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 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
Thank you Natasha for sharing these amazing recipes. I tried out this Chicken & Broccoli Stir Fry today. It was so easy and it came out looking really yummy.
Hello Diana, you are most welcome. Glad you loved this recipe, thank you so much for your good review!
I have cooked a bit of stir fry and one always stir frys the garlic and ginger for the last 30 seconds and not simply add it to the sauce. I couldn’t find my go to link so just tried this one. It doesn’t taste like authentic stir fry. Not trying to be offensive, just was disappointed after all the good reviews and then without reading the recipe was in a pinch so just started it only realizing 1/2 through making the sauce how off it was.
Hi Yvonne, I always recommend reading the recipe through especially when making it for the first time.
Helloo doent need salt this recipe??
Hi Safo, we found it the perfect balance of flavor with the story fry ingredients, but you are welcome to lightly salt the chicken if you prefer it.
This recipe looks easy and delicious too! I love your recipes that are simple and easy to make.
Thank you for that wonderful compliment!
Great recipe. Love the substitute options provided. I didn’t have all the fresh ingredients but the substitutes worked well and very tasty. Thanks 👍💯
You’re welcome, Jose! I’m happy you enjoyed this recipe.
Delicious simple and Easy! My hubby really enjoyed it!
I’m glad your hubby loved this recipe. Thank you for your great feedback, Sheryl!
Everyone asks for seconds such a great recipe! Definitley a new family favorite. Make it almost every week for dinner!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Kylie! Thank you for the wonderful review!
OMG this is divine!!! The only alteration I did was add Water-chestnuts, Bamboo Shoots, and Baby Corn (these are my favorite in any stir-fry). We have this quite regularly (3-4 times a month). Love love love this recipe!! Going to fix the Chicken Fried Rice next. Would love a Cashew Chicken recipe.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing those substitutions with us!
Would love to know about the pan and the spatula. When you mention “the notes” is that the same as “the comments’? Excited to try this!
Hello Deb, the notes are in the description field below every video that I post on YouTube. The comments are the messages below every recipe like this one.
O…M…G! This Chicken and Broccoli was freaken DELICIOUS!! It was also quick and easy to make. I can’t get enough of these recipes!!
Awesome! Thank you so much for sharing your great review with us, Jamie.
This recipe is really good. I added a little red chili flake to the sauce. And I think I’ll season the chicken a little more than just black pepper. Maybe some Chinese five spice too. Thank you for a delicious recipe!!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Mark!
Delicious sauce! So quick and easy! Thank you for another favorite recipe!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed that.
Just made this for dinner tonight and my husband and I loved it and it went together Fast Thank you love all your recipes stay well and safe
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the wonderful review!
I made this last evening and it was fantastic. I used thighs because that’s what I had on hand. Had to de-bone and remove the skin,so will save for stock. I also used a wok. My husband loved it. What a great recipe when you want Chinese food. It was really easy. I did the prep ahead of time. Cooking went so fast. Thank you so much I enjoy you recipes
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Patty! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe.
I love making stir fry. I’m very excited to try’s this
Looks delicios!!! What size is the skillet?
Hi Norma, we used this 12″ large heavy skillet HERE.
I’m going to try this tonight. I plan on doubling the recipe as I have two pounds of tenders, and no mushrooms (my kids don’t like them), but keep the 5 cups of broccoli and one onion measure. What measures should I use for the sauce if I’m doubling the recipe?
Hi Naureen, if you aren’t doubling everything then you probably won’t need quite double the sauce. If you click on the servings size in the recipe card, you can adjust the ingredients up or down which may help you to scale the ingredient list.
This recipe was a huge hit last night. I like that it can be easily modified but still taste great. We subbed out chicken breasts for thighs and omitted the mushrooms and ginger. I was using what we had on hand. It was delicious! Thanks!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This was delicious! I omitted the mushrooms, ginger, and sesame seeds simply because I didn’t have them on hand. It was still very tasty! I added bamboo shoots and more broccoli, and if I do this again, next time I will make more sauce, too. The whole family liked it, even my husband who doesn’t like vegetables. Thanks for sharing!
I’m so happy to hear that!
This has become one of my family’s favorite meals! We swap the mushrooms with one chopped zucchini and red bell pepper. It is so delicious, thank you!
Sounds great, Em. Thanks for sharing that with us!