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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I’m having trouble getting the volume of liquid to thicken up properly. What am I missing?
Hi Michael, I recommend going through all the recipe notes to ensure no adjustments were made to the ingredients or process. Using cornstarch as a thickener helps keep this gluten-free and it will thicken it nicely, be sure to not miss that step.
I love Chinese American food. This looks delicious!!! I can’t wait to make it!!!
I hope it becomes your new favorite!
Guess what I had for dinner tonight?
A wonderful and succulent meal called Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry. I will have it again for sure!
Thank you Natasha. 🙂
You’re welcome, good to know that you enjoyed dinner!
Looks good but would definitely leave out those nasty mushrooms! They are in everything. 😜😜
FABULOUS! Thanks for making my tastebuds happy! I love your recipes. Looking for diabetic friendly recipes and you are my go to chef. 🙂
Hi Terrie! Thank you. I’m so glad you enjoy my recipes. Most of them can be modified to fit dietary needs. I’m glad my recipes are your go-to! 🙂
This came out fabulous. I added sherry instead of water to thin the sauce out, and sprinkled sesame seeds on top when serving 🙂 what a dish! Thank you!
That’s great to hear. Thanks for sharing, John!
I have made this recipe NUMEROUS times (and I always have to double it) – it is ALWAYS a hit!! Thank you for sharing!! Waaaaaaaaay more delicious than take out, for sure!!
I’m glad you think so! Thanks a lot for your good comments and feedback.
Love this recipe it’s much better than take out and so easy! I have it with brown rice, delish!
Love your videos 😊 thank you for sharing.
Thank you, Kathy. So glad to hear that.
Great meal. Easy to prepare. just get you ingredients prepped and it’s ready in 15 min.
Quick and easy recipes are the best! I’m so glad this one was a hit, John!
Yes, preparing the ingredients ahead makes the process easier. I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Absolutely the most delicious chicken and broccoli stir fry I’ve ever made. I did not add mushrooms (yucky…lol) or onion (did not have). It was perfect! I cannot wait to make it again!
That’s wonderful! So glad you enjoyed this recipe.
Just made this for dinner as I had most ingredients on hand. Delicious and tasty. Def great over rice.
I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe, Kerri.
Even my super picky husband loved it! Easy and delish. This one becomes part of the weeknight dinner rotation.
That’s great! Thank you for the review.
This was good but too much pepper! Next time I’ll use a pinch!
Thanks for sharing! 🙂
Hello I really like the recipe. Could you tell me how long can it be stored inside the fridge? (I cook just for myself and I am busy studying)
Hello Lala, this is best consumed fresh and we always do that. I have not tried storing it in the fridge for a long time, I imagine that will work but the texture will not be the same especially for the broccoli.
I made this tonite for me and my hubby. We loved it.
My hubby had seconds.
He said this is definitely a keeper.
Thank you
You’re very welcome! Thank you for sharing, Susie.
Fantastic!! Have made this a few times, but doubled the sauce this time as I swear my hubby sneaks a straw in the pot and drinks the sauce!! Just wondering if anyone has tried with just veggies? It’s been so terribly hot in FL that I’m trying to keep it a bit lighter. Wonderful recipe as is and will continue to make!!
Haha totally understand why he would do that. The sauce is just so delicious! Thanks for the good review and feedback! I haven’t tried that version yet but I’m sure that will be fine.
Thank you for this fabulous recipe. It was quick and easy and super delicious. No leftovers! I could have licked the plate – but I know I’m not supposed to and people were watching – so I didn’t. 🙂
That’s great, Heather! Thank you for the review.
Hi Natasha . . One more question. If I double the sauce should I hold back doubling all ingredients (example: brown sugar etc.)?
Hi Muriel, I would double all the ingredients.
Hi Natasha . . Love watching your videos! Want to try making your Chicken Broccoli stir-fry soon and was wondering if I can use regular soy sauce instead of low sodium, and should I adjust the amount?
Thanks!
Hi Muriel! That would be fine, you shoudn’t need to make any adjustments but you can use more or less to your taste preference.
Nom nom nom!!
My boyfriend & I recently started watching your YouTube videos. We think you are totally adorbs and funny.
Anyway, I made this tonight and we both loved it. My bf makes chicken & broccoli often and has been trying to perfect it, with not much luck… Until now (except I made it thanks to your recipe. ha!)
We like a little spice so I added a few dashes of red pepper flakes at the end. Oh and I made the sauce a few hours ahead so I think the flavours had a chance to dance with one another.
Will make again, for sure!
That’s a good idea. It’s always nice to add chili or ref pepper flakes for a little kick. I’m glad you both enjoyed the recipe!