Stir fry is one of the simplest things to make. Providing you have a good knife to do the chopping. That’s the first tip for making it fast. You can’t be quick with a dull knife. (The Rada Cutlery giveaway is still open, in case you’re in need of a sharp knife.)
Colorful veggies and lean chicken make this a healthy dinner. It’s one of my kids’ favorites. Here’s what you’ll need:
- 6 small chicken breasts, cut in very small pieces
- splash of soy sauce
- cooking oil
- 1-2 cloves garlic, crushed or minced
- 1 bunch broccoli, cut in florets
- 1 red pepper, chopped
- small bunch green onions, chopped
- 1 cup chicken broth
- dash ginger
- 1/8 tsp. sesame oil
- 4 Tbs. soy sauce
- 2 tsp. sugar
- 1 Tbs. cornstarch
- hot cooked rice
The second secret to a good stir fry is to cut the pieces of meat very small. This helps them cook faster. Splash the chopped chicken with soy sauce to give it extra flavor.
Heat a large skillet (or wok, if you have one) with a tablespoon or two of oil. Add the chicken in batches. You don’t want to crowd it all together. Cook until it’s done and remove from the skillet. Add the next batch and cook. Remove all the chicken from the skillet.
While the chicken cooks, stir up the sauce – broth, ginger, sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar and cornstarch.
Add the garlic to the pan and cook for a minute. Toss in the broccoli and red pepper, cooking till tender-crisp. Add in the green onion and chicken.
Give the sauce another quick stir and pour it over the chicken and veggies. Heat to boiling. Serve over rice.
The two tricks to making stir-fry fast:
- Use a sharp knife to quickly chop everything
- Cut it all very small, so cooking is speedy
Looks great!
Just made this tonight.
Excellent. Simple. Perfect!
It is a keeper!
I was always afraid of making stir fry, since I was always worried about over cooked (burned) veggies and undercooked meat. However, after reading this, and seeing a friend cook it, I felt brave enough to take it on. I made sure that my chicken was small and thin (and the same size) and that my veggies were all small as well.
I used a lot more veggies and less chicken so I put the chicken in first, to brown quick, then added veggies a minute later. Seemed to work out. My friend also suggested a really hot pan, so that the outside browns real quick. Again, that made me nervous about burning, but again, it worked out. I didn’t have sesame oil, but did have peanut oil, and that worked as well. Thanks!
Katie
How many servings ??? Thanks Brenda
Brenda, 6-8 servings
Can you use hoisin sauce in this recipe? I don’t have sesame oil either, will canola do?