This recipe for chicken and broccoli stir fry is a classic dish of chicken sauteed with fresh broccoli florets and coated in a savory sauce. You can have a healthy and easy dinner on the table in 30 minutes!
There’s nothing better than a good stir fry, I always make honey garlic chicken stir fry, teriyaki shrimp and this easy chicken and broccoli dish. Serve up some pan fried noodles on the side, and watch the rave reviews come in!
There’s nothing better than a quick and easy dinner recipe for when you don’t have a lot of time to cook, and this chicken and broccoli stir fry definitely fits the bill. This dish tastes like something you’d order at a Chinese restaurant, except it’s better for you than takeout (and cheaper!).
Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry Ingredients
To make this recipe, you will need chicken breast, oil, broccoli, mushrooms, ginger, garlic, oyster sauce, chicken broth, sugar, sesame oil, soy sauce, cornstarch, salt and pepper.
How do you make chicken and broccoli stir fry?
This recipe starts with broccoli and mushrooms, which are sauteed to tender perfection in a large skillet along with some garlic and ginger. After the veggies are cooked through, the chicken goes into the pan to brown. The final step is an easy sauce which gets poured over the chicken and vegetables to simmer. Add some steamed rice on the side and dinner is served!
Tips for the perfect dish
- I like to start a pot of rice at the same time as I start my chicken stir fry. The rice will be done at the same time as your meat and veggies and you’ll have a complete meal in 30 minutes.
- Leftover broccoli chicken will stay fresh in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- This recipe is a great option for meal prep. You can divide the chicken and veggies into smaller containers and add a scoop of rice for a satisfying lunch or dinner.
- You can use frozen broccoli if needed with great results.
- Be sure to cut your chicken into similar bite-sized pieces so that it will all cook at the same rate.
Recipe FAQs
The best way to cook chicken for stir fry is to season it with salt and pepper, then sear it in oil in a hot pan until browned and cooked through. Be careful not to overcrowd your pan; if you add too much meat at once, the chicken will steam instead of brown.
Most stir fry sauces are made with soy sauce, garlic, and other seasonings such as sesame oil, ginger, rice vinegar, chicken broth or chili sauce. One important component of stir fry sauce is a thickening agent, such as cornstarch. A thicker sauce will cling better to your chicken and vegetables. This recipe calls for oyster sauce, which is a salty Asian sauce that can be found in the ethnic aisle of most grocery stores. If you can’t find oyster sauce or prefer not to use it, you can substitute hoisin sauce.
You do not need to pre-cook your broccoli, it will become plenty tender as it cooks in the stir fry pan.
Flavor Variations
This recipe is great as-is, but you can add other ingredients to customize the flavors to your tastes.
- Protein: Swap out the chicken breasts for chicken thighs, pork tenderloin, shrimp or thinly sliced flank steak.
- Veggies: You can add other vegetables to the mix such as bok choy, snap peas, carrots, green beans or asparagus.
- Toppings: Finish this dish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds, green onions, cilantro or a drizzle of sriracha.
- Grains: Instead of white or brown rice, try serving your stir fry with noodles, cauliflower rice or quinoa.
My family has already requested that I make this chicken and broccoli stir fry again soon. I think next time I may switch out the mushrooms for bell peppers to add a little variety. That’s the beauty of this type of dish, it’s so easy to customize to your personal taste!
More great Asian food recipes
Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry Video
Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 2 cups small broccoli florets
- 1 cup sliced mushrooms if you don’t like mushrooms you can add more broccoli instead
- 2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/4 cup oyster sauce
- 1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth or water
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the broccoli and mushrooms and cook for approximately 4 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
- Add the ginger and garlic to the pan and cook for 30 seconds more.
- Remove the vegetables from the pan; place them on a plate and cover.
- Wipe the pan clean with a paper towel and turn the heat to high. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil.
- Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper and add them to the pan in a single layer – you may need to do this step in batches. Cook for 3-4 minutes on each side until golden brown and cooked through.
- Add the vegetables back to the pan and cook for 2 more minutes or until the vegetables are warmed through.
- In a bowl whisk together the oyster sauce, chicken broth, sugar, sesame oil and soy sauce. In a small bowl mix the cornstarch with a tablespoon of cold water.
- Pour the oyster sauce mixture over the chicken and vegetables; cook for 30 seconds. Add the cornstarch and bring to a boil; cook for 1 more minute or until sauce has just started to thicken.
- Serve immediately, with rice if desired.
Notes
- Leftover stir fry will stay fresh in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- This recipe is a great option for meal prep. You can divide the chicken and veggies into smaller containers and add a scoop of rice for a satisfying lunch or dinner.
- You can use frozen broccoli if needed with great results.
Can it be made without sugar ?
Yes that’s fine!
Made this tonight. It wAs fantastic! Followed recipe to a T. Thank you!!
How much is one serving?
1 1/2 cups!
I don’t have any oyster sauce! Could I substitute with teriyaki or nam pla?
Yes teriyaki will work!
I have now tried the beef broccoli and this chicken broccoli with fried rice and then with white rice. Both are absolutely delicious! My family loved both! I used boneless chicken thighs in lieu of breasts but only because we already do a lot of chicken breast recipes. It was excellent! We will be doing both again . Easy , fast and really good! Thank you! 😊
Made this last night, because I have been craving Chinese. This recipe was SOOO good! Better than most Chinese take-out places in my area. Love finding a good Chinese recipe for home that actually tastes like it’s from the restaurant. I did make one change, I used ginger paste instead of fresh grated ginger (just for the simplicty). Will definitely be adding this to the rotation!
If substituting Hoisin Sauce, how much should you use?
The same amount as the oyster sauce, just omit the sugar.
Can I replace oyster sauce with Worcestershire sauce?
I haven’t tried it that way, but if you do I’d recommend just using 1 tablespoon of Worcestershire. Hoisin sauce also works.
Made this today and it was incredibly delicious! Thanks!
I liked it but would’ve liked it to be either sweeter or spicier. It was just kind of right down the middle. I think I’ll use a fiery sesame oil and add some more brown sugar. Overall, would definitely try it again!
My goodness this was very tasty ! I did double the sauce and i added a little brown sugar to it . Very good recipe!
Could you make a big batch of the the sauce?
Yes that’s totally fine!
I made it with spicy mango sauce instead of oysters sauce… It was amazing.
Would it still be good without oyster sauce?
You would need to substitute something else such as hoisin sauce!
Can I sub with Worcestershire sauce ?
What are you looking to substitute?
the oyster sauce
This is my go to stir fry recipe! I change up the vegetables depending on what I have in the refrigerator.
This was so easy to prepare! It’s delicious, too!
I cooked this for dinner. My husband loved it! Delicious and easy to make. Will cook this again for him.❤
By far one of the best recipes I’ve tried on Pinterest, super easy, doubled the sauce served with rice 🙂
Easy to make and delicious
Absolutely delicious and easy! Beautiful rich, flavorful sauce, very authentic. A GREAT dinner option while I’m trying to lose weight … with some brown rice it’s about a 450 calorie meal that is VERY satisfying.
LOVE IT!