This Chicken Stir Fry Recipe is so much better than takeout! The chicken and vegetables are in a garlic ginger soy sauce with honey, the perfect balance of sweet and savory. It’s ready in under 30 minutes and is so versatile.
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It’s not surprising that this Chicken Stir Fry recipe has been a reader favorite for years. Quick 30-minute meals like Beef Stroganoff, Chicken Chow Mein, and Fish Taco Bowls are some of my favorites for busy weeknights, and this easy dish is a great one to make on repeat.
Easy Chicken Stir Fry Recipe
Here’s why this chicken stir fry recipe will become a staple in your home as an easy go-to weeknight dinner. It’s so quick to make and you can use whatever vegetables you have on hand or whatever your family likes best. It tastes wonderful regardless of how you alter the vegetables and even the picky eaters will approve!
You’ll love the garlic-ginger stir-fry sauce since it has a touch of honey to give it the perfect blend of savory saltiness and sweetness. Serve over rice or noodles for a complete and satisfying meal.
Ingredients for Chicken Stir Fry
I love to use seasonal veggies in my chicken stir fry, but you can choose whatever you have on hand or a bag of stir-fried veggies from the grocery store. It’s so easy to make it truly yours!
- Chicken Thighs – cut into 1″ or bite-sized pieces. This is a fattier chicken cut, so it stays juicy on the inside. You can use chicken tenders or even chicken breast, but be careful not to overcook them.
- Oil and Butter – I recommend unsalted butter and a high smoke point cooking oil such as extra light olive oil or Canola.
- Veggies – I use zucchini, broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, red pepper, onions, and cashews to add a little crunch to this stir fry, but feel free to try my other favorites listed below. Just be sure everything is cut into uniform pieces.
- Flavorings/Spices – garlic cloves and ginger
- Stir Fry Sauce ingredients – chicken broth, water, soy sauce, honey and cornstarch. For gluten free, be sure to use a gluten-free soy sauce.
Variations
You will love how versatile this stir fry is, and you can use just about any vegetables you have on hand for this chicken stir fry. Here are some great options:
- cauliflower
- sweet peas
- asparagus
- snap peas or green beans
- bean sprouts
- baby corn
- water chestnuts
How to Make Chicken Stir Fry
Chicken stir fry couldn’t be easier to make than this recipe. It takes 30 minutes and one pan!
- Cut the chicken thighs and all the veggies into bite-sized pieces
- Stir the stir-fry sauce ingredients together until no lumps remain. Set aside.
- Heat a large pan or wok on medium-high heat. Add oil once hot and cook the chicken pieces in a single layer, stirring to brown all sides and cook through. Remove from the pan.
- Add the rest of the oil and butter to the hot pan followed by the veggies. Stir and cook until crisp-tender.
- Return the chicken to the pan and add the garlic and ginger, stirring for 1 minute.
- Add the cashews and then pour the sauce over the chicken and vegetables, stirring to coat. Simmer until the sauce thickens and the ingredients are well incorporated.
Tips for Making the Best Chicken Stir Fry
Stir fry is easy to whip up and makes a complete meal quickly with little cleanup. Here are some of my tips for making the best stir fry:
- Equal-sized pieces – It helps to cut each ingredient into equal sizes so they all cook at an even rate
- Timing – determine which ingredients may need extra time to cook and add those first (think broccoli or mushrooms). Then add quicker-cooking veggies (like leafy greens or bean sprouts) at the end.
- Use a large skillet or wok to avoid overcrowding the pan which leads to steam cooking.
- Preheat the pan – the food should sizzle when it hits the pan.
Can I use Frozen Vegetables in Stir Fry?
You can use frozen vegetables in a chicken stir fry, but they take a few minutes to cook. Do not thaw and add veggies directly from the freezer, and stir frequently for even cooking. Also, frozen vegetables can release more liquid, so allow it to evaporate or pat dry with a paper towel to prevent a watered-down sauce.
What to Serve with Chicken Stir Fry
My chicken stir fry recipe is easy to serve by itself, but for a complete meal, serve it with your favorite starchy or carby side, like fried rice, brown rice, quinoa, white rice, or pasta.
My Chicken Stir Fry recipe comes together quickly with protein, veggies, and a savory-sweet ginger soy sauce. Cook up a pot of rice for a complete meal in under 30 minutes!
Make-Ahead
Stir fry leftovers keep well in the fridge for an easy lunch the next day. Try these storage ideas:
- To Refrigerate: Cool and store in an airtight container for 3-4 days.
- Freezing: We like freezing in serving sizes. Put your grain and the cooled stir fry into a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months.
- To Reheat: Thaw in the fridge and reheat in a saute pan or wok on the stove until heated through
More Easy Stir Fry Recipes
If you love takeout copycat recipes, you will surely find some treasured recipes in this list. Let me know if you have any recipe requests for your favorite takeout dishes.
- Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
- Kung Pao Chicken
- Vegetable Stir Fry
- Egg Roll in a Bowl
- Chicken Vegetables and Pasta Stir Fry
- Chicken Broccoli Stir Fry
- Shrimp Stir Fry
- Beef and Broccoli Ramen Stir Fry
- Honey Garlic Chicken
Chicken Stir Fry Recipe
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 unsalted 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, or gluten-free soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
Instructions
- Trim chicken thighs of excess fat and cut them 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. Set aside.
- Add the remaining oil and the butter to the skillet with the broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms, red peppers, onion, and carrots. Cook until vegetables are crisp-tender, mixing frequently.
- Add chicken back to the pan. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
- Add the cashews then pour the sauce into the pan and bring to a boil. Turn down the 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.
Notes
- Vegetables: Feel Free to swap vegetables to fit your preferences or what you have on hand. Great options include: cauliflower, sweet peas, asparagus, green beans, snap peas, bean sprouts, baby corn, or water chestnuts.
- Chicken: You can use chicken tenders or even chicken breast, but be sure not to overcook.
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Nutrition Per Serving
Valentina Ablaev
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
I would like to know if I can substitute coconut liquid aminos for soy sauce?
I imagine that will be fine. Just check the flavor add more if you feel like you need to.
This was sooooo tasty! My son who doesn’t care for chicken and rice dishes gobbled it up so fast! We’ll be adding this to our dinner meal rotation from now on.
That is the best when kids love what we moms make, especially the picky ones. That’s so great!
I have made this twice, for two different families, and both loved it. There were no left overs.
I enjoyed making this!! Thank you!!
This was absolutely delicious! I was so proud to serve it to my family and everybody loved it! I used hot honey and it was perfect! Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
You’re so very welcome!
This lived up to the 5 star reviews! I cooked the onions and chicken at the same time and used powder ginger to taste. Added frozen peas. Served over jasmine rice. My 7 year old son said “I’d be totally grateful if you’d make this again”! Even my 15mo old downed it!
That’s wonderful to hear, Kathryn. It’s so great when the kids love what we cook!
Absolutely delicious!
Second time making it. Everyone loves it!
That’s wonderful to hear, Sara!
Absolutely delicious and a family favorite. Thank you for sharing this recipe.
This is one of those recipes that will teach you to cook. Great sauce, coated everything perfectly and thickened up very nicely. This is my new go-to for homemade comfort food. Even the little ones ate it up.
Yay great to hera that this is now your new go-to-recipe! Thanks for the feedback and review, Casey.
I’ve been cooking for many, many years. My quest to find the perfect stir fry concoction is finally over. You nailed it with this one! Made as written (doubled it, +). Adult son tried it first and said “if you told me this was take-out, I would have believed you. Except this is even better”. So good! It has made our short list of “put it on the rotation” meals. Bonus: hate to toss out unused vegetables. Happily cleaned out fridge, and for once, for a good cause!
That’s great, Maureen! I’m so glad to hear that.
I absolutely love this recipe. I changed up the veggies a bit and added peanuts instead of cashews. Sauce was amazing and perfect taste and balance of ingredients too. Served over white rice, yummy 😋.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Deborah!
Excellent! Loved this recipe. It didn’t disappoint and yes, definitely better than takeout!
I have struggled to make a great stir fry and that is now over! This recipe surprised me with how easy and tasty it was! I always have trouble using all the vegetables I buy and this was perfect for me. The sauce was out of this world! I can’t wait for the leftovers tomorrow!
Hello Lorraine, that’s lovely feedbck! Thank you so much for sharing, I’m glad that you loved this recipe!
Very easy, quick and delicious. Great to use leftover veggies, or whatever you have on hand.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Marla!
I followed the directions, but the vegetables came out very mushy. I would say not sautéing the veggies at all before adding the sauce would work better. This recipe wasn’t awful – we ate it – but I wouldn’t make it again.
Hi Mary, the biggest culprit of mushy veggies is overcooking – I would suggest cooking them until they are crisp tender. Also make sure you are using fresh and not frozen/thawed which will always be mushier than using fresh vegetables.
I used light soy and I also added a few glugs of sweet chilli sauce, very easy and quick recipe after a busy day at work! A delicious recipe that I’ll enjoy playing with.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Chris!