Low‑Carb Chicken and Broccoli Stir‑Fry
Quick, low‑carb midweek stir‑fry with tender chicken, crisp broccoli and a glossy soy‑ginger sauce.
This low‑carb chicken and broccoli stir‑fry is the sort of weeknight winner that tastes like you spent longer on it than you did. It’s fast, full of veg and keeps carbs low by skipping sugar and starchy side dishes.
Thin slices of thigh meat stay moist and glossy thanks to a light cornflour velvet and a punchy soy‑ginger sauce. Serve as it is for a low‑carb meal or pile on a small bed of cauliflower rice if you fancy more bulk.
Ingredients
- 600 g skinless chicken thigh fillets
- 300 g broccoli — cut into small florets
- 1 courgette — about 200 g, halved lengthways and sliced
- 1 red pepper — sliced into strips
- 150 g chestnut mushrooms — sliced
- 3 garlic cloves — finely sliced or crushed
- 25 g fresh ginger — finely grated
- 3 spring onions — sliced on the diagonal
- 30 ml rapeseed oil
- 15 ml sesame oil — to finish
- 60 ml soy sauce — use low‑salt if preferred
- 25 ml oyster sauce
- 15 ml rice wine vinegar
- 10 g cornflour — for velveting the chicken and thickening the sauce (total amount)
- 100 ml chicken stock — warm
- 15 g toasted sesame seeds — to garnish
- 15 g fresh coriander — roughly chopped for garnish
- sea salt — to taste
- black pepper — to taste
Equipment
- wok or large frying pan
- spatula or tongs
- small bowl for sauce
- measuring spoons
Instructions
Slice the chicken thigh fillets into thin strips against the grain. Put the chicken in a bowl and add 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp cornflour (from the total), 1 tsp sesame oil and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Toss to coat, then leave to marinate while you prepare the veg.
Trim and chop the vegetables: break broccoli into small florets, halve and slice the courgette, slice the red pepper and chestnut mushrooms. Finely slice the garlic, grate the fresh ginger and slice the spring onions.
Make the sauce: in a small bowl whisk together the remaining 45 ml soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice wine vinegar, warm chicken stock and the remaining cornflour until smooth (no lumps). Set to one side.
Heat a wok or large frying pan over high heat on the hob. Add 1 tbsp rapeseed oil and spread. When very hot, add half the chicken in a single layer and stir‑fry until just cooked through and lightly browned, about 2–3 minutes; remove to a plate and repeat with the remaining chicken. Do not overcrowd the pan.
Return the wok to high heat and add the remaining 1 tbsp rapeseed oil. Add the broccoli and stir‑fry for 2 minutes, then add the chestnut mushrooms and courgette and stir‑fry for another 1–2 minutes. Add the red pepper, garlic and ginger and stir for 1 minute until fragrant but still bright and crisp.
Return the cooked chicken to the wok, pour in the prepared sauce and toss constantly until the sauce thickens and becomes glossy, about 1–2 minutes. Turn the heat down slightly if the sauce thickens too fast — you want even coating without burning.
Remove from the heat, stir through the spring onions and most of the fresh coriander, then transfer to a serving dish. Scatter toasted sesame seeds and the remaining coriander over the top and adjust seasoning with sea salt and black pepper to taste. Serve immediately.
Tips
- Slice the chicken very thinly across the grain — it cooks faster and feels more tender.
- Work in batches when frying the chicken so the pan stays hot; crowded chicken steams instead of browns.
- Dissolve the cornflour completely into the warm stock before adding to the wok to avoid lumps.
- Make the sauce and chop the veg before you start cooking — stir‑frying moves quickly.
- Leftovers keep well in the fridge for 48 hours; reheat gently in a pan to avoid drying the chicken.
Substitutions
skinless chicken thigh fillets → skinless chicken breast, same weight; cook slightly less time as breast dries quicker
Stays closesoy sauce → tamari or coconut aminos, same quantity (use tamari for gluten‑free)
Stays closeoyster sauce → a tablespoon extra soy sauce plus a pinch of sweetener (erythritol) for a lower‑shellfish option
Noticeably differentcornflour → use 1 tsp xanthan gum very sparingly to thicken (mix into the sauce at the end)
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 528
- Calories
- 34 g
- Protein
- 17 g
- Carbs
- 36 g
- Fat
- 4 g
- Fibre
- 7 g
- Sugar
- 900 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make this vegetarian?
Yes — swap the chicken for firm tofu (press and pat dry), increase mushrooms and add a little extra cornflour for texture. Use vegetarian oyster sauce or hoisin.
Is this suitable for keto?
The recipe is low in carbs (about 17 g per serving) and works well for many low‑carb diets. For stricter keto, replace oyster sauce with tamari and reduce the cornflour to lower carbs further.
Can I prepare it in advance?
You can chop veg and make the sauce up to a day ahead. Keep chicken covered in the fridge and stir‑fry only when ready to serve for best texture.
How do I reduce the saltiness?
Use a low‑salt soy sauce or reduce soy sauce by 10–20 ml and compensate with a splash more rice wine vinegar for brightness.
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