Chinese Chicken and Broccoli
Classic Chicken and Broccoli Recipe – It’s easy to whip up this healthy Chinese food favorite with juicy pieces of stir-fry chicken breast and tender fresh broccoli florets, all cooked together in a savory Asian-inspired sauce.
Why We Love This Easy Chicken and Broccoli Recipe
We are big fans of all kinds of meals that include broccoli with chicken… From decadent chicken and broccoli slow cooker lasagna and hearty chicken and broccoli with quinoa, to Southwest detox chicken soup and skinny creamy chicken broccoli soup, I just can’t get enough of this savory combo!
Similar to our favorite Hunan chicken stir fry, this easy Chinese Chicken and Broccoli recipe is a healthy Asian chicken stir fry dish loaded with protein and plenty of veggie goodness! It’s fast and simple to make with fresh broccoli florets, lean chicken breasts, and a super flavorful garlic-ginger soy sauce.
Here we use a classic technique known as velveting the chicken – coating and resting the strips of chicken in baking soda – to make ultra-tender chicken. But even with this practically effortless step the entire recipe takes less than 40 minutes, from start to finish!
The flavor of homemade chicken broccoli stir fry recipe is better than Chinese takeout and is sure to be a big hit with the family. Serve it with rice (or low carb dishes) and your favorite Asian-style sides for a quick, delicious, and satisfying meal any night of the week.
Ingredients You Need
- Sesame oil – for a nutty flavor, or other high-heat and neutral oil for stir-frying, like canola oil, avocado oil, or vegetable oil
- Chicken breast – boneless skinless chicken breasts, sliced thin
- Baking soda – to velvet the chicken
- Broccoli florets – chopped to uniform size
- Onion – peeled and chopped
- Oyster sauce – or hoisin sauce
- Soy sauce – regular or low sodium
- Cornstarch – to make a gluten-free yet thick stir fry sauce
- Brown sugar – light brown sugar is sweet, but not overwhelming
- Ground ginger – you can use fresh ginger, peeled and grated
- Garlic powder – for a nice mellow, earthy flavor
- Sesame seeds – optional to garnish
How to Make Chinese Chicken and Broccoli
- First, velvet the chicken: Slice the chicken breasts into thin slivers. Place thinly sliced pieces of chicken breast. Toss the chicken pieces with baking soda. Then allow the chicken to rest in the baking soda for 20-30 minutes. Once the chicken has rested in the baking soda, rinse it well with cold water. Dump off the excess water and allow the chicken pieces to dry out.
Note: This process softens the chicken pieces so they are extremely tender, like at an Asian restaurant. But you can skip velveting, if you want to make this whole dish in 30 minutes or less.
- Meanwhile, chop the broccoli and onion into even-sized 1-inch(ish) bite-sized pieces.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the oyster sauce, soy sauce, cornstarch, brown sugar, ground ginger, and garlic powder.
- Set a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Pour the sesame oil into the pan, and once hot, sear the onions for 1 minute. Then add the mostly dry chicken pieces to the pan.
- Stir fry the chicken for 2-3 minutes, then add the broccoli florets and sauce mixture to the pan. Gently toss so that the broccoli is covered in the simmering sauce. Cook for a few minutes until the broccoli florets are just barely cooked through.
Once the broccoli is cooked, but still slightly firm, turn off the heat.
Get the Complete (Printable) Asian Chicken with Broccoli Recipe + Video Below. Enjoy!
Pro Tip: If the sauce thickens too much, add ¼ cup of water to thin out the sauce.
- Sprinkle the healthy chicken and broccoli with sesame seeds, if you like, and serve warm with your favorite side dishes.
Recipe Variations
- You can make this dish with rich and fatty chicken thighs, if you prefer. Use boneless and skinless thighs cut into thin slices.
- Velveting is an optional step, but does make the chicken feel soft and delicate. You can skip velveting the chicken if you don’t have time.
- To make this Asian chicken and broccoli recipe without oyster sauce simply leave it out and substitute hoisin, or more soy sauce instead.
- If you want to use frozen broccoli, first cook it per the package instructions. Meanwhile, make the rest of this recipe as directed. Then stir the cooked broccoli into the sauce with the cooked chicken, cook together for one minute, and turn off the heat.
- You are here for a chicken and broccoli recipe, obviously. But you can use other veggies like zucchini, sliced mushrooms, cauliflower, snap peas, snow peas, green beans, carrots, asparagus, or chopped bell peppers, if you like!
Serving Suggestions
Pair this classic Chinese chicken and broccoli recipe with fluffy white rice, fried rice, or hearty brown rice. For a lighter dish, serve alongside low-carb roasted cauliflower rice or cauliflower fried rice!
Make it a full meal and enjoy with any of these delicious Asian-inspired side dishes:
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, this is an easy gluten-free dinner recipe! But be sure to double-check your soy sauce to make sure it is indeed GF, as some brands contain gluten.
Chinese chicken with broccoli leftovers taste amazing! Let the dish cool completely before transferring it to an airtight container. It can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
Although the broccoli isn’t quite as tender after reheating, the flavor has even more depth when the ingredients have been sitting together.
You can, but the broccoli will become quite soft when thawed and reheated. If softer broccoli doesn’t bother you, go for it! Cool the leftovers and transfer to an airtight container; wrap the container in a layer of aluminum foil for extra protection. Freeze for up to 3 months and thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating in the microwave.
Looking for More Easy Stir Fry Recipes? Be Sure to Try:
- Kung Pao Beef
- Japanese Ginger Pork
- Spicy Thai Basil Chicken
- Vegan Stir Fry with Tempeh
- Easy Szechuan Beef
Chinese Chicken and Broccoli Recipe
Video
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 ½ pounds chicken breast sliced thin
- 1 tablespoon baking soda
- 1 ½ pounds fresh broccoli florets
- 1 cup chopped onion
- ½ cup oyster sauce or hoisin sauce
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds optional
Instructions
- Velvet the Chicken: Slice the chicken breasts into thin slivers. Place them in a bowl. Sprinkle the top with baking soda then toss the chicken pieces to coat and baking soda. Allow the chicken to rest in the baking soda for at least 20 minutes but up to 30 minutes. This softens the chicken pieces so they are extremely tender like at an Asian restaurant. Once the chicken has rested in the baking soda, rinse it well with cold water. Then dump off the excess water and allow the chicken pieces to dry out. *Velveting the chicken is an optional step, but does make the chicken feel soft and delicate. You can skip it if you don’t have time.
- Meanwhile, chop the broccoli into 1-1 ½ inch florets. Chopped the onion into 1 inch pieces.
- For the Stir Fry Sauce: Set out a small bowl and combine the oyster sauce, soy sauce, cornstarch, brown sugar, ground ginger, and garlic powder. Whisk until smooth.
- Once the chicken pieces are mostly dry, set a wok or large sauté pan over medium-high heat. Pour the sesame oil into the pan. Once hot, add the onion to the pan. Stir and sear the onions for 1 minute, then add the chicken pieces to the pan.
- Stir fry the chicken for 2-3 minutes, stirring regularly. Add the broccoli florets and sauce mixture to the pan. Gently toss so that the broccoli is covered in the simmering sauce. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the broccoli florets are just barely cooked through. If the sauce thickens too much, add ¼ cup of water to thin out the sauce. Once the broccoli is cooked, but still slightly firm, turn off the heat.
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve warm.
It sounds great. The Velvet chicken sounds so interesting. I have tried to make homemade Chinese and never turned out just right.
Thank you so much for the tip!
Will order some free range chicken today!
This sounds wonderful. I love dishes like this. I don’t have any oyster sauce, though. I’ll have to go get myself some.
Had so much fun making this, and saved money by skipping the takeout this week!