Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry
This Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry is a healthy dinner idea that is super easy to make! There is plenty of delicious sauce to serve with rice or noodles.
Servings: 4 people
Calories: 520kcal
Ingredients
- 2 Tablespoons peanut oil can sub vegetable or olive oil.
- 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts
- Salt/White Pepper to taste
- 3 cups broccoli florets washed and patted dry
- 1 yellow onion sliced
- 1 bell pepper sliced
Sauce
- 3 Tablespoons cornstarch + 3 tbsp. cold water
- 1 ½ cups chicken broth
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/3 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 ½ tablespoons honey
- 2 cloves garlic minced
For Serving
- 3 cups cooked rice any kind. See notes.
Instructions
Prep Work
- Combine cornstarch + 3 Tablespoons water in a covered container and shake to combine. Set aside in a cool place.
- Combine remaining sauce ingredients in a medium bowl and set aside. Prepare additional ingredients before beginning.
Cook the Chicken
- Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces and pat completely dry. Season with salt/white pepper. Heat peanut oil over medium-high heat. Once heated and glistening, add the chicken. Let it sear, undisturbed, for about 3 minutes, then rotate and allow the other sides to cook through and turn golden, about 2-3 more minutes. Remove and set aside.
Cook the Vegetables
- Reduce heat to medium and add a splash more oil if needed. Add the broccoli and onions and toss to coat. Cook for 3 minutes, until slightly softened. Add the bell peppers and cook for 1-2 minutes.
Add the Sauce
- Add sauce mixture and bring to a gentle boil. Let it simmer/reduce for 2-3 minutes. Take the cornstarch mixture and give it a shake. Slowly stir it into the sauce. Let it continue to bubble gently until desired thickness is obtained. Reduce heat to low.
Add the Chicken Back
- Stir in the chicken and let it heat through. Serve over rice! *See notes for my process on making perfectly cooked, flavorful rice.
Notes
Pro Tips:
My process for perfectly cooked rice:
Storage:
- Frozen broccoli may also be used. Thaw and pat dry and proceed as outlined in the recipe.
- Ingredient additions include: Julienned carrots, water chestnuts, celery, kale, and more.
- Topping options include: Green onions, roughly chopped peanuts, sesame seeds, crunchy chow mein noodles, and sliced almonds.
- To control sodium in this recipe: Consider using low sodium soy sauce and/or reduced sodium broth.
- After cooking the chicken, feel free to deglaze the skillet with 1/2 cup dry white wine, (such as Chardonnay, Pinot Grigio, and Sauvignon Blanc) reduce by half over medium heat, then add the broccoli/onions.
- Feel free to try my variation of this recipe that uses Ground Beef.
My process for perfectly cooked rice:
- Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. (I add 2 chicken bouillon cubes to the water for enhanced flavor.)
- Add 1 cup of white long grain rice and let the liquid come back up to a boil.
Cover tightly and reduce heat to a gentle simmer for 15 minutes. (I set my heat to low.) - Remove from heat and let it stand in the pot for 10 minutes with the lid on, any rice stuck to the bottom will release.
- This yields 3 cups of flavorful, perfectly cooked rice. I use a Dutch oven for this which conducts heat well.
- Note that other varieties of rice may require different liquid measurements and/or cooking times.
Storage:
- Store in an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 3 months. (Leftovers do freeze well!)
- The Nutrition Information is per serving, there are 4 servings in this recipe, and the rice is included. Note that the nutritional information is an estimate and can vary based on ingredient brands used, etc.
Nutrition
Calories: 520kcal | Carbohydrates: 74g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 1301mg | Potassium: 861mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 29g | Vitamin A: 1393IU | Vitamin C: 103mg | Calcium: 83mg | Iron: 2mg