This ginger chicken is pieces of chicken breast sauteed with broccoli, ginger and garlic, all in a savory sauce. A quick and easy stir fry recipe that’s perfect for a busy night, and always gets rave reviews.
I love to recreate some of our favorite take out dishes at home including chicken fried rice, beef chow mein, and this simple, yet totally satisfying ginger chicken.
There’s nothing better than a good chicken stir fry, and this ginger chicken is a big hit with both the adults and kids in my life. What I love about this dish is that it’s healthy, and can be easily customized to suit your tastes.
How do you make ginger chicken?
This recipe starts with fresh broccoli, which cooks until tender along with some garlic and ginger. Remove the broccoli mixture from the pan, then add chicken and cook until the chicken is browned. Place the broccoli back into the pan, then mix together a sauce of oyster sauce, chicken broth, soy sauce and sesame oil. Pour the sauce over the chicken and vegetables, then simmer until thickened. Serve your ginger chicken and enjoy!
Tips for the perfect stir fry
- I like to start a pot of rice at the same time as I start my 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.
- This recipe works best with freshly minced ginger. Peel your ginger, then use a sharp knife to cut thin slices against the fibers. Chop the slices into tiny bits. You can also use a microplane to grate your ginger if you prefer.
- I typically use fresh broccoli in this recipe. You can substitute frozen broccoli in a pinch, but I feel that fresh has better flavor and texture.
- This dish stays fresh in the refrigerator for up to 4 days which makes it great for meal prep.
- Serve your stir fry over steamed rice, quinoa or noodles. If you’re watching your carbs, try using cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles.
- This recipe calls for oyster sauce, which can be found in the ethnic foods aisle of most grocery stores. It is a traditional ingredient in Chinese cooking and adds a rich, savory flavor to the sauce. If you can’t find oyster sauce or prefer not to use it, you can use hoisin sauce instead. Hoisin sauce is sweeter than oyster sauce, so if you’re going that route, reduce the amount of sugar by half.
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 vegetable oil in a very hot pan until golden brown and cooked through. Be careful not to overcrowd your pan; if you add too much chicken at once, it will steam instead of brown. I typically cook my chicken in batches for the best results.
WHAT KIND OF SAUCE DO YOU PUT IN A STIR FRY?
Most stir fry sauces are made with soy sauce, garlic, chicken broth, and other seasonings such as sesame oil, ginger, rice vinegar, hoisin sauce, sugar, oyster sauce 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.
Ginger chicken flavor variations
This dish is fabulous as-is, but you can easily add other ingredients that you have on hand.
- Protein: Instead of chicken breast, try chicken thighs, sliced flank steak, pork tenderloin, tofu or shrimp.
- Vegetables: There are a variety of other vegetables that work well in this stir fry such as mushrooms, carrots, green beans, bok choy, cabbage or bell peppers.
- Flavorings: Feel free to add other items to punch up the flavor such as toasted cashews or almonds, bamboo shoots or crushed chili flakes.
I make this ginger chicken all the time – it’s a great way to get the kids to eat their veggies, and there are never any leftovers at the end of the night!
More Asian recipes to try
Ginger Chicken Video
Ginger Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 2 1/2 cups small broccoli florets
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/4 cup oyster sauce
- 1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth can also use water
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the broccoli and cook for approximately 3-4 minutes or until broccoli is 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 to keep warm.
- Wipe the pan clean with a paper towel and turn the heat to high. Add the remaining tablespoon of oil.
- Season the chicken 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 per side until golden brown and cooked through.
- Add the broccoli mixture 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, soy sauce and cornstarch.
- Pour the sauce mixture over the chicken and vegetables and bring to a boil; cook for 1 more minute or until sauce has just started to thicken.
- Serve immediately, with rice if desired.
I’ve made many different versions of this dish, and this one is by far the best. Such a great recipe, thanks!
Will become a staple in my house. Super easy to make, healthy and I think I got it done in under 20 mins (altho cheated a bit and had hubby prepare the chicken). Trying your pineapple chicken next …
Sara, please come out with a Asian cookbook.
Your dishes are amazingly good. I no longer order take out!
This dish was another hit. I made it with stir fry noodles and 4 chicken breasts.
I tripled the amount of sauce. Delicious!
So glad you enjoyed it!
Great recipe. I added unsalted cashews at the end of browning the chicken for a delicious crunch.
This is absolutely amazing. I subbed hoisin for the fish sauce. Beyond epic. Thank you!
Great recipe. I double up the garlic and triple/quadruple the ginger for my tastes. I’ve also substituted hoisin for the oyster sauce and it may be even better this way.
My mother-in-law who can’t cook any more requests I make this for her every couple of weeks. Cheers!
I love ginger chicken. It is perfect to serve with fried rice and chopseuy.
Forget take out, I’m making my own ginger chicken from now on. Your easy to follow directions and tips really help me to make sure I make the best meal I can for my family.
The ginger adds such a unique and delicious flavor to the dish. The chicken comes out so tender and juicy, and the sauce is just perfect. It’s definitely a new favorite in my household!
The colors in these photos are so vibrant. Hope mine looks as beautiful. I love ginger and can’t wait for this. Thanks!
Is there a good substitute for oyster sauce?
Use 2 tablespoons of hoisin sauce and omit the sugar in the recipe!
It took a bit of prep time, but this recipe was so tasty. The chicken was tender and the sauce delicious. I added a diced red sweet pepper to it for more colour.
This was absolutely delicious! The sauce was rich and full if flavor. I used low sodium soy sauce and garnished with slivered almonds.
Thus paired perfectly with a side if brown rice.