Stir Fry Chicken & Vegetables

The default weeknight stir-fry. Velveted chicken, blanched broccoli and carrots, basic brown sauce. Once the prep is done it's three minutes in the wok. See Stir-Fry Basics for the technique behind each step.

IngredientsClear All

For the chicken (velveting)

• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs, sliced ¼" thick against the grain
• 3 tbsp water or unsalted chicken stock
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp neutral oil

For the sauce

• 1 cup unsalted chicken stock
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• ½ tsp sugar
• ¼ tsp white pepper
• 1 tsp sesame oil (added off the heat)

For the stir-fry

• 3 cups broccoli florets, bite-sized
• 1 large carrot, sliced ¼" on the bias
• 1 red bell pepper, cut in 1" pieces
• 4 oz mushrooms, sliced
• ½ onion, cut in 1" pieces
• 2 tbsp neutral oil (peanut, avocado, or vegetable)
• 1 tbsp garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp ginger, minced
• 2 scallions, whites and greens separated, cut in 1" pieces
• Toasted sesame seeds, to finish

Instructions

1. Velvet the chicken: Put the sliced chicken in a bowl with the water and massage with your hand 1–2 minutes until fully absorbed and the meat feels tacky. Mix in the Shaoxing wine and soy sauce, then the cornstarch until evenly coated with no dry patches, then the oil. Rest 15–30 minutes.

2. Mix the sauce: Whisk all sauce ingredients except the sesame oil until no lumps remain. Set beside the stove.

3. Blanch the hard vegetables: Bring a large pot of salted water to a rolling boil. Blanch the carrots 90 seconds, then the broccoli 60–90 seconds. Shock both in ice water immediately, then drain and dry thoroughly — salad spinner and a towel. Wet vegetables will not brown.

4. Water-blanch the chicken: Bring a saucepan of water to a bare simmer — lazy bubbles, not a boil. Add 1 tsp oil. Add the chicken, stirring gently to separate the pieces. Cook 45–60 seconds, until just opaque outside and still underdone in the center. Drain and set aside.

5. Get everything within reach: Blanched vegetables, raw vegetables, chicken, sauce, aromatics, and a serving platter. From here you have about three minutes.

6. Heat the wok: Dry wok over high heat until it smokes faintly. Add the 2 tbsp oil and swirl to coat.

7. Aromatics: Add garlic, ginger, and scallion whites. Stir-fry 15 seconds — just until fragrant. Don't let the garlic brown.

8. Vegetables: Add the blanched broccoli and carrots. Stir-fry 60 seconds, letting them sit still a few seconds at a time to blister and take color. Add the onion, bell pepper, and mushrooms; stir-fry another 60 seconds.

9. Chicken back in: Add the drained chicken and toss 30 seconds to warm through.

10. Sauce: Whisk the sauce again — the cornstarch has settled — and pour it around the rim of the wok. Stir constantly 20–30 seconds until it turns glossy and clings to the vegetables instead of running off.

11. Finish: Kill the heat. Stir in the sesame oil and scallion greens. Top with sesame seeds and serve immediately over rice.

Notes

Make ahead: Velvet the chicken and blanch the vegetables up to a day ahead; both hold fine in the fridge. Mix the sauce up to a week ahead in a jar. With all three done, this is a ten-minute dinner.

Substitutions:

• Chicken breast works but dries out faster — cut it slightly thicker and blanch only 30–40 seconds
• Any hard vegetable can swap in: cauliflower, snap peas, green beans, bok choy stems. Check blanch times in Stir-Fry Basics
• Vegetarian oyster sauce substitutes 1:1

Tips:

• If your burner is weak, cook the vegetables and the chicken in two batches and combine before adding the sauce. A crowded wok steams
• The chicken is fully cooked after the water blanch plus 30 seconds in the wok — resist stir-frying it longer

Storage: Keeps 3 days refrigerated. The vegetables soften on reheating; a hot pan is better than the microwave.

Source

Family recipe. Technique from Stir-Fry Basics.