Proudly stepping onto the podium to accept the Gold Medal on behalf of fast weeknight dinners everywhere: Healthy Chicken Stir Fry. Loaded with vegetables and finished with juicy mandarin oranges to convince the veggie suspect, this recipe is a favorite of kiddos big and little.

Whenever I need a fast, nutritious weeknight dinner (or whenever my refrigerator is overflowing with assorted bits of on-the-brink vegetables—these two events often coincide), I turn to stir fries.

Recipes like this Teriyaki Chicken Stir Fry, Teriyaki Beef Stir Fry, and Tofu Stir Fry are:

Quick and easy.
Adaptable to the ingredients you have on hand.
A seriously tasty way to get your fill of vegetables and lean protein in a single meal.

Even among the robust collection of stir fry recipes on my site, today’s healthy chicken stir fry stands out.

Fresh, colorful, and delicious recipe made in a skillet with vegetables and Mandarin oranges

5 Star Review

“Will make this over and over again. I made it for my family and they all loved it!”

— Claire —

How to Make Healthy Chicken Stir Fry

Two wok-rockin’ ingredients make this healthy chicken stir fry recipe unbelievably fast and easy.

Spoiler Alert: they taste fantastic, add nutritious servings of fruits and vegetables, and require almost zero effort on your part.

Are you ready for my stir fry secrets?

The Ingredients

Broccoli Slaw. My first secret ingredient. A variation of coleslaw, broccoli slaw features thinly shredded broccoli stems in place of (or in addition to) shredded cabbage. The beauty here? You don’t have to chop the broccoli. Simply open the bag, dump, and stir fry away.

TIP!

If you are looking for a new kind of stir fry, you could skip the actual noodles and/or rice entirely and enjoy this stir fry on its own with just the slaw.

When the broccoli slaw sautés and soaks up the chicken stir fry sauce, its shape and texture resembles rice noodles.

Mandarin Oranges. My second secret ingredient that makes this stir fry DELICIOUS. While I was making this stir fry, I took a cue from our cult classic Ramen Salad and .tossed a few over the stir fry. It makes it fresh and kid-friendly

Red Pepper. Thinly sliced red bell pepper adds color plus extra vitamins (A & C).

Market Swap

Feel free to add whatever extra veggies are in your refrigerator or even try frozen vegetables. See my tips for making this healthy chicken stir fry with frozen vegetables below.

Lean Protein. I made the stir fry with diced boneless, skinless chicken breasts and a handful of shelled edamame. Feel free to use one or both.

Soy Sauce and Rice Vinegar. Create that classic Chinese-style stir fry flavor we all know and love.

Dietary Note

If you’d like to make this healthy chicken stir fry gluten free, opt for tamari instead of soy sauce.

Honey. Adds just the right amount of sweetness without overloading the sauce with high-calorie sweeteners.

Ingredient Note

If you’re wondering what makes typical stir fry unhealthy, the culprit is likely in the sauce.

Many stir fry recipes rely on heavy corn syrups or refined sugars in large quantities to achieve that sticky, sweet sauce everyone loves.
My recipe relies on just a dash of honey which balances the saltiness of the soy sauce in a healthy, guilt-free way.

Garlic and Ginger. A powerful, dynamic duo that’s essential in any classic stir fry sauce.
Cornstarch. Thickens the sauce and brings everything together into one delicious, healthy stir fry.

Ingredients for a healthy stir fry including edamame beans, red bell pepper, Mandarin oranges, and broccoli slaw

The Directions

Sauté the onion and chicken, then remove to a plate.
Stir together the chicken stir fry sauce ingredients in a bowl.
Next, sauté the vegetables until crisp-tender.
Return everyting to the skillet and pour the sauce over the top. Allow the sauce to thicken for a few minutes, then top with the mandarin oranges, green onions, and seeds. ENJOY!

A pan of healthy chicken stir fry with Mandarin oranges

Easy Chicken Stir Fry Tips

Prepare Your Ingredients. Stir fry recipes move quickly, so it’s important to have all your ingredients prepared before you start cooking. Chop all your vegetables, cut your chicken pieces, and measure out your spices and seasonings before you turn on the stove.
Vegetable Size. Try to cut your vegetables so they are uniform in size. This will help them cook in about the same amount of time.
Frozen Vegetables. You can use frozen vegetables in this recipe if you prefer. Thaw them overnight in the refrigerator (or if you forget, warm them a little in the microwave). Pat them dry on a paper towel. Make sure your skillet is hot before you add the frozen vegetables, so they do not become soggy. Frozen veggies may cook faster than fresh, so keep an eye on them. Heads up: they won’t be *as* crisp as if you’d used fresh vegetables, but they’re a nutritious, budget friendly, and time-saving option.

Make Ahead and Storage Tips

To Make Ahead. Chop the vegetables and cut the chicken breasts up to 1 day in advance. Store both in separate storage containers in the refrigerator until ready to prepare. You can also prepare the stir fry sauce 1 day in advance and store it in the refrigerator.
To Store. Place stir fry leftovers in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
To Reheat. Gently rewarm leftovers in a large skillet on the stove over medium-low heat. You can also reheat this recipe in the microwave.
To Freeze. Store this dish in an airtight freezer-safe storage container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.

Meal Prep Tip

This healthy chicken stir fry is great for meal prep.

Prepare on Sunday and divvy up the stir fry into divided meal prep containers with a side of rice or quinoa for a healthy lunch to enjoy throughout the week.
Layer in mason jars with rice or quinoa for a super transportable lunch you can tote to the office and easily transfer into a bowl for reheating.

Healthy stir fry chicken and vegetables with mandarin oranges on a plate with a fork

Recommended Tools to Make this Recipe

Large Glass Measuring Cup. For measuring and mixing up this healthy stir-fry sauce.
Silicone Tongs. For quickly stirring and tossing your stir fry as it cooks without damaging your wok or skillet.

Nonstick Wok

If you make stir fries often, having a wok makes things much easier, tidier, and yields the best restaurant-worthy results.

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Easy Chicken Stir Fry with Vegetables and Mandarin Oranges

This healthy chicken stir fry features fresh vegetables, colorful mandarin oranges, and an easy, flavorful stir fry sauce for a quick dinner.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Asian

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 25 minutes

Servings servings

Calories 387kcal

Author Erin Clarke / Well Plated

Ingredients

1 1/2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil divided
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces
1 small onion diced
4 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce divided
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
3 cloves garlic minced (about 1 tablespoon)
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 red bell pepper cored and thinly sliced
12 ounces broccoli slaw
1 cup shelled edamame fresh or frozen and thawed
1 cup mandarin oranges packed in juice drained
Chopped green onions for serving
Toasted sesame seeds optional, for serving
Prepared brown rice or quinoa for serving

Instructions

In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook until beginning to soften, about 3 minutes.
Add the chicken, 1 tablespoon of soy sauce, and salt. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is completely cooked through and the juices run clear when cut, about 5 minutes. With a spoon, remove the chicken and onion to a plate and set aside.
In a small bowl or large liquid measuring cup, stir together the remaining 3 tablespoons soy sauce, ginger, garlic, honey, rice vinegar, cornstarch, and red pepper flakes until smooth. Set aside.
In the same skillet, heat the remaining 1/2 tablespoon oil. Add the bell pepper. Cook 3 minutes. Add the broccoli slaw and cook until the vegetables are crisp-tender, about 4 to 5 minutes more.
Return the chicken and onions to the skillet. Add the edamame and pour the soy sauce mixture over the top and stir to combine. Let cook 1 minute to warm through and thicken the sauce. Top with the oranges, green onions, and sesame seeds. Serve hot with brown rice.

Notes

TO STORE: Place stir fry leftovers in an airtight storage container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
TO REHEAT: Gently rewarm leftovers in a large skillet on the stove over medium-low heat. You can also reheat this recipe in the microwave.
TO FREEZE: Store this dish in an airtight freezer-safe storage container in the freezer for up to 3 months. Let thaw overnight in the refrigerator before reheating.
TO MAKE AHEAD: Chop the vegetables and cut the chicken breasts up to 1 day in advance. Store both in separate storage containers in the refrigerator until ready to prepare. You can also prepare the stir fry sauce 1 day in advance and store it in the refrigerator.