BROCCOLI CHICKEN
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The saucy and supremely delicious Broccoli Chicken is a quick and easy go-to lunch or dinner option. Better than take-out in under 30 minutes!
The Broccoli chicken is the simplest Asian stir-fry that comes with a delicious homemade sauce. It is a classic recipe of tender, succulent pieces of chicken stir-fried with broccoli florets and coated with a moreish sauce. It can satiate your craving for a takeout meal in a much healthier way.
ABOUT THE RECIPE
Broccoli Chicken has been my go-to dinner formula for years now. It is simple, quick, healthy, and comforting all at once. The gravy is loaded with flavors and oh so delicious. The chicken pieces are tender and the broccoli florets beautifully soak up all the goodness of the savory sauce. It is a great dish to serve to the entire family and comes together pretty easily.
As I mentioned earlier, the recipe is quite saucy so it calls for a broth. You may use plain water but broth adds to the flavor. The stir-fry sauce is easy to make and so versatile that you can easily pair it up with other ingredients. I am sure this sauce will soon become your go-to Asian stir-fry sauce.
Broccoli Chicken, like most stir-fries, is flash-cooked. For such a fast-moving recipe, it is important to have every ingredient prepped and ready to use before you start cooking. Easy to make, this is not just a great lunch and dinner option, you can also pack it for your lunchbox. It is a crowd-pleaser and can easily be doubled and is a great meal prep option, unlike other stir-fries, it can be stored for later consumption.
I prefer to have it with plain white rice but it tastes equally good in itself or with noodles or other healthy options.
VARIATIONS
While this recipe used just broccoli, feel free to add in vegetables of your choice. Peppers, mushrooms, carrots, snap peas, and zucchini are great choices too!
You may switch up the chicken with shrimp or even thinly sliced flank steak.
For a vegetarian and vegan option, use just the vegetables and switch up the oyster sauce with a vegetarian option.
INGREDIENTS
Chicken - Use boneless chicken and cut them into bite-sized pieces or thin strips. I prefer using chicken thighs because they are tender and juicy. However, you can certainly replace it with chicken breasts if you prefer. If using breast, you may tenderize the chicken using the velveting method. Also, breasts will cook faster, so take care not to overcook.
Broccoli - Cut into florets and steamed or boil, whichever you prefer.
Onion - Thinly sliced onion adds to the body of the gravy. You may skip it if you don't like onions.
Ginger & Garlic – Freshly chopped ginger and garlic is best for stir fry, but you can substitute with garlic powder and ground ginger.
Chicken Broth – This adds more flavor, but water can easily be substituted.
Soy sauce - Use a low-sodium soy sauce. Do not use dark soy sauce. For gluten-free, use Tamari sauce.
Oyster sauce - Adds flavor and a tangy-sweet flavor to the sauce. Look for the vegetarian option if you prefer.
Chinese cooking wine –It is the secret ingredient that makes stir fry sauces so good. You may substitute with any cooking wine.
Toasted sesame oil – Adds a lovely flavor to the sauce.
Cornflour – It is used to thicken the sauce and make it shiny and glossy.
Salt, sugar, ground black pepper for seasoning.
Oil for cooking.
Toasted sesame seeds for garnish.
HOW TO MAKE IT?
To prepare the sauce, in a bowl whisk together chicken broth, soy sauce, oyster sauce, Chinese cooking wine, cornflour, and sugar. Set the sauce aside.
Steam broccoli florets in a microwave for 3 minutes on high. Drain well and keep aside.
Cut boneless chicken into bite-sized pieces and lightly season them with salt and pepper. Sauté them in a skillet in a single layer until a little browned. Remove and keep aside.
In the same skillet, add some more oil along with the finely chopped garlic and ginger. Stir for a few seconds until garlic starts to go golden. Add the sliced onion and saute for 1 minute.
Then return the chicken and cook for 2 minutes or until the chicken is tender.
Add the steamed broccoli and sauce. Stir well and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the sauce thickens and becomes glossy, and coats the ingredients.
Sprinkle with some toasted sesame seeds and enjoy with fluffy white rice.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is velveting chicken?
In culinary terms, the technique used to soften chicken is called Velveting. It means passing the meat through hot oil or hot water for a brief period of cooking time to make it tender and juicy.
How can I velvet the chicken for this recipe?
The are several methods for velveting chicken. I am sharing two methods fora pound of chicken, multiply as required.
METHOD 1: Here is what you need:
- 1 lb Boneless skinless chicken cut into strips
- 1 tbsp Cornstarch
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tsp Black or white pepper
- 1 Raw Egg
- 1 tbsp Soy Sauce
- Simply marinate the chicken with all the ingredients and keep refrigerated in a Ziploc bag for at least an hour.
- You can then either poach the chicken in boiling water or fry the chicken in hot oil.
METHOD2: Here is what you need:
- 1 lb Boneless skinless chicken cut into strips
- 2 tsp Baking soda
- Marinate the chicken with baking soda for 30 minutes.
- Rinse the marinated pieces under running water and pat dry.
Is Broccoli chicken gluten-free?
For a gluten-free option, use tamari sauce instead of soy sauce.
SERVING SUGGESTIONS
Broccoli Chicken has a moreish gravy making it an ideal dish for serving with rice. if you are on a low-carb diet switch up the rice with quinoa or cauliflower rice. You may also serve it with noodles, or even just some sautéed greens. It also tastes great in itself.
STORING SUGGESTIONS
Store this in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove. This can be stored in one large container or portioned into individual servings for storage and reheating.
Freezing is not recommended for sauces thickened with cornflour or cornstarch because they tend to become watery if frozen.
BROCCOLI CHICKEN
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless chicken cut into bite-sized pieces
- 15 oz broccoli florets
- 1 onion sliced (optional)
- 1 tsp finely chopped garlic
- 1 tsp grated ginger
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp cornflour
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp toasted sesame seeds (optional)
- salt to taste
- 1 tsp ground black pepper
- 2 tsp sugar
Instructions
- To prepare the sauce, in a bowl whisk together chicken broth, soy sauce, oyster sauce, Chinese cooking wine, cornflour, and sugar. Set the sauce aside.
- Steam broccoli florets in a microwave for 3 minutes on high. Drain well and keep aside.
- Cut boneless chicken into bite-sized pieces and lightly season them with salt and pepper. Sauté them in a skillet in a single layer until a little browned. Remove and keep aside.
- In the same skillet, add some more oil along with the finely chopped garlic and ginger. Stir for a few seconds until garlic starts to go golden. Add the sliced onion and saute for 1 minute.
- Then return the chicken and cook for 2 minutes or until the chicken is tender.
- Add the steamed broccoli and sauce. Stir well and cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the sauce thickens and becomes glossy, and coats the ingredients.
- Sprinkle with some toasted sesame seeds and enjoy with fluffy white rice.
Notes:
- Boneless chicken thighs are tender and juicy but breasts cook faster. Make sure not to overcook the breast pieces.
- You may substitute broth with warm water.
- You may use other vegetables of your choice.
- Toasted sesame seeds add a nice texture to the dish, but the use is optional.
Calories
240.99Fat (grams)
8.43Sat. Fat (grams)
2.11Carbs (grams)
11.43Fiber (grams)
3.36Net carbs
8.07Sugar (grams)
4.00Protein (grams)
29.60Sodium (milligrams)
864.75Cholesterol (grams)
81.74The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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