This is the weeknight chicken stir fry I make on repeat.
Stir fry was always in the rotation growing up. Chinese food was just part of the Fijian table, not exotic, just Tuesday. This is my version of that.
Quick enough for a Tuesday night, good enough to batch cook on a Sunday and pack into the freezer with rice for the week ahead. When life gets busy, and it always does, this is what saves dinner.
The protein is completely flexible. Chicken is my default but beef, pork or tofu all work with the same marinade and sauce. Simple, reliable, endlessly adaptable. Exactly what a weeknight recipe should be.
What makes this different from most stir fry recipes?
Most weeknight stir fries skip two things: a proper marinade and blanched vegetables. The marinade (Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, cornflour) is what gives the chicken that slightly silky texture you get at a good Chinese restaurant. Without it you just get browned chicken.
The blanching is the other thing. Thirty seconds in boiling water before the wok means your vegetables stay bright and just-cooked instead of going limp while you’re trying to get the chicken right.
The sauce is also more of a loose gravy, built with chicken stock and a cornflour slurry, rather than a thick sticky coating. It coats everything without weighing it down.
Tips before you start
Have everything prepped before you turn on the heat. This cooks fast and you won’t have time to slice garlic once the wok is hot.
High heat matters. A wok over maximum heat, or a large heavy pan as close to it as you can get. If the pan isn’t hot enough, you’ll steam instead of sear.
Don’t overcrowd the pan when cooking the chicken. If your pan isn’t large enough, cook in two batches. Crowding drops the temperature and ruins the texture.
Shaoxing wine is worth buying a bottle of. It’s a few dollars and it’s what gives the marinade its depth. In a pinch, dry sherry works.
FAQ
Can I make this ahead? Yes — this is actually better batch-cooked. Make a full batch on Sunday, portion with rice into containers and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Reheat in a pan with a splash of water rather than a microwave.
What vegetables work best? Broccoli, capsicum, snow peas, bok choy and carrot all work well. The rule is: use whatever needs using. That’s the whole point of the dish.
Can I make it without Shaoxing wine? Yes. Dry sherry is the closest substitute. If you need it alcohol-free, skip it and add an extra teaspoon of soy sauce and a small splash of rice vinegar.
The Weeknight Stir Fry
Ingredients
- For the chicken marinade:
- 500 g chicken breast or thigh thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing Chinese cooking wine
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp cornflour
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp white pepper
- For the stir fry:
- 3-4 cups mixed vegetables sliced (use whatever you have — broccoli, capsicum, snow peas, carrot, bok choy all work well)
- 1 tsp oil for blanching
- 2 tbsp neutral oil or light olive oil for cooking
- 1 medium onion sliced
- 4 cloves garlic freshly minced
- 3 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- Pinch of sugar
- 1 cup hot chicken stock
- 2 tsp cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp water cornflour slurry
- Drizzle of sesame oil to finish
Instructions
- Combine sliced chicken with Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, cornflour, salt, white pepper and MSG if using. Mix well and set aside to marinate for at least 10 minutes.
- Bring a pot of water to the boil. Add 1 tsp oil and blanch your vegetables for 1-2 minutes until just tender but still vibrant. Drain and set aside. (This technique keeps your vegetables bright and prevents them going soggy in the wok.)
- Heat oil in a wok or large frying pan over high heat. Add the marinated chicken and cook until golden and cooked through. Remove and set aside.
- Add a little more oil to the same pan. Cook onion until softened, then add the minced garlic and stir fry for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Return the chicken to the pan along with the blanched vegetables. Add oyster sauce, soy sauce and a pinch of sugar. Toss everything together.
- Pour in the hot chicken stock and stir to combine. Add the cornflour slurry and cook for 1-2 minutes until the sauce thickens and coats everything beautifully.
- Finish with a generous drizzle of sesame oil. Taste and adjust salt as needed. Serve immediately over steamed rice.