This chicken stir-fry gets done in 15 minutes and is better than any takeaway you can order. Made with chicken breast, fresh green beans, ginger, garlic, and few other pantry staples for flavor this is scrumptious, nutritious, and healthy.
Having lived in Singapore for ten years, I love Asian food and I absolutely adore making chicken with veggies. Simple one-pot meals that can be made quickly and easily.
- First of all, they are the best thing for working mom like me that have no time to cook.
- Furthermore, you can use frozen veggies so your prep time is almost zero.
- Most of all, veggies stay crisp and retain all the nutrition unlike boiling them.
- Also, noodles take only 4 minutes to cook.
- And, chicken is a much healthy meat option and cooks faster.
- Stir fry is high-heat cooking and cooks so fast!! Hence, dinner in less than 15 minutes is a possibility.
- In addition, Asian cooking is usually dependent on readymade store-bought sauces, which have a long (really long) shelf life. So, you can use them for a long time for such easy quick dishes.
Table of Content
About this stir-fry
A stir-fry if done correctly is an absolute treat. The meat has to be well cooked, yet smoky not steam. The veggies have to be cooked al-Dante meaning cooked but with a bite not soft and not mushy. Getting it right means following these three golden rules.
- The right pan for a stir-fry is a wok. If you don't have a wok use, a light sauté pan that you can heat on medium to high. Never use non-stick pots or heavy bottom pans. Non-stick will get ruined, and the heavy bottom pan will create steam.
- Mise en
plas or prepare before you stir-fry. A stir-fry is a quick dish, which means you have to get all the things ready before you turn that heat on. Cut the ingredients you need, prepare the sauce, have the garnish chopped. Keep that serving platter on hand so you can take it off the heat quickly. - Quick cooking - Most stir-fry dishes take not more than 7 to 10 minutes on the heat. The idea of stir-fry is to cook quickly on high heat so keep that flame on high or medium-high. Use a splash of water when necessary to bring down the temperature of the heat in the pan. Never leave the
wok unattended (yup, don't answer that phone).
Ingredients and substitutes
- Chicken - I'm big on using chicken thighs. And yet, chicken breast will also work just as well. And, if you don't want to use chicken, you can also use a thinly sliced beef steak similar to my Beef Stir-Fry recipe.
- Beans - I love the combination of beans with chicken. And yet, broccoli does also work amazingly. You can see that I used that in my recipe Chicken Broccoli Stir-Fry. In addition, when asparagus is in season, I love to switch the beans with asparagus.
- Sesame seeds and sesame oil - Often used in Asian and Middle Eastern cooking. It's full of nutrition and healthy too. And, the seeds add a nice crunch to the dish. A little oil goes a long way. So, add just as specified in the recipe.
- Cornstarch/cornflour - Helps thicken the sauce and give us that thick rather than watery sauce. It also helps bind everything together.
- Herbs - I love to use cilantro, and yet parsley works just as well.
- Green onions - Always add a nice touch to any Asian dish with its fresh leafy greens. It makes a huge difference to the overall dish.
Step by step instructions (pin)
- Prep the chicken - Clean, wash, and pat dry the chicken. Cut into bite-size cubes or long strips.
Tip - since I am using long green beans today I cut the chicken into long strips too. - Marinade - In a bowl, combine all the marinade ingredients.
Tip - It is best to use low sodium soy sauce which is less salty. But, if you use regular make sure to add less salt in the recipe. - Marinate the chicken - Add the marinade to the chicken. Stir well and set aside.
Tip - you can leave the chicken to marinate for 30 minutes on the counter or up to 12 hours in the fridge. - Veggies - Slice the onions and separate the slices. Thinly slice the garlic and ginger. Roughly chop the parsley and shallots - set aside
- Sauce - Combine all the sauce ingredients in a bowl and set aside.
Tip - cornstarch will settle to the bottom so make sure to stir it again before adding it to the pan
Stir-fry
- Beans - Add one tbsp of oil to the wok or saute pan. Add in the beans. Saute for 2 minutes then add 2 tbsp of water to create some steam. Cook for 3 to 4 or until the beans are tender. Remove from the pan and set aside
Tip - we remove from the pan so we do not overcook the chicken or beans. - Chicken - To the same wok or wide saute pan add another tablespoon of oil. Add the chicken pieces in a single layer. Cook for a minute then flip to the other side and cook another minute. Toss with a spatula and cook for 2 minutes more.
Tip - avoid tossing for the first two minutes this will give the chicken some color from the initial cooking. - Next, add the sliced onions, garlic, and ginger. Stir-fry on medium-high for 2 minutes.
- Return the beans back to the pan and stir-fry another minute. Then add the sauce and combine well.
Tip - by this time both the chicken and beans should be cooked. The sauce will coat everything well and any juices in the pan will get thicken with the cornstarch. If necessary you can add a few tablespoons of water to help bring everything together. - Taste and adjust for seasoning. Finally add the sesame seed, parsley, and shallots
- Serve hot over boiled noodles.
Frequently asked questions
What else can I add to this stir-fry?
The best thing about stir-fry dishes is that they are so versatile and leave you so much freedom to add or subtract. In this chicken stir-fry, try using other veggies like carrots, broccoli, or peppers. You can also add lemongrass, Chinese parsley, or dill
Can I use other meats instead of chicken?
Yes, beef is very popular in stir-fry recipes. Thin strips of flank steak or skirt steak work best for quick cooking stir fry.
You can even use thinly sliced pork.
Can I use olive oil for stir-fry?
It is recommended to use soybean oil, vegetable oil, peanut oil, or sunflower oil. All of these have a high smoking point. Any oil that works well for deep frying is preferable for stir-fry because a stir-fry is cooked on high heat. Olive oil, in contrast, is best used raw on salad and when cooking with a light saute method.
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Recipe
Description
This chicken stir-fry gets done in 15 minutes and is better than any takeaway you can order. Made with chicken breast, fresh green beans, ginger, garlic, and few other pantry staples for flavor this is scrumptious, nutritious, and healthy.
Ingredients
- 1 lb (500 g) Green beans washed and ends removed
- 1 lb (500 g) Chicken breast boness, cut into strips
- 2 tbsp Cooking oil canola or sunflower
- 1 med Onion
- 2 med Garlic thinly sliced
- ¼ inch Ginger fresh - thinly sliced
Marinade
- 2 tbsp Cornstarch (cornflour)
- ¼ cup Soy sauce (I use low sodium)
- ½ tsp Pepper
- ¼ tsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Rice vinegar
- 1 tsp Sesame oil
- 1 tsp Chilly oil (or ½ tsp paprika)
Sauce
- 2 tbsp Light soy sauce I use low sodium
- 1 tbsp Brown sugar
- 1 tbsp Cooking sherry (optional)
- 1 tbsp Rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp Cornstarch (cornflour)
- 2 tbsp Sesame oil
- 2 drops Tabasco sauce optional per your taste
Plus
- 1 tbsp Sesame seeds
- ¼ cup Parsley (or cilantro) roughly chopped
- ¼ cup Scallions chopped at an angle
Instructions
- Prep the chicken - Clean, wash, and pat dry the chicken. Cut into bite-size cubes or long strips.Tip - since I am using long green beans today I cut the chicken into long strips too.
- Marinade - In a bowl, combine all the marinade ingredients. Tip - It is best to use low sodium soy sauce which is less salty. But, if you use regular make sure to add less salt in the recipe.
- Marinate the chicken - Add the marinade to the chicken. Stir well and set aside. Tip - you can leave the chicken to marinate for 30 minutes on the counter or up to 12 hours in the fridge.
- Veggies - Slice the onions and separate the slices. Thinly slice the garlic and ginger. Roughly chop the parsley and shallots - set aside
- Sauce - Combine all the sauce ingredients in a bowl and set aside.Tip - cornstarch will settle to the bottom so make sure to stir it again before adding it to the pan
Stir-Fry
- Chicken - To the same wok or wide saute pan add another tablespoon of oil. Add the chicken pieces in a single layer. Cook for a minute then flip to the other side and cook another minute. Toss with a spatula and cook for 2 minutes more. Tip - avoid tossing for the first two minutes this will give the chicken some color from the initial cooking.
- Next, add the sliced onions, garlic, and ginger. Stir-fry on medium-high for 2 minutes.
- Return the beans back to the pan and stir-fry another minute. Then add the sauce and combine well. Tip - by this time both the chicken and beans should be cooked. The sauce will coat everything well and any juices in the pan will get thicken with the cornstarch. If necessary you can add a few tablespoons of water to help bring everything together.
- Taste and adjust for seasoning. Finally add the sesame seed, parsley, and shallots
- Serve hot over boiled noodles.
Recipe Notes
- Stir-fry is quick cooking so always have all your ingredients ready before you start.
- High heat is always recommended for stir-fry. And yet, some veggies like broccoli, carrots, and beans benefit better from medium-high with a slash of water. While mushrooms and leaves benefit from high heat to quickly evaporate the released moisture.
- Also, when adding any liquid turn the heat up and stir at the same time so everything is coated in the starch before the water evaporates.
- And, take the pan off the heat when done to prevent overcooking.
- Sometimes it’s best to transfer the stir-fry to a serving plate to prevent veggies from going mushy.
- Use salt sparingly because – sauces used in stir-frys have salt added to them as a preservative.
Nutrition Information
Serving: 155gCalories: 172kcalCarbohydrates: 9.3gProtein: 12.8gFat: 9.4gSaturated Fat: 1.4gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3.6gMonounsaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gCholesterol: 37mgSodium: 121mgPotassium: 0mgFiber: 1.8gSugar: 3.5gVitamin A: 0IUVitamin C: 0mgCalcium: 0mgIron: 0mg
The nutrition information and metric conversion are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee its accuracy. If this data is important to you please verify with your trusted nutrition calculator. Thank you
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Bintu | Recipes From A Pantry
Such a delicious dish! Stir fry is one of our fave family meals so definitely going to be giving this a try
Veena Azmanov
Absolutely, Bintu. We love stir frys too.
Diana
Love the step by step images, you just made this stir fry look so easy to make! Pinning to try later.
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Diana. Happy you found the progress pictures useful
Claudia Lamascolo
I love the flavors in this sauce it has everything in it I love when we order out. Now I can make it at home it looks so easy
Veena Azmanov
Thank you, Claudia. yes, we love this sauce too. Wonderful Asian flavors.