Simple Chinese Chicken and broccoli stir fry recipe for your busy-day dinners! Cooked with tender chicken slices, crisp broccoli florets, and savoury Chinese brown sauce. It takes only 30 minutes to whip up everything from scratch and so delicious!
Chinese stir fry dishes are our family staple and they are super easy and speedy to cook up when I am in a hurry. Just perfect for busy days! Classics like Chinese beef and broccoli, and Hoisin Chicken Stir fry are always a hit.
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Easy Stir Fry!
This chicken and broccoli is a popular American-Chinese restaurant dish and it is also one of the easiest Chinese dishes. Unlike other deep-fried and stir-fried dishes, this recipe requires only minimum oil and is loaded with superfood, broccoli and lean chicken breast!
A perfect dish for you, if you are looking for a satisfying nutritious Chinese chicken stir fry with vegetables. This is an effortless recipe and is perfect for a quick family dinner. We love to enjoy it alongside with jasmine rice, brown rice, or simple egg fried rice. Who needs takeout when you can cook restaurant-quality Chinese stir fry at home!
Grab these essentials
This chicken broccoli stir fry recipe requires a few basic ingredients: chicken, broccoli, and pantry-staple Chinese sauces.
Following is a quick guide and you can find the detailed measurements on the recipe card by scrolling down this page.
- Chicken: Use boneless skinless chicken breast or thigh.
- Broccoli: 1 medium-size broccoli or broccolini ( tenderstem broccoli )
- Onion, ginger, garlic, & chilli pepper
- Regular soy sauce ( light soy sauce )
- Dark soy sauce
- Oyster sauce
- Sesame oil
- Cornstarch
- Cooking oil
- White pepper
- Sugar
Choosing and preparing broccoli
It’s important to choose the fresh broccoli for the best result! My tips is to look for vibrant deep green broccoli with firm stems and tight florets. Avoid the yellow ones with a strong, unpleasant odour.
Use a sharp knife and cut the broccoli into bite-sized florets. If you are using stem parts, peel the stem and remove the hard end. Then cut it into bite-size pieces. Wash them with plenty of water to remove any dirt or debris, then drain the water out.
How to cook Chinese Chicken and Broccoli
- Cut chicken into thin slices or thin strips against the grain.
- Season the chicken with soy sauce, cornstarch, sugar, and cooking oil. Mix it well and set it aside for at least 10 minutes.
- Add sauce ingredients: regular soy sauce, oyster sauce, water, white pepper, and cornstarch in a small bowl. Whisk until cornstarch is dissolved. Set it aside.
- Blanch the broccoli in the hot boiling water for 1-2 minutes, then drain and set it aside.
- Heat the wok or pan over medium-high heat. Add oil and stir fry the onion, garlic, and ginger for a few seconds until fragrant.
- Next, add the marinated chicken slices and stir fry for 3-4 minutes or until the chicken is seared and cooked through. Remove everything from pan and set it aside.
- In the remaining pan, pour the prepared sauce in. Stir it well until the sauce is thick and glossy.
- Add the cooked chicken slices and boiled broccoli to the pan. Toss everything well with the sauce. Stir in fresh chilli slices and drizzle sesame oil.
Adjust the sauce mixture
- Use low-sodium soy sauce if you want to reduce the sodium.
- Add hoisin sauce or vegetarian stir-fry sauce ( mushroom sauce ) as an oyster sauce substitute.
- Prefer thicker sauce? Combine 1 teaspoon of cornstarch with 2 tbsp of water to make a cornstarch slurry. Drizzle it at the end of stir fry if you prefer a thicker sauce.
- To make a clear white glossy sauce you can omit the dark soy sauce.
- Brown sugar or regular white sugar can be also added to the sauce for a sweeter taste.
Simple hacks to master this dish
- Let the chicken marinate for at least 10-15 minutes to absorb the flavour. If you have more time you can cover it and leave it overnight in the fridge.
- Use a large wok or skillet pan for a quick sear and distribute the heat evenly.
- To avoid the steaming effect, don’t overcrowd the pan.
- Do not overcook the broccoli. Blanch it briefly for 1-2 minutes to keep its crisp texture. Make sure to drain the water well before adding it back to the wok. Excess water can result in a watery stir-fry.
Serving
To serve this Chicken Broccoli Stir-Fry, simply plate it over a bowl of steamed rice or noodles. For a complete family dinner, pair it with additional Chinese dishes like Mongolian Chicken, Special Fried Rice, or Egg Drop Crab Soup.
Frequent Questions
You can refrigerate the leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat it in a microwave or a pan. The sauce consistency might change once you reheat it but it still tastes great.
Yes, absolutely! Prepare the chicken marinade, sauce mix, and broccoli one day ahead. Make a quick stir fry just right before serving.
Boiling broccoli florets quickly before stir-frying keeps its vibrant green colour and it cooks quickly when you add in the stir fry.
Yes, you can steam the broccoli in the steamer or add it to the microwave for 1-2 minutes instead of boiling or blanching it.
Even though Chinese chefs use traditional carbon steel wok to cook this dish, you can use any large wok, skillet, or pan that you already have. I usually use a non-stick wok for this quick and easy recipe.
More stir-fry broccoli recipes
Broccoli goes well in Chinese stir-fry dishes and noodles. Following are some of my favourite stir-fried broccoli recipes with beef, prawns, and noodles.
- Beef and Broccoli - classic Chinese stir-fried beef steak with broccoli
- Quick Beef and Broccoli Noodles - minced beef and noodles with broccoli
- Chicken Broccoli Noodles - Stir fry chicken and broccoli with noodles
- Stir-Fry Prawns & Broccoli - Prawn stir fry with broccolini and chilli peppers
More popular Chinese takeout recipes on our blog
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📖 Recipe
Chinese Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 300 grams Boneless skinless chicken thigh or breast, cut thin slices
- 1 Broccoli medium-size broccoli, cut into bite-size florets
- ½ Onion Cut thin slices
- 2 tsp Ginger minced or cut thin strips
- 2 tsp Garlic minced or cut thin slices
- 2-3 tbsp Cooking oil
- 1 Chilli pepper cut thin slices
- 1 tsp Toasted sesame oil
Marinade Ingredients
- 1 tbsp Soy sauce regular soy sauce or light soy
- 1 tbsp Cornstarch or potato starch
- 2 tsp Cooking oil vegetable or sunflower oil
- 1 tsp Brown sugar or white sugar
Stir Fry Sauce
- 1 tbsp Soy sauce Regular soy sauce or light soy
- 2 tbsp Oyster sauce Or hoisin sauce
- 2 tsp Dark soy sauce
- 6 tbsp Water
- ½ tsp White pepper
- 1 tsp Cornstarch
Instructions
- Cut chicken into thin slices. Marinate the chicken with soy sauce, cornstarch, sugar, and cooking oil. Mix it well and set it aside.
- In a bowl combine the sauce ingredients: regular soy sauce, oyster sauce, water, white pepper, and cornstarch. Whisk until cornstarch is dissolved. Set it aside.
- Blanch the broccoli in the hot boiling water for 1-2 minutes, then drain and set it aside.
- Heat the large wok or pan over medium-high heat. Drizzle 2-3 tbsp of oil add onions, and saute for a few seconds. Follow with the garlic and ginger. Saute until fragrant.
- Next, add the marinated chicken pieces. Flatten the chicken slices at the bottom of the pan and let it sear for 2-3 minutes. Once the chicken slices are slightly brown. Flip and continue stir fry for another 1-2 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Remove everything from pan and set it aside.
- In the remaining pan, pour the prepared sauce in. Stir it well until the sauce is thick and glossy.
- Now place the cooked chicken slices and blanched broccoli in the pan. Add chilli slices.
- Combine everything well and make sure the sauce coats each chicken and broccoli piece. Finish with toasted sesame oil.
- Serve with plain rice or noodles.
Notes
- More sauce: Double the sauce ingredients if you love extra sauce to serve over the rice.
- Try with other veggies: This recipe also works well with broccolini ( Tenderstem broccoli ), cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and kai lan ( Chinese broccoli ).
- Adjust the blanching time: if you like your broccoli tender, boil it a bit longer, but do not boil more than 3-4 minutes as you are cooking it again with the sauce.
- Adding chilli is optional. Omit chillies or reduce the amount if you like it milder.
- This Chinese chicken and broccoli calorie is 261 kcal per serving approximately without rice or noodles. It can vary according to the different products that you use.
Cleve says
Made it for a dinner party last night and got nothing but complements. I’ve made several dishes from Khin’s Kitchen recipes and all have been delicious (chicken chow mien being my favorite!).
Lynda Shirer says
We have just made this for our tea and it was absolutely delicious , we have tried quite a few of your recipes and they do not disappoint , so very tasty 😋
MARY says
ALL THE RECIPES LOOK SO GOOD AND EASY. . CHICKEN AND BROCCOLI TONIGHT. THANK YOU
Cici says
Very easy recipe and the I'm not disappointed with the taste at all! I just meal prepped it for the whole week!