Garlic-Ginger Chicken Stir-Fry is a quick and easy stir-fry with chicken breast, bok choy, red onion, peanuts and basil.
Garlic-Ginger Chicken Stir-Fry
Ginger, soy sauce, garlic, and chili paste turn boring chicken breast into a delicious main dish that’s just right for dinner or lunch the next day. It’s perfect on its own or with rice or noodles to soak up the sauce. More chicken stir-fry recipes you will love are Chicken and Broccoli Stir-Fry, and Chicken Zucchini Stir-Fry, and if you like beef you’ll love this Skirt Steak and Bok Choy Stir-Fry.
This simple chicken stir-fry recipe is slightly modified from What’s Gaby Cooking: Take It Easy: Recipes for Zero Stress Deliciousness. After the birth of her Gaby’s daughter she wanted to focus on recipes that didn’t require as much cooking and preparation time but were still delicious. This book aims to provide dozens of recipes that are simple enough to make and look delicious!
Although they’re not low calorie books, I was able to easily modify this recipe by using chicken breast instead of thighs, adding more bok choy, and reducing the oil a bit. It was delicious. Gaby says, “Everyone needs a good stir-fry recipe up their sleeve, and THIS IS IT. Seriously, it comes together in seconds, is gingery and garlicky in all the right ways, and the saucy bits are perfect for spicing up some white rice.”
What is the secret to a good stir-fry?
For a really good stir-fry, ensure your pan is very hot, and don’t overcrowd the meat or veggies. Have all your ingredients prepped ahead. You want everything to cook quickly and evenly.
Chicken Stir-Fry Ingredients
- Stir-Fry Sauce: Fresh ginger, reduced-sodium soy sauce or tamari, rice vinegar, garlic, sugar, toasted sesame oil, cornstarch, chili paste
- Chicken: Thinly slice boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
- Vegetables: Bok choy and red onion
- Peanuts: Crush dry-roasted peanuts.
- Basil: Traditional or Thai basil will work.
How to Make Chicken Stir-Fry
- Marinade: Whisk the eight sauce ingredients together in a bowl. Remove a third cup and set it aside. Add the chicken to the remaining sauce and marinate it for at least 30 minutes or as long as four hours.
- Chicken: If you have a wok, use it. Otherwise, heat a large, heavy cast- iron or stainless-steel skillet with a lid over high heat. Pour a teaspoon of vegetable oil into the pan, and add half of the chicken to the pan. Cook for a few minutes on each side, and transfer to a plate once done. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
- Onions: Clean the skillet and pour in the remaining teaspoon of oil. Once hot, sauté the onions until they’re lightly charred but still have some crunch.
- Sauce and Bok Choy: Return the chicken to the skillet, and pour in the remaining marinade and a half cup of water. Cook for a minute and then stir in the bok choy until wilted.
- Garnish: Transfer the stir fry to a platter, and sprinkle with peanuts and basil.
What to Serve with Chicken Stir-Fry
I skipped the rice since the portion was large – two cups! If I eat this garlic chicken stir-fry with rice, it could easily serve six instead of four. You could use brown, jasmine, or coconut rice or cauliflower rice for a low-carb option. This healthy chicken stir-fry would also be great with noodles, like soba, rice, or udon noodles.
How to Freeze Stir-Fry
Leftover stir-fry, which will last three days, makes for easy lunches during the week. You can also freeze it for up to three months. Thaw it in the fridge and reheat it in the microwave.
Stir-Fry Variations:
- Protein: Swap chicken thighs for chicken breasts.
- Onions: White or yellow onion will work if you don’t have red.
- Nuts: Omit the peanuts if you want a nut-free stir-fry.
- Spiciness: If you prefer a milder stir-fry, decrease the amount of chili paste or omit it.
More Stir-Fry Recipes You’ll Love:
- Chicken Zucchini Stir-Fry
- Tofu Stir-Fry with Vegetables in Soy Sesame Sauce
- Beef Negimaki Stir-Fry
- Soba Noodle Veggie Stir-Fry
Your comments are helpful! If you’ve tried this healthy Garlic-Ginger Chicken Stir-Fry recipe or any other on Skinnytaste, don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave me a comment below. And if you took a photo of it, share it with me on Instagram so I can reshare on my Stories!
Garlic-Ginger Chicken Stir-Fry
Ingredients
- 1 1-inch knob fresh ginger, minced
- ⅓ cup reduced sodium soy sauce, or GF tamari
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar, or sugar substitute like monk fruit
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 to 3 teaspoons chili paste, to taste
- 1 1/2 pounds thin sliced boneless chicken breast cutlets, sliced into thin strips
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 medium red onion, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
- 15 ounces baby bok choy, roughly chopped (about 6 cups)
- 1/3 cup dry-roasted peanuts, crushed, for garnish
- ½ cup fresh Thai or traditional basil, torn
- Coconut jasmine rice, or cauliflower rice, optional for serving
Instructions
- In a bowl whisk together the ginger, soy, vinegar, garlic, sugar, sesame oil, cornstarch, and chili paste. Stir to combine. Remove ⅓ cup of the marinade and set aside.
- Add the chicken to the remaining marinade and let sit for at least 15 minutes up to 4 hours.
- Heat a large, heavy cast-iron or stainless steel skillet with a lid over high heat.
- Pour 1 teaspoon of the vegetable oil into the pan and swirl to coat.
- Use a slotted spoon to add half the chicken to the skillet, and stir and scrape the bottom with a wooden spoon.
- Cook chicken for about 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until golden brown. (Cover briefly, as needed, to prevent splatters.) Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- If your skillet has caked-on starch or burned garlic, return it to the heat and add a cupful of water to help scrape it off. Discard into the sink and wipe the skillet dry with paper towels.
- Heat another 1 teaspoon of oil. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
- Clean the skillet once more and pour in the remaining teaspoon of oil. Once hot, stir in the onions and sauté them until they are lightly charred but still retain some crunch, about 2 minutes.
- Add the chicken back in.
- Pour in the remaining marinade and add 1/2 cup water.
- Cook for another minute, then stir in the bok choy until wilted.
- Transfer to a platter and top with the crushed peanuts and basil.
- Serve over rice, or cauliflower rice, if desired. Makes 8 cups.
