Best Chicken Stir Fry with Broccoli, Mushrooms, and Water Chestnuts

Chicken Stir Fry is a delicious go-to whenever you're feeling like takeout.

Who can resist delicious juicy browned chicken thighs, sautéed broccoli, savory brown mushrooms, crisp water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, and a crazy good stir-fry sauce? Not me.

Jump to Recipe

As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This post contains affiliate links for products I use and love. You can read my full disclosure here. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. Thank you for supporting Wonders of Cooking so that I can continue to provide you with free gluten-free recipes.

Looking for More Healthy Recipes?

• Thai Chicken Salad with Creamy Peanut Sauce, Easy Lunch
• Chinese Chicken Salad with Homemade Sesame Soy Dressing - Gluten Free
• Teriyaki Salmon - Gluten Free - The BEST Homemade Teriyaki Sauce!
• Pineapple Pork Chops with Easy Glaze - Gluten Free
• Gluten Free Coconut Shrimp with Peach Lime Sauce
• Cold Sesame Noodles with Zoodles and Sesame Ginger Dressing - Gluten Free
• Orange Chicken | Best Gluten Free Recipes

What's a Stir Fry?

Stir-frying is a cooking technique that originated in China. It typically consists of cooking small pieces of meat and vegetables with a little bit of high-temperature oil in a wok, while stirring or tossing frequently. It is said that this technique keeps food at its freshest and tastiest, as the ingredients are only cooked for several minutes.

That being said; if you have a wok, use it.

If you don't have a wok, you can use a regular frying pan (like I did because I don't own a wok yet hehe).

What vegetables are good for Stir Fry?

Part of the reason stir fry is so great is because you can pretty much add whatever you want and it will turn out delicious every time.

Not sure what to add? Try any combination of the following:

• baby corn
• a variety of mushrooms
• bamboo shoots
• water chestnuts
• carrot "coins" or slices
• bell pepper chunks
• bean sprouts
• snow or snap peas
• zucchini
• green onion (as a topping)

Chicken Stir Fry Ingredients:

For the Stir Fry:

• Boneless skinless chicken thighs. Chicken thighs stay tender and juicy in this recipe whereas chicken breasts are more likely to go dry.
• Broccoli
• Baby Bella mushrooms
• Whole water chestnuts
• Bamboo shoots
• Neutral oil for stir frying, such as vegetable oil
• Black pepper to taste
• White or brown rice for serving, or rice noodles. I love these Gluten Free Stir Fry Rice Noodles from Thai Kitchen.
• Sesame seeds for serving, optional

For the Stir Fry Sauce:

• Knob of ginger
• Minced garlic
• Low sodium chicken broth
• Oyster sauce
• Honey
• Toasted sesame oil
• Gluten free soy sauce or tamari. I use San-J Organic Tamari GF Reduced Sodium Soy Sauce.

Chicken Stir Fry Recipe:

For the Stir Fry:

• Prep: Chop the broccoli and slice the mushrooms into bite-sized pieces. Mince ginger and garlic (if using fresh). Set aside. In a separate area, trim chicken thighs and chop into bite-sized pieces. Season with pepper to taste.
• Over medium-high heat, warm the oil in a large frying pan or wok. Sauté the broccoli and mushrooms for several minutes, stirring frequently. Cook until bright in color and almost tender. Remove to a bowl and set aside.
• Drain the excess liquid from the pan. Sear the chicken thighs until golden brown on both sides and until almost cooked through, about 4 minutes per side. Do not overcrowd the pan. If your pan is too small, you may need to cook the chicken in batches.

For the Stir Fry Sauce:

• Meanwhile, to make the Stir Fry Sauce, add the minced garlic and ginger to a bowl along with the rest of the sauce ingredients. Whisk until combined.
• Prepare the cornstarch slurry in a separate, smaller bowl. Set aside.
• Add the cooked vegetables back into the pan with the chicken, along with the water chestnuts and bamboo shoots. Pour the stir fry sauce over-top, and stir.
• Bring the sauce to a simmer over medium-low heat, then slowly stir in the cornstarch mixture. Allow the sauce to simmer for several minutes until thickened.
• Serve over white rice.

Equipment

You only need basic kitchen tools to make this Chicken Stir Fry. I recommend:

• A wok or large cast iron skillet or large frying pan
• Chopsticks

Notes on Chicken Stir Fry:

• Add whichever combination of vegetables you like; I kept it simple and chose broccoli, brown mushrooms, water chestnuts, and bamboo shoots.
• Don't skimp on the sauce. The sauce is arguably the best part.
• If you're eating gluten-free, be sure that all of your ingredients have gluten-free labels; such as soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sesame oil.
• Serve over white rice, or serve with fried rice on the side.
• If making for meal prep (like I did), keep your rice in separate containers and add to the meal at each serving. Otherwise, it becomes oversaturated in the sauce.

Did you Make this Chicken Stir Fry? Leave a 5-Star Rating Below!