Our Healthy Chicken Stir-Fry recipe is a mouthwatering and nutritious dish that can be whipped up in less than 30 minutes. Tender pieces of succulent chicken are quickly sautéed to perfection in a heavenly sauce of orange marmalade, soy sauce, sherry, ginger and red pepper flakes. It’s served over an aromatic bed of Jasmine rice, alongside sautéed snow peas, toasted almonds, and bright green onions. Get ready for a taste explosion that’s as easy to make as it is to love!
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Why You’ll Love This Stir Fry Chicken Recipe
This irresistible recipe ticks all the boxes – it’s wholesome, tasty, and can be prepared in no time. Here’s a few reasons why I think this recipe works well, and why it’s part of my regular rotation for busy weeknight meals:
- Quick and easy. This recipe takes less than 30 minutes from start to finish, making it perfect for busy weeknights or last-minute dinner plans.
- Healthy and nutritious. Packed with lean chicken breast, vibrant snow peas, and nutritious almonds, it’s a wholesome meal that’s good for you.
- Flavor fusion. The sauce is a harmonious blend of sweet orange marmalade, savory soy sauce, a hint of sherry, a pop of ginger, and a bit of heat from red pepper flakes, creating a symphony of flavors.
- Tender chicken. Sautéing the chicken quickly ensures it stays moist and tender.
- Versatile. You can easily customize this stir-fry by adding your favorite vegetables or adjusting the sauce to your taste preferences. Don’t have snow peas? No problem – just use sugar snap peas, asparagus or even green beans.
- Balanced meal. With protein from the chicken, veggies for vitamins and fiber, and rice for sustenance, it’s a well-rounded dinner option.
- Aromatic and fresh. The aroma of ginger and green onions infuses the dish, giving it that extra layer of freshness and appeal.
- Satisfying texture. Toasted almonds provide a delightful crunch that contrasts beautifully with the tender chicken.
Chicken Stir Fry Healthy Ingredients
Here’s an overview of what you’ll need to create this delectable dish (details, including quantities, are in the recipe card below):
- Basmati rice (can also use Jasmine or brown rice)
- Low sodium soy sauce
- Dry sherry
- Orange marmalade
- Fresh ginger
- Cornstarch
- Red pepper flakes
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken tenderloins
- High smoke point oil (grapeseed, vegetable, canola)
- Chinese pea pods (also known as snow peas)
- Kosher salt
- Slivered almonds
- Green onions
- Fresh ground pepper
- Navel orange, for garnish
- Cilantro, for garnish
- Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
Note: my favorite purchased orange marmalade comes from my good friends Denise and Stan Hitchock’s company, Classic Country. It works perfectly in this recipe!
Stir Fry Chicken Substitutions and Additions
Stir-fry dishes are incredibly versatile, and you can easily substitute or add ingredients to customize your meal to your liking. Here are some ideas:
Substitutions
- Protein. Instead of chicken, try using tofu, shrimp, lean pork, beef, or even tempeh for a different flavor and texture.
- Vegetable. Mix and match vegetables based on what you have on hand or your preferences. For instance, you can use asparagus, snap peas, green beans, or bok choy.
- Nuts. Instead of almonds, use chopped peanuts or cashews.
- Grain. Use brown basmati or jasmine rice instead of white. Alternatively consider using quinoa or whole-grain noodles.
- Garnishes. Instead of cilantro, garnish with chopped fresh basil, mint or parsley.
- Gluten free. Make sure to use gluten-free soy sauce (tamari).
Additions
- Add sautéed sliced mushrooms.
- At the end, add chopped water chestnuts, cucumber or bean sprouts.
How to Make Healthy Chicken Stir Fry
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
- Prep sauce.
In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, sherry, marmalade, ginger, cornstarch and red pepper flakes. Add chopped/shredded chicken and stir to mix. Set aside. - Cook pea pods.
In a wok, medium sauté pan or skillet, heat 2 teaspoons of oil over medium high heat. When hot, add the pea pods and a sprinkle of salt; cook, stirring constantly, just until peas are beginning to soften. Remove and place in oven to keep warm. Don’t clean out the pan! - Cook almonds.
In the same pan, heat 2 teaspoons of oil over medium high heat. When hot, add the almonds and cook, stirring constantly, until brown. Remove and place in oven to keep warm. Still don’t clean out the pan! - Cook onion.
In the same pan, heat remaining 2 teaspoons of oil over medium high heat. When hot, add the green onion and cook, stirring constantly, until crisp-tender. Remove and place in oven to keep warm. Still don’t clean out the pan! - Cook chicken and sauce.
Add chicken mixture to pan and cook, stirring constantly, until chicken is cooked through, around 5 to 7 minutes.
6 Stir Fry Tips and Techniques
Stir-frying is a versatile cooking method that can yield delicious and quick meals. Growing up, my mom frequently made some version of stir-fried chicken for the family on busy weeknights. Here are some stir-fry tips and techniques I learned from her, to help you master this culinary art:
- Preparation is key. Gather and prepare all your ingredients before you start cooking (called “mise en place”). Chop, slice, and measure all ingredients to have everything ready to go.
- High heat is essential. A hot wok, sauté pan or a large, deep skillet is ideal for stir-frying. The high heat helps to sear the ingredients quickly, retaining their crispness and flavors.
- Use a high smoke point oil. Choose an oil with a high smoke point, like peanut, canola, or grapeseed oil. They can withstand the high heat without burning.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan. If you have a large quantity of ingredients, cook them in smaller batches to avoid overcrowding the pan. Overcrowding can cause ingredients to steam rather than stir-fry.
- Stir constantly. Continuously stir or toss the ingredients with a spatula or spoon to ensure even cooking and prevent sticking.
- Don’t overcook. Stir-frying is fast, so keep a close eye on your ingredients to avoid overcooking, especially the chicken which can become tough and dry if overcooked.
How to Serve Chicken Stir Fry with Rice
Here are two options for how to serve this stir fry dish:
- To serve in individual bowls: Divide cooked rice evenly between 4 to 6 shallow bowls (I like to use pasta bowls, that are a bit flatter on the bottom). Arrange each stir-fry ingredient in sections on top of the rice – chicken, pea pods, almonds, green onion (see photo). Garnish with the sliced orange, cilantro and sesame seeds.
- To serve on one large platter: Spread cooked rice in an even layer on a large serving platter. Place chicken in center. Top with green onion, then almonds. Arrange pea pods and orange slices, in alternating groups, around the edge. Garnish with cilantro and sesame seeds.
How to Store Stir Fry Chicken
If you have leftovers, place in an airtight container and refrigerate. They will keep for up to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave.
Chicken Stir Fry with Rice
Healthy Chicken Stir Fry uses a limited amount of oil to cook a fresh, flavorful and colorful mixture of chicken, pea pods, almonds and green onion.
Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 4 to 6 servings 1x
Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
Scale
(See gluten-free adaptations in the Notes section at the bottom of the recipe.)
- 3 cups cooked Basmati rice (can also use Jasmine or brown rice)
- 1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce, plus more for serving – see Note
- 2 tablespoons dry sherry
- 2 tablespoons orange marmalade
- 2 teaspoons chopped or grated fresh ginger (or 1/2 teaspoon dried ginger)
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or more to taste
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (around 3 breast halves) or chicken tenderloins, cut into 1/2-inch chunks
- 2 tablespoons high smoke point oil (grapeseed, canola, or vegetable), divided
- 12 ounces Chinese pea pods (also known as snow peas)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 cup slivered almonds
- 2 bunches green onions (around 10), chopped
- Fresh ground pepper, to taste
- 1 navel orange, sliced and slices cut in half, for garnish
- Cilantro, for garnish
- Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, sherry, marmalade, ginger, cornstarch and red pepper flakes. Add chicken and stir to mix. Set aside.
- In a wok, medium sauté pan or skillet, heat 2 teaspoons of oil over medium high heat. When hot, add the pea pods and salt and cook, stirring constantly, just until peas are beginning to soften. Remove and place in oven to keep warm. Don’t clean out the pan!
- In the same pan, heat 2 teaspoons of oil over medium high heat. When hot, add the almonds and cook, stirring constantly, until brown. Remove and place in oven to keep warm. Still don’t clean out the pan!
- In the same pan, heat remaining 2 teaspoons of oil over medium high heat. When hot, add the green onion and cook, stirring constantly, until crisp-tender. Remove and place in oven to keep warm. Still don’t clean out the pan!
- Add chicken mixture to pan and cook, stirring constantly, until chicken is cooked through, around 5 to 7 minutes.
- To serve in individual bowls: Divide cooked rice evenly between 4 to 6 shallow bowls (I like to use pasta bowls, that are a bit flatter on the bottom). Arrange each stir-fry ingredient in sections on top of the rice – chicken, pea pods, almonds, green onion (see photo). Garnish with the sliced orange, cilantro and sesame seeds.
- To serve on one large platter: Spread cooked rice in an even layer on a large serving platter. Place chicken in center. Top with green onion, then almonds. Arrange pea pods and orange slices, in alternating groups, around the edge. Garnish with cilantro and sesame seeds.
Notes
Gluten free: Use gluten-free soy sauce.
- Category: quick and easy, main dish
- Method: Stir fry
- Cuisine: Healthy, Asian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/6 of recipe
- Calories: 438
- Sugar: 9.7 g
- Sodium: 636.8 mg
- Fat: 20 g
- Saturated Fat: 2.5 g
- Carbohydrates: 31.4 g
- Fiber: 5.5 g
- Protein: 34.3 g
- Cholesterol: 82.7 mg
Stir Fry Chicken Recipe FAQs
To ensure stir-fry chicken is tender, first cut chicken into chunks or strips around 1/2-inch in size, no larger. Second, cook on medium-high to high heat. Third, don’t crowd the pan. And lastly, don’t overcook it! Watch carefully, as it doesn’t take much time to cook.
In addition, there is a Chinese cooking technique called “velveting” that some chefs follow for tender stir fry. To velvet, dust the uncooked chicken pieces with baking soda, refrigerate for 20 minutes, then rinse the soda off with water and pat dry. (I have never found this step to be necessary in this stir fry recipe – my chicken always comes out tender!)
I have 6 key tips for ensuring your stir fry comes out perfectly – prep your ingredients ahead, cook on high heat, use a high smoke point oil, don’t overcrowd the pan, stir constantly, and don’t overcook. (A more detailed discussion is provided above in the “Tips and Techniques” section.)
Note: this post was originally published in 1918, then significantly updated with more detailed information in 2023.
Thanks Denise!
Lee
This looks yummy! Since I am into making healthy meals since my husband’s heart attack Healthy Chicken Stir Fry will certainly be a part of my meal planning. Our company (Classic Country Foods) makes a rich, wonderful Orange Marmalade, that will be perfect! I would love to provide this recipe to my customers who are purchasing that product. Thank you so much for posting this – and for keeping the heritage of your Mother and Aunt Ellene’s recipes.