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30-Minute Chicken and Broccoli

30 minute chicken and broccoli with a glossy soy-garlic sauce that clings to tender chicken bites and bright-green broccoli. Quick chicken broccoli stir fry cooks fast, thickens in minutes, and coats everything before serving over fluffy white rice.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Asian-American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken and broccoli stir fry
  • 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts Cut into bite-sized pieces.
  • 0.25 Salt and pepper To taste.
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch For coating chicken, plus extra for sauce.
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil Divided.
  • 4 cup broccoli florets Bright-green, tender-crisp.
  • 4 clove garlic Minced.
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger Grated.
Soy-garlic sauce
  • 0.25 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch Whisk into the sauce to thicken.
  • 0.5 cup chicken broth
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 sesame seeds For serving.
  • 1 green onions For serving.

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Coat and cook the chicken
  1. Toss the chicken with salt, pepper, and cornstarch until evenly coated, with a light dusting visible on the surface.
  2. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large wok or skillet over high heat, then cook the chicken for 5-6 minutes until golden and cooked through; remove to a plate.
Stir-fry the broccoli
  1. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil and stir-fry the broccoli over high heat for 3-4 minutes until bright green and just tender-crisp.
  2. Stir in the minced garlic and grated ginger and cook for 30 seconds, until fragrant and glossy.
Thicken the sauce and glaze
  1. Pour in the whisked sauce and cook 1-2 minutes, stirring, until thickened and shiny like a glaze.
  2. Return the cooked chicken to the pan and toss everything to coat, so each piece looks lacquered in dark amber sauce.
Serve
  1. Serve the chicken and broccoli over rice and top with sesame seeds and green onions.

Notes

Pro tip: whisk the sauce until the cornstarch is fully dissolved, then pour it in all at once so it thickens quickly into a glossy coating. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days; reheat in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of chicken broth. Freezing is not recommended because broccoli texture can soften. For a gluten-free option, use gluten-free soy sauce and check oyster sauce labeling.