Garlic Ginger Chicken Stir Fry with Vegetables

This Garlic Ginger Chicken Stir Fry is packed with tender chicken, colorful vegetables, and a sweet-savory garlic ginger sauce for an easy homemade takeout dinner.

Skip the takeout menu tonight! This Garlic Ginger Chicken Stir Fry with Vegetables is packed with everything you want in a great stir fry: tender chicken, colorful crisp-tender vegetables, and a sweet, savory sauce loaded with fresh garlic and ginger. The sauce comes together with soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, and a little cornstarch to create that glossy, flavorful coating that makes every bite of chicken and veggies completely irresistible. Served over fluffy rice and finished with toasted sesame seeds, it’s a warm, hearty dinner that feels like a takeout favorite made right at home.

Great for Busy Families

This is one of those back-pocket dinners that makes a busy night feel a whole lot easier. You can prep the chicken, sauce, and vegetables ahead of time, so when dinner rolls around, it’s really just a matter of cooking everything and bringing it all together.

And because everyone gets chicken, rice, and plenty of colorful veggies in one bowl, it’s a dinner that checks all the boxes without feeling like you’re forcing everyone to eat their vegetables. Honestly, homemade takeout night might just become your new favorite night of the week.

Want more tips for making busy family dinners easier?  Click here for my Free Printable 5 Simple Steps to Easy Family Dinners!

Why You’ll Love this Chicken Stir Fry

If you’re trying to get family dinner on the table without resorting to takeout again, this recipe has your back. It’s colorful, flavorful, customizable, and surprisingly easy once everything is prepped.

• Easy to customize — swap in whatever vegetables your family loves or happens to have in the fridge.
• Tastes like takeout — but you control the ingredients and make it right at home.
• Packed with vegetables — red pepper, zucchini, carrots, and onion add color, texture, and flavor.
• Big flavor from simple ingredients — fresh garlic, ginger, soy sauce, honey, and sesame oil do all the heavy lifting.
• Great for meal prep — the chicken, sauce, and vegetables can all be prepped ahead.
• Family-friendly — serve everything separately so everyone can build their bowl exactly how they like it.
• A complete meal — protein, vegetables, and rice all in one satisfying dinner.

Flexible Ingredients Make this Stir Fry so Easy

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The great thing about this recipe is you can USE WHAT YOU HAVE! I had chicken, carrot, zucchini, onion, red pepper, and celery. But you could use any protein and any veggies that you have on hand!

Sauce Ingredients

• Fresh Garlic cloves, minced – I used frozen that mince in bulk. Fresh is best in this simple recipe, but you can buy the pre-minced garlic sold in a small jar, paste in a tube or use dried garlic flakes or garlic powder.
• Ginger– I used frozen that mince in bulk. You can also find minced in jars or tubes at the store. You can also grate the fresh ginger root using a grater or microplane. You can use dry ginger powder as a substitute if you cannot get fresh.
• Soy Sauce – I used regular Soy Sauce, but you can also use dark soy sauce or low sodium or light soy sauce, or Gluten Free Soy Sauce. If you don’t have Soy sauce, you can add Worcestershire sauce or beef, chicken, vegetable, stock or broth.
• Honey – Honey brings natural sweetness. You can substitute the same quantity of white granulated sugar or even brown sugar.
• Sesame Oil – A little goes a long way here in terms of flavor, but more than the amazing depth of flavor it brings to a recipe, it is also great for hair and skin.  It is rich in zinc which is often added to anti-aging skin products. 
• Cornstarch – Cornstarch is mixed with cold water to create a cornstarch slurry. This is the thickener for this soup. You don’t have to thicken the soup if you don’t have cornstarch. You can leave it as a thin broth.

Other Ingredients

• Chicken Breasts, boneless skinless – I always have raw chicken breasts in the freezer as they can last up to 12 months if in an airtight container or packaging. Check out all of my tips on Prepping and Storing Chicken for Easier Dinners.
• Soy Sauce – See above.
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil – The oil is for cooking the chicken and the veggies . You can use regular olive oil, avocado oil, coconut, or any vegetable oil you have.
• Veggies – Use whatever you have on hand! You want about 4-6 cups of raw veggies all sliced or cut to about the same size for this recipe. I used Red Pepper, Zucchini, Carrots, Yellow onion, and celery for crunch.
• 3 teaspoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 2 cups White Long Grain Rice, uncooked
• 2 teaspoons Toasted Sesame Seeds (for garnish)

See recipe card for quantities.

Less Equipment means Less Cleanup!

For prepping the vegetables, a chef’s knife and cutting board.

• For the carrot, a regular peeler or a Y-Peeler.
• Mincing garlic is made super easy with a Garlic Press.
• You can also grate the fresh ginger root using a grater or microplane.
• You could also use a food processor for fresh garlic and ginger to be blended right in the sauce. I love my mini food processor for tasks like this.

For the rice, you will need a medium pot with lid.

You will also need a large skillet/frying pan for cooking the chicken, veggies and sauce. I use my absolute favorite 12″ Ceramic Pan, which is great because food really does slide right off with minimal oil and I don’t have to worry about food sticking and burning. 

Prep-Ahead to Save Time on this Chicken Stir Fry

We are all extremely busy and making dinner during the week can be overwhelming. Here are steps you can prepare ahead to save time on busy nights! (See the full recipe below) 

You can prep the chicken, make the sauce and prep the veggies for this recipe 1-2 days ahead.

Slice the chicken into ¼ inch slices.

Put into a bowl or plastic bag. Add ¼ cup Soy Sauce and mix. Set aside or refrigerate until ready to cook.

Peel and slice the carrots and store separately until ready to cook.

Thinly slice the red pepper and the celery. Peel and slice the onion. Slice the zucchini into sticks. You can store the pepper, celery, onion, and zucchini together in the fridge until ready to cook.

Add the minced garlic and ginger to a bowl (or rough chopped to a blender) with the soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, water, and cornstarch.

Whisk or blend to combine. Set aside.

30-Min Weeknight Cooking Steps

Since you prepped everything ahead, this dish comes together very quickly on the stove. First, cook the rice according to the package instructions.
Then preheat a large skillet on high heat.

Add a teaspoon Olive Oil. Using tongs, transfer the chicken to the hot pan in a single layer to sear for 2 minutes.

Flip the chicken and cook for 1 more minute.

You can cover to speed up the cooking and ensure it’s cooked through. Transfer the chicken plus any liquid to a new clean bowl or plate.

To the same pan over high heat, add teaspoon of olive oil and the carrots. Cook the carrots for about 3-4 minutes to give them a head start on cooking.

Then add the red pepper, zucchini, celery, and onions.

Cook for 4-5 minutes, so they are tender, but still crisp. Transfer veggies to the plate.

Add the sauce and simmer for 2-3 minutes while whisking

until it has thickened.

Then add the veggies and the chicken back to the pan. Mix and cook for 4-5 minutes until warmed through.

Fluff the rice with a fork. Serve the stir fry over the rice, then garnish with sesame seeds.

Variations on the recipe

Stir Fries are so flexible and customizable. You can change the proteins, the vegetables, the sauces, and the flavorings. Serve them over rice or mixed with noodles. Here are some ways to change up this recipe so you can use it again and again.

• Make It Spicy: Add sriracha, chili garlic sauce, or crushed red pepper flakes to the sauce for some heat.
• Swap the Protein: Try thinly sliced beef, pork, shrimp, or even tofu instead of chicken.
• Change Up the Veggies: Broccoli, snap peas, mushrooms, snow peas, or baby corn are all delicious additions.
• Use Brown Rice: Swap the white rice for brown rice, jasmine rice, or cauliflower rice.
• Make It Extra Gingery: Add another tablespoon of fresh ginger if you really love that warm, zippy ginger flavor.
• Add Some Crunch: Top each bowl with chopped peanuts or cashews along with the sesame seeds.

Top FAQs for Garlic Ginger Chicken Stir Fry

Daniela, Please see instructions linked here.

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Garlic Ginger Chicken Stir Fry with Vegetables Recipe

Carrie Tyler

Garlic Ginger Chicken Stir Fry with Vegetables made with tender chicken, colorful peppers, zucchini, carrots, and onion tossed in a sweet and savory garlic-ginger sauce. Served over fluffy rice and finished with toasted sesame seeds, it’s flavorful, hearty, and packed with fresh vegetables. An easy family-friendly dinner that brings all the deliciousness of takeout to your own kitchen.

Print Recipe Save RecipeSaved! Pin Recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Course Main Course

Cuisine Asian, Chinese

Servings 4 Servings

Ingredients

  

Sauce Ingredients

• 3 cloves Garlic, minced (about 3 teaspoons)
• 2 tablespoons Ginger, minced
• ¾ Cup Soy Sauce
• 3 tablespoons Honey
• 1 tablespoons Sesame Oil
• ¾ Cup Water
• 2 tablespoons Cornstarch

Other Ingredients

• 1 pound Chicken Breast
• ⅓ cup Soy Sauce, for marinating the chicken
• 3-4 teaspoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• 1 Red Pepper
• 1 Zucchini, small-medium
• 1 Carrots, medium
• 1 Yellow onion, medium
• 1 Celery Stalk
• 2 cups White Long Grain Rice, uncooked
• 2 teaspoons Toasted Sesame Seeds (for garnish)

Instructions

 

Prep Ahead Steps

• PREP CHICKEN. Slice the chicken into ¼ inch slices. Put into a bowl or plastic bag. Add ¼ cup Soy Sauce and mix. Set aside or refrigerate until ready to cook.
• MAKE THE SAUCE. TIP: if garlic and ginger are fresh, it’s easiest to use a blender vs. mincing by hand. Add the minced garlic and ginger to a bowl (or rough chopped to a blender) with the soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, water, and cornstarch. Whisk or blend to combine. Set aside.
• PREP THE VEGGIES. Thinly slice the red pepper and the celery. Peel and slice the onion. Slice the zucchini into sticks. You can store the pepper, celery, onion, and zucchini together in the fridge until ready to cook. Peel and slice the carrots and store separately until ready to cook.

Cooking Steps

• COOK RICE. Cook the rice according to the package instructions.
• COOK CHICKEN. (While rice cooks) Preheat a large skillet on high heat. Add a teaspoon Olive Oil. Using tongs, transfer the chicken to the hot pan in a single layer to sear for 2 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook for 1 more minute. Transfer the chicken plus any liquid to a new clean bowl.
• COOK VEGGIES. To the same pan over high heat, add teaspoon of olive oil and the carrots. Cook the carrots for about 3-4 minutes to give them a head start on cooking. Then add the red pepper, zucchini, celery, and onions. Cook for 4-5 minutes, so they are tender, but still crisp. Transfer veggies to the plate.
• COOK SAUCE. Add the sauce and simmer for 2-3 minutes while whisking until it has thickened. Then add the veggies and the chicken back to the pan. Mix and cook for 4-5 minutes until warmed through.
• SERVE. Fluff the rice with a fork. Serve the stir fry over the rice, then garnish with sesame seeds.

Notes

Serve over rice and garnish with sesame seeds.

Keyword chicken, chicken and rice, chicken stir fry, stir fry