Quick Ginger Chicken Stir Fry Recipe

This easy ginger chicken stir-fry has a taste and flavor of earthy ginger on a crisp pan-fried chicken coated in a sweet tangy sauce. Enjoy it as a main dish with rice or noodles or as a side just on its own. And because of its simplicity, this honey ginger chicken stir fry has become a family favorite. It takes less than 20 minutes to cook so you can skip that takeout and try something homemade and healthy. 

Table of Content

• About this recipe
• Ingredients and substitutes
• The three golden rules of stir-fry
• Step by step instructions
• Tips for the perfect stir-fry recipes
• Frequently asked questions
• You may also like
• Printable Recipe

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If you love crispy chicken or ginger - you must try this recipe. Honey and ginger are a classic combination and so is ginger with chicken in a stir-fry. The warmth of ginger in meat dishes can really add so much umami to the dish. And yet, this is not your regular stir fry recipe, it's even better.  Here I pan-fry marinated chicken until crisp, then toss it with ginger and coat it with a sweet tangy sauce made with honey and other Asian sauces. It's a huge hit in our home and I promise you will be making it more often then you planned.

About this recipe

I keep saying crispy chicken but no, this one is not deep-fried. Ideally, if you deep fry the chicken you can have a more crispy outcome. And yet, I'm not a big fan of deep fry. Not just because of health reasons, but also because I'm not very fond of the house smelling of fried food later. I'm a cake person remember? So, I like to keep the oil smell away. And yet, you are free to deep fry the chicken. 

I often serve it with either noodles or steamed rice. While my kids usually love noodles and rice, the crispy chicken is their favorite. They often eat up all the chicken leaving the rice and noodles behind, which is not normal. And this can also be made as a main dish, although we end up eating it as a side dish. I use the leftover to make chicken wraps and sandwiches.

Ginger is the star of this dish!

I grew up with ginger being a big part of my mom's everyday cooking. In fact, we say onion, ginger, and garlic are the holy trinity in Indian cooking.
Do you know that these three are some of the best natural antioxidants? Of course, along with some others like turmeric, cloves, cinnamon, etc. If you know the benefits of turmeric you probably know that ginger comes from the same family as turmeric and galangal. Ginger has always been a big part of my diet. I have it in my chai every single day. Now it's also become a big part of my family's diet. We love a good ginger tea in winter. And similar to garlic, ginger also makes the meat taste better. So, when possible, I add a bit of ginger to my meat recipes. 

Ingredients and substitutes

• Egg - The egg contributes to the crispy coating we have on the chicken. So I recommend you use it. And yet, if for some reason you can't use egg, I'd say omit it but try using rice flour instead of cornflour.
• Rice flour or Cornstarch - I know we always have cornflour readily available so go ahead and use it. And yet, rice flour makes things more crispy. So if you can, use rice flour. You will be amazed at the results.
• Ginger - This is the star of this dish and you will see we have quite a bit of it in this recipe. So, if you make this recipe I presume you like ginger. Use fresh ginger and slice them as thin as possible. The crispy ginger tastes absolutely divine.
• Garlic - Garlic makes all meats taste better, right? I mean I can't' think of a meat dish I ever cooked without garlic. It just adds so much to the meat.
• Onion - You can omit the onion if you want, and yet, I think it adds a unique crunch and sweetness to the dish.
• Canola Oil - Yes, we do have a fair amount of oil in this recipe when we cook, as well as stir-fry the chicken later. Go ahead and reduce where you think you want to, or use olive oil to stir-fry the second time. The leftover oil you get in the dish is really tasty with all the flavors in it. My Rhea dips her bread and enjoys it.

The three golden rules of stir-fry

A stir-fry, if done correctly, is an absolute treat. The meat has to be well cooked, yet smoky not steamed. The veggies have to be cooked al dente, meaning cooked but with a bite not soft and not mushy. Getting it right means following these three golden rules.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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).

Step by step instructions

Prepare

• Cut chicken into bite-size pieces.
• Slice ginger and garlic into thin long slices.
• Cut onion into thick slices and separate them.
• Chop cilantro - and set aside.

Marinate the chicken

• In a large bowl - beat the egg.
• Add the flour, grated ginger, salt, and pepper.
• Stir well to combine.
• Add chicken and leave to marinate for 15 mins and up to 3 hours.

Cook the chicken

• Add 2 tbsp oil in a nonstick saute pan.
• Individually place the chicken pieces and cook on both sides, making sure they are almost cooked and evenly brown on all sides.
• Tip - If necessary cook the chicken in small batches but do not overcrowd the pan.
• When almost done - sprinkle the paprika over the chicken.
• The paprika gives a pretty color to the final dish.
• Remove from the pan and set aside - keep warm.

Prepare the sauce

• Add all sauce ingredients to a small bowl.
• Stir well and set aside.

Stir fry the chicken

• In a wok or a wide saute pan add a tbsp of canola oil.
• Add the ginger slices - saute on low heat until the ginger is almost crispy.
• Remove half the ginger for garnish (optional).
• Then add sliced onions and garlic to the pan.
• Cook the sauce on high for a minute or two - you want the onions to still have a bite.
• Add the chicken - saute for a minute cooking on high.
• Slowly sprinkle the sauce over the chicken - still cooking on high.
• Lastly, add the cilantro.
• Remove from the pan and serve hot garnished with the save crispy ginger slices.

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Tips for the perfect stir-fry recipes

• 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. 
• Take the pan off the heat when done to prevent overcooking. 
• Sometimes it’s best to transfer the stir-fry to a serving platter to prevent veggies going mushy. 
• Use salt sparingly because sauces used in stir-frys have salt added to them as a preservative. 

Frequently asked questions

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Printable Recipe