Name: 30 Minute Chicken Stir Fry
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 20 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce ( or coconut aminos , 5.67 ounces); ¼ cup honey (85 grams); 2 tablespoons rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar, 26 grams); 2 tablespoons cornstarch (8 grams); 1 teaspoon sesame oil (4 grams); 2 teaspoons ginger paste ( or fresh minced ginger); ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes; 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into bite-sized pieces); 2 tablespoons vegetable oil (divided); 2 cups broccoli florets; 1 red bell pepper (thinly sliced); 1 yellow bell pepper (thinly sliced); 1 medium carrot (julienned or sliced thinly); 1 cup snap peas; 2 teaspoons minced garlic (10 grams); 3 green onions (sliced for garnishing); Fresh cilantro (snipped, for garnishing); Rice or rice noodles (for serving)

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This 30 minute chicken stir fry is going to quickly be a new family favorite. Load it up with your favorite fresh veggies and serve over rice noodles.

When I have veggies and meat in the fridge to use up, my mind typically turns to Mexican cuisine. Fajitas, loaded tacos or a Mexican salad.

My kids though? They think of a stir fry. Chicken fried rice or chicken and broccoli stir fry.

Since I started the year wanting to serve up more easy dinner recipes for you, I first started testing stir fry recipes. Chicken and vegetables in a simple stir fry sauce that is both sweet and spicy. “Swicy” as they say!

You’l love this easy chicken stir fry recipe and it can quickly be added to your weekly dinner rotation because takes only 30 minutes. And leftovers are perfect for lunches.

3 Tips for a Good Stir-Fry Chicken

Cook the meat first and remove it from the pan. This will ensure the meat doesn’t overcook, becoming tough and chewy. You want that chicken tender!
Cook the veggies separately. Sauté the veggies in a hot skillet until they are tender-crisp.
Add the stir fry sauce right at the end as you combine the veggies and meat together. It will take just a minute or two to thicken as it cooks, thanks to the cornstarch.

This may seem like a lot of steps, but the stir fry is made in one pan in less than 30 minutes. Noodles or rice will cook in a second pan if you are serving the chicken with one of those.

Chicken Stir Fry Ingredients

ingredients for quick chicken stir fry on a table

Boneless skinless chicken breasts work well. Cut in thin pieces against the grain so it is tender to bite. Boneless skinless chicken thighs are another great option since it naturally is more tender.
Veggies. I love the color rainbow of carrots, bell peppers, baby corn, cauliflower, snap peas (or snow peas) and broccoli. Clean out your fridge though. You could add mushrooms, onions, green beans or zucchini.
Honey and red pepper flakes. This gives you the sweet and spicy flavor that are in so many of your favorite Asian sauces.
Garlic and ginger. I keep minced garlic and ginger paste on hand for ease, but use fresh ginger and garlic cloves if you have them.

✨ See the recipe card below for full ingredients and amounts. ✨

How to Make Chicken Stir Fry in 30 Minutes

Make the sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, cornstarch, sesame oil, ginger paste and crushed red pepper flakes. Set aside.

sauce for chicken stir fry in a glass bowl

Cook the chicken. Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok (our favorite pan) over medium-high heat. Add the chicken pieces and cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through. Remove chicken from the pan and set aside. At this point, you can get the rice noodles started cooking too, so they are ready when the stir fry is done.

Sauté the veggies. In the same pan, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil. Add broccoli, bell peppers, carrot, and snap peas. Stir fry for 5-7 minutes, until the vegetables are crisp-tender as you prefer. Add minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds, until fragrant.

Add the sauce. Return the cooked chicken to the pan with the vegetables. Stir the sauce mixture, then pour it over the chicken and veggies. Toss well and cook for 2-3 minutes, until the sauce thickens and coats everything evenly.
Garnish and serve. Garnish with sliced green onions and cilantro. Serve immediately over steamed noodles.

Make it Spicier

I love running my new recipes past my favorite recipe testers: Matt and the kids! 98% of the time Matt loves the recipe but says, “I think it needs to be a little spicier.” And my kids generally say it is just fine!

If you like a little more heat in your stir fry, add more red pepper flakes, a few dashes of hot sauce, or even some spicy chili oil.

Serving Ideas

Serve the sweet and spicy chicken stir fry over brown rice or white rice, rice noodles or quinoa. I also like to top our chicken stir fry bowls with crushed peanuts for a little extra salt flavor and crunch.

If you love noodle dishes, try our noodles with peanut sauce.

overhead view of chicken stir fry with noodles in bowls

Storage Instructions

Store any chicken stir fry leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The veggies will soften some, but you can easily reheat it on the microwave or on the stove top.

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