This Healthy Chicken Stir Fry is loaded with veggies and chicken coated in easy sweet and savory stir fry sauce. It is a 30 minute meal everyone will love!
Stir fries like chicken and broccoli stir fry, chicken asparagus stir fry and healthy orange chicken are a true saving grace on busy weeknights.
Table of Contents
This healthy chicken stir fry is a spin-off of the classic chicken stir fry. Tender chicken and crisp vegetables are coated in homemade stir fry sauce.
It’s one of our favorite quick healthy dinners. Perfect for a weeknight family supper, dinner on the fly, even impressive enough to serve a gang or when company is coming.
Kids love anything stir fry! So you can often find me in the kitchen making chicken and cabbage stir fry or teriyaki chicken and cauliflower because I know dinner table will be quiet.
Ingredients for Healthy Chicken Stir Fry
To make this healthy chicken stir fry recipe, you will need very simple ingredients.
- Chicken: I used boneless skinless chicken breasts. You can use cubed chicken breast or thinly sliced chicken breast, so it sears quickly. Boneless skinless chicken thighs also will work.
- Vegetables: Plan around seasonal veggies or just wing it with whatever you have on hand. Crisp carrots, bright red bell peppers, broccoli, onion, asparagus, cauliflower and snow peas make a colourful combo. If you’re more adventuresome, try eggplant slices, a variety of mushrooms, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, or a handful of bean sprouts. Check out this awesome guide to Asian greens and vegetables.
- Stir fry sauce: Cornstarch, chicken broth, soy sauce or gluten-free tamari, honey or maple syrup or brown sugar and vinegar. That’s it! No oyster sauce, mirin or sake.
- Seasonings: Grated fresh ginger and garlic.
- Oil, for frying: My go-to stir fry oil is avocado oil because it has a high smoke point. Other great option is coconut oil. Olive oil or sesame oil has a low heat point, so it’s not recommended.
- Garnishes: Toasted sesame seeds and green onions.
How to Make Healthy Chicken Stir Fry
Here is a step by step process in photos how to make healthy chicken stir fry at home. There is also full recipe card below.
Prep: “Stir fry” means to cook small pieces of food quickly on high heat while constantly stirring. So make sure all ingredients are prepped before you light the stove. Cut the vegetables and chicken breast.
Make stir fry sauce: Whisk together broth, soy sauce, maple syrup, vinegar, cornstarch, ginger, garlic and set aside.
Get the oil in your wok or deep pan hot, hot, hot! Your pan is ready when a few drops of sprinkled water sizzle and dance on the surface.
Cook chicken: Add chicken to the skillet and cook for 3-4 minutes per side before stirring. Then stir and cook a few more minutes until chicken is tender.
Don’t overcook the meat. That’s one secret of a successful healthy chicken stir fry recipe. Also don’t overcrowd the pan or the meat will steam instead of quickly searing.
Cook vegetables in batches: Remove cooked chicken breast onto a plate. Add oil and cook onion and bell peppers first, about 2-3 minutes.
The second secret is to not overcook your vegetables. You want your healthy chicken stir fry full of bright crunch and color, in the pan and on your plate.
Add sauce to the wok: Then add broccoli, whisk stir fry sauce because cornstarch settles, add it to the skillet and give it a gentle stir.
Let the sauce come to a boil. Cook for a few minutes until the sauce is nice and thick, stirring often.
Combine ingredients and garnish: Return cooked chicken breast, onion and bell peppers to the wok and mix everything together. Throw on some sesame seeds and your chicken stir fry is ready!
Tips for Best Results
Here are top tips for the best healthy chicken stir fry recipe in the world!
- Be ready: “Stir fry” literally means to cook ingredients quickly on high heat while stirring constantly. So make sure meat and vegetables are prepped even before you turn on the stove.
- Cut vegetables into uniform size pieces: Not only will veggies cook evenly but also your healthy chicken stir fry will have more pleasant look and texture.
- Best cookware for stir fry: To get a good sear on chicken and veggies, I recommend to use large deep ceramic non-stick skillet. I find wok does not sear food well on residential stove but rather steams it with its high walls. Cast iron skillet will work great too! Use what you are used to.
Variations
To make this healthy chicken stir fry recipe, use what you have on hand. Here are a few ideas:
- Using frozen vegetables: You can use store-bought frozen vegetable mix or even labeled “stir fry blend” vegetables. I use it with Instant Pot stir fry. Cook until vegetables are warmed through and to your preferred doneness. Keep in mind they are already somewhat “cooked” by freezing process.
- Using bone-in chicken: You can use bone-in chicken drumsticks or chicken thighs for a more hearty healthy chicken stir fry and to save money. You will have to cook it a bit longer with a splash of water.
- Dried ginger: If you don’t have any fresh ginger, use 1 teaspoon of dried ginger instead. Or just omit it.
- Dark colour sauce: If you would like dark chicken stir fry sauce like mine in photos, use brown sugar.
- Other sauce: Try healthy orange chicken sauce!
Serving Ideas
Steamed rice is the traditional accompaniment to any of stir fry recipes. You can also serve healthy chicken stir fry with cooked quinoa, Instant Pot long grain white rice, brown rice vermicelli, udon noodles or Instant Pot brown rice.
To enhance flavors even more, add a tablespoon of butter and green onions on top.
For a low carb chicken stir fry meal, serve over a bed of spaghetti squash noodles, cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles.
How to Store and Reheat
Store: Refrigerate healthy chicken stir fry leftovers in an airtight container for 1-2 days.
Reheat: To enjoy warm again for healthy lunch, reheat chicken stir fry by simmering in a small pot with a splash of water or chicken broth until heated through. Stir occasionally and enjoy all over again.
I do not recommend to freeze this dish because vegetables will become soggy upon thawing.
FAQs
Best vegetables to stir fry are firm vegetables like broccoli, carrots, onions, zucchini, snap peas, bell peppers and bok choy. However, you can stir fry almost any vegetables, the only think is their cook times will differ.
Stir fry carrots, onions, mushrooms and broccoli for about 8 minutes. Snow peas, zucchini and bell peppers will need 3-4 minutes. Zucchini and green beans can be stir fried for 5 minutes.
Yes. You can add frozen vegetables without thawing to this chicken stir fry recipe. Cook for shorter amount of time than you would fresh vegetables, until veggies are warmed through.
Yes. It’s ideal for busy weeknights. Refrigerate chopped vegetables, chicken and stir fry sauce in separate bowls, covered with plastic wrap for up to 2 days. Cook as per recipe.
More Stir Fry Recipes to Try
- Basil cashew chicken
- Instant Pot stir fry
- Chicken lettuce wraps
- Egg roll in a bowl
- Chicken soba noodles
Healthy Chicken Stir Fry
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1.25 lbs boneless chicken breast or thighs, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 large white onion, thinly sliced
- 2 large bell peppers, thinly sliced
- 1 lb broccoli, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 inch ginger, peeled and minced
- 1 3/4 cup chicken stock, low sodium
- 1/4 cup soy sauce, I used Bragg’s liquid aminos
- 2 tbsp honey, maple syrup or brown sugar
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds, for garnish
- 2 tbsp Avocado oil, for frying
Instructions
- Cut the vegetables and chicken. “Stir fry” means to cook small pieces of food quickly on high heat while stirring. I highly recommend the vegetables and meat are prepped before you light the stove.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together chicken stock, soy sauce, maple syrup, vinegar, cornstarch, garlic and ginger. Set aside.
- Preheat large ceramic non-stick skillet on medium heat and add 1 tbsp of oil.°To cook boneless chicken breasts or thighs: Cook uncovered for 3 minutes per side, stirring a few times.°To cook bone-in chicken: Add chicken and 2 tbsp of water to a wok, sprinkle with a bit of salt, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Turn, cover and cook for another 10 minutes.
- Remove chicken on a plate and return skillet to high heat. Add 1 more tbsp of oil, onion and bell peppers. Cook for 2 minutes, stirring once or twice. Remove onto a plate.
- Return skillet to medium heat, add broccoli, whisk stir fry sauce well (cornstarch settles fast at the bottom) and add to the skillet. Stir, let sauce come to a boil, then cook for a few minutes until thickened, stirring often.
- Return cooked chicken, onion and bell peppers to the skillet. Stir gently, turn off heat and garnish stir fry with sesame seeds.
- Serve hot over Instant Pot quinoa, Instant Pot brown rice, brown rice vermicelli or whole wheat spaghetti.
Notes
- Store: Refrigerate covered for up to 2 days.
- Reheat: To enjoy warm again, reheat by simmering it on the stove with a splash of water or broth until heated through. Stir occasionally and enjoy all over again.
- Meat with bone in: You can replace chicken breasts with 2 lbs chicken drumsticks/thighs. Cook times indicated in the recipe.
- Best veggies to stir fry: Crisp carrots, bright red peppers, broccoli, onions, asparagus, cauliflower and snow peas make a colourful combo.
- Dried ginger: If you don’t have any fresh, use 1 tsp of dried instead.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Let me preface this by saying: I do not cook. I have had to take up the responsibility for the household recently. Meaning tonight. I made this, and 10/10 nailed it. Recipe was delicious, and I even screwed it up a bit. (I measured with my heart). I think the ginger did a lot of heavy lifting, but even for me, a non-cook, turned out amazing. Veggies used: broccoli, bell pepper, snap peas, baby corn, water chestnuts.
It’s my absolute pleasure to hear you enjoyed this recipe so much! Your comment made my day! If I could I would cook only with measuring with my heart, but I am sure readers wouldn’t appreciate those measurements haha.
I just made this recipe for supper tonight and it was delicious! My husband and I both had seconds. I added carrots and celery (for more veggie). Highly recommend!
So nice of you to say, so happy you and your husband loved it, Nancy! Thank you for the rating!
Delicious and simple to make. My 24 year old son, total foodie and the cook for his 3 roommates, said it was the best stir fry he’s ever had. My Husband and I loved as well. Doubled recipe for 3 of us and plenty of leftovers for 2 lunches for my son. He will be making on rotation for he and his roommates. As recipe indicates, prep all ingredients and make sauce before starting cooking process. Quick and healthy!
That’s one of the best compliments ever! Glad all of you guys, enjoyed this stir fry!