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. It takes less than 20 minutes to cook so you can skip that takeout and try something homemade and healthy.
Table of Content
If you love crispy chicken or ginger - you must try this recipe. 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 veggies. Coat them with a sweet tangy sauce made with Asian sauces. It's a huge hit in our home and I promise you will be making it more often than you planned.
Why make this stir fry
- Wonderful crispy chicken morsels flavored with ginger, then stir-fried with veggies is a meal on its own.
- It is loaded with veggies which makes it a great meal to serve kids and encourage them to eat their veggies.
- Most of the ingredients used are simple pantry staples or easy to find.
- The dish takes less than 20 minutes to prepare and can be served with rice or noodles.
- The process is as easy as
- Marinate chicken
- Make the sauce
- Pan fry chicken
- Stir fry with sauce
- Leftovers will keep in the fridge for a few days.
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.
- Cornstarch - Adds nice crispiness to the chicken. If you don't have cornstarch use rice flour. In fact, I often prefer rice flour.
- 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.
- Oil - Yes, we do have a fair amount of oil in this recipe when we pan fry, but I still think it is better than deep-fried.
Ginger chicken stir fry
- Marinade - Add all the marinade ingredients to the chicken in a large bowl and combine well. Set aside.
Pro tip - the chicken can be marinated without the egg and cornstarch for up to 12 hours in the fridge. - Sauce - In a small bowl, combine all the sauce ingredients and set aside.
Pro tip - the cornstarch tends to settle down so make sure to combine again before adding it to the sauce.
- Sear - In a wok or saute pan over medium-high heat add 2 tablespoon of oil and layer the coated chicken pieces in a single layer. Cook for three minutes then flip them over the other side. Cook for another two to three minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Pro tip - if necessary do this in two batches and keep the heat to medium-high.
- Stir fry - To the same wok, add another tablespoon of oil and stir-fry the ginger garlic, and onions for a minute. Then add the veggies and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until almost tender. Then, add the chicken and combine well.
Pro tip - it is important that the veggies are almost tender when you add the cooked chicken. - Combine - Then, add the sauce and combine well. Stir fry for 2 to 3 minutes then add the fresh cilantro and scallion leaves.
Pro tip - if necessary, add a few tablespoons of water to prevent it from getting too dry.
Tips - 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.
- 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, and 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).
More stir-fry recipes
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 ginger chicken stir-fry, you can use less ginger if you want or add a bit more. I love the crisp ginger so I add more and remove the extra for garnish. You can also add lemongrass, Chinese parsley, or dill
Yes, beef is very popular in stir-fry recipes. You can even try thinly sliced pork and chopped sausages. Also, fish and seafood are always a great addition on their own or alongside the meat in a stir-fry. Asian cooking uses pork and seafood in stir-fried dishes very successfully.
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 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.
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Ginger Chicken Stir Fry Recipe
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Conversions Used
1 lb = 453 grams, 1 cup = 240 ml, 1 stick = 113g, 1 tbsp= 15 ml, 1 tsp= 5 ml,
Ingredients
- 1 lb (500 g) Chicken, boneless skinless (cut into bite size pieces)
- 3 inch Fresh ginger (sliced)
- 2 large Garlic cloves (sliced)
- 1 med Onion (sliced and separated)
- 3 tablespoon Canola oil
- ½ cup Cilantro (chopped)
- ½ cup Scallion leaves
Marinade
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ¼ tsp Pepper
- 1 large Egg
- 1 tablespoon Fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha
- 2 tablespoon Soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon Sesame oil
- 2 inch Fresh ginger (grated)
- 2 large Garlic cloves (grated )
- 2 tablespoon Cornstarch (or rice flour)
Sauce
- 2 tablespoon Soy sauce (low sodium )
- 1 tablespoon Chilly sauce ((optional) )
- 2 tablespoon Honey (or date syrup)
- 1 tablespoon Vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha
- 1 teaspoon Sesame oil
- ⅓ cup (90 ml) Chicken broth or stock
Instructions
- Marinade - Add all the marinade ingredients to the chicken in a large bowl and combine well. Set aside. Pro tip - the chicken can be marinated without the egg and cornstarch for up to 12 hours in the fridge.
- Sauce - In a small bowl, combine all the sauce ingredients and set aside. Pro tip - the cornstarch tends to settle down so make sure to combine again before adding it to the sauce.
- Sear - In a wok or saute pan over medium-high heat add 2 tablespoon of oil and layer the coated chicken pieces in a single layer. Cook for three minutes then flip them over the other side. Cook for another two to three minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside. Pro tip - if necessary do this in two batches and keep the heat to medium-high.
- Stir fry - To the same wok, add another tablespoon of oil and stir-fry the ginger garlic, and onions for a minute. Then add the veggies and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until almost tender. Then, add the chicken and combine well. Pro tip - it is important that the veggies are almost tender when you add the cooked chicken.
- Combine - Then, add the sauce and combine well. Stir fry for 2 to 3 minutes then add the fresh cilantro and scallion leaves. Pro tip - if necessary, add a few tablespoons of water to prevent it from gettig too dry.
Recipe Notes & Tips
- Stir-fry is quick cooking so always have all your ingredients ready before you start.
- High heat is always recommended for stir-frying. 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 from going mushy.
- Use salt sparingly because sauces used in stir-fries have salt added to them as a preservative.
Nutrition Information
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
Missy Adams
I have Several questions. 1st- What do you mean by chilly sauce?
#2: How much added veggies do I use or can i use?
Veena Azmanov
ey Missy. The chilly sauce is a sweet and spicy sauce made with red chilies. You can even use more Sriracha but that is very spicy so I suggest no more than one tbsp. You can use up to 2 cups of julienned veggies.
Dene' V. Alexander
I can see why your kids are big fans of this ginger chicken stir fry!! It looks amazing!!!
Veena Azmanov
Thank you Dene'. Yeah we do love ginger