Healthy chicken stir fry is a delicious and easy one-pan dinner that can be made in less than 30 minutes! Loaded with juicy chicken, fresh veggies and made with an Asian-infused peanut stir fry sauce, it pairs perfectly with rice or noodles. Plus, it’s great for meal prep too! {Gluten-free-friendly}
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Healthy Chicken Stir Fry Recipe
If you’re looking to start the New Year off right, look no further than this healthy chicken stir-fry recipe! It’s one of our easy go-to weeknight meals when we need a quick and tasty meal in a short amount of time. Plus, it’s a one-pan dinner so it cuts down on dishes!
A large frying pan or wok is used to stir fry the chicken and vegetables before coating them in a delicious peanut-flavoured healthy stir fry sauce. Serve it all up over rice or with noodles for a balanced and satisfying meal that’s great for the whole family!
Stir fry is an excellent and tasty way to incorporate more vegetables into your diet. Feel free to experiment using whatever fresh vegetables you have on hand or prefer. Mushrooms, zucchini, baby corn, snap peas and water chestnuts all work well.
The next time you’re looking for a flavourful and easy dinner idea, add this healthy chicken and vegetable stir fry to your list!
For more stir fry recipes, be sure to also check out this Shrimp Noodle Stir Fry!
Why We Love This Healthy Stir Fry with Chicken
- Healthy: Stir fry contains a balance of protein-rich chicken and fibre-rich veggies for a satisfying and healthy dinner. Additionally, very little oil is required to cook the chicken and vegetables, making stir frying a lower fat cooking method. Plus, the vegetables retain more nutrients by being stir-fried, as opposed to boiled.
- Easy: This easy chicken stir fry recipe uses basic ingredients and one pan to cook the entire stir fry. It’s a very quick meal to make with minimal cleanup afterwards.
- Versatile: Not only is this an easy and healthy chicken stir fry, it’s also extremely versatile. Try using beef instead of chicken or try out other vegetables like Bok Choy, eggplant or zucchini.
- Great for meal prep: Meal prepping this stir fry is a total lifesaver. Simply divide the finished stir fry among meal prep containers and refrigerate for up to 4-5 days. It reheats really well and tastes even better as leftovers.
Ingredient Notes
For the Chicken Stir Fry Sauce:
- Soy sauce: We used a low sodium soy sauce to keep the sodium content down. To keep it gluten-free, use Tamari or coconut aminos.
- Chicken broth: Use a no salt added broth to prevent the stir fry from being too high in sodium. Vegetable broth also works.
- Peanut butter: Natural peanut butter with no added salt or sugar is best.
- Oil: We used sesame oil for extra flavour, however, any high-heat oil will work.
- Rice vinegar: For the most authentic Asian flavour, use rice vinegar, but red wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar can be used in a pinch.
- Honey: Too add a hint of sweetness to the sauce.
- Fresh ginger and garlic: For extra flavour.
- Cornstarch: To thicken the sauce. Arrowroot powder or tapioca starch can be substituted.
- Red pepper flakes: To add a kick of spice.
For the Chicken Stir Fry:
- Chicken breasts: Use boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into cubes. Pre-cut chicken tenders or diced boneless skinless chicken thighs also work well.
- Vegetables: Baby carrots, red and yellow peppers, and broccoli are used for lots of colour.
- Peanuts or Cashews: For a crunchy topping and dose of healthy fats.
How to Cook Chicken Stir Fry in a Pan – Step-by-Step
- Whisk stir fry sauce ingredients in a small bowl or jar.
- In a large skillet or wok over high heat, heat the sesame oil and cook the chicken (season with salt and pepper) in the hot pan for 5-8 minutes or until fully cooked. Set chicken aside.
- Stir fry the vegetables in a tablespoon of oil for a couple of minutes or until tender-crisp, stirring frequently.
- Return the cooked chicken pieces to the pan with the vegetables and add in the stir fry sauce. Toss until all of the ingredients are evenly coated in the sauce. Heat over medium-high heat for 2-3 minutes until the sauce has thickened.
- Serve warm over rice or noodles, and garnish with peanuts or cashews if desired.
Keep scrolling to the recipe card below for the full printable recipe!
Tips for the Best Chicken Stir Fry
- Cook until tender crisp: Make sure that you don’t overcook the vegetables or they’ll end up mushy rather than crisp.
- To save time:You can make up a batch of the stir fry sauce ahead of time. I like making up a double batch and freezing each portion in these Souper Cubes. Simply thaw and pour into the stir fry for a quick and easy meal.
- Adapt according to what you have: This delicious chicken stir fry recipe is easily adaptable so you can use whatever vegetables you have on hand.
Recipe FAQs
The chicken is fully cooked before being stir fried with the vegetables and the sauce. The chicken may need to be cooked in batches, depending on the size of your pan.
Frozen vegetables can definitely be used! They do not need to be thawed before use. Add them to the hot oil and cook until tender crisp.
Yes, stir fry can be made in advance and stored in the fridge for up to 4-5 days. The sauce can also be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge or freezer.
Not all chicken stir fries are created equally. Some contain extremely high levels of sodium and other processed additives. This homemade chicken and vegetable stir fry is a healthier option since it contains lean protein and lots of nutrient-rich veggies. Since the vegetables are stir-fried until tender crisp, they retain more nutrients than if they were boiled.
Additionally, the sauce uses lower sodium ingredients and less added sugar than your typical take-out options, which is better for overall heart health.
Storage & Reheating Guidelines
Refrigerator: Store leftover stir fry in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4-5 days.
To reheat: Add a bit of oil and reheat the stir fry on stove over low to medium heat to avoid overcooking. Stir frequently so that everything reheats evenly. You can also reheat in the microwave for 1-2 minutes.
What to Serve with Chicken Stir Fry
The amazing thing about this healthy chicken stir fry is that it can be served up with lots of different options to keep it fresh and exciting!
Try it with:
- Spring rolls
- Dumplings
- Brown rice
- White rice
- Jasmine rice
- Cauliflower rice
- Rice noodles
- Egg noodles
- Zucchini noodles
Recipe Variations
- Switch up the vegetables: Try using seasonal veggies or experiment with Bok Choy, snow peas, zucchini, green beans, cauliflower or baby corn.
- Use different protein: Try tofu, beef or shrimp.
- To make vegetarian: Use firm tofu instead of chicken, and sub in vegetable broth.
- To make gluten-free: Use Tamari or coconut aminos instead of soy sauce.
- For a spicier kick: Drizzle with sriracha or add more red pepper flakes.
- For topping: Try sliced green onions or sesame seeds instead of nuts.
More Easy Chicken Dinners
- Chicken Teriyaki on a Stick
- PF Chang’s Chicken Fried Rice
- Healthy Honey Sesame Chicken
- Healthy Orange Chicken
- Thai Mango Salad with Chicken
Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a star rating and review!
Healthy Chicken Stir Fry
Ingredients
For the stir fry sauce
- 1/2 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 1/2 cup no salt added chicken broth
- 1/4 cup natural peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 2-3 inches fresh ginger finely grated
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
For the chicken stir fry
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil divided
- 1 1/4 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into cubes
- 1 cup thinly sliced baby carrots
- 1/2 red pepper thinly sliced
- 1/2 yellow pepper thinly sliced
- 4 cups broccoli florets
For garnish
- Chopped peanuts or cashews
Instructions
- In a small bowl or jar, mix together the ingredients for the stir fry sauce.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of sesame oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat. Add in the chicken and season with salt and pepper (you may need to cook in batches). Cook for 5-8 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink. Remove chicken from pan and set aside in a bowl.
- Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the skillet and cook the carrots, bell pepper and broccoli for 2-3 minutes, tossing frequently in the pan, until the vegetables start to get tender crisp.
- Add the stir fry sauce to the pan along with the vegetables and chicken. Toss until all of the ingredients are evenly distributed and coated in the sauce. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, for 2-3 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.
- Serve over rice or noodles. Garnish with chopped peanuts or cashews, if desired. Serve warm.
Notes
- Cook until tender crisp: Make sure that you don’t overcook the vegetables or they’ll end up mushy rather than crisp.
- To save time:You can make up a batch of the stir fry sauce ahead of time. I like making up a double batch and freezing each portion in these Souper Cubes. Simply thaw and pour into the stir fry for a quick and easy meal.
- Adapt according to what you have: This delicious chicken stir fry recipe is easily adaptable so you can use whatever vegetables you have on hand.
Holy Hannah for salty. I had to adjust to suit us. But overall a great recipe. Next time I’ll cut the soy sauce in half and add more broth
Sorry you found it salty! I’m wondering if your soy sauce or chicken broth might have contained more sodium than mine? It can vary across brands. I’m glad you were able to find a way to make it work for your family :)
This recipe looks amazing. I have a kiddo though with a peanut allergy – what would be a good swap for that? Would almond butter be an option? Thanks!
Thanks so much! I haven’t personally tried it with almond butter so I’m not sure what it would taste like, but you could certainly try it out! Cashew butter would be another option, or leave the nut butter out altogether. Please keep me posted on how it turns out if you try it!
This recipe was sooo good! I ended up using coconut aminos and leaving out the peanut butter due to all my son’s allergies and it still tasted amazing! Thank you so much for this easy recipe!
So happy it worked out for you and that the recipe met your family’s needs! I appreciate you swinging back to share your feedback and modifications!