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!
Honey garlic chicken ingredients
The base of this stir fry is chicken breast, vegetable oil, salt, pepper, carrots, broccoli and garlic. The sauce is made with chicken broth, soy sauce, honey and cornstarch.
How do you make chicken stir fry?
To make chicken stir fry, you’ll need boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces, 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 skillet. 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!
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.
Recipe FAQs
Chicken stir fry is a great addition to a healthy diet. It contains lean protein and plenty of nutrient packed vegetables. It is also lower in fat and calories.
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.
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.
The key to an authentic tasting stir fry is to make sure your pan is very hot, and that you don’t have too much meat or vegetables in the pan at any given time so that you can get a nice sear on everything. It’s also helpful to use a wok if you happen to have one in your kitchen.
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 different veggies such as bok choy, sugar snap peas, bean sprouts, water chestnuts, mushrooms, bell peppers, snow peas, 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: Garnish your stir fry with a sprinkle of sesame seeds, green onions, chopped cilantro or crushed red pepper flakes.
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.
Notes
- 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.
- 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.
Really delicious! Added 3 large Serrano peppers and a healthy amount of cilantro. The heat really compliments the honey.
Yum! I made this and it was great. It was simple and it’s one of my favorites! Keep the easy, delicious recipes coming!
My kids love this dish! I like to add more vegetables like Bella mushrooms and less chicken … easy and tasty!
This honey garlic chicken stir fry was so easy to make and the perfect weeknight quick dinner recipe. I also had everything on hand to make it which was wonderful!
Chicken stir fry is one of my favorite dishes. I always get it when we order take out. This chunky version is really great!
This honey garlic chicken stir fry was a big hit with my family. Will be making this flavorful and fabulous stir fry often.
The sauce looks absolutely incredible! YUM!
This looks so yummy! What a great dinner recipe. Can’t wait to give it a try!
This is a good recipe. I did not have the raw vegetables, so I cooked a frozen broccoli, carrot and cauliflower medley in the microwave then added it to the chicken mixture after it was done. It worked out fine! I will use this recipe again.
My husband just said “amazing!” Followed exactly. Loved the sauce!
Delicious! And even better is both my kids love!
Can you make this in an air fryer?
I don’t think this would work in the air fryer!
Hello, please help, love your ‘zoo’ name!
I’m not a very good cook but would love to try your honey garlic chicken recipe but please, I’m in the UK and I don’t know what a cup is by way of a cooking measurement. Are you able to tell me a weight or another measurement, eg. 100g or
6 tablespoons, instead of a cup please?
Also, I don’t know what chicken broth is, or cornstarch. Is chicken broth, chicken stock? Like made from a cube please? I’m not sure about cornstarch. Is it perhaps the same as cornflour that we have in the UK?
Thank you in anticipation you can help me.
Kind regards, Donna
Chicken broth is similar to chicken stock, it comes in a can or container but not in a cube. And cornstarch is like cornflour. I will look into converting the measurements, I know there are calculators online but I’m not that familiar with them!
Oh thank you sooo much. I have been unable to find chicken broth in a can or container, do you think it will be ok to use a stock cube with added water please? Same regarding cornstarch, please do you think it will be ok to use cornflour? I will look for the calculators you mention but thank you sooo much for replying.
yes using a bouillon cube should make a good substitute for chicken broth or stock in a pinch
Made this tonight for dinner exactly how the recipe is and it was delicious and easy. I added a few ingredients such, I sautéed onion with the broccoli and carrots and then added about 1 tbs of ginger paste with the garlic.
What about if I have frozen broccoli but raw carrots?
You’d need to still cook the carrots to soften them!
Delicious and simple! Thank you!
A new family favorite! I made it almost exactly as written, but did throw in a handful of slivered green onions. Might use lite soy sauce next time or tamari. Will be part of our regular rotation for sure!
Easy sauce to make with stuff on hand.
Try low sodium Tamari. Glutten-free and perfect balance.