This teriyaki chicken stir fry recipe has broccoli, red peppers, onions, and tender chicken coated in a sweet and sticky sauce. A delicious weeknight meal!
You may also like my Easy Teriyaki Chicken Recipe - it's very similar to this but without the veggies.
What is mirin?
Mirin is a sweet Japanese rice wine (similar to sake but with more sugar) that helps give teriyaki sauce its signature flavor. Most grocery stores will carry a version of it (I use Kikkoman brand - it's described as "mirin style sweet cooking seasoning" and sometimes "Aji-mirin"), which is fine for this recipe. If you want something a little more authentic, you may want to check an Asian foods specialty shop. Mirin substitutions: If you don't have mirin, try a dry sherry or sweet marsala wine.
Keys to stir fry success:
- Prep everything beforehand. I am someone who usually cooks as I go along, but with stir fry you need everything to be ready to go!
- Don't over-crowd the pan. I cook the chicken in batches, and I don't add *too* many veggies because they won't sear as nicely and you'll end up with a watery stir fry, which is not as fun.
- You need to maintain a fairly high heat while stir frying. It's ok to reduce the heat a little bit if the pan starts to really smoke/things are burning, but don't turn it down too much. The second batch of chicken tends to cook a little faster because the pan is hotter, so make sure to pay close attention to it so you don't burn it.
- I like using tongs to quickly toss the ingredients while cooking. They're great for turning the chicken quickly. I also love my splatter guard for cooking the chicken - it reduces clean-up.
- The easiest way to store fresh ginger is to keep it in the freezer! That way you never run out, and it's also much easier to grate. I use my Microplane to grate it.
- Feel free to use a wok if you have one!
Recipe notes:
- You can definitely serve this dish over noodles instead of rice.
- This recipe doesn't make a ton of extra sauce, but it's sweet and rich, so I don't think that's necessary or else it would be a bit too cloying. It coats the chicken and veggies nicely.
Other chicken recipes you'll love:
Made this teriyaki chicken stir fry? Have questions? Leave me a comment below.
Teriyaki Chicken Stir Fry
This teriyaki chicken stir fry recipe has broccoli, red peppers, onions, and tender chicken coated in a sweet and sticky sauce. A delicious weeknight meal!
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts cut into 1" pieces
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- Pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons olive oil divided
- 1/2 medium onion chopped into fairly small pieces
- 2 cups broccoli florets cut into fairly small pieces
- 1/2 red bell pepper cut into fairly small pieces
- 1 cup uncooked rice
Sauce:
- 1/4 cup (packed) brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger grated
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 3 tablespoons mirin see note
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
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For this recipe, it's important to prep your ingredients before you start cooking. If serving with rice, I recommend getting it going prior to starting the recipe. Cook rice according to package directions.
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Add the sauce ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk everything together.
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Cut your veggies and onion into pieces that are bite-size (make sure that the broccoli is cut quite small) so they cook at a similar rate.
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Cut the chicken into 1" pieces and add them to a bowl. Sprinkle the pieces with the garlic powder and some pepper. Stir to combine. Add the cornstarch and stir until the chicken is coated.
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In a deep skillet, over medium-high heat, add 2 tablespoons of the oil. Let the pan heat up for a few minutes.
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Add the chicken pieces (do not crowd the pan - I recommend doing 2 batches), shaking off the excess cornstarch prior to adding them to the pan. Cook for 4 minutes and then flip and cook another 3-4 minutes or so (I flip using tongs to make it easy). Chicken should be browned and cooked through (165F). For the second batch, I add another tablespoon of olive oil to the pan. Transfer each batch of the chicken to a plate once it's done.
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If the pan is dry, add a small splash of olive oil (a teaspoon or so), and then add the onions. Cook for 1 minute, stirring a few times.
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Add in the broccoli and peppers, and cook for 3 minutes, stirring often. Veggies should be tender-crisp. Give it a little longer if you want them softer.
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Add the chicken back to the pan and stir in the sauce (whisk it again quickly prior to pouring it in). Let it bubble until thickened (less than a minute), stirring constantly so everything is coated. Take the pan off the heat. Serve immediately over rice or noodles.
Recipe Notes
- The rice quantity is my suggestion for 4 people, but feel free to make more/less or whatever you usually make for 4 people.
- Please read the post for stir fry tips - especially if you're not very experienced with this type of recipe.
- Mirin is a sweet Japanese rice wine. For this recipe, it's fine to use the grocery store version (found in the Asian foods aisle near soy sauce etc.). I use Kikkoman brand.
- The fresh ginger is much easier to grate if it's frozen. I always keep some fresh ginger in the freezer and I use my Microplane grater/zester to easily grate it.
- Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy only and should be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Salt & Lavender makes no guarantees to the accuracy of this information. Nutrition info does NOT include rice for this recipe.
Joy says
I made this for my husband and I’s supper tonight. It’s awesome... my husband can be picky but he loved it. This will remain on my household menu. Thank you for sharing!
Natasha says
That's great to hear!! Thanks for letting me know, Joy! 🙂
Barbie says
I made this tonight it was amazing! I added carrots, pineapple & water chestnuts. I also didn’t have Morin so I used teriyaki sauce it was really good.
Natasha says
So glad you enjoyed it!!
Angela says
Delicious and easy! I doubled the veggies to stretch the meal it the chicken was the really star. The sauce was easy and amazing. I had everything in my pantry already.
Natasha says
Wonderful!! So happy to hear that!
Tam says
This was absolutely delicious! Wonderful recipe!
Natasha says
So glad you enjoyed it, Tam! 🙂 Thanks for commenting!
Pete says
Very good could use some pineapple!!!
Natasha says
Good idea... yes, I think that would be a good addition for sure!
Amy says
I have my parents over for dinner on Tuesday nights. My dad is the type of guy that will eat anything, but usually isn’t thrilled about it. This is the second recipe I have made from you (the other was the creamy chicken florentine) that he loved! I can’t wait to try more! Thank you!
Natasha says
Haha I like the sound of your dad! I'm so happy that he enjoyed it!
Sharon says
I am not a great cook by any means but I love stir-fry. It’s my favorite dish. I really enjoyed making this recipe. It was simple and easy to make. My husband went back for seconds and he’s one of the best cooks I know. BTW he’s from Louisiana so you know he can cook. Don’t get me started on his red beans & rice & Jambalaya LOL. So, when he went back for seconds I had to write to you to say thank you. You made a Thursday night meal memorable & tasty!
Natasha says
I'm so happy to hear that!! 🙂 Your comment made my day.
Christelle says
Delicious! The sauce is well-balanced, not to salty and sugary (love that). There isn’t any ingredient that is over powering and, the chicken is tender.
It’s and healthy and quick meal to add to a busy week day for sure. 🙂
Natasha says
I'm so happy that you enjoyed the balance of flavors! I definitely spent a bit of time tweaking them. 🙂 Thank you!!