Quick Chicken Stir-Fry

Ingredients

• 250 g chicken breast or thigh, sliced thin
• 1 bell pepper, sliced
• 1 carrot, julienned or thinly sliced
• 1 cup broccoli florets, cut small
• 2 spring onions, sliced (keep white and green parts separate)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 cup jasmine rice (to serve)

Sauce:

• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar (or lime juice)
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 3 tbsp water

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Instructions

1. Prep everything first

1. Slice the chicken, chop all the vegetables, mince the garlic, grate the ginger.
2. Mix all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
3. Start cooking the rice now if you don’t have any ready.

2. Sear the chicken

1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat until smoking.
2. Add the sliced chicken in a single layer.
3. Sear for 2 minutes without stirring — let it get some color.
4. Stir-fry for another 1–2 minutes until cooked through.
5. Remove and set aside.

3. Stir-fry the vegetables

1. Add 1 tbsp oil to the same pan over high heat.
2. Add the broccoli and carrot first — they take longer.
3. Stir-fry for 2 minutes.
4. Add the bell pepper, garlic, ginger, and white parts of the spring onion.
5. Stir-fry for another 1–2 minutes until everything is crisp-tender.

4. Combine

1. Return the chicken to the pan.
2. Give the sauce a quick stir (the cornstarch settles) and pour it in.
3. Toss everything together over high heat for 1–2 minutes until the sauce thickens and coats everything in a glossy glaze.

5. Serve

1. Spoon over jasmine rice.
2. Top with the green parts of the spring onion.
3. A drizzle of sesame oil and sesame seeds if you have them.

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Tips

• Prep everything before you start. Stir-frying goes fast once the heat is on. Once the oil is hot, there’s no time to chop.
• High heat is everything. The wok should be smoking when the oil goes in. That’s how you get wok hei — that smoky, charred flavor.
• Don’t overcrowd the pan. Too much food at once = steaming, not stir-frying. Cook in batches if needed.
• Cornstarch in the sauce makes it cling. Without it, the sauce is watery and runs to the bottom of the plate.

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Variations

Variation	Change	Notes
Vegetable stir-fry	Omit chicken, add mushrooms, zucchini, snap peas	Fully vegetarian
With tofu	Replace chicken with 250 g firm tofu, cubed and pan-fried	Vegetarian protein
With prawns	Replace chicken with 250 g prawns	Cook prawns 2 min, don’t overcook
Spicy	Add 1 tbsp chili sauce or 1 diced red chili with the garlic	Thai-style heat
With noodles	Replace rice with 150 g rice noodles, cooked	Pad thai-ish

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Result

A fast, vibrant stir-fry with golden seared chicken, crisp-tender vegetables, and a glossy, savory sauce — served over steaming jasmine rice. Ready in 20 minutes from fridge to plate, and better than takeout.