This chicken with mixed vegetable stir fry is a great weekday meal that takes less than 30 minutes. Loaded with juicy, tender chicken breast and vegetables all tossed in a brown sauce, it is simple, easy, and delish! Pair this with some egg fried rice or shrimp lo mein to complete the meal.
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Ingredient notes
Please scroll down to the recipe card for the ingredient quantities!
For marinating the chicken:
- Chicken breast - Although we usually opt for dark meat chicken, like chicken thighs because they are the juiciest and most flavorful. But for simple stir fry dishes like this chicken with mixed vegetable, it is best to use boneless, skinless chicken breast because the flavor is much cleaner.
- Water - For hydrating the chicken which ensures the meat stays as juicy as possible.
- Shaoxing cooking wine - A Chinese pantry staple and must have. In the marinade, Shaoxing rice wine helps to get rid of any unwanted flavor in the chicken.
- Salt - For seasoning the chicken.
- Baking soda - To slightly tenderize the chicken. Baking soda also encourages water retention, which helps to keep the chicken breast super juicy.
- Cornstarch - Cornstarch binds the batter and a crucial ingredient for velveting the chicken breast slices. Velveting is a preparation and cooking technique that helps to keep meat juicy and tender.
- Oil - Any neutral oil will do. The oil makes it easier to separate the chicken.
To make the stir fry sauce:
- Soy sauce - After some feedback, we did a deep dive into different soy sauces and rested our sauce recipe. We found that, although light sodium soy sauce is less salty, it can make your sauce taste too "salty" due to its acidity. This is especially prominent with Japanese low sodium soy sauce, like Kikkoman. So we recommend using regular soy sauce instead.
- Water - For diluting the soy sauce and making the sauce more balanced. You could also use unsalted chicken stock instead.
- Sugar - Regular granulated sugar is fine. It's to add a little sweetness to the stir fry sauce, which balances and rounds out the sauce. If you prefer, you could use honey instead, but the flavor will be slightly different.
- Chicken bouillon powder and dark soy sauce - Both of these are optional. The chicken bouillon powder adds another layer of depth to the sauce while the dark soy sauce gives the sauce a darker color.
- Cornstarch - For thickening the sauce.
- Toasted sesame oil - An Asian pantry must have! Sesame oil adds a toasted, nutty flavor to chicken and mixed vegetable stir fry.
For the rest of the dish:
- Mixed vegetables - Feel free to use any vegetables you like. We used broccoli, carrots, red bell pepper, zucchini, mushrooms, and snow peas. Cut them into bite size or your preferred shapes and sizes.
- Garlic and ginger - These are aromatics that will add tons of flavor to the stir fry sauce.
- Oil - For cooking. Any neutral oil is fine.
How to make chicken with mixed vegetables stir fry
Please scroll down to the recipe card for the full recipe and instructions!
Marinate the chicken:
1. Marinate. Combine the sliced chicken breast, water, Shaoxing rice wine, salt, and baking soda. Mix until the chicken absorbed most of the liquid.
2. Bind with cornstarch. Add the cornstarch and mix until the chicken is well coated. Finish by adding the oil and mix until evenly combined. Set aside to marinate for 10 to 15 minutes, best 30 minutes, or overnight in the fridge.
🌟 Pro tip: Cut and marinate your chicken breasts first. You can prepare the rest of your ingredients as the chicken marinates to maximize your time.
Prepare the sauce:
Combine all the ingredients for the stir fry sauce and whisk until no more clumps of cornstarch is visible. Set aside until needed.
📝 Note: If you prefer a thinner sauce, use 1 to 2 teaspoons less cornstarch. Likewise, if you prefer your stir fry sauce thicker, use 1 to 2 teaspoons more.
Blanche the mixed vegetables
Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the mixed vegetables according to their heartiness. Cook the veggies to your desired tenderness.
🌟 Pro tip: For example, broccoli and carrots are heartier vegetables that can handle being cooked a little longer. Where as snow peas are way more tender and only require to be added at the last few seconds of cooking. If you prefer, you could also cook each vegetables separately.
Make the chicken and vegetable stir fry:
1. Pan fry the chicken. Add enough oil into a wok or pan to cover the bottom and heat over medium high heat. Add the marinated chicken and cook on both sides until the chicken is just cooked. Remove the chicken and set aside until needed.
📝 Note: Don't overcrowd the wok/pan! Cook the chicken in smaller batches if necessary and make sure to separate the chicken so that each piece is cooked evenly. Also, there's no need to have color on the chicken, but if you prefer, you can sear each piece of chicken until golden.
2. Stir fry the aromatics and make the sauce. In the same pan, reduce the heat to medium and keep 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the garlic and ginger and sauté until fragrant, about 15 to 30 seconds. Stir up the prepared sauce and add to the pan. Let the sauce cook until thickened and glossy. Make sure to stir constantly.
3. Coat everything in sauce. Add the chicken and mix until the chicken is well coated. Then, add the blanched mixed vegetables and toss until the veggies are well coated with sauce. Enjoy while hot!
Recipe tips
- Don't overcook the mixed vegetables! Add the vegetables to the boiling water according to their heartiness. This way, your vegetables won't become overcooked. For example, carrots and broccoli is much heartier than snow peas. So add the carrots and broccoli first. Then, towards the last 5 to 10 seconds of cooking, add the snow peas.
- Toss the chicken in stir fry sauce first. It is easier to coat the chicken with sauce first. Then add the vegetables. The vegetables are bulkier and will make mixing and tossing harder. This method also prevents vegetables like broccoli florets from soaking up all the sauce.
Storage and reheating
Leftover chicken with mixed vegetables can be stored in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 4 days. Make sure to let the leftover cool completely before refrigerating.
You can reheat the chicken with mixed vegetable stir fry using the microwave or in a pan, on the stovetop. If you're reheating in the microwave, make sure to use a microwave safe container and cover the chicken with mixed vegetables.
Do note that the stir fry sauce on day two will be thinner and the vegetables won't be as crispy as when freshly made.
FAQ
If you can't find Shaoxing rice wine, you can substitute it with some dry sherry. Simply dilute the sherry with half water and use as you would the Shaoxing rice wine. If you want an alcoholic substitute, simply use water or some stock instead.
We highly recommend using the baking soda because it is the key ingredient that helps to tenderize the chicken and helps the chicken retain moisture, keeping the chicken juicy after cooking.
Potato starch is a suitable substitute for cornstarch. Use in equal quantity.
If you’ve made this recipe or any recipes from our blog, please tag us on Instagram using #twoplaidaprons! You can also tag us in your Instagram stories using @two_plaid_aprons. We would love to see your creations! It absolutely makes our day! 🥰
📖 Recipe
Chicken with Mixed Vegetable Stir Fry
Ingredients
For the marinated chicken:
- 20 ounces skinless boneless chicken breast cut into ¼ inch slices (about 2 chicken breasts)
- 3 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine (optional)
- ½ teaspoon Kosher salt fine salt is okay too
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon oil any neutral oil is fine
For the stir fry sauce:
- ¾ cup water
- 2½ tablespoons regular soy sauce
- 1½ tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder optional
- ¼ teaspoon dark soy sauce optional for color
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
For the rest of the dish:
- 1 pound mixed vegetables of your choice cut into desired size (We used broccoli, carrots, bell pepper, zucchini, mushrooms, and snow peas.)
- 1 tablespoons garlic minced (about 2-3 cloves)
- 1 tablespoons ginger peeled and minced (about 1 inch knob)
- Oil as needed for cooking (any neutral oil)
Instructions
To marinate the chicken:
- In a mixing bowl, combine the sliced chicken breast, water, Shaoxing rice wine, salt, and baking soda. Mix until the chicken has absorbed most of the liquid.
- Add the cornstarch and mix until the chicken is well coated. Finish the marinade by add the oil. Mix until well combined. Set aside to marinate for 10 to 15 minutes as you prepare the rest of the ingredients. If you have time, let the chicken marinade overnight in the fridge.
Prepare the sauce:
- In a bowl or measuring cup, combine all the ingredients for the sauce (water, soy sauce, sugar, chicken bouillon powder, dark soy sauce, cornstarch, sesame oil). Whisk until no more cornstarch clumps are visible. Set aside until needed.
Blanch the vegetables:
- Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add the vegetables to the boiling water according to heartiness and cook to desired tenderness. Once cooked, drain the vegetables and set aside.*For example, broccoli and carrots are heartier vegetables that can handle being cooked a little longer. Where as snow peas are way more tender and only require to be added at the last few seconds of cooking. If you prefer, you could also cook each vegetables separately.*
Make the chicken with mixed vegetables:
- In a wok or sauté pan over medium high heat, add enough oil to generously coat the bottom of the pan/wok. Once the oil is hot, add the marinated chicken and cook on both sides until the chicken is cooked through. Make sure to separate the chicken so that each piece gets cooked evenly. Cook in small batches if necessary. Remove from the wok/pan and set aside.*The chicken doesn't need to have color, but if you prefer, you can sear the chicken until golden brown.*
- Reduce the heat to medium and keep about 2 tablespoons of oil in the pan. Drain excess oil if necessary. Add the mined garlic and ginger and stir fry until fragrant, about 15 to 30 seconds.
- Give the prepared stir fry sauce a good mix and pour it into the pan with the garlic and ginger. Let the sauce heat up until it starts to simmer and the sauce looks thickened and glossy. Make sure to stir frequently to prevent the sauce from scorching on the bottom and to help the sauce thicken evenly. Reduce the heat to medium low if necessary.
- Once the sauce looks thick and glossy throughout, reduce the heat to low and add the chicken. Mix until the chicken is well coated. Then, add the blanched mixed vegetables and toss until the veggies are well coated with sauce.
- Serve with rice or lo mein and enjoy while hot!
Notes
- Freeze the chicken for easier cutting. Having the chicken breast semi frozen will make slicing easier. But make sure to have the chicken full defrosted and drained before you start marinating.
- If using frozen vegetables - Make sure to have the vegetables blanched (boiled) and drained. You can also microwaved it until hot. Make sure to drain most of the water.
- Soy sauce - After receiving many feedback about the sauce being too salty, we retested the recipe with different soy sauces and found that light sodium Kikkoman soy sauce is less salty but more acidic, which can make the sauce taste "salty". So instead, we updated the recipe using regular soy sauce but in smaller quantity.
Ashley Bass says
Really great recipe! Easy and quick to put together once you have all the ingredients! I used mirin because I can’t find Shaoxing wine and it worked out well but added a little sugar to the sauce as it cooked down.
Mei says
So glad you enjoyed it, Ashley! Love that you improvised with mirin!
Mei ❤️
Lotte says
Great recipe. My family loved it.
Thank you for sharing
Love from Belgium 💕
Mei says
Hi Lotte!
Thank you for trying our recipe! So glad the family enjoyed it! =)
Mei ❤️
Nichole says
Can't wait to try! Is the nutrition for the entire recipe, or per serving?
Mei says
Hi Nichole!
Hope you enjoy the stir fry! The nutritional info is for per serving of the recipe. But of course, it may vary a bit depending on the brands you use, how much sauce you actually consume, etc. =)
Mei ❤️
Sam says
Hi Mei!
What is the serving size for the nutritional value? 1 cup?
Thanks!
Mei says
Hi Sam! A serving is a third of the dish, roughly about 2 cups, depending on the veggies and sizes of everything. Also, the nutritional info provided are just estimates based on numbers provided through the auto-calculation system. So if you're looking for accurate numbers, you'd want to consult professionals =)
Mei ❤️
Megan says
Anytime myself or my boyfriend crave Chinese food I always resort back to your recipes! They are always so flavorful and my boyfriend loves the authentic taste🧡 we appreciate you guys sharing! Next on the list, honey walnut shrimp 🎉
Mei says
Hi Megan!
Thank you so much for leaving us such a kind comment! We're so happy that you guys have been enjoying our recipes and hope you all enjoy the honey walnut shrimps just as much!
Mei ❤️
Suzy says
Made this and it was delicious! I used broccoli, carrots, celery, mushrooms and red bell pepper. Unfortunately I didn’t have toasted sesame oil but plan on getting some for next time I make this.
Mei says
Hi Suzy! So glad to hear that you enjoyed the stir fry! Yes, toasted sesame oil will definitely add another layer of flavor. Hope you enjoy it even more the second time around =)
Mei ❤️
Chris says
Just made this, I bought a new pre seasoned wok and seasoned it abit more and added oil but the chicken kept sticking. Also there was a bit too much sauce and was a bit salty even though I used reduced salt chicken stock and light soy. Although good flavours and love your recipe pages they are well designed and helpful. 😄
Mei says
Hi Chris! Glad that you find our recipes helpful =)
For your wok, if it is properly seasoned, it should not have sticking issues. Perhaps was the heat/oil temperature wasnot high enough? Also, if you don't mind using a bit more oil, the chicken can benefit from flash frying instead of pan searing. Guaranteed no sticking with this method.
As for the sauce, if you're using chicken stock, please use unsalted chicken stock only. If you only have reduced sodium stocks, half and half it with water to dilute.
Thank you for trying out our recipe and hope these tips help!
Mei ❤️
Gresh says
This is delicious. Have made it twice now. It’s better than takeaway. Thanks for the great recipe.
Mei says
So glad you enjoyed it, Gresh!
Mei ❤️
Lori says
I just made this and it is fantastic. Everyone cleaned their plate. Thank you for the great recipe!!
Mei says
So glad everyone enjoyed it, Lori! Thanks for trying our recipe =)
Mei ❤️
Allison says
Really liked this a lot! I made x1.5 of the chicken and about two pounds of vegetables. Still the same amount of sauce and it was perfect. I steamed the broccoli in the bag and stir fried the rest of the vegetables separately in the pan with the garlic and ginger instead of blanching them (just because of a time constraint) - came out perfectly! Thank you so much!
Mei says
Love that you made changes as needed (which is exactly what cooking is about!) and glad you enjoyed it, Allison!
Mei ❤️
Lynn says
😭 everything was nice and easy..but...it came out too salty 😔can this great dish be fixed? Thank you!
Mei says
Hi Lynn! We recommend using low sodium soy sauce. Regular soy sauce would be too salty. Also, did you use water to make the sauce?
Mei ❤️
Adrienne says
Wieviel Milliliter sind 2/3?
Danke und liebe Grüße!
Mei says
Hi Adrienne! We actually just did an update on our recipe (for the sauce) so the measurement is no longer 2/3 cup. To help you convert cup to milliliters, there is a toggle button above the ingredient list. It'll convert the measurements from US customary to metrics =)
Mei ❤️
lou says
this was delicious!!! thank you so much. i used liquid aminos it was just as great. measurements were perfect for the 2x portion.
Mei says
So glad you enjoyed it, Lou! Also, great to know that the sauce tastes just as good with liquid amino. Thank you for sharing!
Mei ❤️
Ana says
Delicious recipe! Turned out perfect! Thank you for sharing!
Mei says
So glad you enjoyed it, Ana!
Mei ❤️
Chris says
Since I found this recipe I have been making it once a week,
It is soo delicious,My husband and son who are both not big vegetable eaters love it,
I have written out and given this recipe to all my work friends and have had nothing but rave reviews, Well done, Thankyou so much for sharingyour recipes,looking forward to trying more,
Mei says
So glad you guys have been enjoying the recipe and thank you so much for sharing the recipes with your co-workers =)
Hope you enjoy many more of our recipes!
Mei ❤️
Christian says
Absolutely loved this recipe! Followed the directions exactly including using low sodium soy sauce. Was out of sugar so I subbed it with brown sugar, and it was delicious. I’m addition to the ginger, I also used some sriracha, but only as personal preference, not in the main dish. Prepared too much veggies so I doubled sauce. Love vegetables so had to keep myself in check with the variety, but I used broccoli, onion, carrots, and mushrooms. Cut carrots into 1/4 inch pieces and boiled with broccoli for 7-8 minutes before adding other veggies. Wonderful dish, and really did test as good as take out. Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Mei says
So glad you enjoyed it, Christian! And love all the adjustments you made — sounds delicious!
Mei ❤️
D hightower says
I don’t do reviews often, but this was great!
Mei says
So glad you enjoyed it!
Mei ❤️
Niamh says
Super easy and very yum! Thank you 🙂
Mei says
So glad you enjoyed it, Niamh!
Mei ❤️
Starystarele says
I loved the recipe it tasted amazing,idk what kind of magic you guys do, but it never disappoints I am 15 and I started exploring cooking and stuff, and I love your recipes and this one wasn't an exception. I just needed a bit more sauce for the chicken so I added half an amount of the sauce and a lil too much cornstarch so it lowkey thickened but no worries I had water with me so I added it to a pan and everything went great.🫶🫶
Mei says
Hey there! So glad to hear that you enjoyed the chicken with mixed veggies and thank you for all the love and support! You sound like a whiz in the kitchen already, excited for you to explore more!
Mei ❤️
Ayesha says
OMG! If you happen to stumble across this recipe - you MUST try it! I made this all the way in Australia! I used 4 large chicken breast (approx. 1.5kg) and followed the rest of the measurements and directions. For the veg I used 1 whole broccoli, 1 small red capsicum (bell pepper), 1 zucchini and 2 small carrots. Family rates this a 10/10 recipe - will definitely be making this again very soon!
Mei says
So glad you all enjoyed it! And thank you for trying out our recipe =)
Mei ❤️
Christine says
10/10 Recipe. I made this for my husband and I for lunch. We both enjoyed it. The sauce is so delicious. I used broccoli, onion, zucchini, mushrooms and sliced water chestnuts. I will definitely be making this again. Thank you for sharing your recipe!
Mei says
So glad to hear that you both enjoyed it! The added sliced water chestnuts sounds delicious in it!
Mei ❤️
Karla says
I made this for dinner tonight, my husband and I both loved it, will definitely make it again!
We live in a remote area of eastern Oregon, it's a 2 1/2 hour drive to the nearest Chinese restaurant, I've been craving Chinese food and am looking for dishes to cook at home, I'll be checking out more of your recipes. Thanks for your awesome website.
Mei says
Thank you so much for trying our recipe, Karla! We're so happy to hear that you both enjoyed it and glad we're able to bring convenience and deliciousness to your kitchen =)
Mei ❤️
Iris says
Just made it, me and my hubby devoured it. That's it, the code is cracked, no more take-out, THIS IS IT! Thank you so much Mei&Kyong, greetings from Switzerland, Iris & Chris
Mei says
Hi Iris and Chris! Thank you so much for trying out our recipe! We're so happy to hear that you both enjoyed it! Switzerland sounds beautiful! Would love to visit one day =)
Mei ❤️