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This quick and easy 15-minute chicken stir-fry is one of those weeknight dinners that never lets you down. Tender chicken, crisp-tender vegetables, and a simple savory sauce come together fast. It’s flexible, forgiving, and perfect for using whatever vegetables you have on hand.
Whether you’re cooking for a busy family or just need something fast and reliable, this stir-fry is a favorite.
Creating This Quick Dinner Recipe
I used to think I had quick dinner recipes down, but with three kids needing to be in three different places by 4:30 PM, I’ve had to up my game. On one of those crazy days, Cade called from the store asking if I needed anything, and I quickly told him I needed a super-fast dinner idea before the girls had dance. He came home with Yakisoba noodles and a variety of stir-fry veggies.
He chopped up the broccolini and peppers while I opened bags of matchstick carrots, pre-sliced mushrooms, and baby bok choy. In just two minutes, we were ready to cook. You could even grab a pre-packaged stir-fry veggie mix to save even more time.
To top it off, we mixed together a simple sauce and grabbed a package of pre-cubed chicken from the meat department. It costs a bit more, but on a night like that, convenience was key.
Ingredients You’ll Need
For this quick and easy dinner recipe, you’ll need:
- Cooking Oil: High-heat oil (like canola or peanut oil) for quickly searing the chicken and vegetables without burning.
- Chicken Breasts: A lean protein that cooks quickly and soaks up all the delicious stir-fry flavors.
- Salt and Pepper: Basic seasoning that enhances the natural flavor of the chicken.
- Broccolini Florets: Adds crunch, color, and a mild bitterness that balances the savory sauce.
- Matchstick Carrots: Bring natural sweetness and texture while cooking quickly in the pan.
- Red Bell Peppers: Add bright color, subtle sweetness, and crisp-tender bite.
- Cremini Mushrooms: Contribute savory, umami flavor and soak up the sauce.
- Baby Bok Choy: Adds freshness and light crunch, with tender leaves that wilt perfectly.
- Yakisoba Noodles: Hearty, chewy noodles that make the stir-fry filling and cook in minutes.
We opted to make a quick homemade stir-fry sauce as well, which uses:
- Soy Sauce: The salty, umami base of the sauce that flavors the entire dish.
- Vegetable Broth (or Chicken Broth): Adds depth and keeps the sauce from being too salty.
- Honey or Brown Sugar: A touch of sweetness to balance the salt and spice.
- Ground Ginger: Warm, slightly spicy flavor that brightens the sauce.
- Garlic Cloves: Fresh, aromatic, and a must for any stir-fry.
- Cornstarch: Thickens the sauce so it clings beautifully to the noodles and chicken.
Variations
In the spirit of super-easy recipes, feel free to adjust the sauce and chicken stir-fry ingredients as needed. We constantly change up our stir-fry vegetables depending on what’s in the fridge — you’ve gotta do what you’ve gotta do when the kids need to be out the door soon!
Some other options could be baby corn, green beans, water chestnuts, snap peas, asparagus, etc. You can also dial up the heat by adding a squeeze of sriracha to the sauce.
How to Make Chicken Stir-Fry Fast
This easy stir-fry recipe is the definition of a quick and easy recipe.
- Heat: Warm a large skillet, cast iron pan, or wok over medium-high heat with a little oil.
- Cook: Add bite-sized chicken pieces, season with salt and pepper, reduce heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, until cooked through, about 4 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
- Sauté: Add a bit more oil to the pan and toss in your vegetables. Sauté until they’re crisp-tender.
- Prep: While the veggies cook, run your noodles under hot water to separate them.
- Whisk: In a small bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the homemade stir-fry sauce.
- Combine: Return the cooked chicken to the pan, then add the noodles and stir-fry sauce.
- Toss: Stir everything together until evenly coated in sauce and heated through.
- Garnish: Finish with chopped scallions and sesame seeds, or enjoy it as-is!
Chicken Stir-Fry FAQs
If you can’t find yakisoba noodles at your grocery store, don’t worry! Any thin noodle will do. Angel hair or spaghetti works well in this chicken stir-fry. While not traditional, they cook quickly, which is what matters here! You could also use ramen noodles, rice noodles, or even swap in white rice, brown rice, or cauliflower rice for a tasty twist on this easy dinner.
Not all soy sauce brands are created equal, and some can be overwhelmingly salty. For the best balance of flavor, I recommend using a low-sodium soy sauce. If you’re especially sensitive to salt, consider using a salt-free broth or bouillon base! You can always add more salt later if needed! And if you’re avoiding gluten, swap in gluten-free noodles and use coconut aminos instead of your traditional soy sauce!
Use a cast-iron pan so that the juices and food can caramelize at the bottom of the pan for the best flavor. If you haven’t bought one yet, do so now, this pan is our FAVORITE! A wok would also be a great option if you have one.
Okay, the truth is, this dish actually took us less than 15 minutes because we didn’t even have to chop the chicken, but in case you do, 15 minutes from the start of cook time to finish!
Of course! The great thing about quick dinners like this easy stir-fry recipe is that you can tailor them to suit whatever ingredients you have in your fridge. You’re welcome to use any protein you want, like chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts or skip the chicken altogether and instead use ground meat (any kind), steak, pulled chicken, and more. And if you’re vegetarian, you can add cubed tofu to this simple dinner idea.
That’s a great idea! If you have pre-cooked chicken breasts you need to use up, throw them into this easy stir-fry. You’ll want to cube the chicken and add it into the stir-fry at the very end, just to heat it through.
Tips for Making Chicken Stir-Fry
- We used broccolini in this easy stir-fry recipe, but you can also use broccoli florets. Again, whatever you have in your fridge will work!
- There’s one more thing I’ll note about the veggies, though. I say ditch the boring button mushrooms and buy some sliced cremini mushrooms instead. Cremini are a little more meaty in flavor, and I find they’re not as rubbery as button mushrooms once they’re cooked.
- I also recommend whisking together the stir-fry sauce before adding it to the veggie mixture, otherwise, the sauce ingredients might not all dissolve (i.e., you’ll wind up with bits of partially dissolved cornstarch or brown sugar in the stir-fry).
- If you want to add a little heat to your stir fry, add a dash or two of red pepper flakes, or you can add sriracha sauce.
Storing and Reheating Chicken Stir-Fry
If you wind up with leftovers of this quick dinner idea, they should be stored in the fridge. They will keep for up to 4-5 days.
I recommend reheating it in a skillet with a little oil and a splash of stock or water. Avoid the microwave for leftovers, as the stir-fry noodles become rubbery when reheated that way.
This is the best chicken stir fry if you want a quick and easy meal that the whole family will love. It is loaded with fresh vegetables, chunks of juicy chicken, and noodles all tossed in simple stir-fry sauce.
More Asian Recipes:
Watch How to Make 15-Minute Chicken Stir Fry
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Heat a seasoned cast iron skillet over high heat. We prefer cast iron for the great flavor it lends to meals unlike nonstick which doesn’t allow the juices to caramelize at the bottom of the pan.
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Add 1 Tablespoon of the oil and heat until shimmering.
3 Tablespoons Oil
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Add the chicken and season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
2 Chicken Breasts, Salt and Pepper
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Turn the heat down to medium and cook, stirring occasionally until the chicken is cooked through, about 4 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate.
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Add the remaining oil to the pan and add the broccolini, carrots and peppers.
3 Tablespoons Oil, 1 Bundle Broccolini Florets, 1 Cup Matchstick Carrots, 1 Cup Red Bell Peppers
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Cook, stirring occasionally for 2 minutes.
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Add the mushrooms and bok choy and cook an additional 3 minutes.
1 Cup Cremini Mushrooms, 2 Baby Bok Choy
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Meanwhile, run the precooked noodles through hot water to separate the noodles. Drain and set aside.
1 Package Yakisoba Noodles
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Whisk together the soy sauce, stock, honey, brown sugar, ginger, garlic and cornstarch.
½ Cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce, ¼ Cup Vegetable or Chicken Stock, 1 Tablespoon Honey, 1 Tablespoon Brown Sugar, ¼ teaspoon Ground Ginger, 1 teaspoon Garlic, 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch
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As soon as the veggies are tender, add the chicken and noodles to the pan and pour in the sauce, toss for a minute or two and serve hot with a garnish of green onions and sesame seeds.
2 Green Onions, 1 Tablespoon Sesame Seeds
Reheat stirfry on top of the stove in a pan with a little oil.
Serving: 2cups, Calories: 547kcal, Carbohydrates: 68g, Protein: 38g, Fat: 15g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 8g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 73mg, Sodium: 1859mg, Potassium: 1003mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 12g, Vitamin A: 9122IU, Vitamin C: 78mg, Calcium: 144mg, Iron: 4mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
