Description
This easy chili chicken stir fry features tender pieces of chicken and vibrant vegetables, all coated in a fiery, savory sauce. It’s designed to deliver a restaurant-quality meal that is both quick to prepare and incredibly flavorful. Perfect for a busy weeknight, this dish offers a delightful balance of sweet, savory, and spicy notes.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil (e.g., vegetable, canola, or peanut oil)
- 1 large onion, cut into wedges
- 1 red bell pepper, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 green bell pepper, cored and cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2–3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1-inch ginger, grated
- 2–3 green chilies, sliced (adjust to taste)
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- Cooked rice or noodles, for serving
- Fresh cilantro or green onions, for garnish
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the cut chicken pieces with 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce and 1 tablespoon cornstarch. Toss well to coat and let marinate for at least 10 minutes while you prep the vegetables. This tenderizes the chicken and helps it crisp up.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients: 1/2 cup chicken broth, 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon chili garlic sauce, 1 teaspoon sugar, and 1 teaspoon cornstarch. Set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon cooking oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the marinated chicken in a single layer and cook for 3-4 minutes per side, until browned and cooked through. Remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
- Add the onion wedges, red bell pepper, and green bell pepper to the same skillet. Stir-fry for 3-5 minutes, until the vegetables are crisp-tender. They should still have a slight crunch.
- Push the vegetables to one side of the skillet and add the minced garlic, grated ginger, and sliced green chilies to the clear space. Sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant, then toss with the vegetables.
- Return the cooked chicken to the skillet with the vegetables. Give the prepared sauce a quick whisk again (as cornstarch can settle) and pour it over the chicken and vegetables.
- Bring the sauce to a simmer, stirring constantly, and cook for 1-2 minutes until the sauce thickens and coats all the ingredients. The sauce should be glossy and cling to the chicken and vegetables.
- Serve immediately over hot cooked rice or noodles, garnished with fresh cilantro or chopped green onions. Enjoy your flavorful chili chicken stir-fry!
Notes
- For extra tender chicken, consider using boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead of breasts, as they tend to stay juicier during high-heat cooking.
- Ensure all your ingredients (mise en place) are prepped and ready before you start cooking, as stir-frying moves very quickly.
- Adjust the amount of green chilies and chili garlic sauce to your preferred spice level. For less heat, reduce or omit the chilies. For more heat, add extra.
- To make this dish gluten-free, use tamari instead of soy sauce and ensure your chili garlic sauce is gluten-free.
- If you don’t have rice vinegar, you can substitute with apple cider vinegar, though the flavor will be slightly different.
- Prep Time: 10
- Cook Time: 30
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop, Mixing
- Cuisine: Asian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 8 g
- Sodium: 850 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 14 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 4 g
- Protein: 30 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg
Keywords: chili chicken stir fry, easy chicken recipe, quick stir fry, spicy chicken, weeknight dinner, Asian chicken, chicken and vegetables, stir fry sauce, tender chicken, flavorful chicken