Whip up a delicious homemade stir-fry with broccoli and tender chicken in just 15 minutes for a quick weeknight meal.
This recipe is designed for busy evenings when you want something flavorful and satisfying on the table without spending hours in the kitchen. It’s a perfect solution for families looking for a healthy and fast dinner option that everyone will enjoy.
This easy chicken and broccoli stir-fry comes together with minimal fuss, making it ideal for beginner cooks or anyone short on time. You’ll find simple instructions and practical tips to ensure your stir-fry is a success every single time, delivering a restaurant-quality meal right in your own home.
Table of Contents
15-Minute Chicken and Broccoli Stir-Fry
- Total Time: 13-17 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
Description
Whip up a delicious homemade stir-fry with broccoli and tender chicken in just 15 minutes for a quick weeknight meal. This recipe is designed for busy evenings when you want something flavorful and satisfying on the table without spending hours in the kitchen. It’s a perfect solution for families looking for a healthy and fast dinner option that everyone will enjoy. This easy chicken and broccoli stir-fry comes together with minimal fuss, making it ideal for beginner cooks or anyone short on time. You’ll find simple instructions and practical tips to ensure your stir-fry is a success every single time, delivering a restaurant-quality meal right in your own home.
Ingredients
Instructions
1. Prepare the Chicken and Broccoli: Start by slicing your boneless, skinless chicken breasts into thin, bite-sized pieces, about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. This ensures they cook quickly and evenly. Wash your broccoli and cut it into small, uniform florets. Having these ready is crucial for speed.
2. Whisk Together the Sauce: In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, honey, cornstarch, rice vinegar, grated fresh ginger, minced garlic, and optional red pepper flakes. Whisk until the cornstarch is fully dissolved and the sauce is smooth. This prevents lumps and ensures even thickening later.
3. Cook the Chicken: Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the sliced chicken in a single layer and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it’s no longer pink and is lightly browned on all sides. Remove the cooked chicken from the skillet and set it aside on a plate. It’s okay if it’s not fully cooked through at this stage, as it will finish cooking with the broccoli.
4. Stir-Fry the Broccoli: Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the same skillet. Add the broccoli florets and stir-fry for 3-5 minutes, until they are bright green and crisp-tender. You want them to still have a slight bite, not be mushy. If they start to dry out, you can add a tablespoon or two of water to create steam and help them cook.
5. Combine and Sauce: Return the cooked chicken to the skillet with the broccoli. Give your prepared sauce a quick re-whisk, then pour it over the chicken and broccoli.
6. Thicken the Sauce: Stir constantly for 1-2 minutes as the sauce heats up and thickens, coating all the chicken and broccoli beautifully. The sauce should become glossy and adhere to the ingredients. Once thickened, remove the skillet from the heat immediately to prevent overcooking.
7. Serve Immediately: Your easy 15-minute chicken and broccoli stir-fry is ready! Serve it hot, optionally garnished with sesame seeds, over a bed of cooked rice or noodles.
- Prep Time: 5-7 minutes
- Cook Time: 8-10 minutes
- Category: main dish
- Method: stir-fry
- Cuisine: asian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
Keywords: chicken, broccoli, stir-fry, quick, easy, weeknight, healthy, dinner, asian, fast
What You’ll Love About This Quick And Easy Recipe
This recipe is a true weeknight hero because it delivers big on flavor in a remarkably short amount of time. It’s perfect for busy parents, students, or anyone who wants a nutritious, home-cooked meal without a lengthy preparation process. You’ll love how quickly the chicken cooks up tender and the broccoli retains a pleasant crisp-tender bite, all coated in a savory, slightly sweet stir-fry sauce. This dish is incredibly versatile and can be served as a standalone meal or alongside your favorite rice or noodles. It’s an excellent choice for a healthy dinner after a long day, or even for meal prepping lunches for the week ahead. The simplicity of the ingredients and the straightforward steps make it approachable for even the most novice cooks, guaranteeing a delicious outcome every time.
Everything You Need To Make This Recipe Without Stress
Gathering your ingredients before you start cooking is key to making this stir-fry come together in just 15 minutes. Most of these items are likely already in your pantry or easily found at any grocery store. The beauty of this recipe lies in its simplicity and the fresh, wholesome components that create a balanced and satisfying meal.
INGREDIENTS:
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 4 cups broccoli florets
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (or other neutral cooking oil)
- 1/4 cup soy sauce (low sodium preferred)
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional, for a little heat)
- Cooked rice or noodles, for serving (optional)
- Sesame seeds, for garnish (optional)
For simple substitutions, you can easily swap chicken breasts for boneless, skinless chicken thighs if you prefer a richer flavor and slightly more tender texture. If fresh ginger isn’t available, a half teaspoon of ground ginger can be used in a pinch, though fresh offers a brighter flavor. Similarly, if you don’t have fresh garlic, a half teaspoon of garlic powder can work. For the oil, any neutral cooking oil like canola, vegetable, or avocado oil will work just as well as olive oil for stir-frying. If you’re looking to make this gluten-free, simply use tamari instead of soy sauce. For a vegetarian version, extra-firm tofu, pressed and cubed, makes an excellent substitute for chicken. You can also increase the amount of broccoli or add other quick-cooking vegetables like snap peas, bell peppers, or carrots for more variety.
Time Needed From Start To Finish
This recipe truly lives up to its “15-minute” promise, making it perfect for those hectic weeknights.
- Preparation Time: 5-7 minutes
- This includes slicing the chicken, chopping the broccoli, mincing the garlic and ginger, and whisking together the sauce ingredients.
- Cooking Time: 8-10 minutes
- This covers the time it takes to cook the chicken, stir-fry the broccoli, and combine everything with the sauce until it thickens.
- Total Time: 13-17 minutes
The key to keeping this recipe fast is having all your ingredients prepped and ready to go before you even turn on the stove. This “mise en place” approach ensures a smooth and quick cooking process.
How To Make It Step By Step With Visual Cues
Creating this delicious chicken and broccoli stir-fry is straightforward. Follow these steps for a perfect, quick meal:
- Prepare the Chicken and Broccoli: Start by slicing your boneless, skinless chicken breasts into thin, bite-sized pieces, about 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick. This ensures they cook quickly and evenly. Wash your broccoli and cut it into small, uniform florets. Having these ready is crucial for speed.
- Whisk Together the Sauce: In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, honey, cornstarch, rice vinegar, grated fresh ginger, minced garlic, and optional red pepper flakes. Whisk until the cornstarch is fully dissolved and the sauce is smooth. This prevents lumps and ensures even thickening later.
- Cook the Chicken: Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the sliced chicken in a single layer and cook for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until it’s no longer pink and is lightly browned on all sides. Remove the cooked chicken from the skillet and set it aside on a plate. It’s okay if it’s not fully cooked through at this stage, as it will finish cooking with the broccoli.
- Stir-Fry the Broccoli: Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the same skillet. Add the broccoli florets and stir-fry for 3-5 minutes, until they are bright green and crisp-tender. You want them to still have a slight bite, not be mushy. If they start to dry out, you can add a tablespoon or two of water to create steam and help them cook.
- Combine and Sauce: Return the cooked chicken to the skillet with the broccoli. Give your prepared sauce a quick re-whisk, then pour it over the chicken and broccoli.
- Thicken the Sauce: Stir constantly for 1-2 minutes as the sauce heats up and thickens, coating all the chicken and broccoli beautifully. The sauce should become glossy and adhere to the ingredients. Once thickened, remove the skillet from the heat immediately to prevent overcooking.
- Serve Immediately: Your easy 15-minute chicken and broccoli stir-fry is ready! Serve it hot, optionally garnished with sesame seeds, over a bed of cooked rice or noodles.
Easy Variations And Serving Ideas That Fit Real Life
This chicken and broccoli stir-fry is incredibly adaptable, making it a fantastic base for various meals and preferences. For a kid-friendly twist, you can reduce or omit the red pepper flakes and perhaps add a touch more honey to the sauce for a slightly sweeter profile. Kids often enjoy the tender chicken and bright green broccoli, especially when served with their favorite rice.
To introduce more vegetables, feel free to add sliced bell peppers, snap peas, shredded carrots, or thinly sliced mushrooms during the last few minutes of the broccoli stir-fry. Just ensure they are cut into similar-sized pieces for even cooking. For a heartier meal, you can toss in some cooked edamame or cashews at the very end for added protein and crunch.
When serving, this stir-fry is excellent over fluffy white or brown rice. For a lower-carb option, consider cauliflower rice or even spiralized zucchini noodles. It also pairs wonderfully with ramen noodles or thin rice vermicelli. If you’re hosting a casual gathering, serve it buffet-style with a variety of toppings like extra sesame seeds, chopped green onions, or a drizzle of sriracha for those who like a kick. It’s also fantastic as part of a larger Asian-inspired meal, alongside spring rolls or a simple cucumber salad.
Common Slip-Ups And How To Avoid Them
Even the simplest recipes can have small pitfalls. Being aware of these common mistakes can help you achieve a perfect stir-fry every time.
One frequent issue is overcrowding the pan. When you add too much chicken or broccoli at once, the temperature of the pan drops, and instead of stir-frying, the ingredients end up steaming. This leads to soggy chicken and broccoli that lacks that desirable browned exterior. To avoid this, cook the chicken in batches if your skillet isn’t large enough to hold it in a single layer.
Another common mistake is overcooking the broccoli. While you want it tender, you don’t want it mushy. Stir-fry the broccoli until it’s bright green and still has a slight crispness. A good indicator is when it’s just tender enough to pierce with a fork but still offers resistance.
Not having all your ingredients prepped before you start cooking is a major time-waster for stir-fries. Because stir-frying is a fast cooking method, you won’t have time to chop vegetables or mix sauce while things are cooking in the pan. Get everything sliced, minced, and measured before you turn on the heat. This is known as “mise en place” and is critical for quick stir-fries.
Finally, not whisking the cornstarch thoroughly into the sauce can lead to a lumpy or unevenly thickened sauce. Always whisk the sauce ingredients well before adding them to the hot pan, and give it another quick whisk right before pouring it in, as cornstarch can settle at the bottom.
How To Store It And
FAQs
- Can I make these ahead? Yes—prep ahead, refrigerate, then serve when ready.
- How long do leftovers last? Store covered in the fridge for 3–4 days for best texture.
- Can I adjust sweetness? Yes—add more or less sweetener to taste.
- Can I change the fruit? Yes—swap strawberries for blueberries, raspberries, or sliced banana.
