This chicken stir fry is loaded with fresh veggies and coated in a flavorful stir-fry sauce. It’s an easy 30-minute meal better than takeout and perfect for weeknights!
If you love 30-minute meals, try my honey sesame chicken, ground beef broccoli recipe and fried rice with pineapple, too!
Table of Contents
Easy Chicken Stir Fry Recipe
An easy stir fry recipe is one of my go-to weeknight dinners, along with kung pao chicken, Mongolian beef and Korean ground beef bowls. Everything cooks together quickly in one skillet. This and chow mein chicken are my kind of meals!
Just add in your favorite veggies and serve over Instant Pot rice or chow mein noodles. You could even keep it low-carb and serve it over steamed vegetables, cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles. So many ways to make this chicken stir fry recipe perfect for you!
Easy Stir-Fry Ingredients
Find the full printable recipe with specific measurements below.
- Olive oil: This will heat up in a pan to prevent ingredients from sticking. Use sesame oil if preferred.
- Onion and garlic: Diced onion and minced garlic will be added to the olive oil to enhance the flavors.
- Vegetables: Chop and slice carrots, all colors of bell peppers, and broccoli floret into bite-sized pieces. These raw vegetables bring so much color, texture, and flavor to this easy stir-fry recipe.
- Chicken: Cube your boneless skinless chicken breasts into 1-inch pieces that are bite-size to eat easier. You can use chicken thighs but they will take longer to cook.
- Yoshida’s Gourmet Sauce: There are two types of Yoshida’s Gourmet Sauce; teriyaki and original. I used the original stir fry sauce but either one will work great for this recipe. You can also use this homemade teriyaki sauce.
How to Make Chicken Stir Fry
This easy stir fry with chicken is a simple and delicious dinner! All you need are your favorite vegetables, cooked chicken, and a stir fry sauce.
- Veggies. Cook vegetables in an oiled skillet (or wok pan) on until tender-crisp. You want them to be tender enough to eat but still have a crunch. This usually takes about 5 to 10 minutes on medium-high heat. Once cooked, transfer to a plate.
- Chicken. Add in the diced chicken and cook until the center is no longer pink about 5 to 6 minutes. Make sure to flip the meat over about halfway through so that both sides get lightly golden.
- Sauce. Add the cooked vegetables back into the pan with the chicken, then pour in the stir-fry sauce.
- Simmer. Let the mixture simmer for about 5 minutes until the sauce thickens up. Then serve over rice and enjoy!
Tips and Variations for the Best Stir-Fry
- Dice evenly. Make sure to cut the chicken and vegetables into similar-sized pieces so that this easy chicken stir fry cooks evenly in the skillet.
- Don’t overcook. You want to cook the vegetables until they’re tender, but still have a crunch. If you cook them too long, they’ll become mushy when simmering in the sauce.
- Add some spice. Sprinkle some red pepper flakes or a dash of sriracha into the sauce for a little heat.
- Rice. If you’re making rice on the stove, start it prior to cooking the chicken. It takes about 20 minutes to make, so you want it to be done around the same time as the chicken stir fry. If using brown rice, start before starting the stir-fry.
- Garnishes. For the best chicken stir fry, sprinkle sesame seeds, bean sprouts, peanuts, cashews, water chestnuts or chopped green onions on top before serving.
More chicken breast recipes to try include chicken and broccoli stir fry, sheet pan chicken and veggies and sweet and sour chicken.
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Chicken Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 1-2 Tablespoons olive oil (more if needed)
- 1 small onion (diced)
- 2 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 cup carrots (chopped)
- 3 bell peppers (chopped, I used 1 red, 1 orange, 1 yellow)
- 1 head broccoli (chopped)
- 1 pound chicken (cut into 1 inch pieces)
- ⅓ cup Yoshida’s Gourmet Sauce (more as needed)
Optional: sliced mushrooms, snap peas, bok choy or any extra veggies you want to throw in
For serving: Rice
Instructions
- Make rice. If serving with rice, start cooking it prior to beginning the chicken since it will take the longest to cook.
- Stir fry vegetables. Place 2 Tablespoons olive oil in a large skillet or wok pan over medium heat. Add small onion and cook for a couple of minutes. Add 1 cup carrots, 3 chopped bell peppers, 1 head broccoli florets and 2 teaspoons garlic to the pan and cook until tender (5-10 minutes). Place the veggies on a plate.
- Cook chicken. Add more olive oil if needed. Then add 1 pound chicken to the pan, flipping once the bottom is lightly browned. Salt and pepper to taste. Cook until the center is no longer pink, about 5-6 minutes.
- Combine and simmer. Once the chicken is cooked, add the vegetables and sauce to the pan. Let simmer for about 5 minutes over medium heat, or until the sauce has thickened.
- Serve. Serve over rice or noodles.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition provided is an estimate. It will vary based on specific ingredients used.
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to give it a star rating below!
Recipe FAQs
This dish tastes delicious served over coconut rice, fried rice, cooked quinoa, or cauliflower rice. Don’t forget a side of homemade egg rolls or cream cheese wontons!
If you are not able to use fresh vegetables, frozen vegetables work well too. You do not need to thaw the frozen vegetables before adding them to the skillet. Just add them directly to the heated skillet and begin cooking. They tend to cook quicker and maybe a little more soft compared to fresh vegetables.
This usually means that your chicken was overcooked. The protein fibers have lost their elasticity and create a rubbery texture on the outside and inside. Using a meat thermometer does help if you are worried about overcooking or undercooking your chicken.
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days. I don’t recommend freezing leftovers as the vegetables will become mushy when thawed.
Categorized as: 30 Minute Meals, 30 Minute Meals, Asian, Chicken, Dairy-Free, Dinner, Meal Prep, One Pot, One Pot, Stovetop
Jamielyn Nye is the founder and recipe creator at I Heart Naptime. She is the author of the I Heart Naptime Cookbook and shares easy family-friendly recipes and desserts for every occasion.
Are the nutritional facts per serving or the whole dish? Yes, I’m a noob.
Hi Cheryl, per serving :)
So delicious and quick to make. The whole family loved it. Will make again.
I’m glad you liked the stir fry Abby!
Simple to make and delicious. I honestly can’t believe my picky 14 year old not only asked for seconds, but asked me to make it again! WIN!
That’s amazing Doreen! So glad you and your family enjoyed the recipe :)
I made this for dinner. Even though fresh veggies take forever to wash clean and slice, it was a good recipe. The flavor was very mild but good. I will jazz it up next time now that I’ve made once to get the feel of the recipe. I will cook my rice in a chicken broth next time for added flavor too.
Chicken broth is a great idea Jen! I’m glad you enjoyed the stir fry :)
Thank you for this recipe..my family like it very much..so delicious..
It’s the most basic recipe I’ve seen which starts from the fundamentals and I see myself building it up over time. I couldn’t find any sauce in the shop but bought sweet and sour sauce which contains half of the fresh ingredients but I’m still going to use the core ingredients and add a bit of the sauce and will try to source some stir fry sauce.
Which sauce of the Yoshida’s Gourmet sauce are you suppose to use for this recipe. Original or teriyaki?
I typically use the original, but either will work :)
Yummy! I used a leftover sauce from a previous Chinese recipe but it was oh so good! Quick and easy too!
Sounds delicious! Glad it worked out great for you, Sandy :)
I made this stir fry and my family loved it 💖
So happy to hear it was a success, Karen!
So easy and delicious. My family loves anything with an Asian flare. Will add this to monthly meal plan.
Glad they loved it! :)
This was really good and easy to make! I did end up adding a little bit extra sauce for more flavor
Love how easy this is to get on the table! Perfect way to change up our boring chicken dinner routine.