This healthy and easy Asian-inspired chicken and broccoli stir fry is a quick weeknight dinner that will not disappoint. This stir fry has it all – tender chicken, crisp broccoli, and flavorful sauce that comes together in under 15 minutes. Serve the stir fry on it’s own or with cauliflower rice or white rice for dinner that everyone will love!

Quick, Simple, and Delicious: Sweet and Spicy Stir Fry with Chicken and Broccoli

This quick and easy Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry has everything you are craving in a good stir fry: 

  • Tender flavorful chicken
  • Crisp veggies
  • An extra yummy, slightly sweet and sticky stir fry sauce that you just can’t seem to get enough of (the most important part!)

This recipe has it all and, in addition to being ridiculously tasty, the best part of this recipe is that it truly is QUICK. I’m talking fifteen minutes, or less, and you have a healthy filling dinner on your table. While it’s not the exactly the same as your favorite takeout restaurant, it’s a simple healthy meal that everyone will love. 

More Healthy Broccoli Recipes

Why I Prefer to Use Chicken Thighs in This Recipe

While a lot of chicken stir fry recipe calls for chicken breast, I prefer to use boneless skinless chicken thighs in this recipe. Chicken thighs are more tender, more flavorful, and also a lot easier to cook in my opinion. 

Chicken thighs typically stay tender and juicy even if you cook them a little longer than what is really necessary. Essentially, they are hard to “mess up”. 

While I love using chicken thighs in this recipe, feel free to use chicken breast instead if you prefer. Just make sure to watch them carefully so they don’t overcook and become tough.

The Simple Stir Fry Sauce Ingredients

coconut aminos with red pepper flakes

While most stir fry sauces are filled with sugar, this easy sauce is completely sugar free and using just a few simple ingredients to achieve maximum flavor. 

Coconut Aminos: The base of the sauce in this stir fry is a substitute for soy sauce called coconut aminos. Coconut aminos are made from the sap of the coconut palm tree and are commonly used as an alternative to soy sauce in Paleo and Whole30 compliant dishes. Unlike traditional soy sauce, they also have a slightly sweet flavor which works to give the sauce a slightly sweet flavor without any added sugar.

Sesame Oil: Sesame oil is another key ingredient in this sauce and gives it that traditional stir fry flavor. A little sesame oil goes a long way. 

Fish Sauce: Fish sauce is made from fermented anchovies and sea salt and gives the sauce a savory depth of flavor. If you don’t have a bottle of fish sauce, I highly recommend grabbing some to have on hand for curries or stir fry recipes like this one. 

Arrowroot Starch: Arrowroot starch is a grain free alternative to cornstarch. It can replace cornstarch 1 to 1 in most recipes and slightly thickens this sauce to help it stick to the chicken.

How to Make Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry

raw chicken with ginger garlic and salt in clear mixing bowl

Step 1: Prep Your Chicken 

To prep the chicken, cut the boneless skinless chicken thighs into small pieces and add them to a mixing bowl. Next, add the ginger, garlic, salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Stir until everything is well combined and then set aside. If you have the time, you can prep the chicken the night before and allow it to marinate overnight. 

Step 2: Stir Fry the Chicken and Veggies

Next, cook the chicken over medium-high heat in a large skillet. I love using avocado oil for cooking, but you could also use coconut oil if you prefer. You’ll cook the chicken for around six minutes until it is browned and completely cooked through, and then remove it from the pan. 

Once the chicken is finished cooking, add the broccoli florets and one-third a cup of water. The water helps to steam the broccoli a bit while it cooks. The broccoli should only take around four to six minutes to cook. You still want it to be crisp and a bright green color when you add the chicken back to the pan. 

Step 3: Add the Sauce and Serve 

Once the broccoli is cooked, and you’ve added the chicken back to the pan, it’s time to add in the stir fry sauce. Pour the sauce over the chicken and broccoli, give it a stir and allow it to cook for around one minute, and then remove the skillet from the heat. The arrowroot starch will cause the sauce to thicken just a bit once it comes in contact with the heat so that it coats the chicken and veggies. 

Finish off the stir fry with plenty of fresh green onion, sesame seeds, and red pepper flakes if you like more heat.

How to Serve Your Stir Fry

This hearty stir fry is really great all on it’s own but it also pairs nicely with cauliflower rice for a great Whole30 compliant or low carb meal. You can also serve it with a side of white rice to soak up all of that delicious sauce!

A Few Other Homemade Takeout Recipes You’ll Love!

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chicken and broccoli stir fry over rice

Healthy Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry (Whole30, Gluten-Free, Low Carb)

  • Author: Ashlea Carver
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Category: Main Dish
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Asian
  • Diet: Gluten Free
  • Author: Ashlea Carver
  • Prep Time: 10 minutes
  • Cook Time: 15 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Category: Main Dish
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Asian
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Ingredients

  • 1 pound chicken thighs, cut into small pieces
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp ginger, minced
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ¼ tsp black pepper
  • 1 tsp red pepper flakes 
  • 1 tbsp avocado oil
  • 4 cups broccoli florets
  • ⅓ cup water
  • ¼ cup coconut aminos
  • 1 tsp fish sauce
  • 1 ½ tsp sesame oil
  • ½ tbsp arrowroot starch
  • Green onion, for garnish
  • Sesame seeds, for garnish

Method

  1. Add the chicken thighs, garlic, ginger, salt, black pepper, and red pepper flakes to a small bowl and stir until well combined. 
  2. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, coat the pan with oil and then add in the chicken. Cook the chicken for 6-8 minutes until browned and cooked through. Once cooked, remove the chicken from pan and set aside. 
  3. While the chicken is cooking, make the sauce. Add the coconut aminos, fish sauce, sesame oil and arrowroot starch to a small bowl and whisk until well combined. 
  4. Next, add in the broccoli florets and ⅓ cup of water. Cook the broccoli until it is bright green and slightly tender, around 4-6 minutes. 
  5. Next, add the chicken back to the skillet and then add the sauce. Give everything a stir to combine chicken, broccoli, and sauce are all well combined and cook for one more minute. The sauce should thicken a bit as it heats. 
  6. Remove the skillet from the heat, finish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds, and then serve the stir-fry immediately. Enjoy!
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55 Comments

  1. Thank you so much for this recipe! Amazing! Followed the instructions minus a few modifications- marinated chicken in garlic, ginger, spice mix for 45 min before cooking, cooked broccoli in vegetable broth instead of water and omitted fish sauce (not intentionally, just didn’t have the ingredient). Perfect dish! Easy prep and execution! My husband and I loved it!!






  2. Ecogirl411 says:

    This was excellent and super easy!!






  3. This was delicious. It called for 4 cups of broccoli but I did 4 cups equal parts broccoli, mushrooms, and zucchini. I didn’t have fresh ginger on hand so used powdered. I’ll definitely use fresh next time. I’m also thinking of doing a mix of shrimp and chicken next. I loved that the sauce is simple. 5 stars!






  4. I love tossing the steak with the garlic & ginger before throwing it int the pan!! What a great way to evenly coat it. (I cheated and yes jarred garlic & ginger and it was still very flavorful.) definitely had it done in a flash, great for a busy night carting kids around.






  5. On step 4 I am confused… add the broccoli to what? The sauce of the previous step or the pan from which the chicken was removed?

    1. Ashlea Carver says:

      Hi, Fran! You add the broccoli to the pan. Hope that helps!

  6. This was soooo good! Kids crushed it too!