(Easy) Ginger-Garlic Chicken Stir-Fry
A while back, I don’t even remember how long ago, my husband asked me to make stir-fry. I have tried many different stir fry recipes and we loved this one adapted from America’s Test Kitchen. But it takes too long. I like short cuts, I really do. I have a rice cooker because I would burn rice if I cooked it on the stove. I take all kinds of short cuts to get dinner on the table and despite that, sometimes dinner arrives on the table at 9pm (or gasp! even later).
Besides not being able to get dinner on the table until 9pm, I have another confession to make, I don’t eat rice dishes with chopsticks. I can’t and I won’t. There I said it. I only use chopsticks for noodle bowls and sushi.
This stir fry recipe is very easy and is an adaptation of an adaptation. Try saying that 5 times without twisting your tongue. I use a store bought stir fry sauce and I usually make this recipe with sirloin beef filet. It works well with both chicken or beef, actually.
The last time I made this, there were no leftovers. I held a grudge for about a week because he (my husband) ate it all! I was looking forward to having leftovers for lunch one day at work. I love leftovers, don’t you?
Another one of my short cuts is I buy a bag of already cut up stir fry vegetables in the produce department at my grocery store. I buy the blend that has broccoli, snow peas, carrots and red cabbage. I separate the broccoli out and I actually cut them down so they are uniform in size.
You can use whatever variety of vegetables you want. I add to that one medium onion rough chopped. Sometimes I add Napa cabbage. I use fresh minced ginger and garlic. Add that to 1 Tbsp of oil and set aside.
I cut up the chicken in almost bite size pieces so I don’t need a knife for this meal. If you’re using beef, use about a pound and slice it thinly as possible against the grain.
Season the chicken and cook on medium heat with 1 Tbsp of oil. I add 1 Tbsp of the stir fry sauce to the pan right after I add the chicken. Remove the chicken after cooking for 5-7 minutes (8-10 minutes if you’re cooking beef).
After removing the chicken, add 1/2 cup of water to the pan and add the broccoli. Cover and steam for about 1-2 minutes. You don’t want to overcook the broccoli. Remove the broccoli and add to the plate or bowl with the chicken.
This is the part that makes the house smell so fragrant. After adding the other stir fry vegetables to the pan with 1 Tbsp of oil and letting it cook for 2-3 minutes. Move the vegetables to the outer edges of the pan and add the ginger-garlic-oil mixture to the middle of the pan. Cook for about 90 seconds, smashing it down with a wooden spoon.
Mix the ginger and garlic with the rest of the veggies and add the chicken and broccoli back to the pan. Add 4 Tbsp of the stir fry sauce. Mix together thoroughly and cook on low until chicken and broccoli are reheated.
Serve with Jasmine rice. I buy the huge bag of rice at my local warehouse club, it lasts us forever. Forgot to mention, the first thing I do is set my rice to cook in the rice cooker before I start anything.
(Easy) Ginger-Garlic Chicken Stir-Fry
Ingredients:
3-4 cups Jasmine rice, prepared in a rice cooker
2 garlic cloves, minced, about 1 1/2 Tbsp
2 small sections of fresh ginger, minced, about 2 Tbsp
12 oz. bag of fresh stir fry vegetables (broccoli, snow peas, carrots, cabbage)
1 medium onion, rough chopped
1 - 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast (or 1 pound sirloin beef, filet)
5 Tbsp stir fry sauce
3 Tbsp vegetable oil
Directions:
Prepare rice and start cooking in the rice cooker or on the stove.
Add garlic and ginger to a small bowl with 1 Tbsp of oil and set aside.
Separate out broccoli from the rest of the vegetables, if you using different combination of vegetables, be sure to separate harder vegetables that will need to be steamed, such as sliced or baby carrots.
Heat 1 Tbsp of oil on medium for 3-4 minutes in 9 or 10 inch skillet (I use my enameled cast iron braiser) or a wok. Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to the skillet. Add 1 Tbsp of stir fry sauce and mix in. Cook on medium for 5-7 minutes (for beef 8-10 minutes). Remove chicken and add to a plate, set aside.
Add 1/2 cup of water to the skillet and add the broccoli and any other harder vegetables. Cover and steam for 1-2 minutes. Remove and add to plate with chicken. Remove any excess water and wipe skillet with a paper towel.
Add 1 Tbsp of oil and the remaining vegetables. Cook for 2-3 minutes, until onions are translucent. Move all vegetables to the outer edges of the skillet, creating a circle. Add ginger-garlic-oil mixture. Cook for 90 seconds while smashing down with the side of a wooden spoon. Mix ginger & garlic thoroughly in with the rest of the vegetables.
Add the chicken and broccoli back into the skillet. Add 4 Tbsp of stir fry sauce. Lower the heat level to low. Mix sauce thoroughly in with vegetables and chicken. Cook until chicken and broccoli are heated through, about 3-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste and serve with Jasmine rice.
Dinner on the table in 30-40 minutes. That’s the way I like it. Do you have a favorite stir fry recipe? I would love to hear about it.
Subscribe to receive news, updates, and exclusive content from The Little Kitchen:
Hi, my name is Julie and I love to share the cooking and baking adventures from my little kitchen. Cooking and baking is in my blood, thanks to my Mom! 
five things: chit chat edition
Breakfast for Dinner Cookbook Giveaway (2 winners!)
Chicken & Biscuit Waffles from Breakfast for Dinner
Red Velvet Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Frosting
Red Velvet Oreo Truffles
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Bread Pudding
Irish Beef Stew (Slow Cooker)
Cheesesteaks!
The Best Chocolate Cake Ever with Pudding Frosting
Blue & Chocolate Swirl Cupcakes and the Buick Encore
kitchen newsletter:
Elizabeth Atwood says... "Oh wow you really did have a week! I'm glad you'r..."
Kelly @ Texas Type A Mom says... "Poor Charley, I hope the recovery is a smooth one...."
Jennifer The Quirky Momma says... "OMG! This sounds amazing!"
Looks delicious, I love stir fry but I am not very good at making it.
Julie, this looks delicious! I love making stir-fry as well. My favorite is my mom’s beef stir-fry. I also love Jasmine rice!! I may have to buy a new rice cooker, can’t seem to find ours since our move.
JulieD replied: September 22nd, 2011 @ 4:50 pm
Do you have your Mom’s recipe for beef stir-fry? I’m giving a rice cooker away! You should enter.
Great job, Julie! This looks very tasty since I love garlic AND chicken! Oh, and snow peas too. YUM!
We use a stir-fry recipe I found on All Recipes that uses garlic, ginger, sesame oil, mirin, soy sauce and brown sugar. But I love a shortcut too! I tried that line’s bottle of schezuan sauce and it was just way too spicy for me. I’ll have to try this one!
JulieD replied: September 17th, 2011 @ 12:54 pm
Hey Jessica, I actually don’t mind their spicy schezuan sauce but my husband doesn’t like it as much as the classic stir fry sauce. The sauce you mentioned from All Recipes sounds great, btw.
What are those little squiggly things that look like noodles? Are those bean sprouts?!
JulieD replied: September 17th, 2011 @ 12:55 pm
I had to look up the bag of vegetables I buy, it’s actually broccoli slaw. They take the stalk from the broccoli, peel it and cut it into matchsticks. Pretty clever! I need to do another confession post, I’m Asian and I hate bean sprouts!
Looks amazing! I like shortcuts too… so I would love to give this a try!
What a great recipe for chicken. It would be a fun change from how I usually cook.
Love your shortcuts! Makes for a quick and easy dinner, and now that there are so many ready packaged vegetables at the supermarket, it’s so much easier to mix things up.
Stir-fries are well-represented in my “quick meal” arsenal. Quick, easy and healthy. Love it!
Oh yum!!!!!
This looks delicious and I appreciate the short cut hints!
i love stir fries. My dad makes great stir fries and fried rice. I generally make stir fries with a lot of snow peas.
I haven’t had stir fry in awhile. Thanks for the reminder:) Yours looks great!
JulieD replied: September 22nd, 2011 @ 4:51 pm
Thank you, Maria! Hope you’re doing well!
This looks soooo delicious!!! I’ll have to try it! My boyfriend is going to love this recipe. Might include on next weeks menu
Lovely blog and recipes btw x
JulieD replied: September 22nd, 2011 @ 4:52 pm
Robbie, thank you so much. If you try it, I hope you enjoy it!
Ohhh yum. I love a good stir fry!
I don’t know why but I don’t make stir fries enough! I have everything for a good stir fry tomorrow night. It will be a simple one, maybe with some shrimp. I have those shortcut bags of veggies in my fridge.
Stir fry it is! With sriracha!
I love eating rice with chopsticks for some reason…its the challenge I think…it drives me crazy! lol
Loved this post
JulieD replied: September 22nd, 2011 @ 4:52 pm
That’s so funny that you like to eat rice with chopsticks…I don’t even try anymore.
I don’t use chopsticks ever, I am just not coordinated enough!!
Also, we try to eat dinner by 6 30, but only because my son has school in the morning!! If it wasn’t for that, I’d be late to the table as well.
Stir fry looks like an amazing easy dinner. Thanks!!
Love easy and healthy meals like this! Perfect for weeknights. I like how forgiving stir-fry is–you can add anything you have available in the house
I love stir fry, but like you said, some take FOREVER and there are 7000 ingredients! I love this one, seems easy and yummy!
JulieD replied: September 22nd, 2011 @ 4:53 pm
Yes, 7000 ingredients to chop up! That’s why I love using the pre-cut veggies.
This looks ridiculously delicious! Not to mention, pretty healthy. I haven’t had a good stir fry in awhile.
Love this simple meal. I would make lots for leftovers & lunch boxes too!
Have you joined us at Project Lunch Box yet? This post would be a great link up
http://su.pr/221xT1
I’m a big fan of the America’s Test Kitchen for Two cookbook (Obviously, haha) and they have some great stir fries in there that only take ~30 minutes. Such a great dinner
Beautiful Julie! We’re big stir fry fans over here
I’m a sucker for asian fare. I don’t love ginger but I’ll try this anyway and see what happens.
Lee
Ok, this looks amazing and sounds pretty easy. We love stir fry, but I am guilty of buying the flavor pouches from Whole Foods to season mine. I am definitely going to give this recipe a try! Thanks.
This looks like such a lovely stir-fry! I love stir-fry, but haven’t made one in quite some time – I should give your recipe a try!
Very nice recipe. I was thinking to use up some of the extra veggies from the garden: sweet pepper or maybe even Japanese eggplant. How do you think that would work out?
This looks like the perfect weeknight meal. Gotta love how easy it is to make.
Pingback: Chicken Stir-Fry « A Balanced Life Cooks
Pingback: the little kitchen » My Favorite Recipes from 2011
This recipe looks so good and I found it by searching for my favorite dish at my favorite place to eat. I like to have extra sauce when I cook things like this and since this is not out of a bottle, any suggestions on how to make juicier?? Thanks
JulieD replied: May 7th, 2012 @ 1:54 pm
Hi Jen, I did use a sauce from the bottle so if you want to have it more wet, just use more sauce. I hope that helps!