A Stir Fry is such an easy, balanced and versatile meal to make! The possible vegetable and protein combinations are endless! Tonight I used chicken breast with perfectly cooked carrots, red bell peppers and baby Bok Choy leaves tossed with a homemade Asian style sauce. Next week… who knows!!? Like I said, “endless possibilities”!
With the madness of the Holidays approaching, I think it’s safe to say that loading the recipe arsenal with some quick and easy one-skillet dinners would be a very wise thing to do! Which is why the stir fry needs to be high up on the rotation list! I mean how can you argue, its a cooking style that is literally the same every time- but still gives you the opportunity to make something different! Just switch out the vegetables and protein and mix up the sauce a little bit and -BAM – brand new dinner, yet made the exact same way.
Need some ideas? Okay how about this:
- Shrimp with honey sriracha sauce and snow peas and peppers
- Beef and broccoli
- Chicken, cashew, water chestnuts, baby corn and edamame with a hoisin glaze
- Pork with shiitakes, scallions, crushed peanuts and cabbage
Oh my God, don’t even get me started on adding rice or noodles to the stir fry!! Yeah, stay tuned because this won’t be the last you hear about me and my new obsession!
So now that you are (hopefully) convinced, I’m going to share another little gem with you… you NEED a WOK! Really you do..
Believe it or not, I JUST purchased one! For all these years, I’ve been making my stir fry in a regular ole’ stainless steel pan… what the hell was I thinking! After using the Wok this week for the first time I can see the error of my ways. The heat distribution of the wok is fantastic- which is really a bonus for me because my range is electric, and electric flat tops are notorious for uneven heat distribution. Also I love the size and shape, to much easier to stir without spilling over the sides because of it’s depth.
I did my research and soon realized that a Carbon Steel material is the most highly recommended, which is the material type of the one that I have linked for you above. Also I must note, mine is a flat bottom. Traditionally Woks are round bottomed and that’s fine for a gas range- but you cannot use a round bottom wok on a flat electric range without using a “collar” . If you would rather get a round bottom or you plan on purchasing a collar too , this one is a great option with a fair price point, well constructed and positive reviews:
Whatever Wok you choose, be sure to follow the manufacturer’s directions on how to season it BEFORE your first use. Very important!
Okay so now that you’ve got your Wok ordered and on the way, let’s get back to the recipe:
Let’s Wok and Roll:
To make the stir fry sauce and marinade for the chicken, would will first need to make a slurry. Sounds really appetizing, right?? Well, despite it’s terrible name, you are going to need this. It’s the thickener and absolutely necessary if you want a that shiny, thick coating clinging to the veggies and chicken . It’s just a combination of arrowroot flour (or more commonly used, cornstarch) and water.
I prefer arrowroot flour as a thickener instead of cornstarch because it’s: (A) it’s produced without the use of high heat or harsh chemicals (B) It’s naturally gluten-free, grain-free, vegan and paleo-friendly (C) comes from non GMO source. I use Bob’s Red Mill, and if you want you can grab it off Amazon too!
In a medium size bowl, whisk together the arrowroot flour and water. Then add soy sauce, honey, toasted sesame oil and Sriracha and whisk to combine. Lastly, add the cubed chicken breast to sauce and just set aside while preparing vegetables.
Peel carrots and cut into matchsticks, julienne the red bell pepper, chop the baby bok choy leaves, mince garlic and fresh ginger.
Now for the fun part! Heat the wok over medium high heat and then add an oil with a high smoke point, such as avocado or grape seed. Begin searing the chicken in batches, if necessary, dripping off excess marinade before placing in pan. Cook the chicken breast cubes for 3 to 5 minutes or until just cooked through and browned on the outside. Remove and let aside on plate while you work through the rest of the chicken. Repeat until all chicken is seared.
Reduce heat to medium and add remaining tablespoon of oil to the wok. Add bell pepper and carrots and cook, about 5 minutes, just until softened but still a little crisp. Add ginger and garlic and cook for an additional minute. Then add boy choy, and cook for about 3 minutes until wilted.
Now it’s time to put it all together! Add the chicken and the sauce. Give it a little whisk before adding to wok incase the arrowroot flour has settled on the bottom. Now the is VERY IMPORTANT: YOU MUST BRING THAT SAUCE TO A BOIL FOR AT LEAST 2 MINUTES. Remember, we had raw chicken in it. It will be safe to consume, only after you see it bubbling in the pan. Please don’t skip that step!!! Plus the boiling and bubbling is what will thicken the sauce, so it’s doubly necessary!
And that’s it!!! Serve with rice or noodles or all on it’s own if you desire! Everyone is going to love it, and YOU are soon going to be a Stir Fry Addict just like me! I’ll save you a seat next to me at the next SAA (stir fry anonymous) meeting, you are in good company!
Easy Chicken and Vegetable Asian Stir Fry
Equipment
- wok
Ingredients
- 1½ lb boneless skinless chicken breast cut into 1 inch cubes
- 2 tbsp avocado oil divided
- 1 red bell pepper cut lengthwise
- 2 large carrots cut lengthwise
- 5 cups bok choy leaves chopped and stems removed
- 1 tsp minced ginger
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 1 tbsp arrowroot flour
- 2 tbsp cold water
- 3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- 2 tbsp Sriracha sauce
Instructions
- In a medium size bowl, whisk together arrowroot flour and water. Add soy sauce, honey, toasted sesame oil and Sriracha. Whisk to combine. Add the cubed chicken breast to sauce, Set aside while preparing vegetables.
- Cut and discard the stems of baby bok coy and chop. Peel carrots and cut into matchsticks, julienne red pepper.
- Add one tablespoon of avocado oil to a wok and heat over medium high heat.
- Sear chicken in batches if necessary, shaking off excess marinade before placing in pan. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until cooked through and browned. Remove from wok. Repeat until all chicken is seared.
- Reduce heat to medium and add remaining tablespoon of oil to the wok.
- Add bell pepper and carrots and cook, stirring occasionally, just until crisp tender. Add ginger and garlic and cook for an additional minute. Then add boy choy, and cook for about 3 minutes until wilted.
- Add chicken back into the wok and stir to combine.
- Pour stir fry sauce over chicken and vegetables and stir gently to combine.
- Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, and let boil for 2 minutes to ensure food safety.
- Serve with rice and/or noodles.
Notes
Nutrition
If you like this recipe try my: FLANK STEAK, BOY CHOY AND BROCCOLI WITH GLUTEN FREE RICE NOODLES or KOREAN BEEF BULGOGI
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