Honey Soy Chicken Stir Fry

Name: Honey Soy Chicken Stir Fry
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 20 min
Yield: 4-6
Cuisine: Asian-Inspired

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roubashahin.com.au

Mains

Crispy chicken, crunchy veg and a sticky honey garlic sauce — my go-to quick dinner when time is short.

PREP TIME

20 minutes

COOK TIME

20 minutes

Marinate Time

30 minutes

SERVES

4-6

About this recipe

There’s a reason honey soy chicken stir fry ends up on our table more than almost anything else during the week. It’s fast, it’s full of flavour, and it’s the kind of meal that comes together while everyone is hovering around the kitchen asking when dinner’s ready. The chicken goes crispy on the outside, the vegetables stay crunchy, and that sticky garlic sauce ties it all together in the last few minutes in the wok.

What’s more, this one is endlessly adaptable, and it sits alongside a couple of other stir-fries I keep coming back to. My Lemongrass Beef Stir-Fry with Spinach is another one worth trying if you love that same quick-and-fragrant style, packed with garlic, chilli and baby spinach. And if you want something with even more history behind it, is a beef stir-fry I’ve been making for over twenty-five years, copied out by hand from a little notebook I filled with recipes from my mum, friends and aunties when I first got married.

As a result, this honey soy chicken stir fry has become one of our regular midweek dinners — the kind of thing my kids ask for on repeat. Serve it over jasmine rice and it’s done in well under an hour, start to finish. Best of all, you can marinate the chicken the night before if you want to make things even quicker on the night.

Ingredients

For the chicken

1 kilogram chicken thigh fillets, cut into 4 centimetre pieces
2 centimetre piece fresh ginger, grated (or 1 teaspoon minced ginger)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon sesame oil
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 teaspoons MSG

For the sauce

4 garlic cloves, crushed
5 tablespoons soy sauce
3 tablespoons white vinegar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 tablespoon honey

For coating and frying

3 tablespoons cornflour
1 teaspoon baking soda
Mild-flavoured oil, for frying

For the vegetables

4-5 red shallots, cut into thick wedges
1 head broccoli, cut into florets, stem diced
A handful of sugar snap peas
1 cup corn
1 red capsicum, cut into 2 centimetre pieces

Notes from Rouba

Fry the chicken in two to three batches — if you crowd the pan once the cornflour is on, it turns mushy and sticks
When adding oil to a hot pan, pour it in around the chicken or vegetables rather than directly on top of them
Pour the sauce in around the edges of the wok rather than straight into the middle — it distributes more evenly that way
Take the wok off the heat as soon as the sauce is tossed through
You can marinate the chicken the night before to make this even quicker on a weeknight
Serve with jasmine rice

Method

Step 1. Marinate the Chicken

In a large bowl, combine the chicken thigh fillets with the ginger, crushed garlic, soy sauce, lemon juice, sesame oil, salt, pepper and MSG, tossing well to coat, then set aside to marinate for at least 30 minutes, or overnight in the fridge if preparing ahead.

Step 2. Make the Sauce

In a small bowl or jug, whisk together the crushed garlic, soy sauce, white vinegar, sesame oil and honey until combined, then set aside.

Prep the vegetables.

Step 3. Coat and Fry the Chicken

Add the cornflour and baking soda to the marinated chicken and toss until every piece is evenly coated, then heat a mild-flavoured oil in a wok over high heat and fry the chicken in two to three batches, without crowding the pan, until golden and crispy on the outside, removing each batch to a plate as it's done.

Step 4. Stir-Fry the Vegetables

In the same wok, add a little more oil, then sauté the shallot wedges until just starting to soften, add the broccoli, sugar snap peas, corn and capsicum, and stir- fry for a few minutes until the vegetables are bright and starting to soften.

Step 5. Combine and Toss

Return the crispy chicken to the wok with the vegetables, pour the sauce in around the edges of the wok rather than into the middle, and toss everything together over high heat until the chicken and vegetables are glossy and well coated, then remove from the heat immediately.

A FEW THINGS YOU'LL WANT TO KNOW

Is MSG safe to use, and can I leave it out?
MSG, or monosodium glutamate, is a naturally occurring flavour enhancer that's been used safely in cooking for decades — it's what gives savoury dishes that extra depth, sometimes called umami. It's completely optional here, so leave it out if you'd rather, the marinade and sauce will still give you plenty of flavour.

Can I make this ahead?
Yes — the chicken can be marinated the night before, which makes this even quicker to pull together on a busy weeknight.

What should I serve this with?
Jasmine rice is my go-to with this one, it soaks up the sauce beautifully.

Can I swap the vegetables?
This recipe is very forgiving, so use whatever vegetables you have on hand — snow peas, or bok-choy would all work well in place of what's listed.