This chicken and vegetable stir-fry combines tender sliced chicken with crisp sugar snap peas and carrots, quickly sautéed with fresh ginger, garlic, lime, and a light soy-based sauce. Ready in about 30 minutes and cooked all in one pan, it’s an ideal weeknight meal that’s bright, satisfying, and easy to customize to your diet or pantry.
Chicken Stir Fry Recipe
There’s nothing easier for a busy evening than tossing sliced chicken and vegetables into a hot wok and finishing with a simple sauce. This stir-fry recreates that takeout flavor at home while keeping the dish light and fresh. The snap peas and carrots remain crisp-tender, and a squeeze of lime brightens the soy-ginger sauce. Serve over rice, cauliflower rice, or noodles for a heartier meal.
Reasons to Love This Chicken and Vegetable Stir-Fry
This stir-fry is fast, flexible, and fridge-friendly. It’s a great way to use up vegetables, and it adapts easily to many diets—swap tamari for soy sauce to make it gluten-free, use coconut aminos for Whole30, or omit the sauce thickener for a lighter finish.
- Clean out the fridge: You can substitute nearly any crisp vegetable you have on hand—bell peppers, broccoli, mushrooms, or snow peas work well.
- Fresh and simple: Fresh ginger, garlic, lime, and a touch of soy make a bright, well-balanced sauce that complements the chicken without overpowering the vegetables.
- One pan: Everything cooks in the same wok or skillet, which keeps prep and cleanup minimal.
Ingredients You’ll Need
Below are the ingredients for this chicken and vegetable stir-fry. See the recipe card further down for exact amounts.
- Chicken breast: Skinless, boneless, sliced thin across the grain for tenderness. Chilling the chicken for about an hour before slicing makes thin slices easier.
- Salt: To season the chicken.
- Oil: Use a high smoke point oil such as canola, avocado, or refined coconut oil for stir-frying.
- Garlic: Fresh, minced.
- Ginger: Fresh, grated—peel with a spoon and grate for the best flavor.
- Vegetables: Sugar snap peas and sliced carrots are used here, but feel free to swap or add bell peppers, broccoli, mushrooms, or snow peas.
- Scallions: Thinly sliced for garnish.
- Soy sauce: Low-sodium soy or tamari (for gluten-free); coconut aminos are a good Whole30 option.
- Lime juice: Freshly squeezed for brightness.
- Water: To thin and balance the sauce.
- Cornstarch or arrowroot: A small amount to slightly thicken the sauce if desired.
How to Make Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry
The method is straightforward: make the sauce, sear the chicken, quickly cook the aromatics and vegetables, then toss everything together with the sauce. For printable directions, refer to the recipe card at the end of the page.
- Make the sauce. Whisk together soy sauce (or tamari), fresh lime juice, water, and cornstarch until smooth; set aside.
- Cook the chicken. Season the sliced chicken lightly with salt. Heat a large wok or skillet over high heat. Add half the oil and stir-fry the chicken until browned and cooked through, about 3–4 minutes. Remove to a plate.
- Sauté aromatics. Reduce heat to medium-high. Add the remaining oil and quickly cook garlic and ginger for about 20 seconds until fragrant.
- Stir-fry vegetables. Add carrots and sugar snap peas and stir-fry until they are crisp-tender, roughly 3–4 minutes.
- Finish with sauce. Return the chicken to the wok, pour in the soy-lime mixture, toss everything to coat, and cook for another 30–60 seconds until the sauce thickens slightly. Garnish with sliced scallions and serve immediately.
Recipe Tips
- Preheat the pan: A very hot wok or large skillet gives the best sear and prevents steaming the meat.
- Slice thinly: Thin, even slices of chicken cook quickly and remain tender, especially when reheated.
- Uniform cuts: Cut vegetables to similar sizes so they cook evenly and finish at the same time.
- Mise en place: Have all ingredients prepped before you start cooking—stir-fries move fast and benefit from organization.
Variations
- Peas: Swap sugar snap peas for snow peas if preferred.
- Other vegetables: Add bell pepper, broccoli, mushrooms, or onions for more color and texture. Pineapple makes a sweet-savory twist.
- Protein swaps: Use shrimp, thinly sliced steak, or pork loin instead of chicken.
- Vegetarian: Omit meat and use firm or extra-firm tofu, pressed and cubed, for a vegetarian version.
- Garnishes: Sprinkle with sesame seeds or fresh cilantro for extra flavor.
What to Serve with This Stir-Fry
This stir-fry is great on its own or served with a starch to soak up the sauce. Try jasmine rice, brown rice, rice noodles, soba, udon, or a low-carb option such as cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles. A side of steamed greens or simple spring rolls complements the meal nicely.
Proper Storage
- Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Reheating: Reheat in a skillet over medium heat or in the microwave. Add a splash of water or soy sauce if the sauce has thickened or dried out.
Frequently Asked Questions
Choose an oil with a high smoke point for high-heat cooking: refined avocado oil, canola, or refined coconut oil are good choices. Avoid extra-virgin olive oil for high-heat stir-frying.
Add the sauce at the end after the vegetables are crisp-tender and the chicken is cooked. This ensures everything is coated without the sauce overcooking and becoming dry.
Recipe Card
Chicken and Vegetable Stir Fry
Yield: 4 servings • Prep: 15 mins • Cook: 15 mins • Total: 30 mins
For the sauce
- 1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce or gluten-free tamari (or coconut aminos)
- 1 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 2 tbsp water
- 1 tsp cornstarch or arrowroot
For the stir-fry
- 1 lb skinless, boneless chicken breast, sliced thin
- Salt, to taste
- 1 tbsp neutral, high-heat oil (canola, avocado, or refined coconut)
- 2 tsp fresh garlic, minced
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
- 1 cup sugar snap peas
- 1 cup carrots, sliced diagonally
- Scallions, thinly sliced, for garnish
Instructions
- Whisk soy sauce, lime juice, water, and cornstarch in a small bowl; set aside.
- Season chicken lightly with salt. Heat a large wok or skillet over high heat.
- Add half the oil and stir-fry the chicken until browned and cooked through, about 3–4 minutes. Remove chicken and set aside.
- Add remaining oil, then sauté garlic and ginger for 20 seconds until fragrant.
- Add carrots and sugar snap peas; stir-fry over medium-high heat until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 3–4 minutes.
- Return chicken to the pan, pour in the sauce, toss to coat, and cook another 30–60 seconds until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Serve immediately topped with sliced scallions.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 179 kcal • Carbs: 7 g • Protein: 27 g • Fat: 5.5 g • Fiber: 2 g • Sugar: 1.5 g • Sodium: 238 mg