It’s no secret that stir fry is such a great mid-week meal but sometimes it can be hard to figure out exactly how to make it happen to where it turns out just right. I’ve tried a lot of variations over the years, some with more success than others and this is my favorite way to make it!
The real secret in this recipe is to use a great wok, use fresh veggies not frozen and cook it hot and fast. We are loving this wok from Frieling Diamond Lite Wok.
You can use commercial stir fry sauce with your stir fry or check out our easy teriyaki sauce. It’s quick, easy and works every single time without fail!
To get started you will want to start your sauce if you are making one from scratch. This can bubble away in the saucepan while you work on your stir fry. Also decide whether you want to use rice or noodles as your base and get those started!
Then you want to prep your chicken and veggies. Get everything you are going to use into bite sized pieces to make quick work. While you do that heat up your wok on high heat with a bit of coconut oil and cook your chicken quickly.
Once that is done remove it and cook down the veggies to just al dente. If you are using a store bought sauce remove the veggies and add the sauce to the wok to warm it up. This isn’t necessary if you have made a sauce from scratch.
Then toss everything back into the wok, chicken, veggies, sauce and noodles if you are using. Cook for 1-2 minutes until nice and hot and serve immediately.
Learning how to stir fry is such a great skill set to have in your arsenal for easy dinner cooking!
Classic Stir Fry
INGREDIENTS
For the Stir-Fry:
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 lb chicken, chopped in bite size chunks
- Salt and pepper for taste
- 1 cup broccoli, chopped
- 1 cup carrots, julienned or shredded
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped
- ½ cup purple cabbage, shredded
- 1 green bell pepper, chopped
- 1 cup snow peas
- Serve with steamed rice or noodles
- Garnish with roasted sesame seeds and green onions
For the Basic Sauce:
- ¼ cup soy sauce (I like reduced sodium)
- ½ cup water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 4-5 tablespoons honey (to taste)
For a more Full-Flavored Sauce:
- ¼ cup soy sauce (I like reduced sodium)
- ¼ cup water (NOTE THIS IS REDUCED FROM ABOVE)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 4-5 tablespoons honey (to taste)
- 2-4 tablespoons rice vinegar (to taste)
- 4 tablespoons crushed pineapple
- 2 tablespoons pineapple juice
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon grated ginger
INSTRUCTIONS
For the Stir-Fry:
- Make your sauce if you are making one from scratch and allow to simmer while you assemble stir fry.
- Heat coconut oil in wok over high heat until very hot.
- Pat chicken dry and season with salt and pepper.
- Cook chicken quickly in wok until cooked through. Set aside.
- Return wok to high heat and add another bit of coconut oil.
- Add in veggies and cook for 3-4 minutes until just al dente tossing frequently.
- If using store bought sauce: remove veggies and add sauce to wok to warm. Then return veggies, chicken and noodles (if using) to pan and cook 2 additional minutes.
- If using homemade sauce: leave veggies in wok and add chicken, sauce and noodles (if using) to pan and cook 2 additional minutes.
- If not using noodles, serve over rice.
- Top with roasted sesame seeds and green onions. Serve immediately!
For the Sauce:
- In a small pot, whisk soy sauce, water, and cornstarch together until smooth. Add any of the optional additional ingredients you are using (vinegar, garlic, ginger, etc) .
- Heat over medium-high heat until warm and then whisk in honey until dissolved.
- Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and whisk constantly until desired thickness is reached. Do not leave unattended it thickens quickly once it gets boiling and will rapidly burn.
- Taste and adjust as desired. If too thick, thin with additional water to desired consistency.
- NOTE: Sauce will thicken as it stands. If too thick simply whisk in a few tablespoons of warm water at a time until desired consistency is reached.
