Easy Chicken Stir Fry Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret ingredient in stir-fry? ›

This is why you should add ketchup to your stir fry

According to Food & Wine, ketchup is the ultimate way to take the flavor of homemade stir fry up a level, thanks to its sweet and sour flavor profile.

Aromatic ingredients like garlic, ginger, green onions, chilies and spices. These ingredients are typically added to the oil first to infuse it with flavor. You won't need much; a few teaspoons to a tablespoon of total aromatic ingredients per person adds a serious amount of flavor.

"Tomatoes should never go in a stir fry — not at all." Chef Natasha Ford adds that they're too mushy. "They would just make your stir fry soupy," she says. "If you really want to use them, keep them as fresh and uncooked as possible.

Because stir-frying uses a very high heat, you want a cooking oil that has a high smoke point. Vegetable, canola or peanut oil are my trustee go-tos, and all have a neutral taste, so won't affect flavour. Do not – I repeat, DO NOT – use butter!

Adding soy sauce too early can burn it. Remember, timing is key. Add soy sauce midway for that perfect cook.

Chinese cooks normally use soybean oil, vegetable oil, or peanut oil, all of which have a high smoke point. Peanut oil usually has a pleasant nutty flavor and is suitable not only for stir-frying but also for deep-frying. Canola oil, which has a high smoke point but a neutral flavor, is also a good choice.

Stir-fry onions first, then add hard vegetables such as carrot and broccoli. Quick-cooking vegetables, such as snow peas, leafy greens and bean sprouts, should be added towards the end of cooking. If using vegies that have a combination of both textures, such as gai laan, add the stems first and the leaves later.

What are the best vegetables for stir-fry? ›

Aromatics in first- onion, leeks, garlic, ginger, chilli. Firm vegetables in second – like carrot, capsicum/bell peppers, stems of Asian Greens (Buk Choy in this recipe), zucchini / courgettes, eggplant, asparagus, canned baby corn, green beans, okra. Quicker cooking vegetables added next- snow peas, kale, cabbage.

So instead of adding it to the oil at the start of cooking a vegetable stir-fry, try adding it mid-way (or even later depending on your preference) so the garlic doesn't lose that zing by the time the vegetables and meat are cooked.

Dry stir-frying (干炒) – without coating, raw ingredients are stir-fried relatively longer time to evaporate their water content. Mixed stir-frying (抓炒) – main ingredients are coated with starched base batter (either with egg or just water), deep-fried, then mixed quickly with various sauce.

Buy the Right Pan and Keep It Sizzling Hot

“Because you should always stir fry at a very, very high heat, you actually need a carbon or stainless steel pan with a flat, wide bottom that can stay in contact with your heat source.”

Velvet the beef: The velveting technique involves tenderizing, marinating, and a quick searing of the meat. To tenderize: Sprinkle with baking soda (the secret Chinese meat tenderizer). To marinate (a quick marinade): Add basic beef marinade and mix to coat evenly. Let marinate for 15 minutes or up to overnight.

"Tomatoes should never go in a stir fry — not at all." Chef Natasha Ford adds that they're too mushy. "They would just make your stir fry soupy," she says. "If you really want to use them, keep them as fresh and uncooked as possible.