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This Sweet and Spicy Chicken Stir-Fry is a quick and easy dinner recipe that is better than take-out! It is packed with vegetables, chicken, and a delicious sweet and spicy stir-fry sauce. It’s a great weeknight dinner because you can have it cooked and ready in 30 minutes.
Are you looking for a quick and easy dinner that will take you less than 30 minutes to prepare? Look no farther than this Sweet and Spicy Chicken Stir-Fry Here is an easy chicken stir-fry recipe that is a perfect weeknight dinner! The sweet and spicy stir-fry sauce is delicious and simple to whip up. Meaning, you can have this dinner cooked up quicker than you can order take-out with more flavor!
HOW TO MAKE SWEET AND SPICY CHICKEN STIR-FRY
To begin with, in a small bowl, whisk together 3 Tbsp brown sugar, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 Tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tsp sesame oil, 1/2 tsp Chinese five spice, 1/2 garlic powder, 1/4 tsp black pepper, and 3/4 tsp cornstarch. Set the sweet and spicy sauce aside.
Next, heat a skillet over medium- high heat. Add 1 Tbsp canola oil. While the oil heats, cut chicken into 1 inch cubes. When the oil is hot, add the chicken to the skillet and stir-fry until browned, about 3-4 minutes. Then, remove the chicken from the skillet and set aside.
Now, heat 1/2 Tbsp canola oil in the skillet. When the oil is hot, add the snap peas, red and orange bell pepper, and the red onion to the skillet. Stir-fry the vegetables until slightly crisp, about 3 minutes.
When the vegetables are slightly crisped, pour the sauce into the skillet. Then, cook the sweet and spicy sauce with vegetables until thickened, approximately 1 minute.
Next, add the chicken back into the skillet and stir until the chicken is coated in the sweet and spicy sauce.
Finally, scoop Sweet and Spicy Chicken Stir-Fry over a bowl of rice, garnish with green onion, and serve!
TIPS TO MAKE SWEET AND SPICY CHICKEN STIR-FRY
Here are a few helpful tips to help get your Sweet and Spicy Chicken Stir-Fry dinner on the table in 30 minutes or less.
To begin, you will want to make your rice in advance. If you have not made your rice yet, start making the rice, following the package directions, before the first step. So then, your rice can be cooking while you are cooking the chicken and vegetables for the stir-fry.
Another time-saving tip is to chop your vegetables before you begin cooking the chicken. This way you can add the vegetables immediately after you take the chicken out of the skillet and add the new oil to the pan.
VARIATIONS
There are a few changes you can make to this Sweet and Spicy Chicken Stir-Fry recipe.
One change you can try is to swap the chicken out for shrimp. When you do this, the cooking time on the shrimp will be a little less than the chicken, you will only need to cook them until they have turned pink.
Although rice is a great base for this stir-fry, another variation you can try is swapping the rice out for cauliflower rice. This gives you a lower-carb option without taking away from that delicious sweet and spicy sauce! If you like an extra kick, you can try adding fresh sliced jalapeños as a garnish on top of this chicken stir-fry.
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MORE STIR-FRY RECIPES:
Sweet and Spicy Chicken Stir-Fry
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1” pieces
- 1 1/2 Tbsp canola oil
- 1/2 cup sugar snap peas
- 1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
- 1/2 orange bell pepper, sliced
- 1/4 red onion, sliced
- Garnish: sesame seed, sliced green onions
- Cooked rice
SAUCE
- 3 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp Chinese five spice
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/4 tsp black pepper
- 3/4 tsp cornstarch
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together ingredients for the sauce. Set aside.
- Heat a skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add 1 Tbsp canola oil. Once the oil is hot, add chicken and stir-fry until browned, approximately 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan.
- Next, add ½ Tbsp canola oil to the pan. Once the oil is hot, add sugar snap peas, bell peppers, and red onion to the pan.
- Stir-fry until slightly crisp, approximately 3 minutes. Add the sweet and spicy sauce to the pan and cook until thickened, approximately 1 minute.
- Stir in chicken and toss with sauce to coat.
- Serve over cooked rice. Garnish with chopped green onions.
Notes
- Make sure you wok/skillet is hot and the oil is hot before stir frying.
- Slice your meat and veggies for maximum surface area - ideally in strips.
- If you have a wok, always use that! The large surface area is great for cooking quick. Otherwise use a large skillet or cast iron pan.
- You will want to make your rice in advance. If you have not made your rice yet, start making the rice, following the package directions, before the first step. So then, your rice can be cooking while you are cooking the chicken and vegetables for the stir-fry.
- Another time-saving tip is to chop your vegetables before you begin cooking the chicken. This way you can add the vegetables immediately after you take the chicken out of the skillet and add the new oil to the pan.
- Your ingredients should cook fast, but to ensure that everything is cooked evenly, stir often.
- Garnish with green onions and/or sesame seeds.
- You can replace the chicken with shrimp for a seafood stir-fry!
