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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. Cook everything fast in a smoking hot wok for crisp-tender veg and a thick, shiny finish 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
  • 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 0.25 tsp salt
  • 0.25 tsp white pepper
stir fry
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 3 garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
  • 1 red bell pepper, sliced
  • 1 green bell pepper, sliced
  • 2 cup broccoli florets
  • 1 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
serve
  • 0.5 tbsp sesame seeds
  • 2 tbsp green onions

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Prep the chicken and sauce
  1. Toss the chicken with cornstarch, salt, and white pepper until evenly coated and lightly dry-looking. Set aside while you mix the sauce.
  2. Whisk together the soy sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, cornstarch, and chicken broth until smooth and no lumps remain. The mixture should look glossy and pourable.
Stir-fry the chicken
  1. Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat until it is smoking. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook 4-5 minutes until golden and cooked through.
  2. Remove the chicken to a plate as soon as it is cooked through, keeping any juices behind. Let the pan stay hot for the vegetables.
Stir-fry the vegetables and finish
  1. Stir-fry the bell peppers, broccoli, and carrot for 3-4 minutes until they are bright and just tender-crisp. Keep the heat high so they sear rather than steam.
  2. Add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry for 30 seconds until fragrant. The wok should sizzle immediately after adding them.
  3. Pour in the sauce and stir for 1-2 minutes until thickened and glossy. You should see a dark coating cling to the vegetables.
  4. Return the chicken and toss everything together until the chicken is coated and hot. Remove from heat when the sauce looks smooth and shiny.
Serve
  1. Serve the stir-fry over fluffy white rice, then sprinkle with sesame seeds and sliced green onions. The finish should look dark, glossy, and evenly coated.

Notes

For best texture, slice the chicken thinly and keep the pan on high heat so vegetables stay crisp-tender. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days; reheat in a skillet until hot and loosen with 1-2 tbsp water if needed. Freezing is not recommended because the vegetables can soften. For a lower-sugar option, reduce the brown sugar to 2 tsp without changing the cornstarch amount.