Quick and easy chicken and broccoli recipe will become your new favorite takeout copycat recipe. This chicken and broccoli stir fry is loaded with Asian flavors, well seasoned, and served with rice making it a completely comforting meal.
All the ingredients here, are simple to find and easy to pronounce. We love to make it with simple teriyaki sauce or oyster sauce, both are delicious and incredibly flavorful.
Stir fry recipes are go-to quick and easy dinners, whether you are making this Ham Fried Rice or Chicken Lo Mein, these recipes are excellent for using up all those veggies and leftover meats in the fridge.
And tasty teriyaki sauce makes everything taste delicious.
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Ingredients
- Chicken — I used what I had at the moment for this recipe, but you can also use boneless chicken thighs which tend to be more juicy and tender. Basically, any cut of chicken will work.
- Oil — for stir-fries, ideally you’d need vegetable oil which is perfect here thanks to its neutral flavor and high smoke point. I like to use canola or avocado oils. Peanut oil is another favorite.
- Aromatics - very simple aromatics such as ginger garlic and scallions. You don't need more than that really.
- Teriyaki sauce - we like to use thick glaze-type teriyaki sauce. Use a store-bought or make your-own teriyaki sauce recipe at home. Very easy and simple ingredients are needed. Oyster sauce is great too as it's thick and has quite similar flavor.
- Veggies - this is a simple chicken stir fry with just chicken and broccoli. Tasty classic stir fry additions would be water chestnuts (which are also a great addition to Asian style Chicken Wraps) snow peas, carrots, bell peppers, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, edamame, and cabbage. Use what you have in the fridge and your favorite vegetables!
For the full list of ingredients, please scroll down to where you'll find the recipe card.
Instructions
In a small bowl add chicken and ¼ cup teriyaki sauce. Let marinate for 30 minutes.
In a large skillet over medium-high heat oil and once hot brown the chicken pieces until all the way cooked through. About 7-8 minutes in total.
Set aside. Add broccoli, and scallions, and flash fry these for 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and ginger, and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant.
Pour in the remaining ¼ cup teriyaki sauce and give it a good stir until the veggies are covered.
Return the cooked chicken, and stir again. Serve right away with your favorite side, more scallions or green onions, and sesame seeds over a bed of rice.
Tips
- You can make this dish vegetarian by leaving the chicken out and using tofu (just like in this Tofu Veggie Stir Fry), organic tempeh, or seitan instead. Marinate for 15 minutes in teriyaki sauce and follow the recipe steps as directed.
- Side dishes. Stir fries are often served with white rice (But I prefer brown rice =healthier) or over rice noodles. For low-carb options, cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles are your best friends.
- Choose your skillet. The pan needs to be hot to get the perfect sear and golden brow color for all the ingredients. And it doesn’t matter if you have a wok pan or not, a good nonstick skillet is totally enough.
- Veggies need to be washed, rinsed, and properly dried before adding them to the pan. This way they'll add less extra moisture to the dish.
- I like to cook in a large skillet even if the recipe is just for two people, just like this one. This way all the ingredients cook evenly and faster. If you have a wok pan it's a good time to use it.
- I like to add some sweetener to my stir fries, it intensifies all the rest seasonings and flavors without making the dish sweet. However, it will depend on which teriyaki sauce you end up using. Some brands add some sort of sweetener (usually sugar or brown sugar) but if you feel you need to add more maple syrup, agave or honey are all great options. You only need a dash of it. Also adding just a little more salt will bring the sweetness in the sauce out even more.
- Cut the chicken against the grain for the most tender results, especially chicken breast.
- Try to cut the broccoli florets into similar sizes, so they cook evenly.
- To keep ginger fresh, place it in a resealable plastic bag and store it in the fridge drawer.
- Make your own homemade teriyaki sauce that is gluten-free as it's difficult to find one in the stores. However, ordering this sauce online is the easiest.
- Depending on what I have in the fridge I often add red bell peppers, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, peas, edamame, sprouts, and cabbage (bok choy is the best in str fries).
- To keep ginger fresh, place it in a resealable plastic bag and store it in the fridge drawer.
I didn't add any black pepper or salt to this recipe as it is already very flavorful. Less sodium the better. And teriyaki sauce has already everything in it. However, I do like to add just a tiny pinch of salt when cooking a side of rice or noodles to serve this stir fry with.
Freezing and Storing Instructions
Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days. Reheat in the skillet adding a splash of water as the sauce will get thick and sticky after cooling.
Frequently Asked Questions
Chicken stir fry is a great dish to freeze, it remains very delicious after thawing.
Just let the stir-fry cool completely before freezing and then transfer to a freezer bag or airtight glass container (freezer-safe). Thaw in the fridge or room temperature and reheat in the skillet over the stovetop. Make sure everything is piping hot before serving.
Frying chicken for stir fry is not difficult. How I usually do, is cook the chicken strips separately and then return them to the skillet once the veggies are cooked. The best practice is to have all the chicken pieces roughly the same size, not very big or small so they can all cook evenly. Fry the chicken on high heat (depends on your stovetop, it may be enough to have a medium-high setting) for no longer than 3-4 minutes on (both sides), once you place the chicken, don’t stir or touch the chicken until 3-4 minutes have passed and then turn it over to the other side. It takes a few trials and errors but once you’ve nailed it, cooking chicken breasts becomes a very quick and relatively easy process. It results in tender and juicy chicken!
Thank you so much for reading about this easy chicken and broccoli recipe. Please feel free to comment with any questions you may have! I love reading your feedback.
Rita
More One Pot Skillet Meals
Easy Skillet dinners are our family's favorite recipes for busy weeknights, and we sure do love restaurant copycat recipes. Try our Ham Stir Fried Rice, which we love to make with leftover pork ribs.
Or this 20 minute Ramen With Vegetables.
Or our Cabbage Bacon Stir Fry, excellent for enjoying as a side dish or main course. For a low-carb dinner, check out these low-carb lettuce wraps with ground beef.
Did you make this recipe? Please be sure to leave a rating and a comment below. Thank you!
Easy Chicken And Broccoli Recipe
Ingredients
- 9 oz boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tablespoon of cooking oil neutral such as avocado or canola oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- 1 cup fresh broccoli florets
- ¼ teaspoon fresh ginger root minced
- ½ cup of teriyaki sauce (thick) divided
- 1-2 tablespoon scallions sliced thin + more for garnish
- 1 cup cooked rice for serving
Instructions
- In a small bowl add chicken and ¼ cup teriyaki sauce. Let marinate for 30 minutes.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat oil and once hot brown the chicken pieces until all the way cooked through. About 7-8 minutes in total.
- Set aside. Add broccoli, and scallions, and flash fry these for 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and ginger, and cook for another 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Pour in the remaining ¼ cup teriyaki sauce and give it a good stir until the veggies are covered.
- Return the cooked chicken, and stir again. Serve right away with your favorite side, more scallions or green onions, and sesame seeds over a bed of rice.
Notes
I like to add some sweetener to my stir fries, it intensifies all the rest seasonings and flavors without making the dish sweet. However, it will depend on which teriyaki sauce you end up using. Some brands add some sort of sweetener (usually sugar or brown sugar) but if you feel you need to add more maple syrup, agave or honey are all great options. You only need a dash of it. Also adding just a little more salt will bring the sweetness out more.
Cut the chicken against the grain for the most tender results, especially chicken breast.
Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 2-3 days. Reheat in the skillet adding a splash of water as the sauce will get thick and sticky after cooling.
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No take out needed anymore if you try this Easy Chicken And Broccoli Recipe.