Chicken Stir Fry Recipe
This Chicken Stir Fry Recipe is so much better than takeout! The chicken and vegetables in a garlic ginger soy sauce with honey is the perfect balance of sweet and savory.
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This stir fry is ready in under 30-minutes and is so versatile.
Hey, hey! Valentina with Valentina’s Corner sharing a delicious Chicken Stir Fry Recipe.
Chicken Stir Fry Recipe
This chicken stir fry recipe will become a staple in your home. It’s so quick to make and you can use whatever vegetables you have on hand. It tastes wonderful regardless of how you alter the ingredients.
This chicken and vegetable stir fry will become your easy go-to dinner. You will wow your guests and family alike, even the picky eaters with approve!
How Do You Make Chicken Stir Fry?
Chicken stir fry couldn’t be easier to make than this recipe.
- Cut the chicken thighs (or breast) into bite-sized pieces and cook.
- Cook vegetables until desired tenderness.
- Prepare easy sweet and savory stir fry sauce.
- Combine the chicken with the vegetables and sauce. Simmer until sauce thickens and ingredients are well incorporated.
TIP: When cutting chicken, slice into small bite-sized pieces. This will ensure the chicken is full of flavor, tender and not hard to chew.
Best Chicken for Stir Fry?
Chicken thighs tend to be more forgiving in stir fry, but you can substitute with chicken breast if you don’t have thighs on hand.
Can I Substitute Stir Fry Vegetables?
Yes, you can totally use whatever vegetables you have on hand. Here are some great options that you can use in the chicken stir fry:
- sweet peas
- asparagus
- green beans
- bell peppers
- broccoli
- mushrooms
- onions
- zucchini
What can I serve Chicken Stir Fry with?
Serve the stir fry with your favorite side. A plain fried rice, white rice or noodles will all work great as there are vegetables and protein in the stir fry already.
Try These Easy Stir Fry Recipes:
- Chicken Stir Fry with Rice Noodles– A 30-minute wonder!
- Chicken Vegetables and Pasta Stir Fry– loving the added pasta.
- Chicken Broccoli Stir Fry– a classic.
- Chicken Fried Rice – easy weeknight dinner
- Shrimp Stir Fry – with veggies
Chicken Stir Fry Recipe
This Chicken Stir Fry Recipe is so much better than takeout! The chicken with vegetables smothered in a garlic and ginger soy sauce with honey is the perfect balance of sweet and savory.
Ingredients
Chicken Stir Fry Ingredients:
- 1 lb chicken thighs cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1/2 zucchini sliced or cubed
- 2 Tbsp oil divided
- 1 Tbsp butter
- 1 cup broccoli cut into florets
- 1 small carrot julienned or cubed
- 8 oz mushrooms sliced
- 1/2 red pepper cubed
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tsp fresh ginger minced
- 1/2 onion cubed
- ½ cup cashews
Best Stir Fry Sauce Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
Instructions
-
Trim chicken thighs of excess fat and cut into bite-sized pieces. Cut the vegetables into even-sized pieces (about the same size as the chicken pieces).
-
Combine all of the ingredients for the sauce in a bowl.
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In a large pan (or wok), on med/high heat, heat 1 Tbsp oil. Once oil is hot, add chicken in a single layer. Cook chicken until browned, mixing as needed. Once cooked, remove chicken from pan and set aside.
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Add the remaining oil and the butter to skillet with the broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms, red peppers, onion, and carrots. Cook until vegetables are crisp tender, mixing frequently.
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Add chicken back to the pan. Add the garlic and ginger and cook 1 minute, stirring frequently.
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Add the cashews then pour the sauce into the pan and bring to a boil. Turn down heat and let stir fry simmer until the sauce thickens and is well incorporated with the remaining ingredients. Garnish with green onion and sesame seed before serving if desired.
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
What is YOUR favorite restaurant recipe to re-create at home?
Valentina Ablaev
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
If I add more chicken, do I need to increase the sauce quantity as well?
Hi Michael, yes I imagine that should be the case. If you click on the serving size in the recipe card, you can slide it up or down to scale the recipe ingredient lists. I hope that helps!
Hi!! I was just wondering if I could replace the chicken by pork tenderloin in this recipe?
I haven’t tested that but I think it could work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
Tried to make this, but I feel like you tailored the sauce to the vegetables that you chose and because you chose literally the grossest group of vegetables possible, this turned out awful.
Hi Sam, this has been a popular recipe and I always recommend making the recipe as written before making modifications.You might enjoy some of our other stir fry recipes more.
Sam, the veggies are typical for stir-fry recipes so I’m confused by your negative comment or what you were expecting. What veggies would you prefer that you wouldn’t deem gross?
You make cooking so easy
I’m glad to hear that! Thank you, Aurora.
Stumbled upon this recipe and loved it! My kids love noodles or rice with their Asian themed meals so I doubled the sauce and added some brown rice noodles to the recipe! My husband can’t have broccoli either so I subbed in some bok choy – SO GOOD! Thanks for a yummy recipe!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Danielle!
Happy New Year! All your recipes i have tried have turned out well as well become family favorites – topping the list – chicken fajitas and this chicken stir fry. Thank you
Question – does this chicken stir fry freeze well? How about the marinated chicken for chicken fajitas?
Hi Anitha! Happy New Year! I haven’t tested by freezing this so I can not advise. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
Oh this is so delisious! Definitely a keeper recipe.
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
Made this the other night. It was SO GOOD! I used broccoli, cauliflower, carrots and mushrooms as the veggies. This was by far the best chicken stir fry I have made (and I have tried several recipes).
I honestly felt this was even better than my favorite Chinese takeout! Will definitely be making this again!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
This was really tasty. Followed almost precisely, only change was I omitted the cashews and mushrooms due to allergies. This was quick and really delicious….I almost didn’t make this because it looked too simple, and I thought it would be bland, but I was wrong. Thank you for sharing your recipe. Loved it!
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
What if I do not have fresh ginger on hand, can I use ground ginger? If so, how much is recommended for this recipe?
Hi Maribel, I imagine that should work too if that’s what you have on hand. Just season it according to your preferred taste.
Soooo much better than dine in or take out! The family just raved about it. Added some baby corn because the hubby loves those. Will make again to be sure!
Hi Andi, I’m so happy that you loved it more than takeout!
Omg, you have changed the way I cook! So many things that I thought I could never do…..thank you so much for sharing. You are such a bright spot in my day. As I work on the computer, I listen to your cooking videos. I’m stocking my kitchen with things I thought I could never use. The recipes that are better than any restaurant I have ever tried. You make cooking fun! Please link some of the kitchen utensils that you use, like the wonderful food scooper you use after chop veggies. Thank you and happy cooking! 🌸
Thank you so much for your kind words and great feedback. Sure, you can check out the kitchen tools that I use here in our Amazon Page.
Quick, easy, and delicious! I made this for my hubby on his lunch break and boy was it a hit. Took me no time to make and was better than takeout for sure !
Thank you so much for your great comments and feedback. I hope you and your hubby will enjoy each recipe that you’ll try!
Hi Natasha! I can’t wait to make this. In the video it shows that you used brown sugar and in the recipe it shows honey. How much brown sugar would I add.
Hi Patty, this Chicken Stir fry recipe doesn’t have a video for it. We do have this Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry that we do use brown sugar for.
We made this last night. I added whole wheat spaghetini noodles in to cook in the sauce when I put in the veggies. I used frozen broccoli, 1/2 a white onion, and sweet peas as the veggies.
Thank you so much for sharing that with us Lindsay!
I love this type of food ..made your recipe and it is so tasty I loved it… I did make too much and just wondered if it can be frozen …thanks again for thedelicious recipe.
Hi Anita. I haven’t tested that so I can not advise. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
We enjoyed this so much!
I can’t wait to try more of your recipes!
I’m smiling big reading this comen Janine! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
this is a versatile, easy, quick recipe. This recipe should be credited to the creator, who is Valentina Ablaev.
Hi Doug, yes, Valentina is the author of this amazing recipe. She wrote up this post and is listed as the author. We love featuring her recipes and talent here!
I use your receipts all the time! This is as delicious as it looks! Didn’t change a thing. THANK YOU 👍🤗
My pleasure to help, June. Thanks for giving this recipe a try!
I literally never leave comments on recipes but this was SO GOOD I had to. The one tweak I implore you to consider is just a dash of sesame oil to the sauce. It brought it to a total crazy level. My boyfriend is very impressed. Thank you so much for this recipe!!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite, Emi!
It was delicious and everyone loved it. Everyone wanted more sauce though. If I double the sauce will it be ok? Saucy enough?
Hi Lisa! Isn’t the flavor amazing! I bet you can add more sauce! I’d love to know how you like it after testing that!
Used Valentina’s recipe for chicken stir fry. Delicious! Highly recommend.
Thank you so much Terry!
Third time making this love it, so easy. I use frozen stir fry veggies, cuts the time down
Thanks for sharing that with us,Doug. I’m happy that you loved it!
Delicious! I marinated the chicken in my usual chicken/chilli/ginger/peanut oil marinade first, and then cooked with sum random veges as per the recipe. Absolutely DELICIOUS! Thank you!
You’re welcome, Emma! I’m so happy you enjoyed this recipe!
Pretty! This was an incredibly wonderful
post. Thank you for supplying this information.
I’m so happy you liked this recipe Ashton!
This was delicious! Whole family loved it, even the kids; from the 2 year old to the 12 year old! Thank you!
That is so great! I’m glad the kids enjoyed it.
Hi quick question, what kind of soy sauce did you use?
Hello Rhea, this is the soy sauce that I used for this recipe but you can use any kind.
Loved this! Used asparagus instead of zucchini and had it with white rice and it was delicious. All the family loved it.
That’s so great! I’m so glad you all enjoyed that!
I have tried this recipe today.It’s soo good.I will definatley add it to my favourite list of food.Thankyou.
I’m so glad you found a favorite Maria!
Natasha, you are my go to for recipes. I have told friends and family about your site. I just don’t where to begin when i start looking through them. So far so delicious on what i have made. My husband gives you a thumbs up.
Aww that’s the best! Thank you for that amazing feedback!
This was delicious!! It’s a keeper.
I’m glad you enjoyed it Nancy!
I’m batting .1000 with recipes from your blog! This is so simple and delicious, I’m a complete beginner but I feel like I nailed it! Thanks!
That’s so great Kristina! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Actually i tried to cook and wow fantastic. 😍😍😍😍😋😋😋
Great to hear that MJ!
My ginger is old and limp but i cant get to store and I still use it I know its not fresh but it smells right even if it is soft can i use it or better to use the ginger in can
It depends as I am not able to personally see it to judge but if you think it’s still usable that should still work.
This was fabulous! The whole family loved it. Definitely making this again. My wife usually makes the stir fry in our house and this has the kids wanting me replacing her as the top stir fry chef. Thanks!
That is awesome Dave, I’m so glad that your family loved this recipe!
This was absolutely delicious! My family loved it. Definitely tasted like a Chinese restaurant. Will be adding this to the rotation. Thank you Natasha!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
This was absolutely delicious. It took a little longer than it says.
I added some red pepper flakes as my husband likes it spicy.
I also added a dash of sesame oil.
Will definitely make again!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed that!
Loved this!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This is a delicious recipe and it’s very easy to make.
Use any vegetables available in your pantry and in less than 30 minutes you have a delicious meal.
Thank you!
We love easy recipes, especially when the flavor is this good!
This is ridiculous, I made a double portion (allegedly for 8) and my family of 4 polished the whole pan. Make extra cause this recipe is fantastic….you have been warned! Added chopped chillies for extra zing.
LOL, that is wonderful feedback! Thank you for sharing and for giving this recipe a try!
Turned out really nice and my family loved it! I didn’t add honey to the sauce as we like it spicy
Very delicious and easy recipe!
Thank you, Tanya!
I’m going to try this tonight!
What can I use if I don’t have cornstarch or ginger ?
Hi Ashley, ginger does add that great authentic stir fry flavor but you could sub it with a little more garlic. As for the cornstarch, others shared that they skipped it and the result was also great.
Tapioca starch is also a good cornstarch replacement!
Thank you for sharing that Kate!
I’m not sure if it is a typo or not, but is that the actual amount of sodium in the meal? 42% is quite high. I’m very interested in making this meal and would like to know if that is the actual amount of sodium in the meal.
Hi Christine, that is accurate with 4 servings – you could add a little less soy sauce or scale down the sauce to cut down on sodium.
To make the sodium level lower in this dish, use fresh mushrooms and not canned. Use unsalted cashews. Use no salt added chicken broth and use low sodium Soy Sauce and cut the amount to 1/8 cup instead of 1/4 cup. Believe me, I feel your pain. Most foods are LOADED with sodium. My wife and I are on sodium restricted diets. We don’t use added salt in any dish and we buy all low sodium products or fresh. Learn to read the labels and don’t use pre packaged or canned food if you can help it.
Amazing recipe! Didnt follow exactly but used as a guide to make one very similar and turned out amazing. Thanks for the great dinner!
Awesome! I’m happy to know that you slightly tweaked this version and enjoyed it. I hope you love every recipe that you try!
Amazing! I tweaked the recipe in turns of veggies (ie. used yellow squash and green onion) but my friend and I were absolutely delighted with the taste. Thank you xx
You’re welcome, Amanda! I’m so glad you enjoyed that!
This was so good! I have to admit I’m a picky eater when it comes to stir frys. They don’t excite me. But this was wonderful!
I’m so glad you loved it, Sharon! Thanks for the wonderful review.
Adding to the great rating – tried & tested, works really well.
I used arrowroot starch instead of corn and skipped the mushrooms
I’m so glad you enjoyed that Kitt! Thank you for that wonderful review!
Hello Natasha, I love your website. I make plenty of your dishes. And just made the chicken stir fry. Very good. Just wondering if you are going to do a Generel Tso’s Chicken?
Hello Steve, so happy to hear you have already tried a lot of my recipes. I don’t have a recipe for that yet but I can take that as a suggestion. I hope you love every recipe that you try!
Do you use raw or roasted cashews?
Hi Elly, either will work fine in this recipe, but toasted will always taste better.
Natasha, I love all of your recipes. I’ll be making this one tomorrow, looks amazing!! Also, are the calories per serving or for the whole meal? Thanks 🙂
Hi Cristina, the calories are per serving and the number of servings is listed at the top of each recipe card.
Baked some chicken legs and wanted to add a “pop.” Made this recipe and then pulled the meat off the bones and mixed with the sauce and veggies – delicious and it was quick. The sauce has a great, thick, consistency. Made this GF with GF soy sauce.
That’s just awesome!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Inga!
The recipe was delicious.Earlier I didn’t know we could make it that way.Thanks for sharing it.
Glad you enjoyed it and thanks for sharing!
Made this tonight for my family. It was so good. It was like Restuarant style. Will definitely be making it again. Thanks Natasha. 😀
Thanks for sharing that with us, Kelly. It’s so great to know that your family loved this recipe. I hope you love every recipe that you try!
Just I want to say awesome recipe. I will try to make it at my home.
I’m so happy to hear that! I hope you love it!
Hi Natasha!
Is there a substitute for the honey in the glaze?
Hi Dominique, because the sauce (including the honey), comes to a boil, according to this source, if there are any dangerous bacteria, boiling kills it off. You could also try brown sugar added to taste. Keep in mind honey is sweeter than brown sugar Tablespoon for Tablespoon.
Natasha, thank you so much for yet another fabulous recipe!
When my husband asks what we’re having for dinner, and I say “a new Natasha recipe”, he’s a happy guy!
Wow, this comment just made me smile really. Thanks for always trying out my recipes!
Thank you Natasha for another excellent recipe. delicious and easy recipe. i used less garlic and more ginger to taste. my family enjoyed it.
Hi Larry, I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
What type of oil is recommended?
Hi Anne, we used this oil here.
Tried it.. it turned out awesome. My husband loved it too. Thanks for sharing
I’m so glad you both enjoyed that! Thank you for watching!
Can i omit the cashews
Hi Donna, you sure can!
A family favourite it in our house. Cashews really complete the meal. Next time I will serve with ramen noodles.
That’s a great idea, Jada! Thank you for that awesome review!
Ok thanks!
Also it says to brown the chicken but then it says to cook which do we do
Hi Donna, step 3 says “Once oil is hot, add chicken in a single layer. Cook chicken until browned, mixing as needed. Once cooked, remove chicken from pan and set aside.” once that step is done you add vegetables to the same pan and then re-add the chicken in step 5. I hope that helps! Let me know if you have any other questions.
Can you leave out or substitute the ginger, not a fan of it.
Hi Patricia, ginger does add that great authentic stir fry flavor but you could sub it with a little more garlic.
Delicious. I used chicken breast. I didn’t have any ginger so I added some ground ginger to the sauce. Will definitely make again.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
I made this last week and it was delicious. I wanted to make a stir fry with honey so I chose this recipe. The kids loved it too. I’m going to make it again because it was quick and easy and tasty. We all loved it. I like that this stir fry has enough sauce. Some recipes don’t have enough and you don’t really know until you’ve made it.
Hi Edwina, That is the best when kids love what we moms make. That’s so great!
my fiance has IBS and garlic and ginger may set it off. any replacemnet that would suit this stir fry
Hi Darren, the garlic really amplifies the flavor you can definitely omit or replace that. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe
Tastes so good! Been making this for sometime now. However, prep and cook time are not accurate.
Hi Nat, I’m so glad you love the recipe. The cook time can vary if you are using a different sized skillet or different heat setting.
I have made this twice now, so good!!!
That’s so great! I’m so glad you enjoyed that, Brittni!
Great stir fry. I would add more vegetables next time, I put in what the recipe called for but it wasn’t enough. Also I found I needed to add more chicken stock and a bit less ginger.
Still scrumptious though!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Hi Valentina, very tasty recipe. I just added a touch of red pepper flakes for a little heat. Thanks for sharing your recipe.
We’re so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Fran! Thank you for sharing that with us!
Chicken Stir Fry is my favorite food. my family also like it so much.I never cook it perfectly. But now I cook it perfectly for following your great article. Your cooking recipe is very easy and great thank you for valuable nice article.
Hi, Natasha!
How much rice do you make for this recipe? And, at what point do you add it in when making this recipe?
Hi Victoria, it really depends on how many you are planning to serve. This recipe makes 4 portions so I will typically make between 1 and 1 1/2 cups of rice which after it is cooked, 1 cup raw rice = 3 cups cooked rice.
I’m so glad I came across this recipe. It will definitely be my Go-To stir fry recipe from now on. Simply put, the flavor is delicious!
I’m so glad you enjoyed that Jenny!
This is the absolutely best stir fry I have ever done and will be my only one from now on.
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
Best substitute for soy sauce or could it be made without? I am allergic to soy.
Hi Lisa, Coconut Aminos is our favorite product to use as a substitute, but keep in mind it does have less sodium so adjust seasoning to taste.
Hello Natasha,
Is there a substitute for corn starch!
Thank you,
Julia
Hi Julia, it can be substituted with flour, arrowroot, or potato starch.
Thank you so much! I look forward making this recipe for my son ! 👌
I hope he loves it!
Really delicious recipe!! The sauce was so good, just too salty.
It’s a very versatile recipe because you can add your favorite veggies! I will make a few changes next time. Use low sodium soy sauce. I did double the sauce recipe which may have made it extra salty. I would also simmer the sauce to thicken in a separate pot before adding it to my chicken and veggies. Adding it to them and then simmering over-cooked my ingredients. It tasted just like the stir fry at our local restaurant! I will definitely be adding this to the rotation at my house!
Hi Suzanne, it is defnitly versatile, I’m happy you enjoyed this recipe!
Hi Natasha,
I was wondering if this recipe is good the next day as well?
Thank you.
Hi Irina, I think it is best fresh but you can refrigerate and then reheat leftovers the next day.
I’m vegan. What can I substitute for the honey without changing the taste too much?
BTW, Love your recipes!
Thanks.
I’m so happy to hear that Annie! I haven’t tried but I think it worth experimenting with syrup? Pure Maple syrup is vegan.
Love love love this chicken stir fry! I tried it for the first time today! This is definitely a favorite in my house!! Thanks Natasha for all the great recipes! You are awesome!!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
Delicious, inexpensive and easy to make!!
Sounds like you found a new favorite Lea! Thank you for that great review!
I’m making this as we speak and realized that it’s out of order and not very well thought out.
1- you forgot to mentione adding the onions which you mentioned in the ingredient list.
1- no salt? No pepper?
I’m hoping it turns out great since I caught on to the seasoning part while making the chicken. Will post again after dinner!
But thank you for the idea of the recipe!
Hi Sarah! I hope you love this recipe! The onions get mixed in with all of the vegetables. The sauce has enough sodium but you are welcome to add more if you would like.
You’ll see after you taste it, there is no need for any salt or pepper! There is enough in the ingredients and is delicious as is! Enjoy, we all did!
You cannot go wrong if you follow the recipe Sarah. The onions are in step number 4. You must have missed it. And correct, no salt needed unless you are using low sodium soy sauce. Or you just love tons of salt.