Chicken broccoli stir fry is an easy weeknight dinner made with chicken thighs, mushrooms, broccoli, and a simple homemade stir fry sauce. It is a quick, flavorful meal that is perfect for serving over rice or noodles.
This site contains affiliate links to products. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Ingredients you'll need
💌 Save this recipe
We’ll email it to you so you can find it later!
We'll send you occasional emails from Cook2eatwell. Unsubscribe anytime.
Stir fry sauce - The ingredients for the sauce are easy to find. Cornstarch, brown sugar, garlic, ginger powder, and crushed red pepper are commonly available. Look for low-sodium soy sauce and hoisin sauce in the international section of large supermarkets, at specialty markets, or online.
Chicken - We use boneless, skinless chicken thighs, but chicken breast will work just as well.
Broccoli - Fresh is best here. Frozen broccoli will release a lot of water and will not stay as crisp. If you need to use frozen, cook it for the lowest recommended time on the package. Drain it well and arrange it on a paper towel-lined plate to continue drying.
Mushrooms - White button mushrooms work well
Oil - We are cooking at a high temperature so use a neutral oil with a high smoke point.
Rice or noodles - Optional for serving.
📖 See the recipe card for quantities and preparation.
Make the stir fry sauce
Add the water and cornstarch to a medium bowl or canning jar and stir well with a fork or small whisk. Add the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, and crushed red pepper, if using, and stir well to combine. As the sauce sits, the cornstarch will settle on the bottom, so give it a good stir right before adding it to the stir fry.
How to make chicken broccoli stir fry
- Heat the oil in a large, deep, nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the chicken and sprinkle with the salt. Arrange it in one layer and cook for 2 minutes.
- Stir the chicken, arrange it so the browned side is up, and cook for another 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until browned on all sides.
- Add the mushrooms to the skillet.
- Cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they soften and most of the liquid cooks out.
- Add the broccoli and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
- Add the prepared stir fry sauce and stir. When it comes to a simmer, lower the heat to medium-low. Cook for 3-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the broccoli is bright green and crisp-tender and the chicken is cooked through.
Serve over white rice or noodles and garnish with crushed red pepper, sliced green onions, chives, or your favorite toppings.
Recipe tips and notes
- It's best to prep all of the ingredients before you start cooking. Things move quickly, and you will not have time to stop and get something ready.
- Go easy on the salt because the soy sauce and hoisin sauce both contain a good amount. For best results, use low-sodium soy sauce. You can always add more at the end if needed.
- If you are serving it over rice or noodles, start them first so they are ready when needed.
- Do not slice the mushrooms too thin or they will not hold their shape when cooked. This way, you will have nice, hearty pieces in the finished dish.
Storing and reheating
Let leftovers cool, then store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
To freeze, place cooled leftovers in a freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3-4 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
Reheat leftovers in a nonstick skillet over medium to medium-low heat with a splash of water or broth to loosen the sauce and prevent sticking. Stir occasionally until hot. You can also reheat them in a microwave-safe dish, loosely covered, in 30-second intervals, stirring in between, until hot all the way through.
For food safety, do not leave cooked food out for longer than 2 hours, or for more than 1 hour if the temperature is above 90°F. Reheat leftovers to an internal temperature of at least 165°F. For more information on food storage and safety guidelines, visit the U.S. Department of Agriculture and FoodSafety.gov.
If you liked this recipe, try our chicken green bean stir fry for another easy dinner with plenty of flavor. Ham fried rice is also a great option when you want a quick, family-friendly meal.
Join Us
Subscribe to our newsletter for new recipes, cooking tips, and kitchen inspiration. Follow us on social media for more recipe ideas.
📖 Recipe
Chicken Broccoli Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 1 pound Chicken Thighs skinless, boneless, trimmed of fat, and cut into bite-size pieces
- ½ teaspoon Salt we use kosher salt
- 2 tablespoons Oil use a neutral/flavorless oil with a high smoke point (we use canola oil)
- ¼ cup Water
- 1 tablespoon Cornstarch
- ¼ cup Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce
- 2 tablespoons Hoisin Sauce
- 1 tablespoon Brown Sugar
- 2 large Garlic Cloves minced or grated
- 1 teaspoon Ginger Powder
- Pinch of Crushed Red Pepper or to taste - leave it out if you don't like spicy
- 8 ounces White Button Mushrooms cleaned and sliced
- 6-8 ounces Broccoli Florets cut the larger ones into bite sized pieces
- Rice or Noodles for serving optional
Instructions
- Add the water and cornstarch to a medium bowl or jar; stir well with a fork or small whisk. Add the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger and crushed red pepper (if using) to the bowl/jar. Stir to combine well. As the sauce sits, the cornstarch will settle at the bottom so give it a good stir right before adding it to the stir fry.
- Heat the oil in a large, deep, non-stick skillet or wok over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, add the chicken and sprinkle with the salt. Arrange it in one layer and cook for 2 minutes.
- Stir the chicken and arrange it so that the brown side is up and cook for another 2-3 minutes until browned on all sides, stirring occasionally.
- Add the mushrooms to the skillet. Cook for 5 minutes until they soften and most of the liquid cooks out. Stir occasionally.
- Add the broccoli and cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently.
- Add the prepared stir fry sauce and stir to combine. As soon as the sauce starts to simmer, lower the heat to medium-low.
- Cook for 3-5 minutes until the broccoli is bright green and crisp-tender, stir frequently.
- Make sure the chicken is cooked through by cutting one of the larger pieces in half. It should be completely opaque with no pink.
- Serve immediately over rice or noodles, if desired.
Notes
💌 Save this recipe
We'll email it to you so you can find it later!
We'll send you occasional emails from Cook2eatwell. Unsubscribe anytime.
Nutrition
The nutritional information above is computer generated and is only an estimate. There is no guarantee that it is accurate. This data is provided as a courtesy for informational purposes only.
Leave a Reply