Chicken Stir Fry Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret ingredient in stir-fry? ›

Adding Aromatics

Aromatics give additional flavor to your stir fry, but they must be added only in the last part of the cooking, before adding the sauce. You can use a small amount of finely chopped fresh ginger, garlic, lemongrass, chilies, or green onions (scallion).

The first is to cook your protein and your vegetable separately, and combine them only after both are fully cooked. A second rule of thumb for stir-frying: Choose one vegetable per stir-fry. Finally, always remember to add liquid only after everything is more or less finished cooking.

Most stir fry sauces are made with soy sauce, garlic, and other seasonings such as sesame oil, ginger, rice vinegar, chicken broth or chili sauce. One important component of stir fry sauce is a thickening agent, such as cornstarch. A thicker sauce will cling better to your chicken and vegetables.

Because stir-frying uses a very high heat, you want a cooking oil that has a high smoke point. Vegetable, canola or peanut oil are my trustee go-tos, and all have a neutral taste, so won't affect flavour. Do not – I repeat, DO NOT – use butter!

The main ingredients to a stir-fry are: Proteins – chicken, beef, pork, seafood, tofu, tempeh, seitan. Aromatics – garlic, green onions, shallots, ginger.

Aromatic ingredients like garlic, ginger, green onions, chilies and spices. These ingredients are typically added to the oil first to infuse it with flavor. You won't need much; a few teaspoons to a tablespoon of total aromatic ingredients per person adds a serious amount of flavor.

Cornstarch! In his book How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, Mark Bittman recommends mixing 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch with the same amount of water, and tossing this into the stir fry just when it's almost done. It thickens in seconds, picking up the flavors of everything already in the dish and coating evenly.

What are those crunchy things in your stir-fry? They're water chestnuts, and they're surprisingly good for you! You probably already know a few things about water chestnuts. They're white and crunchy, and you'll find them in a ton of Asian-style stir fry dishes.

Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok, then fry the chilli and garlic for 1 min. Add the veg and toss to coat in the oil. Fry for 2-3 mins, then add the soy and chilli sauce, mixing well. Cook for 2-3 mins more until the veg are tender.

Once the meat is done cooking, add the vegetables to the pan. If you are using fresh vegetables, you will need to stir them around for 4-5 minutes so they start cooking before you add your sauce. When they are starting to feel tender, but still have a lot of bite to them, add the sauce.

What to add to stir-fry for flavour? ›

In Chinese cooking, proteins like beef, pork or chicken are velveted first before stir-frying them. There are several ways to velvet, but at its most basic level, it involves marinating meat with at least one ingredient that will make it alkaline. This is what tenderizes the meat, especially cheaper, tougher cuts.

Kikkoman Soy Sauce with Dispenser Bottle - The One for Every Day. What we loved: Tastes good on both Asian and American dishes. Perfect as a tabletop condiment. Great for: Stir-frying.

Homecook method (easy and fast) – This method uses a small amount of baking soda, starch, and oil. The baking soda helps tenderize the chicken breast, the oil seals the moisture to keep the chicken tender, and the starch forms a thin crisp crust when stir-frying in a hot wok.

The best oils for stir frys are the oils with the higher smoke points. These tend to be the “thinner” oils such as peanut, grapeseed or canola.

Stir-fry onions first, then add hard vegetables such as carrot and broccoli. Quick-cooking vegetables, such as snow peas, leafy greens and bean sprouts, should be added towards the end of cooking. If using vegies that have a combination of both textures, such as gai laan, add the stems first and the leaves later.

Use high heat: Stir-fry quickly over high heat to cook the vegetables rapidly, preventing them from releasing too much moisture. Cut uniformly: Cut vegetables into uniform pieces to ensure even cooking. Dry thoroughly: Pat the vegetables dry before adding them to the hot pan to remove excess moisture.