Chicken Vegetable Stir Fry

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon (15 ml)cornflour (or arrowroot starch)
• ¼ cup (60 ml)coconut aminos (or low-sodium soy sauce or tamari)
• ¼ cup (60 ml)water (or vegetable stock)
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml)rice wine vinegar, seasoned or unseasoned
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml)sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon (15 ml)honey
• 2 tablespoons (30 ml), dividedoil
• 1 lb (454 g)boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2.5 cm cubes
• To tastesalt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2½ cups (about 250 g)broccoli florets, cut into small florets
• 2 large (about 2 cups or 260 g)carrots, thinly sliced
• 1 smallred pepper, cut into thick strips
• 1 smallyellow pepper, cut into thick strips
• 1½ cups (about 150 g)mangetout, trimmed
• 3 largespring onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal; reserve the dark green parts for garnish
• 3 clovesgarlic, minced
• 1½ tablespoons (about 15 g)fresh ginger, minced

Instructions

1. 1

   Mix the sauce

   Put the cornflour in a small bowl and stir in 1 tablespoon of the coconut aminos until smooth and lump-free. Add the remaining coconut aminos, water, vinegar, sesame oil and honey, then whisk to combine and set aside.

2. 2

   Cook the chicken

   Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan over a medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for about 6 minutes, turning occasionally, until it is no longer pink and a thermometer inserted into the centre reads 71°C (160°F). Transfer it to a plate.

3. 3

   Stir-fry vegetables

   Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan, followed by the broccoli and carrots. Cook for 3 minutes, then add the peppers, mangetout and white and light green parts of the spring onions. Cook for another 3 minutes, or until the vegetables are as tender as you like. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for a further 30 seconds.

4. 4

   Finish and serve

   Return the chicken to the pan and pour in the sauce, stirring well. Cook for about 2 minutes, until the sauce has thickened. Take the pan off the heat, adjust the seasoning if needed, stir in the reserved spring onion greens and serve.

What is chicken vegetable stir-fry?

Stir-frying is a quick way of cooking small pieces of food over high heat, commonly associated with Chinese cooking and now found in many Asian-inspired home meals. This version combines chicken with a mix of vegetables and a glossy, savoury-sweet sauce.

The method works by cooking the chicken and vegetables in stages, then bringing everything together with the sauce at the end. That keeps the ingredients moving quickly through the pan and makes the dish straightforward to customise.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 332 calories, 28g protein, 24g carbs, 14g fat.

The chicken supplies much of the protein, while the honey and vegetables contribute carbohydrates. The chicken, cooking oil and sesame oil contribute most of the fat. For a balanced plate, serve with a modest portion of rice and add extra vegetables if you like.

The sauce and its ingredients

Cornflour: mixing it first with a little coconut aminos helps it disperse smoothly before the rest of the liquid goes in. It thickens the sauce as it cooks in the pan.

Flavour: coconut aminos, vinegar, sesame oil and honey give the sauce a balance of savoury, tangy, nutty and sweet notes. Soy sauce or tamari can stand in for the coconut aminos, as listed in the ingredients.

Prepare the chicken evenly

Cut the chicken into similarly sized 2.5 cm cubes so the pieces cook at roughly the same rate. The recipe cooks them first and sets them aside while the vegetables go into the same pan.

Doneness: the method gives about 6 minutes as a guide and calls for a thermometer reading of 71°C (160°F) in the centre. Cooking time can vary with the size of the pieces and the heat of the pan.

Keep the vegetables lively

Start with the broccoli and carrots, which get 3 minutes in the pan before the other vegetables are added. The peppers, mangetout and spring onion then cook for another 3 minutes.

Cut: small broccoli florets and thinly sliced carrots help the vegetables cook within the short timing. The recipe leaves the final texture to your preference, so check the vegetables as they cook.

Add aromatics at the end

Garlic and ginger go in after the vegetables have had their main cooking time, and cook for just 30 seconds. This brief step gives them time to release their fragrance without extending the vegetable cooking unnecessarily.

The darker spring onion greens are held back until serving, adding a fresh finish after the pan comes off the heat.

Thicken and serve

Return the cooked chicken to the pan before adding the sauce so it can warm through as the sauce thickens. Stir as it cooks for about 2 minutes, and take the pan off the heat once the sauce coats the ingredients.

Serve soon after cooking, while the vegetables are still at their preferred texture. Rice or noodles make a simple accompaniment, or serve the stir-fry on its own.

Recipe notes & tips

• Prepare and slice all the vegetables before you start cooking, as the pan steps move quickly.
• Cut the chicken into evenly sized cubes to help it cook consistently.
• Whisk the cornflour with a little coconut aminos first to avoid lumps in the sauce.
• Keep the dark green spring onion slices aside until the end for a fresh garnish.
• Cook the vegetables to your preferred tenderness, checking them as the final minutes pass.

Variations

• Swap the vegetables: Use other quick-cooking vegetables in place of the listed mix.
• Choose tamari: Replace coconut aminos with tamari, as suggested in the ingredients.
• Use soy sauce: Low-sodium soy sauce can take the place of coconut aminos.
• Change the starch: Use arrowroot starch instead of cornflour.
• Add vegetable stock: Replace the water with vegetable stock for a different flavour in the sauce.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Lumpy sauce: Stir the cornflour with 1 tablespoon of coconut aminos until smooth before adding the remaining liquids.
• Uneven chicken pieces: Cut the chicken into similar-sized cubes so they cook at a comparable rate.
• Overcooked vegetables: Check their texture after the stated cooking times and stop when they are as tender as you prefer.
• Burnt garlic and ginger: Add them after the vegetables and cook for only 30 seconds.
• Thin sauce: Let the sauce cook with the chicken and vegetables for about 2 minutes, stirring as it thickens.

How to store

Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container and use within 3 days. Reheat in a frying pan over a medium heat until piping hot, stirring occasionally; add a splash of water if the sauce needs loosening.

Frequently asked questions