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.
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 (and cheaper!).
How do you make chicken and broccoli stir fry?
This recipe starts with broccoli and mushrooms, which are sauteed to tender perfection 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!
HOW DO YOU COOK CHICKEN FOR STIR FRY?
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.
WHAT KIND OF SAUCE DO YOU PUT IN A STIR FRY?
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.
Tips for chicken and broccoli stir fry
- 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.
- Not a fan of mushrooms? You can add more broccoli instead, or try some sliced carrots.
- This recipe can easily be doubled and is a great meal prep option.
- For a different flavor, you can use shrimp or even thinly sliced flank steak instead of the chicken.
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.
Nutrition
This post is sponsored by Kitchen Fair. Thank you for supporting the brands that make Dinner at the Zoo possible! This post was originally published on April 20, 2016 and was updated on March 26, 2019 with new content.
Jamie says
I have made this recipe multiple times! It is by far my favorite. I have deleted the others I’ve tried because they can’t compare. I always double the sauce, throw in any extra veggies I have and serve over jasmine rice! Way better than takeout.
Shelagh says
I can tell this recipe is going to be delicious when I make it shortly but my question is do you think I can make this a day ahead for a meal train and that the recipients can reheat it in the microwave or should I cook it slightly less and then the reheat on the stove?? Thanks for all your great recipes, so glad I signed up for your emails.
Sara says
Yes it should be fine to make a day in advance!
Tracy A says
This was DELICIOUS!! Next time I am doubling this recipe so we have leftovers!!
Jade says
Delicious! I omitted the mushrooms & added some cashews, as one of the comments had suggested & it turned out great! My family requested that I make this again soon & add this recipe to our regular meal rotation.
Emily F says
Easy and quick. I wanted more sauce, so I used 1 cup broth and 2 tsp corn starch. And a bit of honey…I like it spicy, but my kids don’t. So I added some hot sauce on my plate. It was over the top! A keeper recipe!
Clare says
I’ve done this with chicken and today I did it with king prawns (veg stock instead of chicken)
and added some cashew nuts and it was equally delicious. Everyonen wolfed it down. A big hit.
Irina says
I made this chicken and broccoli stir fry for our lunch today, and it turned out so delicious that I have already shared the recipe with my family and friends. OMG! Everyone seems busy cooking now! 🙂
JaneK says
Very tasty and easy recipe. I made some adjustments to it based on preference.
1. I used boneless thighs which I marinated for 30 min in a little soy sauce, corn starch, ginger, garlic salt & pepper.
2. I increased the veggies by an extra cup. Used a mixture of brocolli crowns, mushrooms, red pepper, red onions and asparagus.
2. To the sauce mixture, I added 2 tsps of Chinese chili paste and used brown sugar instead of white.
Maria A Fugere says
Great recipe! I made it with Boneless Chicken thighs, and I added Asian chili sauce. Very good!
Adriana says
Very easy to make and very tasty. I added onion, red pepper and crushed red pepper, also a splash of soy sauce. I also fried the chicken first and used the same pan for the vegetables for a little more flavor. Thank you
DORAL A ALLEN says
I have not made this yet but I did not want to lower your 5-star ratings. My question has to do with the fact that in great big letters you have written CHICKEN AND BROCCOLI STIR FRY VIDEO but there is no video. Where is it?!
Sara says
You will have to disable your ad blocker to see the video!
Tracy says
i have made this recipe several times. it is very flavorful and easy to make. i cheated the last time and made it with rotisserie chicken and it was still good.
Sabrina says
Super Yummy and easy to make! This was my first recipe from “Dinner at the Zoo” and it sure won’t be my last – can’t wait to try her other recipes 🙂
Mary says
Great recipe and a tasty sauce, which really makes a good stir fry for me. Made this tonight with broccolini and shiitakes. Out of rice, so soaked rice noodles and tossed them in at the end. I’ll be making this one again.
Rosa A DeRamus says
I made this tonight using spaghetti squash instead of rice.
Fantastic!
I will make it again!
Rachel McGurk says
Hello, I can cook well myself, but always feel I have to change up some of the quantities in a recipe if I follow them directly, they just never hit the mark for me. You nailed this one! Although I didn’t have sesame oil, I did have tahini and probably should have only used one tsp, so with the thicker tahini I did not need the cornstarch. This has been a first for me today, I’m in my 50’s and this is the first recipe that I have followed word for word that has came out perfectly, so I had to comment, thank you for a delicious recipe.
Patty Wengler says
This was really good. I made a double batch and tripled the sauce. I used broccoli, cauliflower, red pepper, snow peas. Next time maybe only double the sauce.
Monique Straughter says
I made the chicken and broccoli and stir fry and it was amazing. Very easy to make and quick I love meal like that.
Stephanie says
Best Chicken and Broccoli recipe I have had to date! This recipe is gonna a keeper, all he kids agreed. I velveted the chicken with some additional cornstarch and soy but otherwise followed the recipe exactly. Better than any take out we can get around town. Thanks!
Mary says
Good recipe; only thing I’d do differently is Marinate the chicken in the sauce , I like a stronger flavor of the marinate.
Nicole says
I have made this dish a few times now and it is definitely a family favourite!! So easy and quick to make. Exactly what a busy family dinner should be!!
Cindy says
Made this tonight, so good! I didn’t have oyster sauce so I had to use teriyaki but It was still delicious!
Colleen says
This recipe was awesome. I can see why stir fries are a favorite for you at your house. It was relatively quick and delicious. Oyster sauce makes a really yummy sauce. Thank you from the ‘ville.
Jennifer Nissan says
This dish was absolutely relishes. Everyone loved it!