once it is hot you can add your chicken pieces. Let them brown for 3-4 minutes. They do not need to be fully cooked, just browned on the outside. Remove from the pan and keep warm.
- Cook Veggies. Add your vegetables to the pan and cook for 5-7 minutes. How long will depend a little bit on the vegetables you use. Let them cook down and get crisp tender or to your desired doneness. Add the garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes until you can just smell it.
- Add Sauce. In a liquid measuring cup or small bowl whisk all of the ingredients for the sauce together until well combined. Pour over the chicken mixture, add the cashews as well, stirring to coat.
- Thicken. Mix together the cornstarch and cold water to make a slurry. Pour into the skillet, mix and cook for 1-2 minutes until the sauce starts to chicken and coat the chicken mixture.
- Serve. Remove the skillet from the heat and serve over rice.
Recipe Tips & Variations
- Vegetables. I used my favorite vegetables for this, but you can use whatever you like and have on hand. Onions, bell peppers, carrots, snap peas, water chestnuts, bean spouts etc. So many different things you can add to use what is in your fridge.
- Piece Size. One of the best tips for a stir fry is to try to have everything in the same size pieces. That means they will quick evenly, and you won’t have some chicken super dry while others are perfectly cooked.
- Frozen Vegetables. You can absolutely use frozen vegetables in this recipe. You do not need to thaw them, just add to the pan when called for. The cooking time may vary to get them thawed and softened.
- Serving. I like to serve over white rice, but you can use whatever you like. Brown Rice, Quinoa, or even cauliflower rice make great options.
- Nuts. I love cashews, so that is what I used here. We make my Cashew Chicken Recipe pretty much weekly in our house. So I always have a big bag on hand. But you can leave them out, use pretty much any another nut or top with sesame seeds instead.
Storage
You can store leftovers in individual portions over rice for easy reheating. Or you can store them separately. Microwave until it is warmed through.
Freezing
This actually freezes well too. I like to freeze over the rice in individual portions. It should last for up to 3 months. Then you can just take it out when you want a quick lunch or dinner. Let it thaw and reheat to serve.
More Easy Chicken Recipes
- Chicken Pesto Pasta
- Creamy Garlic Chicken
- Chicken Scampi
- Honey Sriracha Chicken Bites
- Orange Chicken
Best Chicken Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 pound chicken breast, cut into cubes
- 1 1/2 cups broccoli florets
- 1 small zucchini, sliced
- 8 oz mushrooms, sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon chile garlic sauce
- 2 tablespoons cold water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 cups cooked white rice
Instructions
- Add the vegetable oil to a large skillet over high heat. Once it is hot, add the chicken and brown for 3-4 minutes until golden. Does not need to be cooked all the way through. Remove from the pan and keep warm.1 tablespoon vegetable oil, 1 pound chicken breast
- Return the skillet to the heat and add the broccoli, zucchini and mushrooms. Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally until they are cooked down and starting to brown.1 1/2 cups broccoli florets, 1 small zucchini, 8 oz mushrooms
- Add garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes until you can start to smell it.2 cloves garlic
- Meanwhile, in a liquid measuring cup or small bowl whisk together soy sauce, chicken broth, honey, sesame oil, and chile garlic sauce.1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup chicken broth, 2 tablespoons honey, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, 1 teaspoon chile garlic sauce
- Pour the sauce over the chicken mixture and add the cashews. Stir until everything is coated.
- Mix together water and cornstarch to make a slurry. Pour into skillet and stir to incorporate. Let it cook for a minute or two, until it thickens and coats the chicken mixture.2 tablespoons cold water, 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Remove from the heat and serve over rice.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
