• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Nicky's Kitchen Sanctuary logo

  • > Start Here
  • The Recipes
    • Browse all categories
    • Asian
    • Dinner
    • Pasta
    • Roast Dinner
    • Curries
    • Sides
    • Soups
    • Big Batch
    • Quick Dinner Recipes
    • Skinny Recipes
    • Street Food
    • Lunch
    • Gluten Free
    • Vegetarian
    • Cakes & Treats
    • BBQ
    • Breakfast & Brunch
    • Drinks
    • Appetizers
    • Sauces and Dips
  • My New Book
  • Blogger Resources
    • Living The Blog
    • How to start a food blog
    • Income Reports
  • About
    • About
    • Contact
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookie Policy
  • Sign-Up
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • > Start Here
  • All Recipes
  • Never miss a recipe!
  • 20 Minute Meals
  • Appetizers & Party Food
  • Asian
  • Curries
  • Dinner
  • One Pot
  • Pasta
  • Roast Dinner
  • Sides
  • Slow Cooked
  • Soups
  • Street Food
  • Terms and Conditions
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×

    Home > Asian

    Quick Chicken Stir Fry

    Published: May 25, 2020 · Modified: Feb 28, 2021 by Nicky Corbishley

    Go to Recipe Go to Video Print Recipe

    My tasty chicken and veggie stir fry - a quick mid-week meal with a kick of chilli heat that you can get on the table in less than 20 minutes!
    chicken stir fry on a bowl of boiled rice with a further bowl in background

    It’s very easy to fall into the stir fry trap - a few veggies, maybe some meat and a jar of stir fry sauce.
    We all do it, but it can get boring very quickly! Sauces from a jar have their advantages, but making your own sauce can be just as quick and you can easily change it up to make an endless number of variations

    This is a sweet and spicy version – made using sweet chilli sauce, chillies and brown sugar  - plus a few other goodies. If you don’t want too much heat, then leave out the fresh chillies – my kids still eat every bite even with a little sweet chilli sauce!

    What do we need
    Ingredients for quick chicken stir fry on a wooden table

    How to make it

    Full recipe with detailed steps in the recipe card at the end of this post.

    • Coat the chicken in a dusting of cornflour, salt and pepper, then fry in a wok with oil over a high heat until lightly browned and cooked through.
    • Add in sugar snap peas, peppers, garlic, soy sauce, Chinese rice vinegar, brown sugar, sweet chilli sauce and tomato ketchup.
    • Continue to heat on high, tossing everything together until heated through, then stir through chopped spring onions and chopped chilli, heat for one more minute until they're hot, but still crunchy.

    8 image collage showing how to make chicken stir fry

    Serve with rice or noodles.

    chicken stir fry with rice in a bowl topped with chillies and spring onions

    Sauce Variations

    • You could add a little more sugar, plus the juice of a lime for a tangy-sweet sauce.
    • Try adding pineapple chunks and juice, a tablespoon of malt vinegar and sugar and an extra squirt of ketchup for a quick sweet and sour stir fry.
    • Add hoisin and oyster sauce for an earthier sweet/salty flavour

    Pile in the veggies and watch the kids eat them up with no complaints! So much tastier than take-out!

    More Stir Fry Recipes

    Chinese Plum Chicken Stir Fry

    Beef Chow Fun (Beef Stir Fry with Noodles)

    Honey and Garlic Chicken Stir Fry with Cauliflower Egg Fried Rice

    Quick Honey and Soy Chicken Stir Fry with Noodles (this one does use a shop-bought sauce)

    Spicy Ginger Beef Stir Fry

    Sticky Chicken Stir Fry

    Chicken thighs or breast?

    You can use either for this recipe. Coating the chicken in the cornflour helps to keep the chicken juicy and tender, so go with your own preference.

    I use chicken breast for this recipe because I find chicken breast generally less fiddly to slice up.

    Vegetarian version

    Swap out the chicken for quorn, mushrooms or tofu for a vegetarian alternative.

    Veggie swaps/additions

    You can use whatever you've got in that will cook relatively quickly over a high heat. Such as:

    Baby corn, beansprouts, bamboo shoots, tender stem brocolli, strips of carrot, asparagus, strips of cabbage (white or green), leeks, radish or courgette (zucchini).

    What to serve with chicken stir fry

    • Boiled Rice – check out my full post on how to boil rice (the method I ALWAYS use)
    • Special Fried Rice – masterclass post on getting it perfect!
    • Just leave the chicken out of my Lo Mein recipe for a lovely noodle side dish

    If you’ve tried my recipe then please rate the recipe and let me know how you got on in the comments below, I love hearing your thoughts and add-ons to my recipes!
    You can also follow me on INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK, PINTEREST, and TWITTER to see what I’m up to in the kitchen, what recipes I’m loving, and of course, YOUTUBE to see our latest recipe videos!

    Watch how to make it

     

    chicken stir fry in a bowl with rice

    Quick Chicken Stir Fry (without the shop-bought stir fry sauce!)

    By: Nicky Corbishley
    Quick Chicken Stir Fry!  Easy Chicken and veggie stir fry - a quick mid-week meal with a kick of chilli heat that you can get on the table in less than 20 minutes!
    4.97 from 30 votes
    Rate this Recipe Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 mins
    Cook Time 15 mins
    Total Time 25 mins
    Course Dinner
    Cuisine Asian
    Servings 4 servings
    Calories 283 kcal

    Ingredients
     

    • 3 chicken breast fillets - sliced into bite-size pieces
    • 2 tbsp cornflour/cornstarch
    • pinch of salt
    • pinch of pepper
    • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
    • 1 cup sugar snap peas/snow peas
    • 1 yellow pepper - deseeded and sliced
    • 1 red pepper - deseeded and sliced
    • 2 cloves of garlic - peeled and minced
    • 4 tbsp soy sauce
    • 2 tbsp Chinese rice vinegar
    • 3 tbsp brown sugar
    • 3 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
    • 2 tbsp tomato ketchup
    • 1 bunch spring onions/scallions - chopped
    • 1 small red chilli - deseeded and sliced

    To serve:

    • Boiled rice or noodles

    INSTRUCTIONS
     

    • Place the chicken onto a plate, add the cornflour, salt and pepper, toss together to coat the chicken.
    • Add the oil to a wok and heat on high. When the oil is very hot, add in the chicken and fry for 5-6 minutes – turning a couple of times until lightly browned.
    • Add in the sugar snap peas and peppers and fry for a further two minutes
    • Add in the garlic, soy sauce, Chinese rice vinegar, brown sugar, sweet chilli sauce and tomato ketchup. Continue to heat on high, tossing everything with a spatula, until heated through. Check the chicken is cooked by taking a large piece and slicing in half. If it’s no longer pink in the middle, it’s cooked.
    • Stir through the chopped spring onions and the chopped chilli, heat for one more minute until they’re hot, but still crunchy
    • Serve with rice or noodles.

    Video

    ✎ Notes

    Sauce Variations
    • You could add a little more sugar, plus the juice of a lime for a tangy-sweet sauce.
    • Try adding pineapple chunks and juice, a tablespoon of malt vinegar and sugar and an extra squirt of ketchup for a quick sweet and sour stir fry.
    • Add hoisin and oyster sauce for an earthier sweet/salty flavour
    Chicken thighs or breast?
    You can use either for this recipe. Coating the chicken in the cornflour helps to keep the chicken juicy and tender, so go with your own preference.
    I use chicken breast for this recipe because I find chicken breast generally less fiddly to slice up.
    Vegetarian version
    Swap out the chicken for quorn, mushrooms or tofu for a vegetarian alternative.
    Veggie swaps/additions
    You can use whatever you've got in that will cook relatively quickly over a high heat. Such as:
    Baby corn, beansprouts, bamboo shoots, tender stem brocolli, strips of carrot, asparagus, strips of cabbage (white or green), leeks, radish or courgette (zucchini).
    Nutritional information is per serving - without rice.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 283kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 21gFat: 9gSaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 54mgSodium: 1299mgPotassium: 601mgFiber: 1gSugar: 19gVitamin A: 1465IUVitamin C: 125.8mgCalcium: 32mgIron: 1.7mg
    Keywords Any Time Of the year, Chinese New Year, dinner party, Fakeaway
    Tried this recipe?Mention @KitchenSanctuary or tag #KitchenSanctuary on Instagram!

    This post was first published in March 2016. Updated in May 2020 with new photos, video and recipe tips.

    Some of the links in this post may be affiliate links – which means if you buy the product I get a small commission (at no extra cost to you). If you do buy, then thank you! That’s what helps us to keep Kitchen Sanctuary running. The nutritional information provided is approximate and can vary depending on several factors. For more information please see our Terms & Conditions.

     

     

    Hi I’m Nicky

    I love to cook and I want to share with you my favourite, delicious family friendly recipes. I want to inspire you to create fantastic food for your family every day.

    Read More
    « Chicken Shawarma
    Vegetable Pasta Bake »

    Other Recipes You Might Like:

    Bowl of sticky chicken stir fry on boiled white rice in green bowl.
    Sticky Chicken Stir Fry WITH VIDEO
    Plate of honey and soy chicken stir fry with noodles
    Honey and Soy Chicken Stir Fry with Spicy Asian Noodles
    Square image of Asian crispy chicken with broccoli and rice in a stoneware bowl. Blue napkin in background
    Crispy Chilli Chicken with Broccoli
    That Chinese take-away might be tempting, but this honey and garlic chicken stir-fry is just as tasty, and so much better for you!
    Honey and Garlic Chicken Stir Fry with Cauliflower Egg Fried Rice

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

      Leave a Reply Cancel reply

      Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

      Rate the recipe




      This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    1. Andie G says

      January 15, 2023 at 7:33 pm

      5 stars
      I whipped this up last night for my family as a last minute dinner. I didn't have any chilli's in the fridge and used chicken thighs with alternative vegetables but it turned out fantastic. My family loved it and it was so easy to prepare. The sauce has a really great flavour.

      Reply
    2. LynnEl says

      November 29, 2022 at 6:29 pm

      5 stars
      We make this about 3 times a month and LOVE it! Delicious and easy! A perfect quick night dinner! Delicious for leftovers for lunch too!

      Reply
    3. LynnEl Springer says

      November 13, 2022 at 1:39 am

      5 stars
      Most delicious easy recipe! Our new favorite go-to dish!!

      Reply
    4. Marie says

      October 03, 2022 at 8:37 pm

      5 stars
      Our very very favourite recipe
      Am now looking at buying Ninja Foodi Multi cooker, mainly to save money on energy costs
      Would I be able to cook our favourite recipe Quick Chicken Stir Fry in this gadget?
      It would be great if you could show us how to cook in an air fryer/multi cooker!!

      Reply
    5. Derek says

      August 11, 2022 at 4:17 pm

      4 stars
      Had this tonight(Thur 11 Aug 2022. Wife and I both really liked it and it will be made again and again. Mmmm

      Reply
    6. Gary says

      August 05, 2022 at 10:17 pm

      I was happy to do without the sugar & ketchup. Chilli sauce is sweet enough as it is. Skipped the chilli as well. Substituted edamame for peas and used frozen sliced peppers.
      I like rice, but tried red quinoa and that was delicious. That's the great thing about stir fry: it's a flexible dish.

      Reply
    7. Linda says

      June 06, 2022 at 2:39 pm

      5 stars
      Absolutely love this quick and very tasty stir fry. It's delicious and so easy to make.
      It has become the firm fav in our house

      Reply
    8. GJ says

      May 28, 2022 at 7:13 pm

      5 stars
      Lovely easy stir fry recipe

      Reply
    9. Felthon Abiera says

      May 10, 2022 at 8:24 pm

      5 stars
      This dish is full of flavours and healthy and tastes so good! It’s easy to cook as well. Perfect for quick lunch and dinner! I also tried cooking the rice using the technique published here. It worked! The rice is perfectly cooked! Thank you so much Kitchen Sanctuary for your recipes and cooking tips!

      Reply
    10. Hayley says

      April 25, 2022 at 3:47 am

      5 stars
      yummy!!! Great recipe and its quick. I didn't have tomato sauce so i used tomato soup that are made last night. Would recommend if you want an easy meal that taste good as well. I also didnt add the brown sugar as I found the sweet chili sauce made it sweet enough for me.

      Reply
    11. Andrea says

      March 20, 2022 at 3:54 pm

      5 stars
      Very easy, quick and delicious. Looked like the photo and was a great sunday meal for the whole familiy. Thank you for this amazing recipe, I will try more of them. 🙂

      Reply
    12. Chef Amber says

      January 28, 2022 at 5:25 am

      5 stars
      Definitely trying this ! 😋😋

      Reply
    « Older Comments

    Primary Sidebar

    Hi I’m Nicky

    I love to cook and I want to share with you my favourite, delicious family friendly recipes. I want to inspire you to create fantastic food for your family every day.

    Read More

    Recipes by category:

    • Popular Recipes
    • Asian
    • Curries
    • Quick Dinner Recipes
    • British Classic Recipes
    • BBQ
    • Roast Dinner
    • Street Food
    • Pasta
    Search For a Recipe

    Our Top Trending Recipes:

    • Crispy Sesame Chicken with a Sticky Asian Sauce
    • Honey Garlic Chicken
    • The Best Crispy Roast Potatoes
    • Cheesy Pasta Bake With Chicken And Bacon
    • Easy Chicken Curry
    • Easy Satay Sauce Recipe
    • Korean Fried Chicken
    • Creamy Tuna Pasta Bake

    FREE recipes direct to your inbox!

    Never miss a recipe and sign up for our completely FREE emails.

      Featured Recipes:

      • Chilli Con Carne
      • Traditional Lancashire Hotpot
      • Creamy Chicken Pot Pie
      • Egg Fried Rice
      • Korean Fried Chicken
      • Copycat Firecracker Chicken
      • Buffalo Chicken Pasta
      • Slow Cooker Spicy Chicken Curry
      As Featured On
      brit and co logo
      buzzfeed logo
      cheshire life logo
      country living logo
      beautiful home and life logo
      my fitness pal logo
      Neff logo
      The telegraph logo
      The Kitchn logo
      Vegetarian society logo

      Footer

      Nicky Corbishley is the recipe creator and photographer for Kitchen Sanctuary. Wife to Chris (chief techie and videographer) and mum to Lewis and Gracey. Read More…

      DMCA.com Protection Status

      Most Recent Recipes

      • Spicy Arrabbiata Sauce Recipe
      • Air Fryer Roast Chicken Dinner
      • Minced Beef Fried Rice
      • Chicken and Rice Soup
      • Easy Mulled Cider

      Copyright © 2023 LoveFoodCreative Ltd - Privacy Policy - Cookie Policy - Terms & Conditions