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30-Minute Chicken and Broccoli

30 minute chicken and broccoli with a glossy soy-garlic sauce that clings to golden chicken bites and bright-green tender-crisp broccoli. Quick chicken dinner method: stir-fry, then toss everything in a thickened sauce over fluffy white rice.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Asian-American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken and broccoli
  • 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts Cut into bite-sized pieces.
  • salt To taste.
  • pepper To taste.
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch For coating chicken.
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil For stir-frying.
  • 4 cup broccoli florets Bright-green, cut into florets.
  • 4 garlic Minced (about 4 cloves).
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger Grated (about 1 tsp).
Soy-garlic sauce
  • 0.25 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch For thickening sauce.
  • 0.5 cup chicken broth
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • sesame seeds For serving.
  • green onions For serving.

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Coat and cook the chicken
  1. Toss the chicken with salt, pepper, and cornstarch until evenly coated with a light powdery layer.
  2. Heat 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil in a large wok or skillet over high heat; cook the chicken for 5-6 minutes until golden and cooked through, then remove to a plate.
Stir-fry broccoli
  1. Add the remaining vegetable oil to the pan and stir-fry the broccoli for 3-4 minutes until bright green and just tender-crisp.
Make the glossy sauce and toss
  1. Stir-fry the garlic and grated ginger for 30 seconds until fragrant.
  2. Whisk together the sauce ingredients, pour into the pan, and cook for 1-2 minutes until thickened into a glossy glaze.
  3. Return the chicken to the pan and toss to coat so every bite is lacquered in the dark amber sauce.
Serve
  1. Serve over rice, topped with sesame seeds and green onions.

Notes

Pro tip: for best browning, keep the pan hot and spread chicken pieces in a single layer before stirring. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days in an airtight container; reheat gently in a skillet with a splash of water or broth. Freezing is not recommended due to texture changes in the broccoli. For a lower-sugar option, use a sugar-free brown sugar substitute in the sauce while keeping the cornstarch amount the same to maintain thickness.