The sauce in this broccoli chicken stir fry is perfectly “saucy,” making it ideal for serving over steamy rice. Homemade Chicken and Broccoli is an easy 30-minute meal, and it has the best stir-fry sauce.
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Chicken Broccoli Stir Fry Recipe
Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry satisfies the craving for takeout, and you’ll feel good about serving this to your family. It’s healthier than going out, and it’s simple to make into a meal served over cooked white rice, brown rice, or even cooked quinoa.
If you loved my famous Beef and Broccoli, then you will love this chicken stir-fry. It’s loaded with tender chicken, mushrooms, and fresh broccoli. I hope you’re inspired to make this easy and tasty dinner!
Chicken & Broccoli Stir Fry Video
Ingredients & Substitutions for Stir Fry
- Chicken – we used boneless skinless chicken breast, but chicken tenders or even thighs would be delicious here.
- Stir Fry Veggies – We love the combination of broccoli, onions, and mushrooms for an authentic Chicken Broccoli Stir fry. You could sub the broccoli with snap peas or zucchini and sub onions with julienned carrots. I don’t recommend frozen veggies sicne they can get mushy and water down the sauce.
- Chicken Broth – this adds more flavor, but water can easily be substituted.
- Soy Sauce – Since different brands have different amounts of salt, add soy sauce to taste. You can always add more at the end, but you can’t take salt out of a dish. For gluten-free, use Tamari sauce.
- Sesame Oil – this one ingredient gives the sauce authentic Chinese stir fry flavor. Do not skip it.
- Ginger & Garlic – fresh is best for stir fry, but in a pinch, you can substitute 1 tsp fresh garlic for 1/2 tsp garlic powder and substitute 1 tsp fresh ginger for 1/8-1/4 tsp ground ginger.
- Brown Sugar – we used 2 Tablespoons of packed light brown sugar. You can substitute with 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons of liquid sweetener, such as honey, or add it to taste.
- Corn Starch – using cornstarch as a thickener helps keep this gluten-free.
Pro Tip for Peeling Ginger:
The easiest way to peel ginger is to scrape the skin away with the side of a teaspoon. Once it’s peeled, finely grate it on a box grater or a microplane.
How to Make Broccoli and Chicken Stir Fry:
- Make the Sauce: Combine all of the sauce ingredients and stir to dissolve the sugar. Warm broth will help the sugar dissolve easily.
- Cook Chicken: Cut chicken into small 3/4″ bite-sized pieces and season lightly with black pepper. Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat with 1 Tbsp oil. Add chicken and cook 1 minute undisturbed then stir fry 5 minutes until golden and just cooked through. Remove chicken to a bowl.
- Stir-Fry Veggies: In the same skillet over medium-high heat, add 1 Tbsp oil, broccoli florets, sliced onion and mushrooms and stir fry 3 minutes until mushrooms are crisp and vibrant green then reduce heat. Do not overcook the veggies at this point or they can get mushy while cooking in the sauce.
- Add Stir Fry Sauce: Give the sauce a quick stir in case there was settling and add it to the skillet. Simmer the sauce over medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes until thickened and garlic and ginger have mellowed in flavor. To thin the sauce, add water as needed and you can add more soy sauce to taste.
- Return Chicken to the Pan and stir until heated through then serve over white rice garnished with sesame seeds if desired.
The KEY to Making the Best Stir Fry
A stir-fry is essentially flash-cooked on a very hot skillet, with a cooking time of less than 15 minutes. Since this recipe moves fast, you want to have every ingredient chopped, measured, prepped and ready to use before you fire up the skillet. If serving with white rice, you’ll want to put the rice on the stove first, then cook your stir fry. You’ll want to bookmark our tutorial for Perfect White Rice.
Storing and Reheating Stir Fry
Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry reheats well so it’s a great option for meal prepping.
- Refrigerate Leftovers – Once the chicken broccoli stir fry has cooled to room temperature, transfer to an airtight container and refrigerate for 3-4 days. I prefer not to freeze since the broccoli can become mushy.
- Reheating – It’s always best to reheat in the same method that the dish was cooked. Reheat in a skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally until hot. You can also reheat in the microwave in 30-second increments until heated through. If needed, you can add a little splash of water when reheating to bring back some moisture.
Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry Recipe
The sauce in this stir fry is perfectly "saucy," making it ideal for serving over hot and fluffy white rice. This recipe moves fast so start cooking your rice first and be sure to prep and chop all of your stir fry ingredients and make the sauce before cooking the stir fry.
Ingredients
Servings: 4 people
Chicken and Broccoli:
- 1 lb chicken breast, (boneless skinless), cut into 3/4" pieces
- 2 Tbsp cooking oil, (I used extra light olive oil), divided
- 1 lb broccoli, cut into florets (about 5 cups)
- 1 small yellow onion, sliced into strips
- 1/2 lb white button mushrooms, thickly sliced
Stir Fry Sauce Ingredients:
- 2/3 cup low sodium chicken broth
- 3 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce, (use Tamari for gluten free), or added to taste
- 2 Tbsp light brown sugar, packed (or honey to taste)
- 1 Tbsp corn starch
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, peeled and grated (lightly packed)
- 1 tsp garlic (2 small cloves), grated
- 1/4 tsp black pepper, plus more to season chicken
Instructions
- Make the Sauce – In a small bowl, combine all of the sauce ingredients and whisk to dissolve sugar and corn starch (warm broth will help dissolve the sugar faster). Set sauce aside.
- Prepare Chicken – cut chicken into small bite-sized pieces (no more than 3/4” thick) and season lightly with pepper. Heat a large heavy skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add 1 Tbsp oil. Add chicken in a single layer and let it sit undisturbed for 1 minute to get a good sear then stir fry for another 5 minutes or until golden brown just cooked through then remove to a bowl and loosely cover to keep warm.
- Stir Fry Veggies – In the same skillet, add another 1 Tbsp oil along with broccoli florets, sliced onion and sliced mushrooms. Stir fry 3 minutes or until mushrooms are softened and broccoli is crisp-tender then reduce heat to medium/low.
- Add Sauce – Give the sauce a quick stir in case there was any settling of starch and pour all of it over the vegetables. Simmer 3-4 minutes or until sauce is thickened and garlic and ginger are mellowed in flavor. To thin the sauce, add water a tablespoon at a time.
- Combine and Serve – Return chicken to the pan and stir another 30 seconds or until heated through. Add more soy sauce to taste if needed and serve over hot rice.
Nutrition Per Serving
325kcal Calories21g Carbs31g Protein14g Fat
Nutrition Facts
Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry Recipe
Amount per Serving
Calories
325
% Daily Value*
Fat
14
g
22
%
Saturated Fat
2
g
13
%
Cholesterol
73
mg
24
%
Sodium
586
mg
25
%
Potassium
1039
mg
30
%
Carbohydrates
21
g
7
%
Fiber
4
g
17
%
Sugar
10
g
11
%
Protein
31
g
62
%
Vitamin A
740
IU
15
%
Vitamin C
105
mg
127
%
Calcium
68
mg
7
%
Iron
2
mg
11
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Filed Under
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Tried making the recipe this weekend. Although I’m a beginner I’m glad I did it. Loved the mushrooms and broccoli. One of the best things I tried making myself. Thank you so much!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it
I halved the recipe but I would keep the amount of sauce – I may add raw cashews also.
That sounds great! Thank you for that wonderful review!
Absolutely loved this recipe. Such great flavors, and veg not too mushy. Appreciate you sharing this with us. We will be making this again, soon! Happy Holidays!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review! Happy Holidays!
This is a delicious recipe!! The only thing I did differently was I added the ginger with the vegetables & stir fried them since I thought the ginger flavor may be too strong for my kids if added just into the sauce. My whole family LOVED it!!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
Very tasty indeed! However I did also find it to be quite “heavy” as in a thick consistency. Wondering if I may have had too much flour in there 🙂
That could have caused it. I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe
I love this meal. Made brown rice to go with it. Next time, I’ll try egg noodles.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that.
Wonderful, detailed recipe! Could you use rice flour instead of AP?
Hi Marilyn. I haven’t tried it with rice flour. Honestly, I would love to know how it works out if you decide to experiment!
The glaze on that chicken is to die for! I need a new skillet for stir fry, and it’s important to me that it be deep — don’t want my food flying all over the kitchen while I’m tossing it 🙂
Those stir fry pans sure help a lot! I hope you find one that works for you!
I used Pork Tenderloin instead of chicken and it was delicious.
That’s so great! Thank you for sharing that with all of us Rick!
Tried this recipe this evening and it was a huge hit! I will definitely make again!
That’s so awesome Cynthia! I’m so happy you all enjoyed it!
This is my first try at one of your recipes and I was not disappointed. It’s great! Just a quick question: I just have myself to cook for, so I prefer to make smaller portions. How long can the sauce be kept in the fridge? Can it be frozen? Thanks! 🙂
Hi Danica! I don’t see why not, freeing the sauce should be good! It should keep good for a few days
We love this recipe! It is seriously so delicious
It’s a popular one! Thank you for the wonderful review, Maggie!
Made this the other night. Didn’t have broth or stock, just used water. This dish is delicious!! Will be making this again and again. We somehow had leftovers and tasted great the next day reheated on the skillet.
That’s so great! Thank you for sharing that with us Laura!
The sauce never turned thick?, it stayed liquid
I just found this recipe, looks yum and perfect for us! Has anyone tried to make it in advance?
Great recipe, my brothers loved it! Thanks for sharing! 🙂
You’re welcome Veronika! I’m happy to hear how much everyone enjoys the recipe. Thanks for sharing your great review!
Do you have to use ginger? I’ve never cooked with it and not sure I want to buy a lot for one recipe.
Hello Heather, ginger will give you the best flavor but other readers report enjoying the recipe without it.
Ginger will cost you less than a dollar. You can break off a small piece of the root at the store. You don’t have to buy the whole, intact one.
I made my sauce in a different pan then veggies. I also added about a 1/2 tap lemon and 1/4 lime juice. Instead of honey I used between a 1/4 and half a cup of maple syrup.
It was amazing, new family favorite!
Yum, that sounds delicious Brandi! I’m happy to hear how much you enjoy the recipe. Thanks for sharing your excellent review with other readers!
Thanks for info. I was wondering if maple syrup would work as well.
I also might use cauliflower rice.
WHEN i USE ANY STOCK, i ALWAYS DISSOLVE A TEASPOON OF MISO INTO THE STOCK FOR THAT UMAMI TASTE.
Great tip Johnny, thanks for sharing!
Yum! Thank you for the delicious and easy recipe. Stir fry takes time to prepare the vegetables, but it is not difficult. The results with this recipe are MORE than worth the time! I did not have fresh ginger so used crystallized instead (as per a recommendation online). Wow! So good!
I’m happy to hear how much you enjoy this recipe Susanne! Thanks for sharing your excellent review with other readers!
Can you use corn starch instead of flour?
Hello Venessa! I haven’t tested it with cornstarch but it may work to just toss the chicken in cornstarch, I’m just not sure how much of the remaining cornstarch you would want to add because 1/4 cup would probably make the sauce too thick. I hope that helps!