This quick and easy ginger chicken stir-fry can be prepared in just fifteen minutes. You only need chicken meat and a few common Cantonese ingredients and seasonings, which are likely readily available in most household kitchen pantries.

The ginger chicken stir-fry can easily stand as the main dish. In Chinese households, it is commonly served with white rice. This delightful combination of chicken and vegetables creates a wholesome and satisfying meal. When I am short of time to prepare dinner for your family, ginger chicken stir-fry will come oy mind as it is a complete meal without the need to prepare other dishes.

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Ingredients required for ginger chicken stir-fry

As the name suggests, fresh ginger takes center stage in this recipe. I incorporate its flavor in two ways: marinating the chicken with ginger and stir-frying the chicken and vegetables with minced ginger.

In addition to ginger, the recipe also includes some colorful vegetables such as red bell pepper, green onions (spring onions), and Chinese mushrooms.

Since this is a Cantose-style recipe, the seasoning I use is a simple combination of light soy sauce, sesame oil, and oyster sauce. Therefore, recreating this popular dish served in your favorite Chinese restaurant is incredibly simple.  

A small amount of brown sugar is normally included to enhance the flavor. Besides, if you desire a deeper color, a small amount of dark soy sauce can be added to the chicken. Lastly, including some fish sauce will create a distinct Thai flavor. These alternatives allow you to experiment and create a flavor that best suits your preferences.

Below are the steps for this easy chicken stir fry recipe

1. Marinate the chicken

Chicken. While my preferred cut of chicken is thigh meat, boneless skinless chicken breasts are equally acceptable. 

Ginger. I prefer young ginger over old ginger because it has more juice. To make ginger juice, just grate it with a ginger grater and squeeze it out. This ginger juice enhances the flavor of the chicken and aids in tenderizing it, particularly when using chicken breast meat. Additionally, a portion of the grated ginger will be sautéed along with garlic and other vegetables in the subsequent steps.

Other ingredients in the marinade.  The marinade comprises ginger juice, salt, sesame oil, cornstarch, and vegetable oil. This marinade gives the chicken meat a foundation flavor so that it does not solely depend on the seasonings from the stir-fry sauce. Marinate the chicken pieces for an hour or more to enable them to absorb the flavors fully.

2. Prepare other ingredients

Since the chicken takes time to marinate, I will use the waiting time to prepare the vegetables.  Cut the carrot into batons, the broccoli into small florets, and the bell pepper into one-inch pieces. Additionally, soak some dried Chinese mushrooms until they become soft, then cut into slices.

I use the vegetables available in my refrigerator today. However, feel free to include other fresh vegetables you like in the list. Green beans, snap peas, snow peas, and celery are excellent choices. It is a great way to use up any vegetables in your fridge!

3. Make an easy stir-fry sauce

The combination of light soy sauce, oyster sauce, honey, and black pepper is used as the savory sauce in this ginger chicken stir fry recipe. I prefer a touch of sweetness and include honey, but it can be omitted if you want to reduce your sugar intake. 

I recommend combining these items in a small bowl in advance rather than adding each component separately during cooking to ensure accuracy and avoid errors. 

You can customize this Asian-inspired sauce according to your taste. Some examples are adding Hoisin sauce to introduce a distinct savory flavor, a small amount of rice vinegar (balanced with honey or sugar) for a tangy taste, or even fish sauce to create a Thai ginger chicken dish.

4. Stir-fry the chicken and vegetables

Stir-fry the marinated chicken pieces over medium heat to brown both sides. This is because chicken requires a longer cooking time and may not sear effectively when mixed with the vegetables in a large wok. 

My preference is to use a nonstick pan as it requires less oil. Transfer the chicken pieces to the pan. Arrange them in a single layer so that it sears effectively on both sides. Once the color has changed, set aside and proceed to stir-fry the vegetable in the wok. The chicken will be transferred to the wok to combine with the vegetables when they are almost crisp-tender.

Heating vegetable oil in a wok or a large nonstick skillet over low heat to sauté the minced garlic and grated ginger.

When the aromatic turn fragrant, add the vegetables to the wok and stir-fry them over medium heat until they become tender.

I’ll start by cooking the carrots and broccoli since they take longer than the bell pepper. I also add a few tablespoons of water which help them cook until crisp-tender. Since the mushrooms are already soft after soaking, they can be added anytime. Finally, I’ll add the bell pepper last as it cooks quickly.

Return the chicken meat to the wok and combine it with the vegetables.

Stir-fry over medium-high heat for about a minute to create the wok aroma before dishing out to serve.

Note: If you use broccoli, I suggest cutting it into small florets for faster cooking. However, if you prefer larger florets, parboil them for 2-3 minutes before stir-frying is the best option.

Sprinkle some red pepper flakes towards the end of the cooking process for a spicy kick to the dish

Other related Chinese recipes

If you enjoy this ginger chicken recipe, you will also appreciate trying other Chinese stir-fry dishes. Here are some of my favorite stir-fry recipes:

• Vegetable stir fry. The most popular recipe on this food blog! Quick and easy and will please every palate.
• Beef and mushrooms stir-fry. One of my favorite stir fry recipes that I frequently cook at home. The beef and mushroom are perfectly flavored with the savory sauce.
• Brussels sprouts stir-fry with garlic. We use the traditional stir-fry method to cook these uncommon vegetables in Chinese cuisine, which results in an incredible flavor.

Continue to Content

Ginger Chicken Stir-fry

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 15 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Try this delicious ginger chicken stir-fry that can be on your table in just 30 minutes. Easy and flavorful!

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Ingredients

Ingredients A

• 500g chicken thighs
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp ginger juice
• 1/2 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil

Ingredients B

• 1 small carrot, cut into baton
• 1 cup broccoli florets
• 3 Chinese mushrooms, soaked and quartered
• 1 capsicum, cut into strips

Ingredients C

• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp minced ginger
• 1 tbsp honey (optional)
• 2 tsp light soy sauce
• 1/4 tsp white pepper
• 2 tsp oyster sauce
• 1/4 cup of water

Instructions

Marinate the chicken

1. To make ginger juice, just grate it with a ginger grater and squeeze it out.
2. Marinate the chicken pieces with all the ingredients in A for an hour or more to enable them to absorb the flavors fully.

Prepare other ingredients

1. Cut the carrot into batons, the broccoli into small florets, and the bell pepper into one-inch pieces. Additionally, soak some dried Chinese mushrooms until they become soft, then cut into slices.

Make an easy stir-fry sauce

1. Combine all the ingredients C except the garlic and ginger.

Stir-fry

1. Transfer the chicken pieces to the pan with heated oil. Arrange them in a single layer so that it sears on both sides. Once the color has changed, set it aside.
2. Heating vegetable oil in a wok over low heat to sauté the minced garlic and grated ginger.
3. When the aromatic turn fragrant, add the carrots and broccoli to stir-fry for a few minutes, then add a few tablespoons of water, which help them cook until crisp-tender. 
4. Add the mushrooms and the bell pepper last as it cooks quickly.
5. Return the chicken meat to the wok and combine it with the vegetables.
6. Stir-fry over medium-high heat for about a minute to create the wok aroma before dishing out to serve.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 357Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 16gCholesterol: 160mgSodium: 797mgCarbohydrates: 13gFiber: 2gSugar: 6gProtein: 31g

This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix on 6/11/2019