Chicken Veggie Stir Fry features tender chicken, broccoli, carrots, bok choy, zucchini, onions and other fresh vegetables tossed in a simple Asian-inspired sauce and served over rice. This flavorful dish comes together in about 20 minutes and has been a favorite preparation for more than 20 years.
This recipe is uncomplicated: lightly season and pan-sear cubed, boneless skinless chicken breasts, stir-fry an assortment of bite-sized vegetables until crisp-tender, then combine everything with a quick homemade sauce that thickens to coat the chicken and vegetables. Serve over white or brown rice for a fast, veggie-packed weeknight meal.
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How to Make Chicken Veggie Stir Fry
Timesaving tip: You can cook the rice, vegetables and chicken simultaneously to save time.
Begin by cooking rice according to package directions. While the rice cooks, prepare your vegetables and cut the chicken into roughly 2-inch cubes. Aim for uniform, bite-sized pieces so everything cooks evenly.
Make the Sauce
Whisk together chicken broth, soy sauce and ground ginger in a small bowl. Stir in cornstarch until fully dissolved so there are no lumps. Set the sauce aside—you’ll add it near the end to finish the dish.
Cook the Vegetables
Heat half of the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add all the vegetables and stir-fry for about 6–7 minutes, stirring frequently, until they are crisp-tender but still bright and slightly firm.
Cook the Chicken
While the vegetables cook, heat the remaining oil in a separate medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cubed chicken that has been lightly seasoned with ground ginger (and salt and pepper if desired). Cook, turning the pieces so they brown and cook through—about 3–4 minutes total. Once cooked, transfer the chicken to the skillet with the vegetables.
Add the Sauce
Stir the reserved sauce once more, then pour it over the chicken and vegetables. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring often, for about 2 minutes. The sauce will thicken and glaze the chicken and veggies. Stir in roasted cashews, heat for another minute, then remove from the heat.
Serve
Serve the stir fry immediately over a bed of hot rice—white or brown. Enjoy with a fork or chopsticks while it’s warm and saucy.
Variations and Vegetarian Option
You can easily change the vegetable mix to suit your preferences or what’s in season. The core vegetables that add great color and flavor are onion, carrots, broccoli and red pepper. Other excellent additions include mushrooms, sugar snap peas, zucchini, yellow squash, asparagus, green beans, celery, water chestnuts or bean sprouts. To make this vegetarian, omit the chicken and increase the variety or quantity of vegetables, or add tofu for extra protein.
Recipe Card
- 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch cubes
- Ground ginger (to lightly season chicken)
- 6 cups mixed fresh vegetables (see notes)
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil, divided
- 1/3 cup roasted cashews
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- Cooked rice, prepared according to package directions
- Cook rice according to package directions. While rice cooks, cut vegetables and chicken into bite-sized pieces.
- Whisk together chicken broth, soy sauce and ground ginger in a small bowl. Stir in cornstarch until dissolved; set aside.
- Heat half the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add vegetables and stir-fry about 6–7 minutes until crisp-tender.
- Meanwhile, heat remaining oil in a separate medium skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, cook until cooked through, about 3–4 minutes.
- Add the cooked chicken to the vegetables. Stir the sauce and pour over the skillet contents. Cook, stirring, for about 2 minutes until the sauce thickens and coats everything.
- Stir in cashews, heat through, then serve immediately over hot rice.
Suggested vegetables used here include broccoli, onion, carrots, red and green bell peppers, bok choy, mushrooms, sugar snap peas, zucchini and yellow squash. Other options: asparagus, green beans, celery, water chestnuts or bean sprouts.
Enjoy this quick, colorful stir fry any night of the week. Feel free to customize the vegetables or omit the chicken for a vegetarian version.