Chicken and Broccoli stir fry? Meriam-Webster Dictionary said, “stir fry means to fry quickly over high heat in a moderately oiled pan or wok with continuous stirring.” Oxford Dictionary added, “stir fry pertains to meat, fish and vegetables.”
This goes without saying, you need to set the fire like hell and stir like crazy to cook the dish as fast as possible.
You’ve seen this a lot of times already. Chefs are shaking and flipping the pan while their other hands are busy stirring briskly. They’re fun to watch, and more often than not, their cooking are must have.
So, why do you need to stir fry chicken and broccoli?
You want a meal that can be prepared with the least amount of time, and at the same time, preserving the food innate nutrients. Indeed, quick cooking techniques like stir frying can serve that purpose.
Get all the ingredients ready because you’ll start cooking the chicken and broccoli stir fry.
Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry Basic Recipe
Firstly, prepare the sauce by combining and mixing well all stir fry sauce ingredients.
- 1 cup water or chicken broth
- 3 tbsp soy sauce, low sodium
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp cornstarch or flour
- small piece of finely chopped ginger
- 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
Secondly, prepare the rest of ingredients ahead before cooking the chicken broccoli stir fry.
- 1 pound boneless chicken breast, although other meaty chicken parts will do well, especially the thighs.
- 1 pound broccoli, divided into florets. Choose fresh and crunchy broccolis.
- 2 tbsp olive oil, or any oil of your choosing.
- 1 onion, sliced.
Then, begin cooking the chicken broccoli stir fry.
- Preheat a heavy pan over a medium-high flame. Add about a tablespoon of olive oil. Sear cubed chickens for about a minute. Turn until all sides have nice golden brown color. Remove the seared chicken cubes from heat and set aside.
- Replenish the pan with a tablespoon of olive oil. Stir fry the broccoli for about 4-5 minutes.
- Pour the sauce over the vegetables and continue stirring for another 4 minutes.
- Add back the seared chicken cubes and continue stirring for another 4 minutes.
- If you find the sauce too thin, next time, make the sauce thicker by adding a bit more cornstarch.
- This recipe may take you about 20 minutes to prepare.
Check out my other post on Stir frying noodles the Vegetarian way.
Chicken Broccoli Stir Fry with Oyster Sauce
Modify the recipe I taught you by adding oyster sauce to the mix. Start with a tablespoon and add or deduct as you see fit.
Did you know that oyster sauce is a byproduct? It’s made from oyster broth mixed with sugar, soy sauce, salt, and cornstarch to thicken.
Oyster sauce has a prominent earthy, slightly sweet, and salty taste. You won’t normally detect any fishy taste.
Come on! Don’t be afraid to do a little experiment. Make you own chicken broccoli stir fry with oyster sauce.
Marinated Chicken Broccoli Stir Fry
Yet another modification, the marinated chicken broccoli stir fry.
Marinating makes the chicken tender, juicy and chewy. It adds flavor and reduces cooking time. Perfect for stir fry.
You can marinate chicken in two ways.
Firstly, the wet marinating. For up to two hours, soak the chicken in mixture of soy sauce, vinegar, and spices.
Try other marinade options. Juices of fruits such as papaya and pineapple. And dairy products like yogurt and butter milk.
Secondly, rub herbs and spices to chicken. Cover and let rest for up to two hours.
You can opt for a longer marinade of up to 24 hours, but not longer. Also keep it in fridge to avoid getting spoiled.
A Healthy Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry
Broccoli is definitely healthy, but chicken is not. Nope. You’re wrong!
Broccoli is healthy by nature but how the farmer grow it might affect the end quality. Likewise, organic chickens are healthier over the commercially produced.
So, it depends. You have to choose your ingredients carefully if you want to have a healthy chicken and broccoli stir fry. Olive oil for example is a healthy alternative to common cooking oil.
Choosing Your Healthy Broccoli
As I’ve said, broccoli is healthy by nature. It’s one of the superfoods. Has low calories but full pack with antioxidants. It’s a good source of protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals.
Choose fresh and crisps broccolis. If possible, choose the organic produce. Seeing a worm on your broccoli is not as bad as you might think. It’s a sign, the producer never used any harmful chemical to protect the plant.
Put it this way. If the worm has survived eating the plant, then the broccoli can’t harm you in any way. However, don’t intentionally pick worm infested broccolis.
Unless you’re cooking it right away, don’t rinse broccoli. Water will likely to stay in crevices inviting microbial growth and triggering early spoilage.
Store your broccoli in fridge for 3 to 5 days.
Choosing Your Healthy Chickens
Are you allergic to chicken meat? If so, you’re one of the few. Chicken allergy can manifest immediately or hours later after consumption. Symptoms includes itchy and runny nose and swollen and watery eyes.
However, there are anecdotal evidence that organically grown chickens never cause such allergic reactions. Whether the claim is true or not, choosing organic chicken will only hurt your budget, not your health.
Chicken is ready for slaughter after 90 days. Now imagine how much chemicals, hormones, and antibiotics are forced inside the pitiful creature just to squeeze the 90 long days down to 35.
Conclusion
To stir fry foods is really handy. It allows you to prepare healthy meal in a short time span. Chicken and broccoli stir fry in about 20 minutes.
Get fresh and crisp broccolis. Whenever possible, get organic. Rinse only right before use, because trapped moisture in crevices might encourage microbial growth and triggering early spoilage.
Get organic chickens. Organics have higher selling price so that will be your cue. The meat is tougher but more flavorful.
Get fresh chicken free of foul odor and discoloration. It only lasts up to 2 days so be sure to cook it immediately or keep frozen in the fridge.
Don’t be ashamed of yourself if you can’t find organic produce. They are pricey and hard to find. Whatever you can get are fine as long as the quality passes above your meticulous senses.
Stir fry other meat and vegetables. The technique is versatile that many are deviating from its definition. Just don’t do it on tough meat like brisket. Similarly, meat from old animal is also tough.
How to stir fry vegetables? Find out here.
