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30-Minute Chicken and Broccoli

30 minute chicken and broccoli with glossy garlic-soy sauce, quick high-heat stir-frying, and tender-crisp broccoli. Thin-sliced chicken browns fast, then gets tossed with a thickened sauce for a takeout-style weeknight dinner over fluffy rice.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Asian-American
Calories: 520
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken and broccoli
  • 1.5 lb chicken breast Sliced thin for fast browning.
  • 4 cup broccoli florets Cut into bite-size pieces for tender-crisp texture.
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil Divided: 2 tbsp for chicken, remaining for broccoli and finishing.
Aromatics
  • 5 clove garlic Minced.
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger Grated.
Garlic soy sauce
  • 0.25 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch Mixed with water to make a slurry.
  • 3 tbsp water Used only for the cornstarch slurry.
  • 1 sesame seeds For serving.
  • 1 cooked rice For serving.

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Make the garlic soy sauce
  1. Whisk soy sauce, oyster sauce, brown sugar, and sesame oil together until smooth.
Stir-fry the chicken
  1. Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat, add chicken in a single layer, and cook 3–4 minutes until golden, then remove and set aside.
Stir-fry the broccoli
  1. Add remaining oil to the wok and cook broccoli for 3–4 minutes until bright green and tender-crisp, then push the broccoli to the sides.
Finish and thicken
  1. Add garlic and ginger to the center and cook 30 seconds, then stir them into the chicken and broccoli.
  2. Pour the sauce over everything and stir to coat, then add the cornstarch slurry and toss until the sauce thickens and coats everything, about 1 minute.
Serve
  1. Serve immediately over cooked rice with sesame seeds on top.

Notes

Pro tip: Slice the chicken thin and keep the pan hot so the chicken browns quickly instead of steaming. Store leftovers in the fridge up to 3 days; reheat in a skillet or microwave until hot (sauce will thicken more as it cools, loosen with a splash of water). Freezing is not recommended for best broccoli texture. For a lighter option, use low-sodium soy sauce and skip the oyster sauce or substitute with extra soy sauce plus a small splash of water.