High-protein chicken & edamame stir-fry
Quick, protein-packed stir-fry with tender chicken, bright edamame and crisp veg — ready in under an hour.
This stir-fry is all about lean protein and speedy cooking: juicy chicken and protein-rich edamame tossed with crisp veg and a glossy, umami-rich sauce. It’s a brilliant midweek supper if you want maximum protein with minimal faff.
Marinading is the secret: a short 30-minute soak flavours the chicken and the light cornflour coating helps the sauce cling. Serve with steamed rice or noodles if you like, or keep it low-carb with quick-cooked greens.
Ingredients
- 500 g chicken breast — trimmed and cut into 2 cm strips
- 45 ml tamari — use gluten-free tamari if required
- 15 ml sesame oil
- 20 ml sunflower oil
- 15 ml rice vinegar
- 10 g honey
- 3 garlic cloves — crushed
- 20 g fresh ginger — finely grated
- 10 g cornflour — for light coating and sauce thickening
- 300 g frozen shelled edamame — thawed
- 1 red pepper — thinly sliced
- 1 brown onion — thinly sliced
- 150 g chestnut mushrooms — quartered
- 4 spring onions — cut on the diagonal
- 15 g sesame seeds — to garnish
- 10 g fresh coriander — roughly chopped, to garnish
- 5 g sea salt
- 0 g black pepper — freshly ground
Equipment
- wok (or large heavy-based frying pan)
- grater for ginger
- measuring spoons and jug
- tongs or spatula
Instructions
Make the marinade: in a mixing bowl whisk tamari, sesame oil, rice vinegar, honey, crushed garlic cloves, grated fresh ginger, cornflour, sea salt and black pepper until smooth. Reserve 30 ml of this mixture in a small bowl for later, then add the chicken breast strips to the remaining marinade and toss to coat. Cover and marinate in the fridge for 30 minutes.
While the chicken marinates, prepare the veg: thinly slice the red pepper and brown onion, quarter the chestnut mushrooms, cut the spring onions on the diagonal and thaw the frozen shelled edamame under cold running water, then drain.
Heat a wok or large frying pan over high heat until very hot. Add half the sunflower oil and spread. Add half the marinated chicken in a single layer and stir-fry without crowding for 3–4 minutes until golden and nearly cooked through. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining sunflower oil and chicken.
Return the wok to high heat. Add the brown onion and chestnut mushrooms and stir-fry for 2 minutes until they begin to colour. Add the red pepper and frozen shelled edamame and stir-fry for a further 2 minutes until the pepper is just tender-crisp.
Return the cooked chicken to the wok with the veg. Pour in the reserved 30 ml marinade and toss everything together over high heat for 1–2 minutes until the sauce thickens to a glossy coating. Add the spring onions, toss briefly, then remove from the heat. Scatter over the sesame seeds and fresh coriander.
Taste and adjust seasoning with a little more sea salt or tamari if needed, then serve immediately.
Tips
- Reserve a small amount of the marinade before adding raw chicken — use that reserved portion later and cook it thoroughly to make the sauce.
- Work in batches when frying the chicken so it browns instead of steams; a hot pan is essential for good colour and texture.
- Thaw frozen edamame under cold running water and drain well to avoid added moisture in the wok.
- Make ahead: you can mix the marinade and chop the veg up to 8 hours ahead and keep refrigerated; add the chicken to marinate for the final 30 minutes before cooking.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days; reheat quickly in a hot frying pan to keep the veg snappy.
Substitutions
chicken breast → extra-firm tofu, pressed and cubed (use same weight), toss in marinade and pan-fry until golden
Noticeably differentfrozen shelled edamame → frozen peas, same weight
Stays closetamari → light soy sauce, same quantity (not gluten-free)
Noticeably differenthoney → maple syrup, same quantity
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 445
- Calories
- 51 g
- Protein
- 19 g
- Carbs
- 16 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
- Sugar
- 700 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make this dish gluten-free?
Yes — the recipe uses tamari, which is typically gluten-free. Check the label to be certain; avoid regular soy sauce unless you don't require gluten-free.
How can I increase the protein further?
Add an extra 100 g chicken or a couple of scrambled eggs folded in at the end. Alternatively serve with a portion of quinoa rather than rice.
Can I use soy sauce instead of tamari?
You can, but soy sauce contains gluten unless labelled gluten-free and it may be a touch saltier — taste before adding extra salt.
Is it OK to marinate the chicken longer?
30 minutes is ideal for flavour and texture. You can marinate up to 2 hours safely in the fridge; much longer may affect texture because of the acidic elements.
Community Photos
No photos yet
Be the first to share your creation!