Chicken and Broccoli Recipe

July 29, 2021 · Anna Lee · 8 Comments

How to make a chicken-broccoli stir-fry dish as tender and juicy as a Chinese restaurant in less than 20 minutes? I’ll show you how a Chinese restaurant makes chicken juicy and tender. Then you can easily make any healthy and delicious Chinese chicken stir fry dish at home.

Chicken and broccoli recipe

Usually, Chinese restaurants prepare this dish, by adding beaten egg and cornstarch to make the chicken soft and moist. Another tip is to cut the chicken breast diagonally into 1/4 inch thick slices. This way it cooks faster because it doesn’t take as long to fry, and the chicken will be tender and juicy. You can also apply these tips to all chicken stir fry dishes.

If you’re interested, you can also try Beef with Broccoli.

What you need

Broccoli- My method is the lazy variety. Just add garlic and 1/4 cup water, cover the pot, and the broccoli will soften in 2 minutes.
Chicken- chicken breast or chicken thight are all ok. But chicken breast can absorb the sauce better than chicken thight. That means it’s more taste.
Sesame oil- I use sesame oil to add more flavor to the dish.

Soy sauce and oyster sauce- you need to add both to get a balanced salty and sweet flavor.
Garlic- this is a must for Chinese food.
Cornstarch- this is the Chinese way to thicken the sauce.

How to make chicken and broccoli

Cut the chicken breast into 2 slices.
PRO TIP: so each piece of chicken has the same thickness and is easy to cook.
Tap the chicken lightly against the grain direction with the back of the knife.
PRO TIP: This mainly destroys the fibers and makes the meat more tender.
Cut the chicken breast diagonally into 1/4 inch thick slices.
PRO TIP: It cooks faster this way because it doesn't take as long to fry, and the chicken will be tender and juicy.

Marinate the chicken breast with rice wine, soy sauce, beaten egg, and cornstarch. Mix well and set aside for at least 10 minutes.
PRO TIP: This is the best SECRET to make the chicken breast juicy. This will allow the chicken to soak up the sauce and become tender and juicy.
Add oil after 10 minutes when the chicken breast has absorbed the sauce.
PRO TIP: Adding oil will prevent the chicken from sticking together during frying.

Mix the sauce- add all the sauce ingredients to a medium bowl and whisk until completely mixed. Set aside.
Cook chicken breast- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil. Add chicken in a single layer, working in batches if needed, and cook until seared, about 2 minutes per side. Remove it from the pan.

Sauté the aromatics – In the same pan, add the remaining tablespoon of oil, the garlic, and fry for 10-15 seconds.
Add broccoli and 1/4 cup water – then cover the pan and simmer until tender, about 2 minutes. Add the sauce – to the pan and bring it to a simmer.
Return the chicken- add the chicken back in and let the sauce thicken for 20-30 seconds.

Other variations and substitutes

Vegetables: mushrooms, onion, zucchini, or a wider variety of vegetables.
Spicy: Make it spicy by adding some heat with homemade chili oil sauce or small dried chili de arbol peppers.