Quick Chicken and Vegetable Stir-fry
Beginner-friendly chicken and vegetable stir-fry with a glossy oyster-soy sauce, ready in 30 minutes — perfect for a speedy midweek supper.
Fast, forgiving and forgivingly tasty — this chicken and vegetable stir-fry is built for beginners. High heat, short cooking and a simple sauce give big flavour with very little fuss.
It’s ideal for a busy midweek supper: prep the veg while the chicken marinates and everything comes together in about ten minutes on the hob. Serve with steamed rice or noodles for a proper meal.
Ingredients
- 450 g skinless boneless chicken breast
- 30 ml cornflour — use 1 tbsp for the chicken, 1 tbsp for the sauce
- 40 ml light soy sauce — for the chicken marinade
- 30 ml vegetable oil — for frying; add more if needed
- 5 ml sesame oil — for the sauce and finishing flavour
- 15 g brown sugar
- 30 ml oyster sauce
- 60 ml water — to loosen the sauce
- 3 garlic cloves — finely sliced or minced
- 15 g fresh ginger — peeled and finely grated
- 1 red pepper — thinly sliced
- 1 carrot — cut into matchsticks
- 200 g broccoli florets — small florets so they cook quickly
- 3 spring onions — sliced on the diagonal
- 5 ml sea salt — use sparingly — soy and oyster sauce are salty
- 0 ml black pepper
- 15 ml sesame seeds — toasted, for garnish
Equipment
- wok or large frying pan
Instructions
Slice the chicken thinly across the grain into strips about 5 mm thick. Put the chicken in a bowl and toss with 1 tbsp cornflour and the light soy sauce until evenly coated. Set aside to marinate for 15 minutes.
While the chicken marinates, whisk the sauce in a small bowl: combine the oyster sauce, brown sugar, water, remaining 1 tbsp cornflour and the sesame oil until smooth. Set the sauce to one side.
Prepare the vegetables and aromatics: peel and cut the carrot into matchsticks, thinly slice the red pepper, separate the broccoli into small florets, finely slice the spring onions, and mince the garlic and grate the ginger.
Heat 1 tbsp vegetable oil in a large frying pan or wok over high heat until shimmering. Add the marinated chicken in a single layer (do it in two batches if it won’t all fit). Stir-fry until the chicken is sealed and cooked through, about 4 minutes.
Remove the cooked chicken to a plate. Add the remaining 1 tbsp vegetable oil to the pan, then quickly stir-fry the garlic and ginger for 30 seconds until fragrant. Add the carrot and broccoli and stir-fry for 2 minutes, then add the red pepper and cook for a further 1 minute so the veg stays crisp-tender.
Return the chicken to the pan and pour in the prepared sauce. Toss continuously until the sauce boils and thickens to a glossy coating, about 90 seconds.
Stir in the sliced spring onions and toasted sesame seeds for 30 seconds, taste and add a little sea salt only if necessary. Finish with a grind of black pepper and remove from the heat.
Serve immediately with steamed rice or noodles if you like — this dish doesn’t wait around.
Tips
- Slice the chicken thin and across the grain for the most tender bite — use a sharp knife and chill the chicken for 10 minutes first if it’s slippery.
- Work in batches when frying meat. Overcrowding drops the pan temperature and you’ll end up with steamed, chewy chicken.
- Mix the sauce in advance and keep the cornflour well dispersed — whisking it with the cold water first avoids lumps.
- Keep your pan piping hot and ready to go; stir-fries cook fast so have all ingredients to hand (mise en place).
- Leftovers keep in the fridge for 2 days; reheat quickly in a hot pan to revive the texture rather than microwaving for best results.
Substitutions
skinless boneless chicken breast → skinless boneless chicken thigh, same weight
Stays closeoyster sauce → hoisin sauce or mushroom stir-fry sauce (for vegetarian option, use a vegetarian oyster/mushroom sauce)
Noticeably differentlight soy sauce → tamari (gluten-free), same quantity
Stays closebroccoli florets → sugar snap peas or tenderstem broccoli, same weight
Stays close
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 341
- Calories
- 35 g
- Protein
- 17 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
- Fat
- 3 g
- Fibre
- 6 g
- Sugar
- 850 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I make this vegetarian?
Yes — swap the chicken for firm tofu (press and pat dry), use mushroom or vegetarian oyster sauce, and increase cornflour slightly to give the tofu a glossy finish.
Why is my stir-fry soggy?
Most likely the pan was overcrowded or not hot enough. Cook in batches on a high heat so each piece gets a quick sear; remove liquid-heavy ingredients until the end.
How do I avoid a lumpy sauce?
Whisk the cornflour into the cold water before adding to the hot pan; keep the sauce moving and bring it to a simmer so it thickens evenly.
Can I prepare this ahead?
You can slice the veg and marinate the chicken up to 4 hours ahead. Don’t mix everything together in advance or the textures will suffer.
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