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. 
I love the sauce recipe for this. Not to sweet but just how I like it. The veggies I use are always different but it always tastes amazing!
Hi Jesi, thanks for your great review! I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe.
My husband loved this recipe. The only thing I changed was I sautéed the fresh ginger and garlic with a Serrano pepper prior to adding vegetables!! Fantastic flavor! Definitely will make again!
I’m so glad to hear that your husband enjoyed it! Thanks for sharing your feedback with us.
I’ve got some gorgeous pork that I want to stir fry; would you recommend your sauce for chicken or beef…or tweeks to either?
thanks
bill
Hi Bill, I think it would work great for both.
can i use peanuts instead of cashews?
Hi Melanie, I haven’t tried that yet to advise but I think that will work great too. Please share with us how you liked it, if you try!
Delicious!! I added water chestnuts and omitted the mushrooms. The sauce is outstanding!!
Perfect! Thanks for sharing, Wendy.
Loved it! We enjoyed this stir-fry with coconut jasmine rice. There was a nice little sweetness running through the whole dish! Will make again.
I’m so happy you enjoyed it.
Hello Natasha just wanted to check what would go well with this stir fry recipe on the side – thanks
Hi Jacintha, this is really a meal in itself. But please see this note in the recipe “What can I serve Chicken Stir Fry with?”
Great got it Natasha – many thanks
Yes this itself is a meal in itself – I served this with some garlic toast
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?
That’s rude
This is the best stir fry recipe I’ve ever made! Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but I think maybe if you didnt like it maybe you could could simply say ‘not one of my favorites’ you can see the vegetables listed, so try swapping them for ones you do like or simply don’t make it! But there truly is no need for you to be so rude and nasty Sam!
I’m so happy you loved the stir fry!
Absolutely delicious!! Doubled the recipe but didn’t take into account the volume of vegetables I would have to fry 😂 I have been eating it everyday it everyday with no complaints because it’s so good 🙂 didn’t have any ginger so left that out but it still tasted amazing.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Annabelle!
I agree Chalen, even I tried this and it turned out quite good – going to try for tonight’s dinner again. I omit the mushrooms as not my fav but Natasha has listed other options as well.
So rude, if you don’t like a recipe, move on !!
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!