This post may contain affiliate links. See my disclosure policy.
This Ground Chicken Stir Fry is an easy and healthy weeknight dinner, made with homemade Asian-inspired stir-fry sauce, crunchy cashews, fresh veggies, and lean ground chicken. Serve it over rice with sliced green onions.
This flavorful, ground chicken stir fry is one of my go-to weeknight dinners and a favorite with my whole family. Budget-friendly, nutritious, and ready in no time, it’s perfect for busy evenings when you still want something homemade and satisfying.
Lean, tender ground chicken and healthy vegetables soak up every drop of homemade tangy stir-fry sauce made with Asian-inspired ingredients like soy sauce, hoisin, and balanced with a touch of brown sugar.
I usually serve it over steamed white or brown rice, but with a little extra sauce, it’s just as delicious tossed with your favorite rice noodles.
Table of Contents
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
Find the printable recipe with measurements in the recipe card below.
- Chicken broth – I prefer to use low-sodium chicken broth. Low-sodium vegetable broth is another option.
- Soy sauce – Regular soy sauce or low-sodium soy sauce. For a gluten-free option, use coconut aminos or tamari.
- Hoisin sauce – Found in the Asian ingredients section of your grocery store. Look for a gluten-free version if you have a gluten sensitivity.
- Brown sugar – This touch of sweetness helps to balance the flavors of the tangy sauce. Honey can also be used.
- Chili paste – Adds a little heat without being overly hot.
- Oil – Use vegetable oil or olive oil for browning the ground chicken.
- Ground chicken – You can use a combination of white and dark meat ground chicken or all-white meat ground chicken from chicken breast. Ground turkey, ground pork, or ground beef can also be used.
- Sesame oil – This adds that classic Asian stir fry flavor to the stir fry veggies.
- Stir fry vegetables – This recipe calls for carrot, bell pepper, broccoli, and sliced green onions. Other options include mushrooms, sugar snap peas, and water chestnuts.
- Fresh garlic
- Cashews – These add an irresistible crunchy texture and nutty flavor. Peanuts are a great substitute.
- Cornstarch – Used to thicken the sauce. Arrowroot powder can be used as a substitute.
How to Make Ground Chicken Stir Fry
This ground chicken stir fry is super easy to make, however, once cooking gets started, things move quite quickly. I highly recommend preparing everything ahead of time. This includes mixing together the sauce ingredients and chopping all of the vegetables.
1. Make the stir-fry sauce: Whisk together the chicken broth, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, brown sugar, and chili paste in a medium bowl. Set it aside for later.
- Tip: Double the sauce ingredients if you prefer a more saucy stir fry.
2. Brown the ground chicken: Heat the oil in a wok or large skillet over medium heat and cook the ground chicken for 5 minutes, crumbling it as you stir. Remove the chicken and set aside.
3. Cook the stir-fry veggies: Drizzle the sesame oil into the same pan and add the carrots to cook for 1 minute. Add the bell peppers and cook for another minute. Add the broccoli and cook for another minute.
4. Add remaining stir-fry ingredients: Add the garlic, green onions, and cashews, mixing well to combine. Stir-fry for another minute.
5. Add the sauce: Whisk the cornstarch into the bowl containing the sauce and then pour the sauce into the wok or skillet. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
6. Add the chicken: Toss in the cooked chicken and cook for another 30 seconds or until all of the stir-fried ingredients are fully covered in the sauce.
7. Serve and garnish: Serve this ground chicken stir fry over fluffy white rice and garnish with the green parts of the sliced green onions.
Diet-Friendly Substitutions
Gluten-Free:
- Swap regular soy sauce with tamari or coconut aminos
- Use a gluten-free hoisin sauce
- Check labels on chili paste and broth to ensure they’re gluten-free
Vegetarian:
- Replace the ground chicken with crumbled tofu, tempeh, or a plant-based ground meat alternative.
- Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth
- Use a vegetarian-friendly hoisin sauce
Vegan: Follow vegetarian swaps above. Additionally,
- Use vegan brown sugar, coconut sugar, or maple syrup
- Choose a vegan chili paste (some contain shrimp paste)
Nut-Free: Skip the cashews or use pepitas (pumpkin seeds) or edamame for a crunchy alternative.
Low-Sodium:
- Use low-sodium broth and tamari (or soy sauce)
- Consider reducing the hoisin sauce by half and add extra chili paste or rice vinegar for flavor
Serving Ideas
This ground chicken stir fry is quick, flavorful, and works with countless side dishes. Serve it as-is for a light, low-carb meal, or pair it with steamed jasmine rice, brown rice, coconut rice, fried rice or even cauliflower rice for something heartier. It’s also fantastic with noodles. Try doubling the sauce and tossing it with ramen, udon, or even soba for extra flavor.
For dinner parties, family dinners, or weekly meal prep, make a larger batch and round it out with one or two sides like:
Storage and Freezing
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in a small saucepan or skillet set over medium-low heat or in the microwave oven until heated through.
Freezing is not recommended as the stir-fried veggies are likely to become mushy from the freezing and thawing process.
More Asian-Inspired Recipes
If you make this ground chicken stir fry recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out in the comment section below! Your review will help other readers in the community. And if you’re hungry for more delicious food inspiration and exclusive content, join my free newsletter here.
Ground Chicken Stir Fry Recipe
Ingredients
- ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- ¼ cup soy sauce, regular or low-sodium
- 2 tablespoon hoisin sauce, plus more to taste
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon chili paste, like Sriracha
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil , or olive oil
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 large carrot, peeled and julienned
- 1 red bell pepper, seeds removed and sliced
- 2 cup broccoli florets, (approx. 1 small head of broccoli)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 bunch green onion, sliced, green and white parts divided
- ½ cup cashews
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- Whisk the chicken broth, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, brown sugar, and chili paste together in a medium bowl and set aside for later.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the ground chicken and cook, breaking into smaller pieces, for about 5 minutes or until cooked through.
- Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside then drizzle the sesame oil into the pan and add the carrots. Stir fry the carrots for 1 minute, then add the bell peppers, and cook for 1 minute. Finally, add the broccoli, cooking for another minute.
- Toss in the garlic, white parts of the green onion, and cashews. Stirring continuously, cook for another minute.
- Whisk the cornstarch into the sauce then pour the sauce into the skillet.
- Stir fry for 1-2 minutes or until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Toss in the cooked ground chicken and stir fry for another 30 seconds or until everything is covered in the sauce.
- Serve over white rice and garnish with the sliced green parts of the onions if desired.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
