Chicken
$1.49per plate
Prep
15 min
Chicken · Chicken Stir Fry
Chicken Stir Fry
Chicken stir fry is the one weeknight dinner that bends to whatever is in the fridge, and this version feeds four for about $1.79 a plate. Diced chicken gets seared, then tossed with broccoli, bell pepper, and onion in a glossy garlic-ginger-soy sauce that thickens in the pan, all spooned over rice. It is faster than takeout, lighter than takeout, and cheaper than takeout, which is the whole reason to keep a bag of frozen broccoli and a bottle of soy sauce on hand. Swap in any vegetables you have and the method never changes.
$1.79per plate
Estimated recipe total
$7.17 · serves 4
Cook
15 min
Total
30 min
Serves
4
1 How to make it
1
Start the rice and mix the sauce
Get the rice cooking first so it is ready when the stir-fry is. In a small bowl, whisk the soy sauce, cornstarch, brown sugar, and 1/4 cup water until the cornstarch dissolves. That is the sauce that turns glossy and coats everything at the end.
2
Sear the chicken
Heat the oil and sesame oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high. Add the diced chicken in a single layer and cook 4 to 5 minutes, stirring now and then, until golden and cooked through. Scrape it out onto a plate and set aside.
3
Stir-fry the vegetables
Add the onion and bell pepper to the hot pan and stir-fry 2 minutes, then add the frozen broccoli straight from the bag along with the garlic and ginger. Keep everything moving another 3 to 4 minutes, until the vegetables are bright and crisp-tender.
4
Sauce it and serve
Return the chicken to the pan, give the sauce a quick whisk, and pour it in. Toss for about a minute, until the sauce bubbles, thickens, and turns glossy and coats the chicken and vegetables. Spoon it over the rice and serve right away.
2 Cheaper ingredient swaps
- Any vegetables you have. Snap peas, carrots, mushrooms, zucchini, cabbage, or a bag of frozen stir-fry mix all work. Add firmer vegetables earlier and quick ones later so everything finishes crisp-tender at once.
- Chicken thighs for breast. Boneless thighs stay juicier and are often cheaper. Dice and cook them the same way, a minute or two longer.
- Serve over noodles instead of rice. Toss the finished stir-fry with cooked lo mein, ramen, or spaghetti for a chow-mein-style plate instead of spooning it over rice.
- Add heat. A spoon of sriracha, chili crisp, or a pinch of red pepper flakes in the sauce gives it a takeout-style kick against the sweet soy glaze.
3 Budget tips
- Stir fry is the best way to turn one pound of chicken and a few vegetables into four full plates. The rice and the veg do the stretching, so a couple dollars of meat feeds the whole table.
- Frozen broccoli and a single bell pepper keep the vegetable cost low and the prep short. Whatever is cheapest or already in the crisper drawer goes in; the sauce ties it all together.
- Skip the bottled stir-fry sauce. Soy sauce, cornstarch, and a spoon of sugar make the same glossy glaze for pennies and let you control the salt.
4 Storage, freezing & reheating
Fridge
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days. The sauce keeps the chicken moist as it reheats, which makes this a reliable meal-prep lunch over rice.
Freezer
Freeze the cooked stir-fry (without the rice) for up to 2 months. The vegetables soften a little on thawing but hold up fine in the sauce. Reheat from frozen in a covered skillet.
Reheating
Reheat in a skillet over medium with a splash of water to loosen the sauce, or microwave in short bursts. Warm the rice alongside so both are hot at once.
5 Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
400
Protein
31g
Fat
8g
Carbs
52g
Estimates per serving with rice, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not a substitute for medical advice.
6 Frequently asked questions
What vegetables are best in a chicken stir fry?
Almost anything. Broccoli, bell pepper, and onion are the classic trio here, but snap peas, carrots, mushrooms, zucchini, and cabbage all work. Add the firmer vegetables first and the quick-cooking ones last so everything finishes crisp-tender together.
How do I get the glossy takeout-style sauce?
The cornstarch does it. Whisk it into the cold soy sauce and water before it hits the pan so it dissolves smoothly, then let the sauce come to a bubble. It thickens and turns glossy in about a minute as it coats the chicken and vegetables.
Why cook the chicken and vegetables separately?
Searing the chicken first, then removing it, keeps the pan hot enough to stir-fry the vegetables fast so they stay crisp instead of steaming. Everything comes back together with the sauce at the end.
How is the price per plate figured?
About $7.17 for the chicken, broccoli, bell pepper, onion, rice, and the pantry sauce, split across four servings, which comes to roughly $1.79 each. Buying chicken on sale and leaning on frozen and in-season vegetables keeps it there.
Helpful Tools for This Recipe
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- 12-inch nonstick skillet. A wide nonstick skillet browns ground meat, fries rice, and builds a one-pan sauce with less oil and easier cleanup. Best for everyday stovetop dinners like skillet meals, fried rice, pasta sauces, and patties.
- Cast iron skillet. Cast iron holds heat for a deep sear and moves from stovetop to oven, and it lasts for decades with basic care. Best for searing chops and chicken, and recipes that start on the stove and finish in the oven.
- Chef's knife. One sharp chef's knife handles almost all the chopping, from onions to chicken, and replaces a drawer of gadgets. Best for all-purpose prep in essentially every recipe on the site.
- Cutting board. A large, stable cutting board makes prep faster and safer, which matters when you cook most nights. Best for everyday chopping of onion, garlic, and vegetables across nearly every recipe.
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