If you're searching for a quick and simple meal idea, stir-fry dinners are a great option. The quick, simple and healthy meal makes your life a little easier and a little more savoury.
You cook your protein, vegetables, and everything in one skillet, and the family is having a nutritious meal in less than 20 minutes.
Can you say "victory?"
Can you say "victory?"
All you need is a wok or a large pan, whatever fresh vegetables you have on hand, and a protein of your choice. After only a few minutes of prepping, you're ready to start stirring and frying. How amazing does this all sound?
First, let’s explore the basics of a stir-fry.
Prepare All Ingredients Before Turning on the Heat
Before you begin, prepare your ingredients by slicing them and measuring your liquids. Things move swiftly once the heat is turned on, so it is crucial to have your ingredients prepped beforehand. Prepare to add items fast while ensuring that each component is adequately cooked.
Effectiveness of Using a Wok
A wok features a huge surface area and holds heat effectively, making it perfect for stir-fry. If you don't have a wok, use a large pan instead. You want the cookware to stay very hot as you add more ingredients, and woks have the ability to hold heat better than other large pans (not to mention the large surface area!).
This is especially critical when cooking on an electric stove, because the element has a harder time holding heat than a gas flame.
The Aromatics Should be Cooked Low & Slow
When using finely chopped aromatics such as ginger, garlic, lemongrass, or green onions, cooking at a high heat is an exception. They should be cooked at a lower temperature initially, as they will burn rapidly and spoil the flavour of the stir-fry if placed to a wok on high heat.
Before increasing the heat, make careful you scoop them out of the wok.
Protein Should be Cooked High & Fast
Stir-fries can be made a variety of ways, with a variety of different protein. However, it important to understand how to cook your chosen protein when incorporating it into the stir-fry (vegitarian stir-fry options are available as well).
Your heat should be set to high, but it should still be managed (you don't want it to smoke). Heat your wok before adding the oil to assist prevent sticking. Once the oil has been applied, roll it about the pan to thoroughly coat it.
It is important to choose an oil with a high smoke point, and we recommend peanut oil.
Let’s Get Cooking!
This simple chicken stir-fry recipe is as easy as it gets. Packed with fresh vegetables and the most savoury sauce, this nutritious meal just takes 20 minutes to prepare and will impress your family with its delicious flavour!
Prep Time: 8 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 18 minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 343 calories
Ingredients
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1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast cut into 1-inch cubes
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Salt and pepper
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2 tbsp olive oil
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2 cups broccoli florets
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½ yellow bell pepper cut into 1-inch pieces
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½ red bell pepper cut into 1-inch pieces
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½ baby carrots sliced
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2 tsp minced ginger
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2 garlic cloves
Stir Fry Sauce
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1 tbsp corn starch
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2 tbsp cold water
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¼ cup low sodium chicken broth
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3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
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¼ cup honey
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1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
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½ crushed red pepper flakes
Now that we have covered what ingredients you should have on deck, let’s get cooking!
Sauce Instructions
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In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together corn starch and water.
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Add remaining ingredients (chicken broth, soy sauce, honey, toasted sesame oil, and red pepper flakes).
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Whisk to combine.
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Set aside until step 13.
Stir-Fry Instructions
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Add one tablespoon of olive oil to a large pan or wok and heat over medium-high heat.
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Add chicken and season with salt and pepper.
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Cook the chicken for 3 to 5 minutes (or until cooked through).
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Remove chicken from heat.
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Reduce heat to medium and add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the large pan or wok.
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Add vegetables, and stir occasionally (just until crisp and tender).
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Add ginger and garlic, and cook for an additional minute.
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Add chicken back into the large pan or wok and stir to combine ingredients.
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Whisk stir-fry sauce and pour sauce over chicken and vegetables.
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Bring to a boil, stir occasionally and let boil for one minute.
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Serve with rice.
FIKA’s Choice
Now that you are a master at creating a delicious stir-fry, you can switch up some of the ingredient combinations to explore your stir-fry talent!
Check out some of our favorite stir-fry recipes if you are feeling creative.
Looking for a step-by-step tutorial? Follow along with this video from the founder of Cook with FIKA, Tsitsi.
If you are ready to make the perfect stir-fry every time, check out this step-by-step tutorial.