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 corn starch
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
Filed Under
Hi! I’m Natasha Kravchuk, a New York Times bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, food photographer, and writer. Here you’ll find delicious, reliable recipes made with simple ingredients, plus easy step-by-step photos and videos to help you cook confidently at home. 
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!