Chinese chicken and broccoli is a quick and easy recipe that creates the juiciest chicken and crunchy broccoli that is glazed with an addicting brown sauce. This better-than-takeout chicken and broccoli stir fry is a great healthy option for those busy weeknight dinners.
Chinese chicken and broccoli is a quick and easy recipe that creates the juiciest chicken and crunchy broccoli that is glazed with an addicting brown sauce. This better-than-takeout chicken and broccoli stir fry is a great healthy option for those busy weeknight dinners.
This quick and easy healthy Chinese chicken and broccoli recipe is undeniably delicious. It is made with tender chicken breast, and fresh crisp broccoli, packed with ginger and garlic aromatics, and tossed in a savory glossy brown stir fry sauce.
When it comes to prepping easy weeknight meals, I like to incorporate a mix of protein and vegetables without sacrificing the flavor and bonus points if I can make it under 30 minutes. Chicken broccoli is the ideal dish to make for a quick and delicious balanced meal. Plus, the tantalizing brown sauce for chicken broccoli is a fan favorite due to its rich umami flavors stemming from the dark soy sauce and oyster sauce.
Making this Chinese chicken stir fry is so incredibly satisfying and is really easy to make using only one large skillet. If you love this Chinese chicken and broccoli recipe check out my beef and broccoli, honey walnut shrimp, and easy chicken lo mein recipes!
Quick and Easy: this is probably the easiest chicken broccoli recipe which can be prepped and cooked all within 30 minutes!
Healthy and delicious! This healthy chicken stir fry creates the juiciest and most tender chicken paired with delicious crunchy broccoli and an addicting Chinese stir fry sauce.
Customizable. You can change the protein or add more vegetables and serve it with white rice, brown rice, or noodles. The options are endless!
Kitchen Equipment
Large Skillet with lid: you will need a large skillet with a lid to make this easy chicken and broccoli stir fry.
Mixing bowls: you will need multiple mixing bowls to make the easy stir-fry sauce and marinate the chicken.
Rice Cooker: I always recommend using a rice cooker over cooking rice on the stove. It is so much easier and foolproof once you get the rice-to-water ratio down.
Ingredients
You can find all of the ingredients for this chicken broccoli recipe at your local Asian grocery market or online!
Chicken: I like to use boneless skinless chicken breast for a lean and healthy chicken and broccoli recipe. You can alternatively use boneless skinless chicken thighs.
Broccoli: I recommend using whole fresh broccoli instead of already cut bagged broccoli for the ultimate crunchy and crisp broccoli.
Garlic and Ginger: for the most authentic Chinese stir fry, chop fresh ginger and garlic for the strongest aromatics.
Shaoxing Wine:Shaoxing wine adds complexity and depth to the chicken.
White Pepper:white pepper is milder than black pepper which adds a touch of heat to the chicken.
Cornstarch: a touch of cornstarch in the chicken marinade adds a light coating to the chicken that protects it from burning and overcooking.
Chicken and Broccoli Sauce
The Best Chinese chicken and broccoli recipe obviously calls for the best stir-fry sauce! This easy stir-fry sauce is sweet, savory, and packed with delicious umami flavors.
Oyster Sauce: the BEST sauce. Oyster sauce is made from oyster extract and adds a rich, savory, and deeply umami flavor to the Chinese stir fry sauce.
Shaoxing Wine:Shaoxing wine is a type of Chinese cooking wine made with water, rice, and wheat. It adds a complex, sweet, fermented flavor. It is a very popular ingredient in Chinese cooking.
Dark Soy Sauce:dark soy sauce has a darker color and is less salty and sweeter than regular soy sauce. It is commonly used in Chinese stir fry recipes to add a rich caramelized color.
Toasted Sesame Oil: a hint of sesame oil adds a nutty umami flavor which takes this chicken broccoli rice recipe to the next level.
Chicken Stock: make sure to use low sodium or unsalted chicken stock so that you can control the sodium level.
Brown Sugar: adds a touch of sweetness to balance out the salty flavors from the oyster sauce and soy sauce.
Cornstarch:cornstarch thickens the chicken and broccoli sauce to have a glossy, thick sauce that nicely glazes the chicken broccoli
Salt: a touch of salt brings out the other flavors of the Chinese stir fry sauce.
Substitutions and Additions
This is your healthy chicken stir fry dish so you can customize it however you like it. Don’t want white rice to go with brown rice or noodles! Want to make this easy chicken stir fry even healthier? Why not add more vegetables? I’ve listed some substitutions and additions suggestions below.
Substitutions
Noodles: instead of serving the chicken and broccoli stir fry with a bowl of rice, you can alternatively serve it with ramen noodles, soba noodles, or rice noodles. It would also pair deliciously with my garlic noodles too!
Protein: you can swap out the chicken for beef, firm or fried tofu, shrimp, large oyster, or portabello mushrooms.
Vegetable broth: if you don’t want to use chicken broth you can alternatively use vegetable broth instead.
Rice wine: if you cannot find Shaoxing rice wine, you can alternatively use Mirin rice wine as well.
Soy sauce: if you do not have dark soy sauce, you can use regular soy sauce as well! It just won’t have that deep rich brown color in the stir-fry sauce.
Granulated Sugar: instead of brown sugar, you can alternatively use regular granulated sugar.
Additions
Vegetables: if you want an even healthier chicken and broccoli recipe, why not add more vegetables like carrots, snap peas, bell peppers, cauliflower, and mushrooms.
Chili sauce: if you want to make this a spicy chicken broccoli recipe go ahead and add a tablespoon of Sambal oelek chili sauce or sriracha for that extra kick!
How to Make Chicken and Broccoli
This Chinese chicken and broccoli stir fry recipe is so incredibly simple and can be whipped up in under 30 minutes! This chicken stir fry is perfect for those busy weeknights or meal prepping.
Marinate the Chicken
In a medium mixing bowl, add the sliced chicken breast, water, Shaoxing rice wine, salt, pepper, and cornstarch. Mix until combined. Set aside and marinate for 15 minutes.
Make the Best Stir Fry Sauce
In a small mixing bowl, add the oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, dark soy sauce, chicken stock, sesame oil, brown sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Mix until combined. Set aside.
Cook Chicken and Broccoli
Steam broccoli. Bring about 1/3 cup of water to a boil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the broccoli and cover. Steam until the broccoli is slightly tender and the water evaporates for about 45-50 seconds. Transfer the broccoli to a plate, and set aside.
Cook the chicken. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to a large skillet or wok and heat on medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, spread the skillet in a single layer and cook for 2 minutes or until one side is browned. Then flip to cook the other side for another 1 minute. Remove the chicken from the heat when the outsides are lightly charred and the inside is slightly pink.
Stir Fry
Saute aromatics. Clean the skillet. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and heat on medium heat. Add garlic and ginger and saute until lightly browned and fragrant about 30 seconds.
Add chicken and broccoli. Add the broccoli and chicken to the skillet, toss, and saute for 1 minute.
Add brown sauce. Give the brown sauce another stir to lift the cornstarch from the bottom. Add the brownsauce and toss everything together until the sauce thickens and everything is evenly coated.
Serve. Serve immediately with rice and garnish with green onions if desired.
Chicken and Broccoli Cooking Video
Tips for the Best Chicken and Broccoli
Prep all the ingredients before you begin. An organized workstation is key to making an easy chicken stir fry. Once you begin cooking, this chicken and broccoli recipe will take less than 5 minutes to cook. Thus, it is important to have the ingredients cut, the sauced mixed, and everything next to your stove before you begin!
Don’t chop the chicken too small. This is important! The chicken should be at least 1/4 inch thick so that the chicken stir fry doesn’t overcook and dry out.
Steam broccoli in a skillet. I like steaming the broccoli on a skillet instead of blanching because it is quicker and you will only need to use one large pan to create the entire Chinese chicken and broccoli recipe.
Make sure the pan is hot before searing the chicken. Before spreading a thin layer of chicken over the skillet, make sure the pan is hot (but not smoky hot) for the perfect sear. This will make sure the chicken browns better. Don’t move the chicken until the first side is browned.
The amount of oil will vary depending on your pan. If using a nonstick pan, you will use less oil than a steel or cast iron pan. The oil measurements listed are for a non-stick pan.
Mix the Chinese stir-fry sauce again before you cook it. This will ensure that the cornstarch that sinks to the bottom of the stir-fry sauce will be evenly mixed.
Storage Instructions
How to store: This Chinese chicken and broccoli stir fry is best served immediately. However, you can store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Or you can freeze this chicken and broccoli recipe once it has cooled in a freezer-safe container in the freezer for 3 months.
To reheat in the microwave: transfer a small portion to a microwave-safe dish and microwave until warm.
To reheat on the stove: for larger portions, I recommend reheating the Chinese chicken stir fry over medium-low heat in a large skillet, stirring often.
Storing the best stir fry sauce: You can alternatively, make the easy stir fry sauce in advance and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. To cook, simply whisk the sauce back up to recombine before using.
Frequently Asked Q’s & A’s
How healthy is Chinese chicken and broccoli?
Chinese chicken and broccoli is similar to beef and broccoli but is made with chicken instead of beef. It is a leaner option that is low in fat and offers plenty of protein. This chicken stir fry also contains broccoli which also contains many vitamins and minerals. This stir fry recipe uses a very small amount of oil which also makes it a great healthy option.
What is chicken and broccoli sauce made of?
This Chinese stir-fry sauce is made up of ginger and garlic aromatics, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, chicken stock, sesame oil, salt, brown sugar, and cornstarch. The cornstarch is used to thicken the chicken and broccoli sauce to coat.
How do I thicken the stir-fry sauce?
The longer you cook the chicken and broccoli sauce the more the sauce will thicken when it simmers. If the stir-fry sauce is too thin simply simmer it longer.
How do I thin out the stir-fry sauce?
If you like a thinner chicken and broccoli sauce or have cooked the sauce for too long it has become clumpy, simply whisk in more chicken broth to thin the sauce.
Can I prepare Chinese chicken and broccoli in advance?
Of course, you can prepare all the ingredients for this chicken and broccoli stir fry in advance. Simply whisk the sauce and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator, mince the garlic and ginger, and chop the chicken and broccoli and store them all separately in the refrigerator. I recommend cooking this chicken and broccoli recipe within 48 hours of prep.
Chinese chicken and broccoli is a quick and easy recipe that creates the juiciest chicken and crunchy broccoli that is glazed with an addicting brown sauce. This better-than-takeout chicken and broccoli stir fry is a great healthy option for those busy weeknight dinners.
1-2heads(1 lb) broccoli, chopped into bite sized florets
2tablespoons(~4-5 cloves) garlicminced
2teaspoongingerminced
Instructions
Prep
Marinate the chicken. In a medium mixing bowl, add the sliced chicken breast, water, shaoxing rice wine, salt, pepper and cornstarch. Mix until combined. Set aside and let the marinade sit for 15 minutes.
Mix the brown sauce. In a small mixing bowl, add the oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, dark soy sauce, chicken stock, sesame oil, brown sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Mix until combined. Set aside.
Cook Chicken and Broccoli
Steam broccoli. Bring about 1/3 cup of water to a boil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the broccoli and cover. Steam until the broccoli is slightly tender and the water evaporates for about 45-50 seconds. Transfer the broccoli to a plate, and set aside.
Cook the chicken. Add 2 tablespoons of oil to a large skillet or wok and heat on medium-high heat. Once the pan is hot, spread the skillet in a single layer and cook for 2 minutes or until one side is browned. Then flip to cook the other side for another 1 minute. Remove the chicken from the heat when the outsides are lightly charred and the inside is slightly pink.
Stir Fry
Saute aromatics. Clean the large skillet. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and heat on medium heat. Add garlic and ginger and saute until lightly browned and fragrant about 30 seconds.
Add chicken and broccoli. Add the broccoli and chicken to the skillet, toss together and saute for 1 minute.
Add sauce. Give the the sauce another stir to lift the cornstarch from the bottom. Add the sauce and toss everything together until the sauce thickens and everything is evenly coated.
Serve. Serve immediately with rice and garnish with green onions if desired.
Video
Notes
Prep all the ingredients before you begin. An organized workstation is key to making an easy chicken stir fry. Once you begin cooking, this chicken and broccoli recipe will take less than 5 minutes to cook. Thus, it is important to have the ingredients cut, the sauced mixed, and everything next to your stove before you begin!
Don’t chop the chicken too small. This is important! The chicken should be at least 1/4 inch thick so that the chicken stir fry doesn’t overcook and dry out.
Steam broccoli in a skillet. I like steaming the broccoli on a skillet instead of blanching because it is quicker and you will only need to use one large pan to create the entire Chinese chicken and broccoli recipe.
Make sure the pan is hot before searing the chicken. Before spreading a thin layer of chicken over the skillet, make sure the pan is hot (but not smoky hot) for the perfect sear. This will make sure the chicken browns better. Don’t move the chicken until the first side is browned.
The amount of oil will vary depending on your pan. If using a nonstick pan, you will use less oil than a steel or cast iron pan. The oil measurements listed are for a non-stick pan.
Mix the Chinese stir-fry sauce again before you cook it. This will ensure that the cornstarch that sinks to the bottom of the stir-fry sauce will be evenly mixed.
🥡 Storage Instructions: This Chinese chicken and broccoli stir fry is best served immediately. However, you can store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. Or you can freeze this chicken and broccoli recipe once it has cooled in a freezer-safe container in the freezer for 3 months.
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