Having lived in Singapore for ten years, I love Asian food and I absolutely adore stir fry recipes. Simple one-pot meals that can be made quickly and easily. This easy stir-fry is a great way to get the kids to eat their daily veggies as well as stir-fry with broccoli.
Why make this stir-fry
A great stir-fry starts with a great base. This one uses chicken breast or thighs with a variety of veggies and a few pantry sauces. It’s quick and delicious. It gets done in 15 minutes and is better than any takeaway you can order. Trust me. It’s simple. Most of the ingredients are easy to find or already in your pantry. In fact, it is a great recipe to use up leftover veggies in the fridge. This is a meal on its own, chicken for protein and lots of veggies. And it’s also gluten-free. And, you can also serve this over a bowl of boiled noodles, white or brown rice as well as over cauliflower rice or quinoa.
Ingredients and substitutes
Chicken – I’m big on using chicken thighs. And yet, chicken breast will also work just as well. Veggies – I love a combination of colorful veggies. So today, I am using green beans, orange carrots, and of course colors peppers – yellow, red, green, and orange. But, the options for veggies are plenty. You can also add sweet peas, snow peas, snap peas, baby corn, mushrooms, etc for additional fiber. Personally, I do not recommend veggies like zucchini because they add too much liquid to stir frys and they become soft very easily. Sesame oil – Gives the stir fry that Asian flavor and smell. I also used sesame chili oil, but you can also use red pepper flakes Corn starch – Helps thicken the sauce and give us that thick rather than watery sauce. It also helps bind everything together. I used water to make the cornstarch slurry, but you can also use chicken broth or chicken stock. Sauces – Today, I am using low sodium soy sauce, both light and dark but you can also use tamari. I love the flavor of rice vinegar but you also use white vinegar or dry sherry. Herbs – I love to use cilantro, and yet parsley works just as well. Honey – For sweetness, but Japanese mirin works just as well. Green onions – Always add a nice touch to any Asian dish with its fresh leafy greens. My kids do not like it so I omit them in my recipe but I highly recommend them.
Step-by-step: Chicken stir fry recipe
Prep the chicken – Clean, wash, and pat dry the chicken. Cut into bite-size cubes or long strips.Pro tip – Cut the chicken into small pieces so they cook quickly and can be eaten without having to be cut.
Chicken – In a wok or wide saute pan ( I like using my 12-inch cast-iron skillet) add one tablespoon of oil. Add the chicken pieces and spread them so they cook in a single layer. Cook for 2 minutes on one other side. Then, turn them and cook a few minutes more until almost cooked. Remove chicken and set aside.Pro tip – The chicken breast will take about 6 minutes while chicken thighs will take 8 minutes to cook. Veggies – To the same wok/skillet add the remaining oil. Stir fry the garlic and ginger and onions for 2 minutes. Then, add the red chilly and green beans and cook for 2 minutes more. Add the carrots and cook for another 2 minutes. Next, add the peppers and stir fry until well combined.Pro tip – Add the peppers only after the beans and carrots are almost tender because peppers cook in less than 2 minutes and must stay crunchy.
Assemble – Return the chicken back to the pan and stir-fry another minute. Then, add all the sauces: light and dark soy sauce, sesame oil, chilly oil, rice vinegar, and honey. Season with kosher salt and pepper.Pro tip – Use less salt in the beginning as some of these sauces contain salt. In the end, taste and adjust as necessary. Thicken – Finally, combine the cornstarch with water to make a slurry and add it to the stir fry. Combine well. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve immediately over boiled noodles, steamed rice, or on its own.
Tips for stir fry
A stir-fry if done correctly is an absolute treat. So take care of the little things. The meat has to be well cooked, yet smoky not steam. The best way to do that is to pat dry the meat thoroughly so it does not stew in its own juices. The veggies have to be cooked al-dente meaning cooked but with a bite not soft and not mushy. This means add veggies that take longer to cook first and leaving the quick-cooking ones for later. In this recipe, I have added the green beans first, then the carrots, and then the peppers. The right pan for a stir-fry is a wok. If you don’t have a wok use, a light sauté pan or cast iron large skillet that you can handle medium high heat. However, never use non-stick pots or heavy bottom pans. Non-stick will get ruined, and the heavy bottom pan will create steam and stew the meat. Mise en plas or prepare before you stir-fry. A stir-fry is a quick dish, which means you have to get all the things ready before you turn that heat on. Cut the ingredients you need, prepare the sauce, have the garnish chopped. Keep that serving platter on hand so you can take it off the heat quickly. Quick-cooking – Most stir-fry dishes take not more than 7 to 10 minutes on the heat. The idea of stir-fry is to cook quickly on high heat so keep that flame on high or medium-high. Use a splash of water when necessary to bring down the temperature of the heat in the pan. Never leave the wok unattended.
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