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Chinese Chicken Stir Fry

Chinese chicken stir fry with tender chicken strips and vibrant vegetables coated in a glossy soy-ginger sauce. Cooked fast over high heat so everything glistens in a smoking hot wok, then served over fluffy white rice.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Chinese-American
Calories: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken breasts
  • 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
Cornstarch
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
Salt and white pepper
  • 0.25 salt and white pepper to taste
Vegetable oil
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
Aromatics
  • 3 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
Bell peppers
  • 1 each red bell pepper, sliced
  • 1 each green bell pepper, sliced
Vegetables
  • 2 cup broccoli florets
  • 1 each carrot, julienned
Stir fry sauce
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 0.5 cup chicken broth

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Prep and coat the chicken
  1. Toss the thinly sliced chicken with the cornstarch, salt, and white pepper until evenly coated, with no dry spots visible.
Make the soy-ginger stir fry sauce
  1. Whisk together soy sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, cornstarch, and chicken broth until smooth and glossy.
Stir-fry the chicken
  1. Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat until smoking, then add the chicken in a single layer and cook 4-5 minutes until golden and cooked through, stirring once or twice so the edges brown.
  2. Remove the cooked chicken to a plate so it stays tender while you cook the vegetables.
Stir-fry the vegetables and finish
  1. Stir-fry the bell peppers, broccoli, and carrot for 3-4 minutes until bright and just tender-crisp, keeping them moving so they don’t steam.
  2. Add the minced garlic and grated ginger and stir-fry for 30 seconds, until fragrant and just starting to turn lightly golden.
  3. Pour in the sauce and stir for 1-2 minutes until thickened and shiny, so the vegetables look lacquered.
  4. Return the chicken and toss for 30-60 seconds until evenly coated with the glossy dark sauce and reheated through.
Serve
  1. Serve the stir fry over fluffy white rice, then top with sesame seeds and green onions so the surface has a fresh pop of color.

Notes

For the best texture, slice chicken thinly and spread it out in the hot pan so you get quick browning before it steams. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 3 days; reheat in a skillet over medium-high until warmed through, adding a splash of chicken broth if needed. Freezing is not recommended because the vegetables can soften too much. For a lower-sugar swap, use a sugar-free hoisin alternative or reduce the brown sugar to 2 tsp and adjust to taste.