An Easy Chicken Stir Fry Recipe that’s delicious and quick to make! This Healthy Chicken Stir Fry tastes amazing and is loaded with veggies! Naturally gluten free!
This post contains affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Click here to read my policy and about affiliate links.
We love quick and easy meals – and this Chicken Stir Fry is something we make all the time for a simple weeknight dinner. Plus, it can be ready in about 40 minutes!
It’s also loaded with protein and veggies all tossed in a flavorful sauce!
This Easy Chicken Stir Fry Recipe is phenomenal!
For more healthier homemade versions of favorite take out recipes, check out our Healthy Homemade Sesame Chicken or Ground Turkey Stir Fry.
Why you’ll love this Stir Fry Chicken Recipe
There is a lot to love about this stir fry recipe. It’s one of our favorite healthy dinners because it’s:
- Simple Ingredients – This recipe is made with simple, wholesome ingredients you can feel good about eating and find at pretty much any store.
- High Protein and Veggie Packed – We like all of our meals to have at least 25g of protein. this meal has 43 g of protein per serving and almost 2 cups of veggies per serving.
- Better Than Takeout – While everyone loves takeout from time to time, it can be so much more flavorful when you make it at home!
Is stir fry healthy?
They can be healthy when you use quality ingredients, use minimal oil, and if you make your own sauce to reduce sodium and sugar.
Chicken Vegetable Stir Fry ingredients
For this chicken stir fry you’ll need:
- avocado oil
- chicken breasts
- rice wine vinegar
- cornstarch
- onion, garlic
- bell peppers
- carrots
- mushrooms
- snow peas
- frozen green peas
For the sauce:
- coconut aminos
- rice wine vinegar
- toasted sesame oil
- lime juice
- honey
- cooked white rice
- scallions & sesame seeds for garnish
You can find substitutions for all of these ingredients below in the green shaded box.
We love to use our electric frying pan for this recipe. It’s really big which makes it perfect for adding tons of veggies.
Which oil is not suitable for stir-frying?
Oils with high smoke points are the best for stir frying. We like avocado oil because it has a very high smoke point and minimal flavor.
Peanut oil is another good choice for stir frying. We don’t recommend using olive oil, but you can if you have to.
How to make Chicken Stir Fry (Healthy)
- Optional: For the most tender chicken with crispy exterior – mix chicken, cornstarch and rice vinegar. Toss to coat the chicken evenly. Let it sit for 1 minute.
- Heat a large pan, wok or electric frying pan (we like the electric frying pan because it is really big!) over medium high heat. Add avocado oil and heat for 1-2 minutes. Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes (don’t stir!). After 3 minutes, use a spatula to break apart the chicken and flip it. Let the chicken cook for another 5-6 minutes. Set aside.
- While your chicken is cooking, whisk together your sauce. Set aside.
- Add onions, garlic, mushrooms and carrots to the pot. Cook over medium heat for 5-6 minutes, stirring every few minutes.
- Add peppers and sugar snap peas. Cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- Return chicken to the pan. Pour sauce on top of the chicken/veggies and stir to coat evenly. Cook over medium heat for 5-6 minutes until the sauce thickens.
SUBSTITUTIONS FOR CHICKEN STIR FRY
Avocado Oil: You can substitute avocado oil with olive oil, but we don’t recommend it. Avocado oil is best for stir fries because it has a high smoke point and minimal flavor.
Chicken Breasts: You can substitute with boneless chicken thighs or chicken tenders.
Cornstarch: Coating the chicken in corn starch is optional. It helps the chicken get crispy on the outside while staying tender on the inside. You can skip this step/ingredient if you don’t want to use it! We haven’t tried any other substitutes.
Vegetables: You can really use any vegetables you like in this recipe. Feel free to add more or less of each vegetable, or add in others. Baby corn, string beans or broccoli would all be great additions to this stir fry
Coconut Aminos: Coconut aminos are a lower sodium/gluten free alternative to soy sauce. Feel free to substitute with low sodium soy sauce or regular soy sauce.
Sesame Oil: Toasted sesame oil adds flavor, but it’s not necessary.
Honey: We don’t recommend substituting honey. I haven’t tried this with maple syrup, but don’t think the flavor would go well in the dish.
Rice Wine Vinegar: Rice wine vinegar can not be substituted with apple cider vinegar or other vinegars. It has a distinct flavor. You can find it at almost any grocery store.
To Make it Lower Carb: Serve over cauliflower rice.
To Make it Lower Salt: Coconut aminos and rice wine vinegar are naturally high in sodium. Look for a low sodium alternative.
To Make it Plant Based/Vegan: I haven’t tried it but I think you could substitute the chicken with tofu. You’d also need to substitute the honey for a vegan friendly sweetener.
Serving this Healthy Chicken Stir Fry Recipe
There are lots of options for how to serve this chicken stir fry. Here are some ideas:
- Over regular rice: My favorite way to serve this is over plain white rice or brown rice that we cook in the instant pot
- Over cauliflower rice: Cauliflower rice is great if you’re watching your carbs or following a paleo/Whole30 diet
- Over Fried Rice: We love our Instant Pot Fried Rice or Stove Top Fried Rice
- Over a salad: I sometimes will eat this stir fry over spinach
- On its own: The veggie + chicken combo is pretty filling on its own!
- Lettuce wraps: You can serve in lettuce wraps
Important Note: This is not an authentic stir fry recipe. My goal is always to share recipes that are a bit healthier and made with affordable, accessible ingredients so everyone can enjoy them regardless of their food allergies or dietary restrictions. If you are looking for an authentic stir fry recipe – check out this recipe!
Gluten free Chicken Vegetable Stir Fry FAQs
The secret to a good stir fry is the heat! You want to cook everything at medium high heat to get crispy edges. Your stir fry sauce is also a key component.
The best way to stir fry chicken so it’s tender is to pound the meat with a meat mallet before cooking. You can also coat the chicken in a mixture of 1/2 tablespoon each corn starch and rice wine vinegar to help the chicken stay tender and get crispy on the outside.
A good stir fry will contain protein, vegetables, aromatics (like garlic, etc), and a flavorful sauce.
How to store leftover Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry
Storing: This will last in the refrigerator for up to 4 days in an airtight container.
Freezing: We don’t recommend freezing this stir fry. The vegetables get mushy when frozen.
Reheating: You can reheat this recipe in the microwave, toaster oven, or on the stove top. My favorite way to reheat it is to spray a little bit of olive oil in a pan and sauté over low heat for a few minutes.
If you like this Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry recipe, try one of these:
Looking for other easy meals? Check out these 40+ Healthy Dinner Recipes. Click here to grab our free healthy 30 minute dinners cookbook.
Healthy Chicken Stir Fry with Vegetables
Ingredients
For the stir fry:
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts skinless chicken breasts cut in small squares
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar optional
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch optional
- ½ cup onion diced
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced (3 garlic cloves)
- 2 cups bell peppers diced
- 2 cups carrots sliced thinly
- 1 cup mushrooms sliced thinly – small container, check weight
- 1 cup snow peas halved.
- 1 cup frozen green peas thawed
Sauce:
- ¼ cup coconut aminos
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon lime juice optional – juice of one lime
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 cups cooked white rice
- Optional: scallions & sesame seeds for garnish
Instructions
- Optional: For the most tender chicken with crispy exterior – mix chicken, cornstarch and rice vinegar. Toss to coat the chicken evenly. Let it sit for 1 minute.
- Heat a large pan, wok or electric frying pan (we like the electric frying pan because it is really big!) over medium high heat.
- Add avocado oil and heat for 1-2 minutes. The oil will start to shimmer when it’s hot enough to add the chicken!
- Add the chicken and cook for 3 minutes (don’t stir!). After 3 minutes, use a spatula to break apart the chicken and flip it. Let the chicken cook for another 5-6 minutes.
- Once chicken is browned, remove from the pan and set aside in a bowl.
- While your chicken is cooking, whisk together your sauce. Set aside.
- Add onions, garlic, mushrooms and carrots to the pot. Cook over medium heat for 5-6 minutes, stirring every few minutes.
- Add peppers and sugar snap peas. Cook for an additional 5 minutes.
- Return chicken to the pan. Pour sauce on top of the chicken/veggies and stir to coat evenly. Cook over medium heat for 5-6 minutes until the sauce thickens.
- Serve over rice & garnish with optional sesame seeds!
Diana says
This recipe is so easy and tasty. Thank you
Sandy Karl says
Perfect stir fry! I served with Banza rice to make it even healthier. Even my husband liked it. Thank you!