This easy stir-fry recipe for Chinese Chicken and Broccoli in a brown sauce is quick, easy and on the table in just 30 minutes – what more could you ask for?
This healthy version of a takeout favorite combines chicken, super healthy broccoli, garlic, and ginger for a delicious, weeknight dinner.
A Quick and Easy Weeknight Meal
This Chinese Chicken and Broccoli is perfect for busy mid-week meals because it’s so fast and simple to make. Plus, you can toss in any meat or vegetables you have.
This truly is dinner on the table in just 30 minutes that’s homemade. Making Chinese food from scratch isn’t at all complicated.
Whether you’re new to cooking or a seasoned cook, this Chinese chicken and broccoli recipe can be made in your kitchen to serve up a simple dinner the whole family can enjoy.
Choosing the Best Broccoli
- Choose bright green broccoli with firm, strong stalks.
- Woody Stems should be avoided. They will turn out hard and chewy when cooked.
- Avoid broccoli with yellowing florets. It’s a sign that it has gone past the stage of desirable texture.
- Select broccoli with compact florets. The more open the florets, the less fresh it is.
Restaurant Quality at Home
The recipe tastes like what you get from Chinese restaurants even though this is made using store-bought ingredients.
And it’s just 408 calories – it doesn’t get much better!
Why this recipe works:
- The use of fresh aromatics like ginger, garlic and green onions adds big bold flavors that make a stir-fry special.
- Using chicken thighs instead of breasts means more flavorful meat.
- Steaming the broccoli before adding it to the stir-fry allows for perfectly cooked broccoli every time.
- Cooking down the sauce to thicken it creates a sauce with deep, rich flavors.
How to Make Chinese Chicken and Broccoli:
Start with steaming the broccoli until it’s just undercooked (you’ll be adding it at the end to finish it off).
Next, heat the wok or pan and brown the chicken on all sides.
I use chicken thighs because it’s juicier and full of flavor. Once the chicken is browned, remove it from the wok and set aside.
Add some oil to the wok or pan and stir-fry the garlic, green onions and ginger (being careful not to let it get too dark).
Put the chicken back in the pan and add the soy sauce.
Add the hoisin sauce.
Next, add the hot water.
Drizzle with the honey.
Cover and simmer, turning & drizzling with honey now and again for 7-10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce reduced.
Add the broccoli to the pan.
Toss with the sauce until fully cooked.
It’s that simple. Serve and enjoy!
Impress your guests by serving this dish with my best ever fried rice for a real authentic tasting meal that’s completely homemade!
Other Recipes You’ll Love
Cook’s tips:
- Prepare all the ingredients before heating the pan or wok. When making a stir-fry, things move quickly. Have everything cut and measured before you start,
- Set the heat high. Heat your pan or wok before adding the oil. This step will help prevent sticking to the pan.
- Once the oil is added, spread it around the pan to coat it well. Choose an oil with a high smoke point. Like Vegetable or Peanut.
- If you like a thicker sauce, mix some cornstarch with a little cold water until smooth and mix it in at the end until thickened. See the recipe notes for more information.
- For an added crunch and texture, add some unsalted cashews or water chestnuts.
- Add mushrooms, carrots and snow peas to create a whole new dish that’s just as easy.
- Serve with brown rice for an extra healthy meal.
- Replace the Hoisin sauce with Teriyaki sauce or Oyster Sauce for a simple variation.
★ Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below!★
Chinese Chicken and Broccoli
Make this easy Chinese favorite at home -Made with garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and honey it's cheaper and much more flavorful than takeout.
Ingredients
- 1 large Head of Broccoli cut into florets
- 3 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- 6 boneless chicken thighs skinless
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and finely chopped
- 3 green/spring onions trimmed and sliced
- 1 inch piece of ginger peeled and chopped
- 2 Tablespoons Hoisin Sauce
- 3 Tablespoons light soy sauce (extra to taste)
- 6 Tablespoons honey approximately
- 6 tablespoons hot water
Instructions
-
Steam or sauté the broccoli to the softness just a bit firmer than you prefer & set aside.
-
Heat a wok over a high heat and add a bit of oil. Add the chicken and brown on all sides to seal the meat. Remove the chicken and set aside.
-
Fry the garlic, spring onion and ginger for 30 seconds in the hot wok, adding a little more oil if necessary, tossing now and then.
-
Put the chicken back in the wok. Add the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and the hot water and bring to a boil. Drizzle with some of the honey, cover, and simmer, turning & drizzling with honey now and again for 7-10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce reduced.
-
Add the broccoli and toss with the sauce until cooked through
Recipe Notes
- Prepare all the ingredients before heating the wok. When making a stir-fry, things move quickly. Have everything cut and measured before you start,
- Set the heat high. Heat your pan or wok before adding the oil. This step will help prevent sticking to the pan.
- Once the oil is added, spread it around the pan to coat it well. Choose an oil with a high smoke point. Like Vegetable or Peanut.
- If you prefer a thicker sauce: Mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch in with 1 tablespoon of cold water and stir until smooth paste forms. Stir into the simmering sauce bring to a boil and simmer just until any starchy taste has been cooked away.
Update Notes: This recipe was originally posted in 2014, but was updated in August of 2018 with slight changes to the recipe as well as including step by step photos, nutritional information, tips and a video.
Mike P says
I made this recipe for dinner tonight and it was a big hit. I have been on the look out for Chinese or Vietnamese chicken and broccoli style recipes and this one is a keeper. Only change I made was based on preference, chicken breast vs thigh – I adjusted cooking time accordingly as to not dry it out. Also, I didn’t have green onion on hand, but will definitely grab that for the next time. I will also look to add other veggies like red peppers and carrots to vary the texture and keep things interesting in future preparations. :o) Thank you very much for such a delicious and easy to follow recipe. I would give it 10 stars if I could, it was that good.
Erren's Kitchen says
What amazing feedback, thank you Mike, it is so awesome to hear!!
Jaa says
Wow! It’s the first time I’ve done a recipe and liked the outcome — and I used chicken breast and not thighs… and the chicken came out tasty (not dry). I also used Trader Joe’s Coconut Aminos instead of soy and no hoisin sauce. Next time I’ll add the hoisin sauce just to see how it changes the flavor. Great work!
Erren's Kitchen says
Thanks, Jaa for your feedback, I’m so glad you enjoyed it!