This quick stir-fry recipe is made with juicy chicken and fresh broccoli in a hoisin glaze topped with sesame seeds over a bed of fluffy jasmine rice. Hoisin Chicken and Broccoli stir-fry is an Asian-inspired recipe made of simple ingredients, with big flavor.
You know it's time for a chicken and broccoli recipe when your broccoli is staring at you from the refrigerator for over a week. This being the main reason behind this dish, and the love for Asian food. This one-pan Hoisin chicken bowl is super simple to make and works great as a mid-week meal prep or a quick weeknight meal.
Why go to a restaurant when you can get Chinese takeout in your kitchen? Homemade stir-fry with a mouthwatering sauce are the only words you need to hear for that weeknight cooking inspiration.
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Bringing this dish together
Hoisin chicken stir-fry has its roots in culinary traditions of East Asian cuisine where meals are often served as a family-style, bringing together a communal dining experience. This Asian stir-fry is versatile and customizable which allows you to tailor the dish as per your preferences. You can opt from a wide variety of vegetables like peppers, carrots, water chestnuts and many more, allowing for creative variations.
Stir-frying is a popular cooking technique in many Asian cultures where bite-sized pieces of vegetables and protein are cooked over high heat in a wok or skillet. Although this cooking method is known for its speed and versatility, it preserves the texture, flavor and nutritional content of the ingredients.
Tossing and turning the ingredients or by shaking the wok, ensures that all sides of the ingredients are exposed to the heat for even cooking. It's usually cooked in a sequence with proteins first, then vegetables and finally the sauces and aromatics, to ensure everything is well-coated and heated throughout.
Let’s start off with the building blocks of the dish. You’ll need boneless and skinless chicken breasts, as a lean protein is more preferable. Fresh broccoli and bell peppers to add crunch and a vibrant green color to the dish. It all comes together by adding a generous amount of Asian sauces with a dash of rice wine vinegar to create the hoisin glaze. All these ingredients tossed in a smoky hot wok with sesame oil, locks in the flavor creating a delicious stir-fry meal.
Just scoop up a big bowl of jasmine rice with a heap of sizzling stir-fry, and you have the best Hoisin chicken recipe ready to share with your friends and family. Loaded with Cantonese flavor, this hoisin glazed chicken recipe will surely make the top of your simple stir-fry recipes list.
Ingredients
- Chicken breast: I went with boneless and skinless chicken breast for a lean and high protein preference. You can also use chicken thighs for a juicier texture.
- Broccoli: The star of the dish, separate into florets or cut it down further into smaller pieces as per your preference.
- Red Onion: It adds a sharp earthy taste and a slight caramel flavor.
- Green bell pepper: Adds a crisp and crunchy texture to the dish bringing in a mild and subtle flavor.
- Hoisin sauce: Hoisin adds a thick sweet and savory flavor to chicken and veggies.
- Soy sauce: Rich in umami and has a distinctive aroma which elevates the dish adding salty and sweet flavor to the dish.
- Rice wine vinegar: It adds mild acidity and slightly sweet flavor to the dish as to other types of vinegar, which makes it a perfect choice for stir-fry veggies.
- Sesame oil: It adds a unique, rich and nutty flavor to the dish while stir-frying.
- Sesame seeds: Use it for garnish.
- Salt: Season as required as soy sauce is salty too.
- Black pepper: Adds a pungent and spicy smack to the chicken.
See recipe card for quantities.
Walk through the Recipe
Let’s start preparing our Hoisin chicken and broccoli stir-fry.
We start preparing the ingredients by cutting the onions and bell peppers into cubes, and separating the broccoli crown into florets. We also thinly slice the chicken breast into similar slices for even cooking.
In a wok, we heat sesame oil over high heat and cook the sliced chicken for 3 to 4 minutes. Season it with salt and pepper while the chicken cooks.
Now add in the broccoli florets, bell peppers and onions and stir-fry for a minute until you smell the aroma of the veggies.
Pour in hoisin sauce, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and toss for another 1 to 2 minutes until the hoisin glaze coats every nook and cranny of the chicken and veggies.
Your sizzling stir-fry of Hoisin chicken and Broccoli is now ready. Serve over cooked rice or quinoa and garnish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds before serving.
Substitutions
You can replace some of the ingredients in the recipe to suit what you have at home.
- Onions: Red, white or yellow
- Rice wine vinegar: regular white vinegar
- Sesame seeds (optional): garnish with sliced green onions
- Chicken breast: boneless and skinless chicken thighs
Tips
- High heat: Stir-fry cooking technique requires high heat to achieve a nice sear on the chicken and vegetables. Use a well-heated skillet or wok while cooking.
- Equal slices: Cut the chicken breast, broccoli, bell peppers and onions into equal cuts to ensure even cooking.
- Avoid overcrowding: Cook the ingredients in batches for larger quantities to prevent uneven cooking.
- Meal prep: Prepare Hoisin chicken and Broccoli stir-fry in larger quantities as it makes great leftovers. You can also store individual portions in air-tight containers to consume over 3-4 days.
- Season thoughtfully: Hoisin and soy sauce might be a little salty, so season accordingly. Taste before serving and adjust the seasoning if necessary.
- Use fresh ingredients: Avoid using frozen broccoli or bell peppers as they turn mushy once cooked. Fresh broccoli and peppers add a better texture to the dish. Alternatively, you can also blanch the broccoli before stir-frying to enhance its color.
FAQs
You can use colorful bell peppers, snap peas, carrots or water chestnuts as it is a versatile dish which can accommodate a variety of veggies.
Yes, you can use beef, shrimp or tofu in place of chicken. Adjust the cooking time accordingly.
Add less hoisin sauce if you want a more dry consistency. Add little water or cornstarch slurry for a more saucier consistency.
Related Recipes
Looking for other recipes like this? Try these:
- Tender Beef Karahi Recipe
- Jerk Shrimp Pasta (Rasta Pasta Recipe)
- Mushroom Pappardelle
- Chicken Fajita Rice Bowl
Fusion Recipes
Try out some of our specialty recipes:
- Jerk Chicken Quesadilla
- Sumac Fries
- Crispy Brussels Sprouts Recipe (Indian style)
- Easy Crab Rangoon Egg Rolls
Recipe
Hoisin Chicken and Broccoli stir-fry
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless chicken breast, thinly sliced
- 1 crown broccoli
- 1 medium red onion, cubes
- 1 medium green bell pepper, cubes
- 4 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- Salt to taste
Instructions
- In a wok or large pan, heat 2 tablespoon sesame oil on high heat and add the sliced chicken breast. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and cook it for 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add in broccoli florets, cubes of bell peppers and onions, and stir-fry for a minute. Pour in hoisin sauce, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar and toss for another 1 to 2 minutes until the sauce coats the chicken and veggies.
- Serve the Hoisin chicken and Broccoli over cooked rice or quinoa and garnish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds.
jen
This was good and very easy. I added garlic and ginger and used chicken thighs because thats what I had. Served over rice, great way to help use up that bottle of hoisin sauce. Thanks for the recipe.