Want a cheap meal that tastes delicious and is (somewhat) healthy? The answer to your prayers is stir-fry. Stir-Fry is so diverse, easy to make, and quick. It’s a great option for a weeknight dinner that packs a lot of flavors. The other great thing about stir fry is one basic recipe, like the one I’m about to share, can be changed in so many ways. Don’t like peppers? Use broccoli! Have a little of a bunch of veggies leftover? Throw them all in. Like your stir-fry with extra sauce? No problem. I love to have recipes like this on hand that I can customize based on what’s already in my kitchen or what looks good at the Farmers Market.
This recipe is pretty basic. It only has a few ingredients but it serves as a perfect base for many other stir-fry ideas. I’ve added an egg, used other meats like shrimp or beef, added in teriyaki or hoisin sauces to give it a richer flavor. You can add a little brown sugar if you like yours sweeter. As far as accompaniments… brown rice, white rice, jasmine rice, cauliflower rice, and my favorite- glass noodles for an Asian kind of spaghetti. Get creative and have fun! Life’s too short to cook boring food!
For this recipe, I decided to use peppers since they were on sale. I also choose chicken because we had some left in the freezer. I made brown rice to go along with the stir fry.
Step 1
Assemble your ingredients. 1 tablespoon of olive oil, 2 Peppers, 1 stalk of broccoli, 2 chicken breasts, 1 tablespoon of garlic (minced), 1 tablespoon of fresh ginger (minced), ¼- 1/3 cup of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of hoisin sauce.
Step 2
Dice your vegetables and then your chicken into small pieces- enough for one bite, placing them in separate bowls. This way you can use the same cutting board and knife. I like to do this before I begin cooking so I’m not rushing to get things done before something burns. If you’re ambitious you can mince your own garlic and ginger. I’m not that patient so I buy pre-minced garlic and ginger and keep them on hand. Once you have everything chopped it’s time to get to the fun part!
Step 3
Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Once your pan is heated add the olive oil,
garlic, and chicken. Cook the chicken until its juices run clear (this means it’s fully cooked and safe) stirring often. Once the chicken is cooked add your vegetables, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and ginger. Here is where you get to make your own decisions. If you like your vegetables crunchy you’re only going to leave them on for a few mins (5-7) if you like your vegetables more well done, keep the cooking longer. If you come to the end and think that your stir-fry is too dry, add more of the soy sauce and hoisin sauce. This is your kitchen and you can do what you want!
Once your vegetables have reached their desired state, serve immediately with any accompaniment you wish (I had brown rice).
Like I said, this is a super simple and adaptable recipe. Your creativity is what makes it fun! You could spice it up with Sriracha sauce or crushed red pepper. Sweeten it with brown sugar or honey. You’ve really got endless possibilities. This recipe takes about a half an hour to make which is great for a weeknight meal.
Weeknight Chicken Stir-Fry
Total Time 30mins
Ingredients
- 1 tbs. olive oil
- 1 tbs. minced garlic
- 2 chicken breasts (diced)
- 2 bell peppers (diced)
- 1 stalk of broccoli (diced)
- 2 tbs. hoisin sauce
- ¼-1/3 cup Soy Sauce
- 1 tbs. minced fresh ginger
- Brown rice to accompany
Directions
- Heat a large skillet over medium high heat, add the olive oil, garlic, and chicken. Cook until the chicken is cooked through (7-10mins).
- Once the chicken is finished, add the peppers, broccoli, hoisin sauce, soy sauce, and ginger. Sauté until the vegetables are cooked (5-7mins).
- When the vegetables are cooked to the desired level, serve immediately with rice.
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