Easy to make for weeknight meals, this Honey Garlic Chicken Stir Fry is packed with protein and veggies. This simple stir fry is popular with everyone from adults to kids with its sweet savory flavor. It’s gluten-free, dairy-free, and can be made Whole30 as well. I love using a mix of veggies in this stir fry, but it’s great with just one veggie like broccoli as well.
Some flavor of stir fry is on our table pretty much every single week of the year. And this honey garlic version is an all-time favorite. It’s based on the classic honey garlic chicken wings and those flavors are perfect for stir fry as well.
My husband absolutely loves honey garlic chicken wings, so this stir fry gets him all his favorite flavors in a 1 pan dinner full of veggies. And we’re both fans of simple dinners that come together easily without having to make extra side dishes.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Chicken thighs – boneless skinless chicken thighs work the best in stir fries because they don’t dry out as easily as chicken breasts. However you can also use chicken breasts here, just be careful not to overcook them.
- Onion – I like to use red onions for my stir fries for color, but you can use any onion in this recipe.
- Broccoli – be sure to cut the broccoli into small florets so it cooks evenly. You could also use cabbage, green beans, snow peas, or asparagus in this recipe. Snap peas cook quickly, so add them near the end of the cooking time.
- Red bell pepper – adds nice color and flavor, but you can use any bell pepper you’d like, or just use 1 veggie in this recipe.
- Carrots – sliced thin cook at the same rate as the rest of the veggies here and add a nice natural sweetness.
- Broth – I use low-sodium chicken broth as part of the stir fry sauce, but you could use vegetable broth here as well. Broth adds a bit more body to the sauce making this stir fry nice and saucy.
- Soy sauce – tamari, or coconut aminos all work in this recipe. I use coconut aminos most of the time, and you’ll need to add a bit more salt because it’s not as salty. If you use soy sauce or tamari be sure to check the label to make sure it’s gluten-free!
- Garlic – freshly minced garlic will always give you the best results. I don’t recommend jarred garlic if at all possible, instead try using a garlic press to speed up the prep time.
- Other sauce ingredients – I like to add a touch of red pepper flakes for a hint of spice. Feel free to add more or leave them out. Toasted sesame oil adds a nice depth of flavor that is classic in honey garlic sauce. If you don’t have it on hand, leave it out. But it really is worth getting for your kitchen. I keep mine in the fridge to last longer.
How to make this recipe step by step
Step 1: Start by mixing the sauce together. Mix until all the starch lumps are mixed in and set aside.
Don’t worry if the honey doesn’t fully mix, it will dissolve and mix when it hits the pan.
Step 4: Preheat a large skillet (15″) over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Add some of the cooking oil and sauté the chicken, stirring only as it browns.
When the chicken is done, remove it from the pan.
Step 5: Add the remaining oil to the pan along with the garlic, cook stirring for about 20 seconds. Then add the veggies and mix to combine the garlic.
Stir fry keeping the pan hot enough to sear the veggies, but not so hot that the pan is smoking.
Step 6: When the veggies are just tender, add the cooked chicken and the sauce to the pan. Cook stirring constantly to mix until the sauce thickens and coats the stir fry, about 1 minute.
If desired, you can garnish this stir fry with sesame seeds and thinly sliced green onions. But I usually don’t bother unless we have company!
Ways to serve this
- Serve this honey garlic stir fry with freshly steamed rice or cauliflower rice. We like steamed Jasmine rice best, but Basmati is very good too. You can also serve this over brown rice or quinoa as well.
- This stir fry is also really good over vermicelli rice noodles or pad Thai rice noodles instead of rice. I’ve even served it over gluten-free ramen noodles which is a fun change and tasty.
- Add another veggie with my Asian Cucumber Salad.
FAQ’s
Yes, you can substitute boneless skinless chicken breasts in this stir fry for chicken thighs. Chicken breasts dry out easily, so be careful not to overcook them!
The answer is simple even if it isn’t always easy, don’t overcook the chicken and it will be juicy! This is harder to do in practice though. Try taking a piece out of the pan and see if it’s cooked through if you’re not sure. Remember the chicken will continue to cook as it sits for a bit and cooks a bit more once you add it back to the pan with the sauce.
Storing leftovers
- To store – place any leftovers into an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Make ahead – stir fry is best eaten right away, but you can prep the veggies and refrigerate for up to 2 days before cooking. You can also mix the sauce up to 2 days ahead of time and refrigerate it. The sauce will need to be remixed when you’re ready to cook.
- Reheating – place the leftovers in a skillet and reheat covered over low heat, adding water if necessary to keep it from sticking. I like to add any leftover rice to the pan as well with a touch of water to soften it again.
- To freeze – I don’t recommend freezing any stir fry because they are mushy when thawed.
Tips & Tricks
- My #1 tip for stir-fries is to be careful not to overcook the chicken as discussed above! It is easy to overcook it at high heat. So begin taking a piece out to break and apart and see if it’s cooked earlier than you’d think.
- Also using chicken thighs in stir fries really helps with this. Chicken thighs are much more forgiving and don’t turn to sawdust when they’re overcooked.
- Keep a close eye on your stir fry but stir too often! You want to stir the veggies only as they brown. If you stir constantly they don’t have a chance to brown well.
- For tender broccoli stems, peel away the tough outer layer with a vegetable peeler. Then thinly slice the stem like you would for carrots.
- It’s much easier to cut up chicken if it’s partially frozen, (even just 20 minutes in the freezer really helps).
Dietary Options & Substitutions
- Paleo & Whole30 – be sure to use coconut aminos and omit the honey for Whole30. Also, sesame oil is considered Whole30 compliant in small amounts for flavor like a stir fry, but you can leave it out as well. Be sure to read the labels on any broth you choose to make sure it’s compliant as well.
I really hope you enjoy this Honey Garlic Chicken Stir Fry recipe! If you do get a chance to make this recipe, I’d love to hear from you in the comments.
Honey Garlic Chicken Stir Fry
INGREDIENTS
Sauce:
- 1/3 cup gluten free soy sauce - tamari, or coconut aminos
- 1 tbsp tapioca starch - or cornstarch
- 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes - optional
- 2 tbsp honey - more or less to taste
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
Stir-Fry:
- 2 tbsp avocado oil - (or olive oil)
- 1 pound chicken thighs - cut into 1″ cubes
- 3 cloves garlic - minced
- 1 medium red onion - diced 1/2″
- 1 small head broccoli - cut into small bite sized florets, see notes
- 1 red bell pepper - diced into 1" pieces
- 2 large carrots - peeled and thinly sliced
INSTRUCTIONS
- Mix the soy sauce and tapioca/cornstarch together until no lumps remain. Add the red pepper flakes, honey, toasted sesame oil, and broth. Mix to combine and set aside. Don't worry if the honey is lumpy, it will dissolve in the pan.
- Prep all the veggies and mince the garlic.
- Preheat a large skillet (15") over high heat.
- When the pan is hot but not smoking, add 1 Tablespoon of avocado oil and the chicken cubes. Sauté for about 2 minutes to brown before turning the chicken cubes, and cooking until golden brown and just done in the center. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium-high and add the remaining 1 Tablespoon of avocado oil to the pan. Add the garlic to the pan and cook stirring for 30 seconds.
- Add the veggies and stir to combine with the garlic. Then cook stirring only as the veggies brown. Keep the heat high enough to brown the veggies, but not so high the pan is smoking.
- When the veggies are crisp-tender, add the chicken back to the pan along with the sauce.
- Stir constantly to combine the sauce with the chciken and veggies. Season to taste if necessary with sea salt and serve.
NOTES
nutrition facts
This recipe was originally published in 2014 and updated in 2023 with new photos, more tips and information and a few tweaks to the recipe for more flavor.
Thank you for such a Great recipe! This was soooo good! My picky daughter even loved it! ☺️ This is definitely a keeper!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, and it’s truly the best compliment ever when I hear it’s a kid ‘approved’ recipe!
It is a great recipe for dinner. It is a delicious plate and the honey makes a nice sweetener . We say 1 out of 10, we give it a 9.
Thanks so much, that’s really high praise! 🙂
You can also use Arrowroot in place of cornstarch, I use Bob’s Red Mill.
I do use arrowroot sometimes, but I’ve found over time that I mostly prefer either cornstarch or tapioca starch.
Can’t wait to try this stir fry but also to try the sauce on chicken wings , love those wings
That does sound delicious, I should put honey garlic wings on the list to make for the blog this fall! 🙂
Hi Kari!
This dish looks wonderful and we will try it tomorrow.
But where did you find the organic cornstarch?
We have been looking everywhere for it?
THANKS!
We ordered ours from a co-op company called Azure Standard (they deliver by semi truck in the N.W.). The brand is called Rapunzel and you can order it online as well, I’ve included the link below. If all else fails, you can use tapioca starch for a similar texture, but use half the amount because it seems to thicken more than cornstarch. Let me know how it goes! 🙂
http://www.amazon.com/Rapunzel-Pure-Organic-Corn-Starch/dp/B0046HCSJE