This honey garlic chicken stir fry recipe is full of chicken, broccoli and carrots, all coated in the easiest sweet and savory sauce. A healthier dinner option that the whole family will love!
When I’m looking for a quick meal, I turn to Asian style dishes such as chicken and green beans, chicken and asparagus stir fry and this flavorful honey garlic chicken.
So it seems like stir fries have kind of become my thing. It wasn’t something I set out to do, but my stir fry recipes tend to be some of the most popular recipes on my site, and this honey garlic chicken stir fry is an all time favorite!
How do you make chicken stir fry?
To make chicken stir fry, you’ll need boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into cubes, broccoli, carrots, soy sauce, honey and garlic. Cook the vegetables in a hot pan, then remove the vegetables and add diced chicken breast and minced garlic. When the chicken is cooked through, add the vegetables back into the pan. Whisk together chicken broth, soy sauce, honey and cornstarch, then pour over the chicken and vegetables. Simmer for a few minutes then serve and enjoy!
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. I typically cook my meat in batches for the best results.
Tips for the perfect chicken stir fry
- Cut your vegetables into similar sized pieces so that they’ll cook evenly. I recommend slicing the carrots very thin so that they cook quickly.
- This recipe is for garlic lovers, with 4 cloves of garlic in the sauce. If you’re not a big garlic fan, you can cut this amount in half with great results.
- I recommend using low sodium chicken broth to help control the salt content of the dish. You can also use low sodium soy sauce if you prefer. Use a tamari sauce to make this recipe gluten free.
- Chicken stir fry is great served over rice, quinoa, cauliflower rice or noodles.
Honey garlic chicken variations
This dish is delicious as written, but there are many different ways that you can customize it to your tastes.
- Protein: Instead of chicken breast, try chicken thighs, shrimp, sliced steak or cubes of tofu.
- Vegetables: Swap in bok choy, mushrooms, bell peppers, baby corn or zucchini instead of the broccoli and carrots.
- Flavorings: Feel free to add other flavors to the sauce such as fresh ginger, lime juice, hot sauce and toasted sesame oil.
- Toppings: Finish your stir fry with a sprinkle of sesame seeds, green onions, chopped cilantro or crushed red pepper flakes.
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.
Once you try this chicken stir fry, you’ll find yourself making it on a regular basis!
More stir fry recipes
- Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry
- Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
- Teriyaki Shrimp Stir Fry
- Orange Beef Stir Fry
- Moo Goo Gai Pan
Honey Garlic Chicken Stir Fry Video
Honey Garlic Chicken Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon vegetable oil divided use
- 1 cup thinly sliced peeled carrots
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth or water
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a large pan over medium heat.
- Add the broccoli and carrots and cook for approximately 4 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
- 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 garlic to the pan and cook for 30 seconds.
- 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 chicken broth, honey and soy sauce.
- In a small bowl mix the cornstarch with a tablespoon of cold water.
- Pour the soy 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 was originally published on February 9, 2017 and was updated on December 29, 2019 with new content.
Teesie says
Can I use beef broth instead? Or will that overwhelm the flavor?
Sara says
Beef broth should be fine!
Gary W says
I am retired and now do most of the cooking made this for my wife who is a long term administrator, she had board meeting so surfed a s found this. I used store bought chic breast , I thawed it, followed recipe!!! Outstanding I added extra honey and it much better than in the big restaurant!
Thanks
Kay says
Can this be a freezer meal?
Sara says
That should be fine!
karen says
added sauteed onion and sliced bell peppers to the veggies to, 1. stretch the dish further, and 2. to increase the veggie load, and red pepper flakes to the sauce. yummy
Keila says
Is it necessary to add chicken broth to the sauce? I don’t have any and don’t know where to get it either. Thank you!
Sara says
You can use water instead!
Lise says
Delicious!!! I didn’t use less sodium soya and I will next time, I diluted with water as it was too salty but love it. Will make again for sure! Thank you
Louise says
Absolutely delicious! Best story fry I have ever made. Thanks so much.
Sharon K says
This was delicious. I made it tonight. This was such a easy and healthy recipe. I added some onions. I will definitely be making this again. Thanks for sharing
Cara says
Can I use frozen or canned carrots?
And frozen broccoli ?
Sara says
Yes that’s fine you’ll just want to cook them for less time.
Valerie says
Hi! I only have thinly sliced chicken cutlets. You think cutting them in thin strips will work?
Sara says
Yes that should be fine!
Brandi says
Tried your recipe tonight and I’m typing this while eating. IT IS AMAZING! My boyfriend is extremely picky and he is already telling me he wants more tomorrow! I’m not one to write reviews but this deserves it! Thank you so much for sharing!
Louise says
How does this do with chicken stock instead of broth?
Sara says
That’s fine to use!
Judy says
Thank you Sara, for all of your ideas. They’re very useful! This recipe looks delicious and I’m going to try it for sure!
Rick says
The best stir fry I have ever had .
Jessie says
This was delicious and simple. Everything I have readily available.
sister123 says
Awesome recepie!! This was so delicious! Thank you!
Lois Demers says
Followed the sauce to the letter, except added a bit more garlic. It was just what I was looking for, and my husband loved it too. Had it over jasmine rice and it was excellent!
Joy says
My entire family loves this, which is strange because they’re all picky in different ways.
The only thing I did different was waiting till the sauce was boiling to add the slurry, because that’s how I was taught and it’s almost sacrilege to do it otherwise in my family.