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30-Minute Chicken and Broccoli

30 minute chicken and broccoli gets glossy with a soy-garlic sauce that thickens fast and coats tender chicken bites and bright-green broccoli florets. This easy chicken broccoli stir fry comes together quickly in one pan and is finished 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
  • 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 0.1 Salt and pepper to taste
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil divided (1 tbsp for chicken, 1 tbsp for broccoli)
Vegetables and aromatics
  • 4 cup broccoli florets
  • 4 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger grated
Sauce
  • 0.25 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch
  • 0.5 cup chicken broth
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 0.05 Sesame seeds and green onions for serving

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Coat the chicken
  1. Toss the chicken with salt, pepper, and cornstarch until coated. Keep the pieces evenly dusted so they brown instead of steaming.
Cook chicken and broccoli
  1. Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large wok or skillet over high heat, then cook the chicken for 5-6 minutes until golden and cooked through; remove. The pan should be hot enough that the chicken sizzles immediately.
  2. Add the remaining vegetable oil, then stir-fry the broccoli for 3-4 minutes until bright green and just tender-crisp. Keep it moving so the florets stay glossy and don’t over-soften.
Make the glossy sauce and toss
  1. Add the garlic and grated ginger, then stir-fry for 30 seconds. Cook only until fragrant to avoid a harsh garlic taste.
  2. Pour in the whisked sauce and cook for 1-2 minutes until thickened. The sauce should turn glossy and cling to the pan and broccoli.
  3. Return the chicken to the pan and toss to coat. Continue tossing just until everything is evenly glazed.
Serve
  1. Serve over rice with sesame seeds and green onions. Finish immediately for the best texture and shine.

Notes

Pro tip: whisk the sauce thoroughly so the second cornstarch fully dissolves before it hits the hot pan—this is what creates the dark amber gloss. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 3 days; reheat in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of chicken broth to loosen the sauce. Freezing isn’t recommended because broccoli texture softens after thawing. For a dairy-free option, keep as written (no dairy); to make it gluten-aware, use tamari in place of soy sauce.