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
More Easy Chicken Recipes (Reader Favorites!)
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- Chicken Parmesan – easy and classic family favorite
- Chicken Chow Mein – adding chicken makes it a meal
- Chicken Tetrazzini – a creamy cheesy pasta bake
- Chicken Pesto Pasta – adding pesto sauce is genius!
- Chicken Korma – with a vibrant curry sauce
Chicken broccoli mushroom stir fry. The absolute best EVER. I’ll never use bottled stir fry sauce again. I did cut the brown sugar by one tablespoon…..but it was perfect. I love all the recipes I’ve tried. This is a favorite as well as the Chicken Avacado salad…..out of this world. Thank you, you’re delightful!!
Sounds like you found a new favorite, Janet! That’s just awesome!
Y’all when I tell you this recipe is delicious, believe me. My family ate the whole pot. As long as you keep making delicious recipes you have a fan.
Aaw that is the sweetest! Thank you so much for your wonderful comments, we appreciate it!
U are amazing. Easy to follow. Recipes yummy and simple. And the way u make. The recipes. Simple. And easy. U need. A. Cook. Book. I will be the first. To buy. I love. Your. Style. Of. Cooking. Simple. And easy. Some. Chief. Cook. And I say to myself. Gross thank. You. Xo Boston. Ma.
Thank you for your compliments, I am currently working on my cookbook I’ll share it with everyone when it’s done!
It was delicious! Loved it just the way you made it!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that Tamara!
First time trying Chicken and Broccoli because I usually make Broccoli Beef. I loved the recipe and the sauce (minor modification in using Truvia Brown Sugar Blend).
I’m so happy you enjoyed that Rosie! Thank you for that great review!
Delicious! I probably cooked the veggies a little too long. The sauce is wonderful. Even on soggy vegetables.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
This was really delicious! next time I will add salt and pepper to the chicken before cooking it, it definitely needs it! It will be too bland otherwise, I adjusted the seasonings before serving it and it was fine but it would of been way better to have added the salt and pepper to the chicken from the get go.
Thank you so much for sharing that with us Carmen! I’m happy you enjoyed this recipe!
This was so delicious. I didn’t have sesame oil and it was still fantastic. Thanks Natasha.
You are most welcome, Kathy. Thanks for giving this recipe a try!
The recipe for the chicken broccoli stir fry was delicious! My family of picky eaters loved it. Thanks! Can’t wait to try a few of your other recipes. Shirley
That is the best when kids love what we moms make. That’s so great! Thank you for that wonderful review Shirley!
Natasha,
I made the chicken broccoli stir fry. Delish! I have a lot left over and want to eat it tonight. How do I reheat? No microwave is no good for chicken. Cover and put in oven or re sauté in pan ? I pulled it from fridge 2 hours ago to get to room temp. BTW I have made at least 10 of your recipes and turned you on to my adult kids and they are hooked on your recipes too!
Love it! I’m so glad you all enjoyed the recipe. Yes, you surely can reheat this in an oven or in a pan. Either method will work.
Hi, Natasha.
I saw that you used a cutting board to “cut” the broccoli florets. Is a hand-held cutting board better to do that with?
Thank you.
It depends on what you’re comfortable with but that works better for us.
OMG this is so easy and delish I change out meat veggies but luv it so easy quick……great to make when we camp
Great idea for camp! Thank you for sharing that wonderful review, Elaine!
Loved this recipe. I did velvet the chicken. Making again for dinner tonight. Love all you recipes and watching your videos on Facebook!
Thank you for that lovely feedback, Cheryl! I’m so glad you’re enjoying our videos!
hi Natasha,
I like your recipes very much and i tried them.
but i have hard time to find the links.
Hi Joanna, I’m not sure what you mean, but all of our recipes are here on our blog. You can either search by using the search bar at the top or by searching our RECIPES index at the top.
Hi Natasha,
It looks very delicious. I am going to make it, but I don’t like mushrooms. What can I put instead?
Hi Fatin, we love this recipe with mushrooms but you are welcome to omit them or replace them. Here is what one of our readers wrote “I subbed carrots for the mushrooms and it was delicious! TY for the recipe, it’s filed under family fav now!”
Looooks soooo yummy! what’s the recipe for a family of 8?
Hi Kylie, this recipe makes 4 so you can double it up! Also, if you scroll to the printable recipe card there is a serving count slider. Simply click on the red “4” and slide it to 8 servings. I hope that helps!
I’ve been looking for a simple chicken stir fry for years. Gave this recipe a try tonight and my search is over !!! The dish turned out great. I didn’t have sesame seeds so I added some cashews. Fantastic!
Sounds awesome, Cathy. It is so great to hear that you enjoyed this recipe, thanks for your good review!
I made this tonight (21 July) and it came out great. Wish I would have made more. It was a hit at my house!
Yay so awesome! You can make more next time.
The sauce and veggies were excellent but the chicken did not absorb the flavour so it felt a bit bland.
Thank you so much for sharing that with us! I have not had that experience but I’m more than happy to troubleshoot. Was anything altered in the recipe by chance? I’m curious if a little extra salt or sauce would help that.
Velveting the chicken first will have super soft Chinese restaurant-style chicken. That’s the way we all do it.
Thank you so much for sharing that with me Thomas!