Easy Chicken Stir Fry

Zoup! Good, Really Good® provided me with product for the purpose of this post, as well as compensation for my time. As always, all opinions expressed in this post are my own.

This easy chicken stir fry is everything you want in a quick dinner. It is fresh, delicious, and comes together quickly. It starts with a simple 5-minute stir fry sauce you can stir together or shake up in a jar, and pairs perfectly with chicken and your favorite stir fry ingredients. It thickens beautifully to coat your veggies and chicken, isn’t too salty, and has just the right amount of umami and heat.

This is the stir fry you have been waiting for. Easy. Homemade. Tastes delicious. Works well with whatever veggies you have on hand.

We all have those nights…where we don’t know what to make for dinner, and don’t have a whole lot of anything, but plenty of odds and ends. Well, this is the solution for those nights! It is the perfect way to elevate dinner and use up the odds and ends veggies in your refrigerator, and have it taste like it was not just intentional, but gourmet.

This stir fry is amazing. The sauce is simple to make, it is not too sweet, not too sour, not too salty, not too spicy. It has depth of flavor, umami, and pairs well with chicken, but if you don’t have chicken, it works well with shrimp, pork, and beef too. Basically, it is the unicorn of dinners, as you have tons of possibilities with just a little chicken and this sauce! Then throw in what you have:

Got frozen veggies? This stir fry.

Have a different protein you want to use up? This stir fry.

Need to clear out the crisper? This stir fry.

Want a veggie packed dinner everyone will love? This stir fry.

Trying to eat less meat? This stir fry.

Basically, whether you pair it with fresh or frozen veggies, the chicken as suggested, or your favorite other protein, buy vegetables specifically to make stir fry, or just want to use up the odds and ends in your fridge, this is the stir fry for you. It takes otherwise boring ingredients and brings the wow factor in a quick and simple way, making it easy for busy weeknights, lazy weekends, or long days. Plus it offers a few more perks:

Better for you: Making your own sauce is almost always a better for you option than store bought, it allows you to control your ingredients, control the flavor and adjust to your preferences, and most importantly your dietary needs. For example, you can opt for a lower sodium option, or sub for a better oil etc.
Less Expensive: Homemade is also usually far more budget friendly than store bought. You likely have a lot of what you need in the fridge or pantry, and a little goes a long way, so it is a great way to save a few bucks in the kitchen. And with my code 20EAZYZOUP you can get 20% off the main ingredient, Zoup! Good, Really Good® Culinary Concentrate™, on Amazon.
Quick: This sauce takes only a few minutes to throw together, making it a super simple way to get a great meal on the table quickly and easily.

What You Need to Make Easy Chicken Stir Fry

This chicken stir fry is super simple and very flexible and versatile, so you can customize it to your preferences. The real key to this is the sauce. From there you can add your favorite vegetables, and chicken. Let’s take a look at what you need to make this recipe:

Homemade Stir Fry Sauce
Chicken (or other protein)
Vegetables- About 4-6 cups, I used carrots, zucchini, mushrooms, red bell peppers, broccoli, and snow peas.

The beauty of this recipe is you can adjust the sauce to your preference – make it a little sweeter, or more sour, or as spicy as you like. Here is what you need to make Stir Fry Sauce:

Warm Water: You need warm water to mix with the Zoup! Good, Really Good® Culinary Concentrate™ Beef Base with Bone Broth to create the base of this recipe. Use filtered water for best results.
Zoup! Good, Really Good® Culinary Concentrate™ Beef Base with Bone Broth: This is one ingredient you don’t want to sub out. This is by far the best beef concentrate I have ever used. It is a super-premium, clean-label product that’s made in small batches. Not only is it high quality, but it adds rich, homemade flavor to this stir fry. There are no artificial flavors or ingredients, no preservatives, and no inexpensive fillers and added sugars, which is a huge plus! It’s lower in sodium and higher in protein than a lot of the other options out there, and is also Paleo and keto friendly and free of GMO’s, gluten and eight major allergens. I love that it does not make my sauce over salty and that it is packaged in an economical and recyclable glass jar (each 8oz jar makes 10 quarts of broth!). Basically, it is awesome, and helps make this stir fry what it is. Pick it up at ZoupBroth.com and Amazon.com or at select retailers across the country. (Use Code 20EAZYZOUP for a 20% discount on Amazon).
Soy Sauce: I recommend a low sodium option to keep it from getting too salty, but this recipe was tested with both low sodium and full sodium, and it is wonderful with each. You can also use a dark soy sauce for a deeper flavor profile, or liquid amino acids.
Sesame Oil: You do not need a lot, and you can use a toasted sesame oil if that is what you have. It adds a rich, nutty, delicious flavor to the sauce. A little bit goes along way, but don’t skip it.
Sriracha: This can be optional, but I highly recommend it. Rather than leave it out, consider adjusting how much you use. It adds so much depth of flavor to the sauce without making it spicy. You can also use chili garlic paste, or red pepper flakes if you do not have Sriracha. I like to start with a little so it works for everyone, and serve my stir fry with Sriracha on the side for those who want more heat!
Hoisin or Oyster Sauce: This is a great addition because it is just one ingredient but brings some complexity to your dish. It will also add some sweetness to the sauce. So if you prefer a sweeter stir fry, this is where you would maybe add a little extra Hoisin, or maybe a teaspoon of brown sugar too. You can find oyster sauce and Hoisin in most major grocery stores in the Asian food aisle.
Rice Wine/Mirin: This is going to balance your flavors, add a little sourness, and more depth. You can substitute rice wine vinegar here, but it will add even more sourness. I prefer the rice wine or mirin.
Garlic and Ginger: Garlic and ginger are going to boost flavor! They are my favorite addition to any stir fry as they immediately make it more aromatic. Use fresh if you can. I love using minced garlic and ginger paste, as it keeps things eazy peazy. The ginger paste can be kept in your freezer and pulled out to use when needed, keeping it good for a long time. It comes in a little tube and can usually be found in the produce section of the grocery store, by the fresh herbs.
Cornstarch or Potato Flour: This is what thickens up your sauce. Without it you will have a thin sauce, but with it, you get this gloriously sticky, thick sauce that coats all of your ingredients, which means more flavor in every bite.

Notes:

Sour: If you want to make it more sour, add about a tablespoon of rice vinegar.
Sweet: If you want to make it sweeter, add another teaspoon of hoisin or a little sugar or honey.
Spicy: to make this recipe spicier, add additional Sriracha, chili paste, or red pepper flakes.

How to Make Easy Chicken Stir Fry

This is truly one of my favorite recipes to make, much like this Chicken Ramen Stir Fry, it is full of flavor, chock full of vegetables, and comes together in just a few minutes. It really is the BEST! And it requires very few dishes. Here’s how to make it:

Step One: Mix Together Sauce

The stir fry sauce is so simple to make, simply add all the ingredients to a bowl or jar with a lid, and mix. You can stir, whisk, shake, or do what I did and use a coffee frother to simple mix everything together until it was well combined. Then set it aside.

Note: You can use the sauce immediately in a stir fry, or store in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week.

If I am not planning to use it right away, or if I double the recipe, I like to make it in a jar with a lid. That way I can easily store the remainder for up to a week.

When making the sauce, you can definitely adjust to your preferences for sweet, sour, and heat. But be sure to use the Zoup! Good, Really Good® Culinary Concentrate™ Beef Base with Bone Broth. It was developed by a 20+ year soup industry veteran and the team behind Zoup! Eatery. The Zoup! Good, Really Good® Culinary Concentrate™ lineup includes beef, chicken and savory vegan bases. So if you want to make this vegetarian or vegan, swap the concentrate out for a different Zoup! product. When I make stir fry for my vegetarian daughter, I use the savory vegan base.

Zoup! also offers a lineup of traditional broth that includes new seafood broth and new spicy chicken bone broth, original and low sodium chicken broth, veggie broth, chicken and beef bone broth, plus certified organic chicken and veggie broth. So you could also sub that for the water and concentrate if needed.

Visit ZoupBroth.com to learn more and follow @ZoupGoodReallyGood on Facebook and Instagram and @ZoupGoodReallyGoodBroth on Pinterest.

Step Two: Stir Fry the Heartier Veggies

Now that you have your stir fry sauce ready, you want to start cooking your vegetables.

I like to start with a quick stir fry of my heartier vegetables that take a little longer to cook to the crisp tender stage. So I add either a little bit of the sauce, or a little oil to the wok, and add in the carrots, zucchini, and mushrooms, and I stir fry for a few minutes. Then I add the red bell peppers and stir fry another two minutes.

Then remove the vegetables from the pan so they do not continue to cook. The veggies that cook faster, like the broccoli and snow peas will be added at the end so they do not overcook and get mushy.

Step Three: Cook Chicken

Once your vegetables are removed from the pan, add in your thinly sliced chicken, with a little extra oil if needed. Season it and cook until browned , flipping it halfway through (about a minute on each side). You are not trying to fully cook your chicken at this step, as it will continue to cook with the sauce.

Step Four: Add Your Sauce

Now you want to dump the sauce into the pan over the chicken and let it continue to cook. This will thicken up your sauce while continuing to cook the chicken. You want to cook it, stirring frequently, until it bubbles and is starting to thicken. This takes only about 2 minutes.

Step Five: Add Vegetables Back In

At this point, you are going to want to add your vegetables back in, as well as the vegetables you haven’t started cooking yet, the broccoli and snow peas. Stir to coat everything really good in the sauce and let cook about 2 minutes for the chicken to finish cooking through and the broccoli to get crisp tender.

Step Six: Serve

Once broccoli is crisp tender and chicken is cooked through, and everything is nicely coated in the sauce, remove it from heat. Serve over white rice, and garnish with sesame seeds and green onion if desired. Serve hot!

How To Adjust Ingredients and Make A Simple Stir Fry

If you are making this stir fry with a different protein, you will want to adjust the cooking time. In your large skillet or wok, start with a little oil, and get your hearty vegetables started. Then remove from pan and add in the protein you are cooking. Depending on what it is, your cooking time may adjust. But the idea is the same. Cook partially, add your sauce, finish cooking with vegetables.

You basically want to do everything in stages so nothing gets overcooked and mushy.

Add oil to pan and start cooking hearty vegetables first. This would be things like onion, mushrooms, carrots, etc. The veggies that will take longer to cook should go first.
Remove these from pan and cook protein with some of your sauce for added flavor.
Add sauce and cook until it starts to thicken.
Then add hearty vegetables back in, as well as the tender vegetables, like bok choy or snow peas etc. Cook the veggies until they are crisp-tender.
Serve over rice as desired, garnish, and enjoy!

The idea here is to get a perfectly sauced stir fry. Which means you want between half and a pound of protein and 4-6 cups of vegetables. This will serve four people. Serve your stir fry with four cups of cooked rice.

Tips, Tricks, Substitutions

Making this recipe is Eazy Peazy, but here are a few tips and tricks for making it perfect for your family:

How do I make sure I have enough sauce? This recipe was created to serve four and make a stir fry that has just the right amount of sauce, where everything is coated and you have some sauce for your rice, but it isn’t drowning in sauce. To achieve this, if you plan to make substitutions, try to keep your protein around half a pound to a pound, and your vegetables to 4-6 cups worth.

What if I want sauce to go on my rice? While the recipe makes enough sauce to have some on your rice, if you want extra sauce to go over rice, then mix up the sauce, and simply heat in a saucepan until bubbling and thickened. Then serve over rice.

How can I make a low-sodium version of stir-fry sauce? Be sure to use the Zoup! Good, Really Good® Culinary Concentrate™ Beef Base with Bone Broth as it is lower in sodium than other options. You can also use a low-sodium soy sauce in place of regular soy sauce.

Can I make stir fry sauce gluten-free? Yes, as long as you use gluten-free soy sauce like Tamari. While the remaining ingredients should be naturally gluten-free, be sure to check all the ingredient labels to be sure.

Is this sauce vegan or vegetarian? No, the Zoup! Good, Really Good® Culinary Concentrate™ Beef Base with Bone Broth is not. If you want to make it vegetarian or vegan, you would need to select a vegan hoisin or oyster flavored sauce and swap out the beef base for Zoup! Culinary Concentrate™ Savory No-Chicken Vegan Base.

Can I make stir fry sauce without soy sauce? Yes, you can use coconut aminos, or liquid aminos in place of the soy sauce.

How do I thicken stir-fry sauce? This recipe is already tested to be perfectly thickened. But if you want it even thicker, make a quick slurry or water and corn starch (1 teaspoon water to 1 Tablespoon corn starch), and add it to the stir fry.

How long does stir fry sauce last? You can keep this sauce in your refrigerator for up to one week. But it needs to be kept in an airtight container. Or, you can freeze it. I found that to freeze it, it was best to heat it and let it thicken, then package and freeze.

Make Ahead and Storage

Because this is such a quick recipe, and takes less than 20 minutes to make, I recommend making it fresh. However, you can prep and assemble some of the components ahead. For example, the sauce will keep in the fridge for up to one week, which means it is absolutely perfect for prepping ahead.

How to make this recipe ahead of time:

Mix sauce together in advance and store in an airtight container in the fridge.
Wash and chop vegetables ahead and store in the refrigerator for use later.
When ready to serve, stir fry vegetables and chicken, and sauce as directed in recipe.

Note: You can also freeze the sauce for up to 3 months in an airtight container or bag. Simply thaw and use as directed in recipe when ready to use.

Other Great Chicken Recipes

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Easy Chicken Stir Fry

The perfect easy chicken stir fry that starts with a homemade stir fry sauce. This is a 5 minute stir fry sauce you can stir together or shake up in a jar, and pairs perfectly with the protein of your choice and your favorite stir fry ingredients. It thickens beautifully to coat your veggies and protein, isn't too salty, and has just the right amount of umami and heat. This is the stir fry recipe you have been waiting for.

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Prep Time: 10

Cook Time: 10

Servings:

Author: Rachael

Ingredients

Stir Fry Sauce

1 cup Warm Water
1 tsp Zoup! Beef Base with Bone Broth
1 Tbsp Mirin
1 tsp Sesame Oil
1 ½ Tbsp Soy Sauce or Braggs Liquid Aminos
1 Tbsp Minced Garlic
1 tsp Ginger Paste
2 tsps Hoisin
1 tsp Sriracha
1 Tbsp Cornstarch or Potato Flour

Chicken Stir Fry

4 tsps Cooking Oil divided
3/4 cup Carrots matchsticks
3/4 cup Zucchini matchsticks
½ cup Mushroom sliced
½ cup Red Bell Pepper sliced
8 ounces Chicken Breast cut super thin
Salt and pepper
1 cup Broccoli florets
3/4 cup Snow Peas
Garnish: Sesame Seeds and Green Onion

Instructions

Stir Fry Sauce

Combine everything in a jar and shake up, whisk together, or use a frother to mix together.

Chicken Stir Fry

Heat 2 tsps cooking oil in a wok over medium-high heat.
When oil is hot, add in carrots, zucchini, and mushrooms. Stir fry for 1-2 minutes until the veggies start to brown. Add in red bell peppers and stir fry an additional minute.
Remove veggies from wok.
Return wok to heat, and add 2 tsps cooking oil and heat
Once oil is heated, add in 8 ounces of finely sliced chicken, season with salt and pepper, and stir fry for 1 minute. Flip chicken over and stir fry an additional minute.
Pour stir fry sauce in over chicken and turn heat up to high.
When sauce starts bubbling and thickening, add veggies back in, as well as remaining vegetables (broccoli and snow peas)
Stir to coat everything in sauce, and cook until broccoli is crisp tender, and additional 2 minutes or so.
Serve over white rice, garnish with sesame seeds and green onion.

Our recipe card software calculates these nutrition facts based on averages for the above ingredients, different brands, and quality of produce/meats may have different nutritional information, always calculate your own based on the specific products you use in order to achieve accurate macros for this recipe.

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Easy Chicken Stir Fry

Easy Chicken Stir Fry

What You Need to Make Easy Chicken Stir Fry