This easy homemade stir fry dinner recipe combines crisp-tender broccoli florets, cubed chicken thighs and crunchy green bell peppers all in a sticky garlic-soy-sesame sauce. Ready within 30 minutes — from start to finish!
Homemade Chinese Chicken and Broccoli
If you’re craving homemade takeout, this Chinese chicken and broccoli recipe is exactly what you need! It’s quick, easy, and tastes just as good—if not better—than your favorite takeout spot. Plus, high fives all around because you made it!
This chicken and broccoli stir-fry combines tender chicken thighs and crisp broccoli in a flavorful, saucy dish that’s easy to make and delicious to eat. No special equipment like a wok is required—just follow the simple steps.
We love our chicken and broccoli saucy, so this makes plenty of sauce for you to have extra for your rice! Serve it with steamed rice, and you’ve got a complete meal ready in 30 minutes that’s sure to become a weeknight favorite!
Recipe note: You can make this recipe with boneless chicken thighs or chicken breasts, but after many (seriously, so many) times making this, I fully believe chicken thighs and broccoli makes it taste the most authentic to takeout!
Need more broccoli recipe ideas? Try my homemade beef and broccoli stir fry, homemade chicken chow mein and butter garlic pasta with broccoli.
Chinese chicken and broccoli ingredients:
This is broken up into 3 sections: chicken marinade, vegetables and the brown sauce.
Chicken Marinade
- Chicken thighs or chicken breasts, cut up into bite-size pieces
- Soy sauce, we use low sodium.
- Kitchen basics: cornstarch, sugar, baking soda, vegetable oil, water
For the brown sauce
- Soy sauce, we use low sodium.
- Rice Cooking Wine
- Sesame oil
- Minced garlic
- Kitchen basics: brown sugar, vegetable oil and flour.
- Chicken broth, if you’re out of this you can also use water.
Vegetables
- Broccoli, chopped up into florets
- Green pepper, chopped up
How to Make Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry
In a large mixing bowl, mix the chicken marinade ingredients, stirring to fully coat the chicken. Set aside.
In a small bowl, combine the brown sauce ingredients.
Heat up vegetable oil in a large skillet. Add the chicken, its marinade, and 1/2 of the sauce mixture. Keep cooking until chicken is fully cooked.
Add broccoli, green pepper, remaining sauce, and a little extra liquid (chicken broth or water). Bring to a boil and cook until the sauce thickens and the broccoli is tender. Note: During the Summer I throw a handful of sugar snap peas into this dish too! We love the extra crunch!
Serve on top of steamed white rice, with plenty of extra sauce to soak it all in! Enjoy!
How to Store Leftovers
I doubt there will be any leftovers (there never is at our house!) but if there is, you can store in an airtight container in the refrigerator, good for 4 days. Heat up in the microwave until fully warmed up.
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Easy 30-Minute Chicken and Broccoli Stir-Fry
PrintIngredients
For the chicken marinade
- 1 pound chicken thighs, boneless and skinless cut up into bite size pieces
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce low sodium
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon water
For the sauce
- 1/3 cup soy sauce low sodium
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons flour
- 1 tablespoon rice cooking wine
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Vegetables
- 1 large head broccoli cut up into florets
- 1 small green bell pepper chopped
Additionally
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil to fry in
- 1 cup chicken broth *can sub with water*
Instructions
- In a large bowl mix together the chicken marinade ingredients: chicken thighs, cornstarch, sugar, baking soda, soy sauce, vegetable oil and water. Stir to fully coat the chicken. Set aside.
- In a smaller bowl mix together the brown sauce ingredients: soy sauce, minced garlic, brown sugar, flour, rice cooking wine, vegetable oil and sesame oil. Set aside.
- Heat up 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the chicken, it's marinade and 1/2 of the brown sauce mixture. Keep cooking until chicken is fully cooked, about 8-10 minutes, making sure to stir often to prevent sticking.
- Add broccoli, green pepper, remaining brown sauce and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and cook for 5-7 minutes or until the sauce thickens up and broccoli is tender.
- Serve in bowls with steamed rice. There's plenty of extra sauce to add on top! Enjoy!
Amanda says
Hello! I have been cooking this recipe for years now, and am expecting a baby in February. This NEVER lasts as leftovers, but was wondering if you’ve ever tried to freeze the raw marinated chicken, and sauce, separately, for food prep? Hoping to have this as a freezer meal after baby comes!
Pamela Reed says
Ahh, congrats Amanda!! Yes, you can absolutely freeze for meal prep! Good luck (and enjoy!).
Susan says
How long do you marinade the chicken?
Pamela Reed says
Only for a few minutes. I let the chicken marinade while I make the sauce, and then it’s ready to go! Hope this helps!
Jammer says
I can tell with a read-thru this will be a keeper!
Barb says
I’ve made this a couple times and will be making it many times to come. This is pretty, healthy and SO good-even better than takeout, I think. I make stir-fry rice to go with it but it would be great with simple white rice too. So much flavor. THANKS!
Beth Trotter says
I love Chinese food and will be cooking it real soon cause I got all ingredients except the fresh broccoli.
Pamela says
Hope you enjoy Beth, it’s one of our favorite recipes!
Judy Wilson says
Can I use rice vinegar instead of the rice wine? Thank you.
Pamela says
Hey Judy, you absolutely can!
Laurie Rasor says
Have A Good Day