This 20-minute Chinese Chicken and Broccoli is a saucy weeknight stir fry with ultra-tender velveted chicken, crisp-tender broccoli, and a rich, glossy sauce that’s perfect over rice.
Looking for another easy chicken dinner? Try my air fryer chicken leg quarters, or put extra broccoli to good use in my Bacon Broccoli Salad with cheddar and a creamy, tangy dressing.
Recipe Summary: Chinese Chicken and Broccoli (Saucy Stir Fry)
- ✅ Recipe Name: Chinese Chicken and Broccoli (Saucy Stir Fry)
- 🕒 Ready In: Ready in 50 minutes, including 20 minutes to velvet the chicken.
- 👪 Serves: 6 (easy to scale)
- 🍽 Calories: 228 per serving
- 🥣 Main Ingredients: Chicken breast, broccoli, soy sauce, oyster sauce, garlic, ginger
- 📖 Dietary Info: High-protein, dairy-free, gluten-free adaptable
- ⭐ Why You'll Love It: Tender velveted chicken, crisp broccoli, and plenty of glossy stir fry sauce make this an easy takeout-style dinner at home.
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This is one of my go-to recipes when I want takeout-style flavor at home. Velveted chicken, crisp-tender broccoli, and a glossy savory sauce make it especially good over fluffy rice.
The velveting step takes a little extra time, but it gives the chicken that soft, restaurant-style texture.
If you love quick, saucy dinners like this one, try my chicken cashew stir fry or this easy Spam fried rice recipe next
Why you'll love this recipe
- Restaurant-style chicken: Velveting keeps the chicken incredibly tender and juicy.
- Plenty of sauce: A glossy, savory stir fry sauce coats every bite of chicken and broccoli.
- Easy weeknight dinner: Once the chicken is velveted, the stir fry comes together quickly.
- Better than takeout: Familiar Chinese chicken and broccoli flavor made fresh at home.
Jump to:
- Recipe Summary: Chinese Chicken and Broccoli (Saucy Stir Fry)
- Why you'll love this recipe
- Key Ingredients
- Variations and Substitutions
- How to Make Chinese Chicken and Broccoli
- How to Prep This Stir Fry Ahead
- Chinese Chicken and Broccoli FAQs
- Serving Suggestions
- More Asian-Inspired Recipes
- Chinese Chicken and Broccoli Recipe
Key Ingredients
- Chicken breast. Use boneless, skinless chicken breast sliced into thin ¼-inch strips so it cooks quickly and stays tender.
- Baking soda. A small amount of baking soda is used to velvet the chicken, tenderizing it and giving it that soft, restaurant-style texture.
- Oyster sauce and soy sauce. This combination gives the stir fry sauce its savory, slightly sweet flavor and plenty of depth.
- Toasted sesame oil. Adds a rich, nutty flavor that gives the finished Chinese chicken and broccoli that classic takeout-style taste.You’ll also use it in my Korean spicy cucumber salad.
See the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and quantities.
Variations and Substitutions
| Meat Swaps | Use boneless, skinless chicken thighs, shrimp, or thinly sliced beef instead of chicken breast. Chicken thighs don’t need to be velveted, since they stay tender more easily. If using shrimp, skip the baking soda marinade. |
| More Veggies | Add sliced bell peppers, onions, mushrooms, asparagus, green beans, or bok choy. |
| Add Nuts | Stir in toasted cashews or walnuts at the end for extra crunch. |
| Sauce Substitutions | Swap brown sugar for honey, fresh ginger for ginger paste, or rice wine for rice vinegar. For a gluten-free version, use tamari and gluten-free oyster sauce. |
How to Make Chinese Chicken and Broccoli
- Step 1: Velvet the chicken. Slice the chicken into thin ¼-inch strips and place in a bowl with the baking soda. Toss until evenly coated and let rest for 20 minutes.
- Step 2: Rinse and dry. Rinse the chicken thoroughly under cold running water to remove the baking soda, then drain and pat very dry with paper towels.
- Step 3: Make the sauce. While the chicken rests, whisk all sauce ingredients together until well combined. Whisk again just before adding to the pan.
- Step 4: Cook the chicken. Heat avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in 2 batches, cook the chicken for about 2 minutes on the first side, then flip and cook 3–4 minutes more, until cooked through. Transfer to a plate and repeat with the remaining chicken.
- Step 5: Cook the broccoli. Add the broccoli to the skillet in an even layer. Add the water and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Pour in the sauce, cover, and cook over medium-low heat for 3–5 minutes, until the broccoli is crisp-tender.
- Step 6: Finish the stir fry. Return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the skillet. Toss with the broccoli and sauce and cook over medium-low heat for about 2 minutes, until everything is heated through and the sauce is thick and glossy.
Expert Tips
- Keep the chicken tender. Work quickly and remove the chicken from the pan as soon as it’s cooked through. Velveting the chicken as directed also helps give it that soft, restaurant-style texture.
- Thicken the stir fry sauce. Cornstarch thickens the sauce quickly once it hits the hot pan, so let it simmer briefly until glossy and thick enough to coat the chicken and broccoli.
How to Prep This Stir Fry Ahead
This Chinese chicken and broccoli is easy to prep ahead so everything is ready when it’s time to cook.
- Prep the broccoli. Wash and cut the florets a few days ahead, or use pre-cut broccoli to save time.
- Prep the chicken. Slice and velvet the chicken, then rinse and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
- Make the sauce. Mix the sauce up to 3 days ahead and refrigerate. Whisk or shake well before using.
Chinese Chicken and Broccoli FAQs
The sauce is made with soy sauce, oyster sauce, toasted sesame oil, rice cooking wine, brown sugar, chicken stock, and cornstarch. The cornstarch thickens everything into a glossy sauce that coats the chicken and broccoli.
You can safely cook chicken and vegetables in the same pan as long as the chicken reaches 165°F, but for this recipe they’re cooked separately. The chicken is cooked first and added back at the end so both the chicken and broccoli keep the best texture.
If the sauce is too thick, add a splash of water or chicken stock. If it’s too thin, let it cook a little longer or add a small cornstarch slurry made with equal parts cornstarch and water.
Slice the chicken thinly, velvet it with baking soda, and avoid overcooking it. Remove it from the pan as soon as it’s cooked through, then add it back to the sauce at the end.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this Chinese chicken and broccoli over white rice or brown rice to soak up the savory sauce. For a lighter option, try cauliflower rice.
Round out the meal with Chinese dumpling soup or Korean spicy cucumber salad. For extra heat, drizzle with Gochujang dipping sauce.
More Asian-Inspired Recipes
If you tried this Chinese Chicken and Broccoli or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting today!
Chinese Chicken and Broccoli Recipe
Equipment
- large frying pan, wok, or cast iron skillet, with lid
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast , cut into ¼” thick slices
- 1 ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoon Avocado oil , or neutral oil (plus more is needed)
- 1 lb broccoli florets , (about 1 large crown)
- sesame seeds , (for garnish/optional)
Stir Fry Sauce
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 ½ tablespoon fresh ginger, finely grated
- ¾ cup chicken broth , or chicken stock
- ½ cup plus 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 3 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 ½ tablespoon light brown sugar
- 3 tablespoon cornstarch
- 4 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 ½ tablespoon rice cooking wine
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes , (reduce to ¼ for less spicy sauce)
Instructions
- Slice chicken breast into thin ¼” slices. Toss with baking soda, and marinate for 20 minutes at room temperature. 2. After 20 minutes, rinse chicken under cold running water in a colander to remove baking soda, then transfer to a paper towel lined plate and pat dry to remove any excess liquid. Set aside. 3. Add all sauce ingredients to a large liquid measuring cup or mixing bowl, and whisk well to combine. 4. Add avocado oil to the pan, and heat over high heat for 2-3 minutes, until shimmering. 5. Once shimmering, reduce heat to medium-high. Working in 2 batches, cook chicken undisturbed for 1-2 minutes until It lifts easily from the pan and is golden brown. Flip over and continue to cook 3-4 minutes, until cooked through and no pink remains. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Repeat with second batch of chicken, adding additional avocado oil if pan is dry. 6. Once all chicken is cooked through, add the broccoli to the pan, and reduce heat to medium-low. Add ½ cup water, and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon or spatula. 7. Give the sauce a quick whisk to redistribute the ingredients, and add to the pot with the broccoli. Cover the pot with a lid and cook 3 -5 minutes, until broccoli is crisp-tender (tops of florets are softened, and stalks retain some texture). 8. Add the cooked chicken and any accumulated juices to the pan with the broccoli and sauce, and toss well to coat. Cook 2 minutes more, until chicken is warmed through. Serve with cooked rice and sesame seeds, if desired.
Sharon says
This is one of my favorite takeout-style dinners to make at home. Velveting the chicken really does make a huge difference in the texture, and I love how much sauce you get with the broccoli.
Anicia Obregon says
I love this recipe! I never trust a chicken and broccoli recipe unless it’s at a restaurant. This is very very good!
Sharon says
So happy to hear this, Anicia!!