Chinese Chicken and Broccoli | Two Plaid Aprons (2024)

This Chinese chicken and broccoli stir fry tastes just like, if not better, than Chinese takeout! It's saucy, super easy to make, and takes 30 minutes or less to make at home. This easy chicken stir fry recipe is great with some white rice or egg fried rice or even some shrimp lo mein. If you want a large variety of veggies, try our chicken with mixed vegetables and if you prefer beef, our beef and broccoli will be perfect.

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What to eat with chicken and broccoli

Chicken and broccoli with some plain white rice or egg fried rice is a complete meal on its own, but why not complete your Chinese takeout feast with these additional sides:

• Fried rice - We have quite a few fried rice options from egg fried rice to house special and Thai fried rice
• Noodles - Shrimp lo mein and chicken lo mein are our go-to, but this Cantonese chow mein is also a great choice.
• Appetizers - Can't go wrong with egg rolls or crab rangoons!
• Soups - Egg drop soup and hot and sour soup are definitely two of the most popular ones, and their both pretty easy to make.

Ingredient notes

Please scroll down to the recipe card for the ingredient quantities!

For marinating the chicken:

• Chicken breast - Boneless, skinless chicken breasts are perfect for making chicken and broccoli. Just cut them into ¼ inch slices.
• Water - For hydrating the chicken which ensures the meat stays as juicy as possible.
• Shaoxing cooking wine- A Chinese pantry staple and must have. In the marinade,Shaoxing rice winehelps to get rid of any unwanted flavor in the chicken.
• Salt- For seasoning the chicken.
• Baking soda - To slightly tenderize the chicken. Baking soda also encourages water retention, which helps to keep the chicken breast super juicy.
• Cornstarch - This will bind the liquid part of the marinade to the chicken and a crucial ingredient for velveting the chicken breast slices.
• Oil- Any neutral oil will do.

To make the chicken and broccoli sauce:

• Soy sauce- This is the main savory flavor in the sauce and it also gives the sauce its brown color. Our recipe is based on light sodium soy sauce.
• Water- For diluting the soy sauce and making the sauce more balanced. You could also useunsalted chicken stockinstead.
• Sugar- Regular granulated sugar is fine. It's to add a little sweetness to the stir fry sauce, which balances and rounds out the sauce. If you prefer, you could use honey instead, but the flavor will be slightly different.
• Cornstarch - To thicken the sauce.
• Toasted sesame oil - An Asian pantry must have! Sesame oil adds a toasted flavor to beef and broccoli.

For the rest of the dish:

• Broccoli - The co-star of this dish! You can use both already cut broccoli florets or cut your florets from a broccoli crown.
• Garlic and ginger - Both of these aromatics add lots of flavor the stir fried brown sauce!

How to make Chinese chicken and broccoli stir fry

Please scroll down to the recipe card for the full recipe and instructions!

Marinate the chicken:

1. Season. Combine the sliced chicken breast, water, shaoxing rice wine, salt and baking soda in a mixing bowl. Mix until the chicken has absorbed most of the liquids.

2. Velvet the chicken. Add the cornstarch and mix until no more dry cornstarch is visible and the the chicken pieces are well coated. Finish the marinade by mixing in oil. Set the chicken aside to marinate for about 10 to 15 minutes or overnight.

🌟 Pro tip: Cut and marinate your chicken breasts first! You can prepare the rest of your ingredients as the chicken marinates to maximize your time.

Prepare the sauce:

In a bowl or large measuring cup, combine all of the ingredients for the sauce. Whisk well until no more clumps of cornstarch is visible. Set aside until needed.

📝 Note: If you prefer a thicker sauce, use 1 to 2 teaspoons extra cornstarch.

Make the chicken and broccoli:

1. Boil the broccoli. Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the broccoli florets. Cook the broccoli for about 30 seconds to 3 minutes, depending on your preferred tenderness. Drain the broccoli and set it aside until needed.

2. Sear marinated chicken. In a wok or sauté pan over medium high heat, add enough oil to generously coat the bottom. Once the oil is hot, add the marinated chicken and cook on both sides until the chicken is cooked through. Remove from the wok/pan and set aside.

📝 Note: The chicken doesn't need to have color, but if you prefer, you can sear the chicken until golden brown. Do make sure to separate the chicken so that it gets evenly cooked, and cook in small batches if necessary.

3. Saute aromatics. Reduce the heat to medium and keep about 2 tablespoons of oil in the pan. Drain excess oil if necessary. Add the minced garlic and ginger and sauté until fragrant, about 15 to 30 seconds.

4. Add the sauce. Give the prepared stir fry sauce a good stir and pour it into the pan with the garlic and ginger.

Let the sauce heat up until it starts to simmer and the sauce looks thickened and glossy. Make sure to stir frequently to prevent the sauce from scorching on the bottom.

5. Add the chicken and broccoli. Once the sauce looks thick and glossy throughout, reduce the heat to low and add the chicken and the broccoli florets. Toss until everything is well coated with sauce.

Recipe tips

• Cook the broccoli to your preferred tenderness. We usually cook our broccoli florets for about 45 seconds to 1 minute, so that they are still kind of crispy. Do note that the cook time will be dependent on how big your broccoli florets are.
• Add the chicken to the sauce first can make coating with sauce easier. We like to add the stir fried chicken into the sauce and generously coat it with sauce first. Then, add the broccoli. This method ensures the broccoli florets don't absorb all the sauce and leave the chicken barely with sauce.

Storage

Leftover chicken and broccoli can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days. Just make sure to let the chicken and broccoli cool completely before storing.

Do note that the broccoli will become softer and look yellower the longer it's stored.

Reheating

You can reheat the chicken and broccoli stir fry using the microwave or on the stovetop.

Microwave method: Place the chicken and broccoli into a microwave safe container and cover loosely. Microwave until hot throughout and make sure to stir midway through heating.

Stovetop method: Place the leftover chicken and broccoli onto a pan over medium heat. Allow the sauce to heat until simmering and the broccoli and chicken it hot. Stir occasionally and cover with a lid so that it heats up faster.

📝 Note: The chicken and broccoli sauce will thin out as it sits. If you'd like, you can re-thicken the sauce by stirring in 1 to 2 tablespoons of slurry (start with 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water). Make sure to allow the sauce to simmer until thickened.

FAQ

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