This Chinese chicken stir-fry recipe is a quick and easy one-pan meal designed to comply with the Whole30 program. Each serving is packed with lean protein and fresh vegetables tossed in a delicious sauce.
Recipe Science
- Marinate sliced chicken strips in coconut aminos, sesame oil, and ginger. More surface area quickly infuses flavor.
- Coconut aminos, made from coconut sap, are a wheat—and soy-free alternative to soy sauce. They are sweeter and less salty.
- Arrowroot powder, a fine white powder, thickens sauces like cornstarch, adds body, and helps the glaze stick to the chicken.
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Featured Comment 23
“Oh my!!! This stir fry was fantastic. I did serve it over cauliflower rice, but I was raving about the flavors. One thing I especially like about your recipes is that you list substitutions for different eating lifestyles so I can have options. Very helpful.”—Annie B.
Why It Works
I grew up eating a bountiful amount of Chinese food, so it’s in my comfort zone to create simple weeknight recipes. To revamp a classic chicken stir-fry recipe that complies with the Whole30 diet program, the sauce used has a few healthy substitutions, like coconut aminos and arrowroot powder.
The ingredient swap adds a rich flavor and a nice texture to the sauce without compromising the taste. Each bowl is packed with tender slices of lean chicken breast and fresh vegetables for a nutritious meal made with ease! So if you’ve got a wok, let’s get it fired up! Don’t have a wok? That’s okay! A large saute pan will also do the trick.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Chicken: For a lean protein option, use boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
- Coconut Aminos: Replaces soy sauce in traditional recipes. It’s a dark brown colored sauce made from coconut sap with a savory and sweet flavor. It’s a great wheat and soy-free alternative in Asian cooking. I found that it’s much sweeter and not as salty as soy sauce.
- Arrowroot Powder: This white fine powder thickens sauces instead of cornstarch. It adds a nice body to the sauce and allows the glaze to stick to the surface of the chicken.
- Oil: Fragrant sesame oil seasons the chicken and sauce, and coconut oil is the fat used to stir-fry the ingredients.
- Aromatics: Minced ginger and garlic are very pungent. They add intense aromatics to the stir-fry.
- Vegetables: A colorful and healthy mix of broccoli florets, carrots, mushrooms, bell peppers, and green onions.
See the recipe card below for all ingredients and measurements (US and metric).
Ingredient Substitutions
Now that you know how to make this easy chicken stir-fry with coconut aminos, it’s easy to switch up the dish. Try these tasty Whole30-compliant options:
- Use Dark Meat: If you prefer dark meat, use chicken thighs. Trim off the excess fat. Leaving a small portion is okay, but too much can make the dish greasy.
- Switch Up The Veggies: Try adding small pieces of green beans, different colored bell peppers, zucchini, water chestnuts, snow peas, or sugar snap peas.
- Make it Spicy: To make the sauce hotter, add red pepper flakes, chili oil, or Sriracha.
- Coconut Aminos Swap: Use Bragg liquid aminos, but it will be saltier in flavor.
- Vinegar: Instead of rice vinegar, use a mild apple cider vinegar.
How to Make Chicken-Stir Fry
Step 1: Marinate the Chicken
Slice the chicken into 1/2-inch-thick strips. Marinating the pieces in coconut aminos, sesame oil, and ginger quickly infuses more flavor into the meat’s surface.
Step 2: Make the Stir-Fry Sauce
The stir-fry sauce is a little different from the traditional ingredients of soy sauce and cornstarch. They are swapped for more modern ingredients allowed in the Whole30 diet.
I use a mixture of sesame oil, coconut aminos, rice vinegar, salt, and arrowroot powder. It still has all the qualities of a good glaze—umami taste balanced with pungent and aromatic flavors. Chinese food is bold, so let’s keep it that way!
Step 3: Cook the Chicken
What’s great about the stir-fry technique is that very little oil is needed to cook the ingredients, making it a healthier meal. The very hot pan rapidly browns the surface of the chicken, creating a beautiful golden color while adding layers of new flavors from the Maillard reaction. The hot temperatures cook the proteins in less than 5 minutes.
Step 4: Cook the Vegetables
When cooking vegetables in the wok, it’s important to cook them until they soften while preserving the crisp texture and vibrant color. The broccoli, mushrooms, carrots, and bell pepper just need a quick sear.
Step 5: Cook the Aromatics
I wait to add the minced ginger and garlic until the very end of stir-frying. This prevents the delicate aromatics from burning. Saute until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add the chicken to the pan to warm while the sauce simmers.
Step 6: Simmer the Sauce
Mix the stir-fry sauce ingredients to ensure that the thickening agent is evenly dispersed. Add it to the hot wok. Stir continuously to allow the starches to heat up, swell, and thicken the sauce. The process only takes about a minute.
Step 7: Ready to Serve
Cooking the chicken and vegetables only takes about 10 minutes. It’s extremely quick and easy—just how a weeknight dinner should be! Top the dish with sliced green onions. Feel free to sprinkle on sesame seeds.
Frequently Asked Questions
Making cornstarch slurries to thicken stir-fry sauce is essential in Chinese cooking. Arrowroot powder made from the tuber of the arrowroot plant has become a popular substitute if you’re looking to eliminate corn from your diet. It can be used as a 100% replacement for cornstarch and works very similarly once heated. Arrowroot powder should be mixed into cool liquid before adding to the hot pan to prevent clumping. It should also be added to simmering liquid at 185-206°F (85-96°C) at the very end of cooking and not reheated as it loses its thickening power with more heat.
The sauce is made of coconut aminos, arrowroot powder for grain-free thickening, rice vinegar for pungency, sesame oil, and sea salt. If you are not following the Whole30 diet, you can use soy sauce and cornstarch instead.
For a low-carb meal, serve the chicken stir-fry over a bed of sauteed cauliflower rice or broccoli rice.
More Whole30 Recipes
If you tried this Chicken Stir-fry Recipe, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the 📝 comments below!
Chicken Stir-Fry
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, cut to ½" thick strips
- ½ cup coconut aminos, divided
- 3 ½ teaspoon sesame oil, divided
- 4 teaspoons minced ginger, divided
- 2 tablespoons coconut oil, divided
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoons arrowroot flour
- 2 cups broccoli florets
- ½ cup carrots, ¼" thick slices
- 2 cups brown mushrooms, ¼" thick slices
- 1 cup red bell peppers, ¼" thick slices
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon sliced green onions
Instructions
- Marinate the Chicken – In a medium bowl, combine sliced chicken, 2 tablespoons coconut aminos, ½ teaspoon sesame oil and 1 teaspoon ginger. Marinate for 15 minutes.
- Make the Stir-Fry Sauce – In a small bowl, whisk together 2 teaspoons sesame oil, 6 tablespoons coconut aminos, rice vinegar, salt, and arrowroot powder. Set aside.
- Cook the Chicken – Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon coconut oil and 1 teaspoon sesame oil. Once hot add the chicken in a single layer. Cook until browned, about 3 minutes. Flip and saute until no longer pink, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a clean plate. Carefully wipe the inside of the pan with a paper towel.
- Cook the Vegetables – Add 1 tablespoon coconut oil to the wok. Once hot, add the broccoli and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add carrots and stir fry for 1 minute. Add mushrooms and saute for 1 minute. Add bell peppers and saute for 1 minute.
- Cook the Aromatics – Add garlic and ginger to the pan, stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add chicken back to the pan and stir to combine.
- Simmer the Sauce – Whisk sauce and then add to the center of the wok. Stir continuously until the sauce has thickened, about 1 minute.
- To Serve – Season the chicken stir-fry with salt and pepper as desired. Garnish with green onions.
Notes
- Oil Substitutes: Vegetable oil, olive oil, or ghee can be substituted for coconut oil.
- Using Cornstarch: Cornstarch can be substituted for arrowroot powder if not complying with the Whole30 diet.
- Using Soy Sauce: Soy sauce can be substituted for coconut aminos if you are not on the Whole30 diet. However, taste the sauce first before adding additional salt.
- Storing: Refrigerate in an air-tight container for up to 2 days.
Nutrition Facts
Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000-calorie diet. All nutritional information is based on estimated third-party calculations. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
Annie Barrs says
Oh my!!! This stir fry was fantastic. I did serve it over cauliflower rice but I was raving about the flavors. One thing I especially like about your recipes is that you list substitutions for different eating lifestyles so I can have options. Very helpful.
Jessica even my husband knows your name now!
Jessica Gavin says
Whoo hoo! I’m happy that you and your husband enjoyed the stir-fry.
ZM says
I made this tonight for dinner! It was really good – even the baby ate it.
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you! Thrilled to hear that the family enjoyed the stir-fry.
Denise says
I just want to say I just made this recipe for my family. I only had broccoli on hand so I left out all the other veggies. It was absolutely wonderful!!! I can wait to eat left overs for tomorrow and we will definitely be making this one, again, and again, and again!
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you for your feedback! I’m thrilled to hear that you had success with the stir-fry with only broccoli. Yu,!
Melanie Coleman says
I have made this twice since I found your recipe this month. It is great!!!! I am making greean beans tonight with the addition of this sauce.
John Lee says
Jessica,
I tried it, it was delicious! First time using the coconut aminos and arrowroot. Thanks very much.
Julie bernhard says
This was absolutely amazing!!! I used frozen cauliflower rice and frozen stir fry veggies from trader joes to take the chopping out, but SO flavorful and simple. I can’t wait to try another one of your recipes:)!
Sammie says
Thinking of adding in some other veggies! 🙂 Thanks for the recipe!
Amanda Friesen says
Made this tonight using W30 ingredients. It was fabulous!
Amber H. says
Hi! You didn’t actually include the carrots in the directions. I’m making it now and I’m gonna throw them in with with the broccoli. Cross your fingers!
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you for your feedback Amber! I’ve updated the recipe, let me know how it turns out 🙂
Becky says
This was great!
Modified it a little as I cooked some salmon separately and didn’t do the chicken. I also added some Bell peppers and leeks and used shallots instead of garlic (can’t use garlic). Love coconut aminos and arrowroot! Thanks so much!
Jessica Gavin says
Love your substitutions Becky!
JP says
Is it possible to use something like coconut or almond flour instead of arrowroot powder?
Jessica Gavin says
Hi JP! I think you can try to use coconut flour. I would whisk 2 teaspoons of coconut flour with 2 teaspoons water to make a slurry. Add that in after the sauce warms, and then whisk in to combine. You make need to add more if you want the sauce thicker. Let me know how it goes!
Cindy Hall says
Jessica, that wok recipe sounds delicious!!! It will go in my shopping list for this week. Thank you very much.
Jessica Gavin says
You’re welcome Cindy! Please let me know how it turns out!
Judy says
By the way we had that wok you have the link to and it is very nice. I’m sending it to our son as it is now too big for the two of us and we got the smaller sized All Clad which is also super nice.
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you for your feedback Judy! Your son should have fun cooking with the wok!
Judy says
That looks wonderful. Anything with mushrooms and onions is on my high list of recipes to try. : )
Jessica Gavin says
Thank you Judy! I know you will enjoy this recipe 🙂