This stir-fried chicken and mixed vegetables is a great meal for a weekday that takes less than 30 minutes to make.

This stir-fried chicken and mixed vegetables is a great meal for a weekday that takes less than 30 minutes to make. It’s easy, tasty, and full of juicy, tender chicken breast and vegetables all mixed together in a brown sauce. To finish off the meal, serve this with shrimp lo mein or egg fried rice.

This chicken with mixed vegetable stir fry is a great weekday meal that takes less than 30 minutes. Loaded with juicy, tender chicken breast and vegetables all tossed in a brown sauce, it is simple, easy, and delish! Pair this with some egg fried rice or shrimp lo mein to complete the meal.

Prep Time 15 minutes mins
Cook Time 10 minutes mins
Total Time 25 minutes mins

Yield: 3 servings

Notes on the ingredients

For soaking the chicken in marinade:

• Chicken breast: We usually choose dark meat chicken, like thighs, because they are the juiciest and tastiest. But for simple stir-fry dishes like this chicken with mixed vegetables, boneless, skinless chicken breast is the best choice because the flavor is much cleaner.
• Water: This keeps the chicken hydrated, which keeps the meat as juicy as possible.
• Shaoxing cooking wine: Shaoxing rice wine in the marinade helps get rid of any bad taste in the chicken.
• Salt: Used to flavor the chicken.
• Baking soda: Will make the chicken a little more tender. Baking soda also makes the chicken breast hold on to water, which keeps it very juicy.
• Cornstarch: A key ingredient for velveting the chicken breast slices and holds the batter together. Velveting is a way to prepare and cook meat that keeps it juicy and tender.
• Oil: Any oil that isn’t flavored will work. The oil helps you pull the chicken apart more easily.

To make the sauce for the stir fry:

• Soy sauce: Use regular soy sauce instead of light sodium soy sauce (like Kikkoman) since light sodium soy sauce is acidic and may make the sauce taste too “salty”.
• Water: Used to thin out the soy sauce and make the sauce more balanced. Chicken stock without salt can also be used.
• Sugar: Regular granulated sugar is fine. It makes the stir fry sauce sweeter and more complete. Honey can be used but changes the taste slightly.
• Dark soy sauce and chicken bouillon powder: Optional. Dark soy sauce makes the sauce darker; chicken bouillon powder adds depth.
• Cornstarch: Used to make the sauce thicker.
• Toasted sesame oil: Gives a nutty, toasted flavor to the chicken and mixed vegetable stir fry.

For the rest of the meal:

• Mixed vegetables: Any vegetables you want. Used snow peas, broccoli, carrots, red bell pepper, zucchini, and mushrooms. Cut into pieces that are easy to eat or preferred size.
• Garlic and ginger: Spices that give the stir fry sauce a lot of flavor.
• Oil: For cooking. Any neutral oil works.

Please scroll down to the recipe card for the ingredient quantities!

• 20 ounces skinless boneless chicken breast cut into ¼ inch slices (about 2 chicken breasts)
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine (optional)
• ½ teaspoon Kosher salt fine salt is okay too
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon oil any neutral oil is fine
• ¾ cup water
• 2½ tablespoons regular soy sauce
• 1½ tablespoons granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder optional
• ¼ teaspoon dark soy sauce optional for color
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
• 1 pound mixed vegetables of your choice cut into desired size (We used broccoli, carrots, bell pepper, zucchini, mushrooms, and snow peas.)
• 1 tablespoon of minced garlic (about 2–3 cloves)
• 1 tablespoons ginger peeled and minced (about 1 inch knob)
• Oil as needed for cooking (any neutral oil)

How to stir-fry chicken with a mix of vegetables

To soak the chicken:

1. Put the sliced chicken breast, water, Shaoxing rice wine, salt, and baking soda in a bowl and mix them together. Mix until the chicken has taken in most of the liquid.
2. Add the cornstarch and mix until the chicken is well coated. Finish the marinade by add the oil. Mix until well combined. Set aside to marinate for 10 to 15 minutes as you prepare the rest of the ingredients. If you have time, let the chicken marinade overnight in the fridge.

Cut and marinate your chicken breasts first. You can prepare the rest of your ingredients as the chicken marinates to maximize your time.

Prepare the sauce:

Combine all the ingredients for the stir fry sauce and whisk until no more clumps of cornstarch is visible. Set aside until needed.

In a bowl or measuring cup, combine all the ingredients for the sauce (water, soy sauce, sugar, chicken bouillon powder, dark soy sauce, cornstarch, sesame oil). Whisk until no more cornstarch clumps are visible. Set aside until needed.

If you prefer a thinner sauce, use 1 to 2 teaspoons less cornstarch. Likewise, if you prefer your stir fry sauce thicker, use 1 to 2 teaspoons more.

Blanche the mixed vegetables

Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the mixed vegetables according to their heartiness. Cook the veggies to your desired tenderness.

Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the vegetables to the boiling water according to heartiness and cook to desired tenderness. After cooking, drain the vegetables and put them aside.

Broccoli and carrots are two examples of heartier vegetables that can be cooked for longer. Where as snow peas are way more tender and only require to be added at the last few seconds of cooking. If you prefer, you could also cook each vegetables separately.
Broccoli and carrots, for example, are tougher vegetables that can be cooked for a little longer. Where as snow peas are way more tender and only require to be added at the last few seconds of cooking. If you prefer, you could also cook each vegetables separately.

Make the chicken and vegetable stir fry:

1. 1. Pan fry the chicken. Add enough oil into a wok or pan to cover the bottom and heat over medium high heat. Add the marinated chicken and cook on both sides until the chicken is just cooked. Remove the chicken and set aside until needed.

Put enough oil in a wok or sauté pan over medium-high heat to cover the bottom well. After the oil is hot, add the marinated chicken and cook it on both sides until it is done. To make sure that each piece of chicken cooks evenly, cut it up. Cook in small batches if necessary. Remove from the wok/pan and set aside.

Don’t overcrowd the wok/pan! Cook the chicken in smaller batches if necessary and make sure to separate the chicken so that each piece is cooked evenly. Also, there’s no need to have color on the chicken, but if you prefer, you can sear each piece of chicken until golden.
The chicken doesn’t need to have color, but if you prefer, you can sear the chicken until golden brown.

1. 1. Stir fry the aromatics and make the sauce. Turn the heat down to medium in the same pan and keep 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the ginger and garlic and cook for 15 to 30 seconds, or until they smell good. Mix the sauce together and add it to the pan. Let the sauce cook until thickened and glossy. Make sure to stir constantly.

Reduce the heat to medium and keep about 2 tablespoons of oil in the pan. Drain excess oil if necessary. Add the mined garlic and ginger and stir fry until fragrant, about 15 to 30 seconds. Give the prepared stir fry sauce a good mix and pour it into the pan with the garlic and ginger. Let the sauce heat up until it starts to simmer and the sauce looks thickened and glossy. Make sure to stir frequently to prevent the sauce from scorching on the bottom and to help the sauce thicken evenly. Reduce the heat to medium low if necessary.

1. 1. Coat everything in sauce. Add the chicken and mix until the chicken is well coated. Then, add the blanched mixed vegetables and toss until the veggies are well coated with sauce. Enjoy while hot!

Once the sauce looks thick and glossy throughout, reduce the heat to low and add the chicken. Mix until the chicken is well coated. Then, add the blanched mixed vegetables and toss until the veggies are well coated with sauce. Serve with rice or lo mein and enjoy while hot!

Cooking tips

• Don’t cook the mixed vegetables too long! Add the vegetables to the boiling water according to their heartiness. This way, your vegetables won’t become overcooked. For example, carrots and broccoli is much heartier than snow peas. So add the carrots and broccoli first. Then, towards the last 5 to 10 seconds of cooking, add the snow peas.
• Toss the chicken in stir fry sauce first. It is easier to coat the chicken with sauce first. Then add the vegetables. The vegetables are bigger, which will make it harder to mix and toss them. This method also prevents vegetables like broccoli florets from soaking up all the sauce.

How to store and reheat

Leftover chicken with mixed vegetables can be stored in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 4 days. Make sure to let the leftover cool completely before refrigerating.

You can reheat the chicken with mixed vegetable stir fry using the microwave or in a pan, on the stovetop. If you’re reheating in the microwave, make sure to use a microwave safe container and cover the chicken with mixed vegetables.
Do note that the stir fry sauce on day two will be thinner and the vegetables won’t be as crispy as when freshly made.

Freeze the chicken for easier cutting. Having the chicken breast semi frozen will make slicing easier. But make sure to have the chicken full defrosted and drained before you start marinating.
If using frozen vegetables – Make sure to have the vegetables blanched (boiled) and drained. You can also microwaved it until hot. Make sure to drain most of the water.
Soy sauce: After getting a lot of feedback that the sauce was too salty, we tried the recipe again with different soy sauces. We found that light sodium Kikkoman soy sauce is less salty but more acidic, which can make the sauce taste “salty.” So instead, we updated the recipe using regular soy sauce but in smaller quantity.

FAQ

What is a good Shaoxing rice wine substitute?

If you can’t find Shaoxing rice wine, you can substitute it with some dry sherry. Simply dilute the sherry with half water and use as you would the Shaoxing rice wine. You can use water or stock instead of alcohol if you want.

Can I omit the baking soda?

We highly recommend using the baking soda because it is the key ingredient that helps to tenderize the chicken and helps the chicken retain moisture, keeping the chicken juicy after cooking.

What can I use to substitute cornstarch?

Potato starch is a suitable substitute for cornstarch. Use in equal quantity.