The Best Chicken Broccoli Stir Fry
- PREP 30min
- COOK 15min
- TOTAL 45min
We love this chicken and broccoli stir fry recipe, which features tender and juicy chicken, perfectly cooked broccoli, and the most delicious homemade stir fry sauce. We call for Shaoxing wine (Chinese rice wine) in this recipe. I highly recommend it in this recipe, but I have provided substitutes below.
You Will Need
Chicken and Broccoli
1 ¼ pounds boneless and skinless chicken breast or thighs
1 pound broccoli florets, cut into small pieces, 5 to 6 cups
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
3 tablespoons neutral oil like vegetable or avocado oil
Stir Fry Sauce
6 garlic cloves, minced
3 tablespoons minced fresh ginger (thumb-size piece)
1 cup chicken or vegetable stock
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine, see tips for substitutes
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 tablespoons sugar
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
Directions
Marinate Chicken
Slice the chicken against the grain into thin strips, then add to a bowl with 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 tablespoon light soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon oil. Mix well. Marinate for at least 30 minutes. If marinating for longer, do so in the refrigerator.
Make Stir Fry Sauce
Make the stir-fry sauce by combining all the sauce ingredients in a medium saucepan and placing it over medium heat. Heat the sauce while stirring until the sugar dissolves.
Make the Stir Fry
In a small bowl, stir 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 3 tablespoons of cold water. Set aside.
Heat a large, heavy skillet or wok over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of high-heat oil (like vegetable or avocado oil).
Add the marinated chicken in a single layer. Let it cook for one minute without moving until the underside starts to brown.
Toss the chicken and continue cooking until it’s almost cooked, 3 to 5 more minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
Add another tablespoon of oil to the hot pan. Stir in the broccoli florets and cook, stirring frequently, until bright green and crisp-tender, 3 to 5 minutes.
Return the chicken to the pan and toss with the broccoli for about a minute.
Pour in the stir-fry sauce. Give the cornstarch mixture another quick stir, then slowly add it to the pan.
Stir constantly until the sauce thickens and coats the chicken and broccoli. Serve immediately.
Adam and Joanne's Tips
- Shaoxing wine: A Chinese rice wine used in Chinese cuisine. It’s the most authentic choice in this stir fry recipe, so we highly recommend adding it to your pantry if you can find it. However, if you cannot find it, we have two alternatives: dry sherry or mirin. Mirin is sweeter than Shaoxing wine, so you will likely need to reduce the sugar by 1 tablespoon. One more option is to use rice wine vinegar, which makes the sauce taste slightly different, and you may need more sugar.
- Gluten-free tips: When shopping for the ingredients listed above (especially the soy sauce), look for gluten-free on the label. If you cannot find gluten-free soy sauce, look for gluten-free tamari, which, unlike soy sauce, is traditionally made without or with very little wheat.
- The best pan to use: While a wok is ideal for stir-fries, any heavy-bottomed skillet will work for this chicken broccoli recipe. Cast iron, stainless steel, and carbon steel are great choices, as they handle high heat well. Avoid nonstick pans for stir-frying. If you experience sticking, keep the heat high and add more oil to help the ingredients move freely in the pan.
- The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.