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Chinese Chicken Stir Fry

Chinese chicken stir fry made with tender sliced chicken and vibrant vegetables tossed in a glossy soy-ginger sauce. Quick wok-style sear and high-heat stir-fry deliver bright, crisp-tender veggies and a thick, clingy coating over fluffy white rice.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Cuisine: Chinese-American
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken and vegetables
  • 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts Thinly slice for fast cooking.
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch Coats chicken for a tender, glossy finish.
  • 0.25 salt Use to taste.
  • 0.25 white pepper Use to taste.
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil High-heat cooking fat for the wok-style sear.
  • 3 clove garlic Minced.
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger Grated.
  • 1 count red bell pepper Sliced.
  • 1 count green bell pepper Sliced.
  • 2 cup broccoli florets Florets.
  • 1 count 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 Helps thicken sauce for a glossy coating.
  • 0.5 cup chicken broth

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Prep chicken and sauce
  1. Toss the sliced chicken with cornstarch, salt, and white pepper until evenly coated.
  2. Whisk together soy sauce, oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, cornstarch, and chicken broth until smooth.
Sear chicken
  1. Heat vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat until smoking, then add the chicken in a single layer.
  2. Cook the chicken 4-5 minutes, stirring as needed, until golden and cooked through; then remove to a plate.
Stir-fry vegetables
  1. Stir-fry the bell peppers, broccoli, and carrot for 3-4 minutes until bright and just tender-crisp.
  2. Add garlic and ginger and stir-fry for 30 seconds, until fragrant.
Glaze and serve
  1. Pour in the sauce and stir 1-2 minutes until thickened and glossy.
  2. Return the chicken and toss until coated and heated through.
  3. Serve over rice and finish with sesame seeds and green onions.

Notes

Pro tip: Slice chicken thinly and keep the oil truly smoking so the chicken browns quickly without drying out. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container up to 3 days; reheat in a hot skillet until warmed through (add a splash of chicken broth if the sauce tightens). Freezing is not recommended for the best vegetable texture. For a lower-sugar option, reduce brown sugar to 2 tsp while keeping the cornstarch slurry unchanged.