Weeknights in our house are a race against the clock, and this chicken and broccoli stir-fry is how we win it. It hits the table in under half an hour, uses one pan, and somehow still tastes like something I’d happily order at a restaurant. If your evenings look anything like ours, you’re going to want this one in your rotation.

Recipe Overview

• Prep time: 10 minutes
• Cook time: 12 minutes
• Total time: 22 minutes
• Servings: 4
• Difficulty: Easy

Why You’ll Love This Chicken and Broccoli Stir-Fry

• It’s genuinely fast. Once everything is chopped, the actual cooking takes about twelve minutes. That’s less time than waiting for a delivery app to even confirm your order.
• One pan, one wipe-down. Everything happens in a single wok or large frying pan, which means no mountain of washing-up on a Tuesday night.
• The sauce is a fridge staple. Soy sauce, honey, garlic, ginger, and a splash of rice vinegar — odds are you already have most of it.
• It’s forgiving. Swap the veg, change the protein, dial the heat up or down. The method stays the same.
• It makes brilliant leftovers. I pack the cold stir-fry into lunchboxes and it reheats beautifully the next day.

Chicken and Broccoli Stir-Fry

15 min prep  ·  30 min cook  ·  4 servings

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Ingredients You’ll Need

• 500 g boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2 cm pieces
• 1 large head of broccoli (about 400 g), cut into small florets
• 2 tbsp vegetable or groundnut oil, divided
• 4 garlic cloves, finely minced
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp cold water (slurry)
• 2 spring onions, sliced, whites and greens separated
• 1 tsp sesame seeds, for garnish
• Steamed jasmine rice, to serve
• Salt and white pepper, to taste

Tip: Use chicken thighs rather than breast if you can. They stay juicy even if you accidentally leave them in the pan a minute too long, which is a lifesaver on a chaotic evening.

How to Make Chicken and Broccoli Stir-Fry

1. Prep everything first. Stir-fries move fast, so have your chicken cubed, broccoli cut, garlic minced, and sauce ingredients lined up before you turn on the heat. Whisk the soy sauce, oyster sauce, honey, sesame oil, and rice vinegar together in a small bowl and set it beside the hob.
2. Blanch the broccoli. Bring a pan of salted water to a rolling boil and drop in the florets for 90 seconds. They should turn a vivid, almost jewel-like green and still snap when you bite one. Drain immediately and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking.
3. Heat the pan until it’s properly hot. Set a wok or large frying pan over high heat for a full two minutes. Add 1 tbsp of oil and swirl it around — it should shimmer and ripple the moment it hits the metal.
4. Sear the chicken in a single layer. Add the chicken pieces and leave them undisturbed for 90 seconds. You’re listening for a steady sizzle, not a sputter. Flip and cook another 2 minutes until the outside is golden and the centre is opaque. Tip onto a plate and set aside.
5. Aromatics next. Add the remaining oil, then the garlic, ginger, and spring onion whites. Stir constantly for 30 seconds — the smell should turn sharp, sweet, and nutty. If it starts to brown too fast, pull the pan off the heat for a moment.
6. Return the chicken and add the sauce. Tip the chicken back in along with any resting juices, pour over the sauce mixture, and toss for 1 minute. The sauce will bubble and darken slightly.
7. Thicken and finish. Stir the cornflour slurry once more, then drizzle it in while tossing. Within 20 seconds the sauce should turn glossy and cling to the back of a spoon. Add the broccoli and toss for 30 seconds just to warm it through.
8. Rest and serve. Take the pan off the heat and let it sit for 2 minutes — the sauce thickens further as it cools. Scatter over the spring onion greens and sesame seeds, then spoon over steamed rice.

Tips From My Kitchen

• Cut the chicken into even pieces. Uneven chunks cook at different rates, which means some go dry while others stay raw in the middle. Aim for roughly 2 cm cubes so everything finishes at the same moment.
• Pat the chicken dry before it hits the pan. Surface moisture steams the meat instead of searing it, and you lose that lovely golden crust. A quick blot with kitchen paper makes a real difference.
• Blanch the broccoli, don’t boil it. Ninety seconds in salted water gives you vibrant colour and a tender-crisp bite. Any longer and it turns to mush the moment it meets the hot pan.
• Mix the slurry fresh. Cornflour settles into a solid block within minutes, so give it a quick stir right before you pour it in. If you skip this, you’ll get lumps instead of a silky sauce.
• Make it ahead. Chop the chicken and broccoli on Sunday evening and store them in separate containers. Whisk the sauce and keep it in a jar in the fridge for up to five days. On the night, you’re looking at twelve minutes of actual cooking.
• Double the batch if you’re feeding a crowd. Cook in two batches rather than one giant pan — overcrowding is the number one reason home stir-fries turn soggy.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Overcrowding the pan: When you pile too much into the wok, the temperature crashes and the chicken starts steaming in its own liquid rather than searing. Cook in batches if needed, and give everything room to breathe — you want a single, loosely packed layer.
• Wrong temperature: A stir-fry needs high heat, roughly 200–220°C on the hob, but not so hot that the oil smokes and burns. If your garlic turns bitter and black within seconds, the pan is too hot. If the chicken barely sizzles, it’s too cool — wait another minute before adding anything.
• Skipping the rest time: Those two minutes off the heat let the sauce thicken and the chicken reabsorb its juices. Cut into it immediately and you’ll lose all that moisture onto the board instead of keeping it in the meat.

Delicious Variations to Try

• Spicy Version: Add 1 tsp chilli flakes or a finely sliced red chilli with the aromatics, plus a drizzle of chilli oil at the end. For a slower, deeper heat, stir in a spoonful of chilli bean paste with the sauce.
• Vegetarian/Vegan Option: Swap the chicken for 400 g of firm tofu, pressed and cubed, and replace the oyster sauce with an extra tablespoon of soy sauce plus a teaspoon of maple syrup. Use agave instead of honey and the dish becomes fully plant-based.
• Different Protein: Thinly sliced beef sirloin, turkey breast, or even prawns all work beautifully here. Just adjust the cooking time — prawns need barely 90 seconds per side before they curl and turn pink.

What to Serve With Chicken and Broccoli Stir-Fry

• Fluffy jasmine or basmati rice
• Egg-fried rice for something a little richer
• Soft steamed bao or warm flatbreads
• A crisp cucumber and sesame salad on the side
• Chilled edamame beans with flaky salt

Frequently Asked Questions

Chicken and Broccoli Stir-Fry

A fast, savory stir-fry featuring tender seared chicken thighs, crisp broccoli, and a glossy garlic-ginger sauce.

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Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Calories: 350

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 500 g boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2 cm pieces
• 1 large head of broccoli about 400 g, cut into small florets
• 2 tbsp vegetable or groundnut oil divided
• 4 garlic cloves finely minced
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger grated
• 3 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tsp cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp cold water slurry
• 2 spring onions sliced, whites and greens separated
• 1 tsp sesame seeds for garnish
• Steamed jasmine rice to serve
• Salt and white pepper to taste

Method

 

1. Prep everything first. Stir-fries move fast, so have your chicken cubed, broccoli cut, garlic minced, and sauce ingredients lined up before you turn on the heat. Whisk the soy sauce, oyster sauce, honey, sesame oil, and rice vinegar together in a small bowl and set it beside the hob.
2. Blanch the broccoli. Bring a pan of salted water to a rolling boil and drop in the florets for 90 seconds. They should turn a vivid, almost jewel-like green and still snap when you bite one. Drain immediately and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking.
3. Heat the pan until it's properly hot. Set a wok or large frying pan over high heat for a full two minutes. Add 1 tbsp of oil and swirl it around — it should shimmer and ripple the moment it hits the metal.
4. Sear the chicken in a single layer. Add the chicken pieces and leave them undisturbed for 90 seconds. You're listening for a steady sizzle, not a sputter. Flip and cook another 2 minutes until the outside is golden and the centre is opaque. Tip onto a plate and set aside.
5. Aromatics next. Add the remaining oil, then the garlic, ginger, and spring onion whites. Stir constantly for 30 seconds — the smell should turn sharp, sweet, and nutty. If it starts to brown too fast, pull the pan off the heat for a moment.
6. Return the chicken and add the sauce. Tip the chicken back in along with any resting juices, pour over the sauce mixture, and toss for 1 minute. The sauce will bubble and darken slightly.
7. Thicken and finish. Stir the cornflour slurry once more, then drizzle it in while tossing. Within 20 seconds the sauce should turn glossy and cling to the back of a spoon. Add the broccoli and toss for 30 seconds just to warm it through.
8. Rest and serve. Take the pan off the heat and let it sit for 2 minutes — the sauce thickens further as it cools. Scatter over the spring onion greens and sesame seeds, then spoon over steamed rice.

Notes

Prep all ingredients before heating the wok, as stir-frying moves quickly. For crisp-tender broccoli, blanch exactly 90 seconds and shock in cold water.

That’s really all there is to it — a pan, a handful of pantry staples, and about twenty minutes of your evening. If you give this chicken and broccoli stir-fry a go, I’d love to hear how it turned out. Did you tweak the sauce, add extra chilli, or swap in a different vegetable? Drop a comment below and tell me what worked in your kitchen — and if you’re after more weeknight inspiration, my Mediterranean grilled chicken recipe and this creamy Boursin cheese pasta are two more favourites in our house. Happy cooking!