Chicken or veggie stir-fry recipe

Whether you are an experienced cook or just learning how, stir-fry is an essential recipe to have in your repertoire. It is one of the most flexible meals you can make and doesn’t really require a recipe. There are a few tricks to make it really good, but once you have those down it is also very easy. Bonus: it also takes 30 minutes or less to make when you are prepared.

Now I can’t claim that this is authentic to any region. It is pretty Americanized, but resembles a lot of local take-out.

I’ll be sharing two recipes below, but feel free to mix it up however you like. The basic formula for any stir-fry recipe combination is this.

vegetables + meat (optional) + sauce + grains

For both of these variations, I used brown rice. You could also use soba noodles or something similar. I recommend baking a batch of brown rice in advance. It keeps in the freezer for a long time and then reheats in minutes. This rice recipe makes about three meals for my family of four.

Veggie stir-fry recipe

Ingredients

• 1 head of broccoli
• 2 carrots
• 3 green onions
• oil
• soy sauce
• 3-4 cups precooked rice (no need to thaw if frozen)
• 1 egg

Instructions

Start by cutting the broccoli into bite-sized florets. Dice the carrot by cutting it into four wedges lengthwise, then cutting each wedge into quarter-inch slices. Cut the green onions, including the whites and greens, into similar sized pieces.

Heat a skillet on the stove top. When it is warm, add about a tablespoon of your preferred oil. I have used sesame a few times and found it to work well. Wait a minute for the oil to heat, then add your vegetables. Saute for maybe five minutes until everything is just starting to soften. You want the veggies to still be crisp. Remove the skillet from the heat and set it aside.

Heat a separate, larger skillet or a wok. Add about a tablespoon of oil and let that heat. Add the precooked rice all at once and stir about three minutes. Add soy sauce to taste. I use about 2-3 tablespoons. Stir the rice and push it to one side of the wok. Crack the egg in a separate bowl and pour it into the empty space of the skillet. Scramble the egg, then mix the rice back in.

Add the cooked veggies to the rice mixture and stir until heated through. Serve immediately.

Chicken stir-fry recipe

Ingredients

• 1 chicken breast
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 cup pineapple
• half an average-sized green bell pepper
• sweet and sour sauce (recipe below)
• 3-4 cups precooked rice (no need to thaw if frozen)
• 1 egg

Instructions

Start by removing any fat from the chicken and dicing it into bite-sized pieces. Season with salt and pepper to your taste. I’ve never measured this. Also dice the bell pepper and pineapple into small pieces.

Heat a skillet and add a tablespoon of oil. Add the chicken and cook through. To test doneness, I cut a piece in half with my spatula. Add the bell pepper to the skillet and cook for about a minute or two. Add the pineapple and enough sweet and sour sauce to coat everything. Let the mixture simmer until it is hot.

Meanwhile, heat a separate, larger skillet or a wok. Add about a tablespoon of oil and let that heat. Add the precooked rice all at once and stir about three minutes. Add soy sauce to taste. I use about 2-3 tablespoons. Stir the rice and push it to one side of the wok. Crack the egg in a separate bowl and pour it into the empty space of the skillet. Scramble the egg, then mix the rice back in.

To serve, place a spoonful of rice in a bowl and top with a scoop of the chicken mixture.

Sweet and sour sauce

I started making my own for two reasons. First, it’s something we eat often but rarely have on hand. Second, the store-bought variety has a surprising number of weird things in it. My recipes is based on this one by Better Homes and Gardens.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 4 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• 1/2 cup veggie broth
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar (or any vinegar you have on hand)
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

Instructions

In a saucepan, combine brown sugar, cornstarch and ginger. Heat and add honey. When sugar and honey have melted, add the other ingredients. Stir and heat until bubbly and thick. Serve hot and refrigerate leftovers for up to a week.

Yield: Serves 4

General stir-fry recipe

Print

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 20 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Ingredients

For veggie:

Toggle ingredient group

• 1 head of broccoli
• 2 carrots
• 3 green onions
• oil
• soy sauce
• 3-4 cups precooked rice
• 1 egg

For chicken:

Toggle ingredient group

• 1 chicken breast
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 1 cup pineapple
• half an average-sized green bell pepper
• sweet and sour sauce
• 3-4 cups precooked rice
• 1 egg

For sweet and sour sauce:

Toggle ingredient group

• 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
• 4 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 clove garlic, grated
• 1/2 cup veggie broth
• 1/3 cup red wine vinegar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce

Instructions

1. Cut all meat and vegetables into small pieces.
2. Heat a skillet on the stove top. When it is warm, add about a tablespoon of oil. Wait a minute for the oil to heat, then add meat, if using. Saute until browned on the outside and add vegetables and sweet and sour sauce, if using. Saute for five minutes until everything is just starting to soften. Remove the skillet from the heat and set it aside.
3. Heat a separate, larger skillet or a wok. Add about a tablespoon of oil and let that heat. Add the precooked rice all at once and stir about three minutes. Add 2-3 tablespoons soy sauce to taste. Stir the rice and push it to one side of the wok.
4. Crack the egg in a separate bowl and pour it into the empty space of the skillet. Scramble the egg, then mix the rice back in.
5. Add the cooked meat and/or veggies to the rice mixture and stir until heated through. Serve immediately.

Sweet and sour sauce:

1. In a saucepan, combine brown sugar, cornstarch and ginger. Heat and add honey. When sugar and honey have melted, add the other ingredients. Stir and heat until bubbly and thick. Serve hot and refrigerate leftovers for a week or so.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

4

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1615Total Fat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 8gCholesterol: 120mgSodium: 988mgCarbohydrates: 328gFiber: 10gSugar: 43gProtein: 44g

Nutritional information is only an estimate from online calculators. For more precise information, enter the specific ingredients you are using into your preferred tool.