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30-Minute Chicken and Broccoli

30 minute chicken and broccoli with a glossy soy-garlic sauce that clings to tender chicken bites and bright-green broccoli florets. A quick weeknight stir fry method that thickens fast for a dark amber glaze over fluffy white rice.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Asian-American
Calories: 640
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken breasts
  • 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 0.25 Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch for coating chicken
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil divided
Broccoli and aromatics
  • 4 cup broccoli florets
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger grated
Soy-garlic sauce
  • 0.25 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 0.5 cup chicken broth
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
Serving
  • 1 sesame seeds and green onions for serving

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Coat the chicken
  1. Toss the chicken with salt, pepper, and cornstarch until coated. The coating should look dry and evenly speckled on every bite.
Stir-fry chicken
  1. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large wok or skillet over high heat, then add the chicken. Cook for 5-6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until golden and cooked through with no pink remaining in the center.
  2. Remove the cooked chicken to a plate and keep it warm while you cook the broccoli. Leave any browned bits in the pan for flavor.
Stir-fry broccoli
  1. Add the remaining oil to the pan, then stir-fry the broccoli over high heat for 3-4 minutes. Cook until bright green and just tender-crisp with crisp edges and a vivid color.
Make the sauce and glaze
  1. Stir-fry the garlic and ginger for 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Keep it moving so the aromatics don’t brown.
  2. Pour in the whisked sauce and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring, until thickened. The sauce should turn glossy and look like a dark amber glaze.
  3. Return the chicken to the pan and toss to coat. Everything should be evenly glazed, with sauce clinging to chicken and broccoli.
Serve
  1. Serve the chicken and broccoli over rice and top with sesame seeds and green onions. The sauce should glisten in the light as it sits over the rice.

Notes

Pro tip: for the brightest broccoli color, stir-fry on high just until it turns vivid green and tender-crisp, then move on to sauce. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days in a sealed container; reheat in a skillet over medium heat until warmed through. Freezing is not recommended because the broccoli texture softens after thawing. For a lower-sodium option, use reduced-sodium soy sauce and reduced-sodium oyster sauce (the sauce will still thicken with the cornstarch).