Chicken and Broccoli is a quick and easy stir-fry that is packed with flavor and made with simple ingredients! Featuring tender chicken, crisp-tender broccoli and a savory stir-sauce sauce, you will find yourself making this simple dish again and again!
When you are craving take-out, turn to this quick and easy Chicken and Broccoli. Just like Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli and Shrimp Lo Mein, it is a quick and easy weeknight dinner recipe that delivers a restaurant-quality dish faster than you can have take-out delivered!
Kristen’s Tips for Chicken & Broccoli
- Velveting the chicken is the secret to restaurant-quality results. A quick 15-minute marinade in a seasoned cornstarch mixture will give the chicken a melt-in-your mouth velvet-like texture.
- Be efficient with your time. Prepare the stir fry sauce, chop the broccoli, grate the ginger and garlic while the chicken is marinating, ensuring dinner gets on the table in under 30 minutes from start to finish!
- Mirin is best. While I typically offer ingredient swaps, this is one time where I don’t recommend replacing the Mirin. It is a subtly sweet Japanese rice wine that is utterly delicious and helps to tenderize the chicken.
Happy Cooking! xo Kristen
Notes on Ingredients
You will find the full list of ingredients, along with quantities in the recipe card. Below is a quick glance at what you need and tips to help you make the right selection.
- Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs–use what you like or have on hand.
- Sriracha: Adds subtle heat and can be adjusted or omitted depending on your tolerance to spice. Feel free to use cayenne pepper sauce (hot sauce) in its place.
- Broccoli: Fresh broccoli florets are best, as frozen or cooked broccoli will not deliver the crisp-tender bite when stir-fried. Of course, you can opt to use any quick-cooking vegetables you like in place of the broccoli–asparagus, bell peppers, green beans, etc.
- Sesame Oil: Use toasted sesame oil for the stir-fry sauce, which adds a nutty savory undertone to the sauce.
How to Make Chicken and Broccoli
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the ingredient quantities and detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
- Marinate Chicken (Velveting Process). In a large mixing bowl, whisk together cornstarch with soy sauce, mirin, and sriracha. Add thinly sliced chicken to this mixture and toss to coat. Let sit in this mixture for at least 15 minutes or up to 60 minutes, which will give the chicken enough time to become super tender.
- Prepare Stir-Fry Sauce. Whisk together the soy sauce, chicken broth, honey, Mirin, sesame oil, hot sauce, and cornstarch until well incorporated and the cornstarch has dissolved.
- Stir-Fry Chicken. Remove the chicken from the marinade, and stir fry in a large wok or pan until just golden and then remove the chicken to a plate It will only take 2-3 minutes because the chicken is so thin.
- Stir-Fry Broccoli. Add the broccoli florets to the same pan and cook for 1 minute, or until lightly toasted.
- Add Ginger and Garlic. And saute quickly just to toast–you don’t want the aromatics to burn.
- Add Chicken and Stir-Fry Sauce. Add the prepared stir fry sauce and seared chicken back to the pan and cook, stirring constantly until the sauce has thicken and the broccoli is crisp-tender. It will only take a minute or two.
- Serve Over Rice. The sauce in this Chicken and Broccoli deserves to be soaked up and devoured, meaning it is best served over rice (Instant Pot Brown Rice, Instant Pot Jasmine Rice, or cauliflower rice to keep it low-carb). This ensures you enjoy every last drop of the ridiculously delicious sauce.
Storage Instructions
- Refrigerate: Allow to cool slightly and then transfer leftover chicken and broccoli to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days
- Reheat: Heat a bit of chicken stock or water in a large skillet. Add the chicken and broccoli to the heated liquid and cook until just warmed through. Alternatively, heat in a heat-safe dish in the microwave, adding a splash of chicken stock or water for added moisture.
Did you make this recipe?
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Marinade: In a large mixing bowl or large shallow dish, whisk together 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce, 1 tablespoon Mirin, 1 teaspoon sriracha, and 1 tablespoon cornstarch until well combined and the cornstarch has dissolved.
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Thinly slice 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts against the grain into strips no thicker than ¼ inch. Place the sliced chicken into the bowl with the marinade and toss to coat. Let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes, while you prep the other ingredients. Alternatively, cover and refrigerate for up to 60 minutes,
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Prepare stir-fry sauce by whisking together ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce, ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth, 2 tablespoons honey, 1 tablespoon Mirin, 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, 1 teaspoon sriracha, and 2 teaspoons cornstarch until the cornstarch is dissolved.
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Heat ½ tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot and shimmering. Once hot, add chicken and cook, stirring often, until golden, about 2-3 minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate.
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Heat the remaining ½ tablespoon oil in the same skillet until hot and shimmering. Once hot, add 4-5 cups broccoli florets and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add 3 cloves garlic (minced) and 1 tablespoon grated ginger and stir fry for 30 seconds.
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Return the chicken to the skillet. Whisk the sauce to recombine then add to the skillet. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce is thickened, chicken is cooked through, and broccoli reaches the desired tenderness, about 1-2 minutes.
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Serve with rice and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds if desired.
Mirin: Rice vinegar can be used in its place, but this a time Mirin is STRONGLY encouraged without substitutions.
Sriracha: Adds subtle heat and can be adjusted or omitted depending on your tolerance to spice. Feel free to use cayenne pepper sauce (hot sauce) in its place.
Storage: Allow to cool slightly and then transfer leftover chicken and broccoli to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To reheat, heat a bit of chicken stock or water in a large skillet. Add the chicken and broccoli to the heated liquid and cook until just warmed through. Alternatively, heat in a heat-safe dish in the microwave, adding a splash of chicken stock or water for added moisture.
Calories: 282kcalCarbohydrates: 24gProtein: 30gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0.03gCholesterol: 73mgSodium: 650mgPotassium: 854mgFiber: 3gSugar: 13gVitamin A: 613IUVitamin C: 86mgCalcium: 64mgIron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
