Chicken and broccoli stir-fry is a quick and healthy Whole30 meal that you can easily whip up on a busy weeknight. If you aren’t cooking simple stir-fries for dinner, you’re working too hard!
Table of Contents
One of the many valuable lessons I learned from my mom is that a protein and vegetable packed stir-fry is the easiest and tastiest way to get dinner on the table quickly. It’s the original clean-out-the-fridge meal, and it helps combat food waste, too!
My tips for ensuring tasty stir-fries
- Use an amazing gluten-free sauce a.k.a. my All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce to season it! The flavor is the perfect balance of savoriness, sweetness, and tang. (Click here for other ways to use this amazing sauce!)
- Mise en place is key: measure out all the ingredients and cut everything ahead of time so you can quickly cook this easy chicken stir-fry when the skillet is hot!
- When it comes to stir-fries, don’t stress out about following the recipe exactly—use whatever combination of meat and veggies that you have in the fridge. Stir-fries should be close to effortless!
Ingredients
- All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce: In place of a brown sauce made with soy sauce, oyster sauce, shaoxing wine (dry sherry), and cornstarch I use my super versatile and tasty Whole30-compatible sauce. It’s the bee’s knees! If the sauce is saltier than you’d like, you can add a splash of low-sodium or unsalted chicken broth to it when you make the stir-fry.
- Boneless, skinless chicken thighs: I like chicken thighs in this recipe but feel free to use sliced chicken breast or tenders if you prefer.
- Broccoli florets: I just use broccoli in this stir-fry, but feel free to add or sub in your favorite veggies (e.g., sliced carrots, bell peppers, sugar snap peas, etc.)
- Avocado oil
- Red Boat fish sauce
- Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- Shallot
- Garlic
- Scallions or green onions
- Arrowroot powder
- Toasted sesame seeds (optional)
How to make Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry
Shake up a bottle of All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce if you don’t already have one in the fridge.
Pour ½ cup of the sauce into a small bowl or measuring cup and whisk in 1 teaspoon of arrowroot powder. Set it aside.
In a medium bowl, combine the chicken, 1 tablespoon avocado oil, fish sauce, kosher salt, and remaining ½ teaspoon arrowroot powder. Mix well to combine.
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. When the pan is hot, add 1 tablespoon avocado oil.
Add the shallots and cook for 1-2 minutes or until slightly softened.
Place the marinated chicken slices in the pan and fry the meat for 2-3 minutes or until it’s mostly cooked through.
Transfer the chicken to clean dish.
Add the broccoli to the empty skillet and pour in ¼ cup of water. Cover the pan and cook the florets until they are bright green and tender-crisp, about 2-3 minutes.
Stir in the minced garlic and reserved cooked chicken.
Whisk the reserved stir-fry sauce one last time and pour it into the pan.
Stir-fry the broccoli and chicken until the sauce simmers and thickens.
Transfer the chicken and broccoli stir-fry onto a serving plate and top with sliced scallions and toasted sesame seeds.
Serve with steaming bowls of cauliflower rice!
What can you serve with it?
Asian stir-fries are traditionally served with steaming bowls of white rice or noodles, but to keep it low carb and paleo, you can eat this chicken broccoli stir-fry with cauliflower rice or Golden Cauliflower Fried Rice. Sometimes I just serve it with Instant Pot Vegetable Soup because I’m a rule breaker!
How to save leftovers
Leftover stir fry can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
More Whole30 stir-fry recipes
Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2022).
Chicken and Broccoli Stir-Fry
Ingredients
- ½ cup All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce
- 1½ teaspoons arrowroot powder divided
- 1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts cut into bite-size pieces
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil divided
- 1 teaspoon Red Boat fish sauce
- ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- 1 large shallot thinly sliced
- 1 pound broccoli cut into small florets and stems thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 scallions thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds optional
Instructions
- Shake up a bottle of All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce if you don’t already have one in the fridge.
- Pour ½ cup of the sauce into a small measuring cup and whisk in 1 teaspoon of arrowroot powder. Set it aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine the chicken, 1 tablespoon avocado oil, fish sauce, kosher salt, and remaining ½ teaspoon arrowroot powder. Mix well to combine.
- Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. When the pan is hot, add 1 tablespoon avocado oil.
- Add the shallots and cook for 1-2 minutes or until slightly softened.
- Place the marinated chicken in the pan and fry the meat for 2-3 minutes or until it’s mostly cooked through. Transfer the chicken to another platter.
- Add the broccoli to the empty skillet and pour in ¼ cup of water. Cover the pan and cook the florets until they are bright green and tender-crisp, about 2-3 minutes.
- Stir in the minced garlic and reserved cooked chicken.
- Whisk the reserved stir-fry sauce one last time and pour it into the pan. Stir-fry the broccoli and chicken until the sauce simmers and thickens.
- Transfer the chicken and broccoli stir-fry onto a serving plate and top with sliced scallions and toasted sesame seeds. Serve with steaming bowls of cauliflower rice!
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Could I do this with beef? Cubed chuck or steak?
I would think you could make this with any type of protein…
I have tried and tried but I just cannot deal with cauliflower rice. The taste and mouth feel are awful to me. This feels empty without something. Suggestions, please. I do zoodles but I’m tired of them. Husband won’t eat spaghetti squash and I’m running out of ideas.
What can you sub for arrowroot powder? It’s been harder to find. Thank you.
Tapioca starch or potato starch should work. It’s okay to leave it out, too!
Could this be made with cauliflower? My husband doesn’t like broccoli, but i love stir fry and would like to have it as an option in my arsenal!
Definitely!
What could you recommend using instead of Red Boat Fish Sauce if one is allergic to anything fish-related?
I have a vegan No-Fish sauce recipe in my latest cookbook, Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go!
can this be made with broccoli raab?
Definitely! I normally use whatever greens I have in the fridge!
Are the nutritional values for the entire dish or per serving?
How much is each serving?
It’s per serving, and number of servings is listed near the top of the recipe card.
This dish is loaded with umami – so much flavor! My husband and I loved it and will definitely make it again. I’m on Day 13 of the January Whole30, and this hit the spot. Thank you! (We made our own stir fry sauce, from your recipe). 🙂
Can you marinate the chicken ahead of time, in morning to cook for dinner etc.? Thank you!
Yes!
Excellent and authentic!