This spicy chicken stir fry has the perfect balance of heat and savory flavors that’ll make your weeknight dinner anything but boring. Ready in just 20 minutes, it’s loaded with crisp veggies and tender chicken in a sauce that’ll have you licking your plate clean.
WANT TO SAVE THIS RECIPE?
Enter your email below and we’ll send it straight to your inbox. Plus you’ll get great new recipes from us every week!
Spicy chicken stir fry is one of my go-to meals when I want something quick and packed with flavor. I love how the tender chicken soaks up the savory, spicy sauce made with chili paste, garlic, and soy sauce.
Throw in some colorful veggies like bell peppers and onions, and it turns into a vibrant, crunchy dish that’s both satisfying and beautiful on the plate.
What I enjoy most is how easy it is to customize. If I’m in the mood for extra heat, I’ll toss in more chili sauce or experiment with different peppers. It comes together in minutes and pairs perfectly with rice or noodles to soak up all that delicious sauce. It’s a simple, versatile meal that never disappoints.
Jump to:
Why You’ll Love Making Spicy Chicken Stir Fry
- Complete Meal: This chicken stir fry has everything you need in a well-rounded meal in one pot. Tons of veggies, protein-packed chicken breast, and starch to round it out.
- Flexible Recipe: Easily swap in whatever vegetables you have in your fridge or adjust the spice level to suit your family’s taste. It’s almost impossible to mess up.
- Budget Friendly: Costs a fraction of what you’d pay for takeout and makes enough for leftovers, which taste even better the next day as the flavors deepen.
- One-Pot Wonder: Less cleanup and more time to enjoy your meal—everything cooks in a single pan! No need to juggle multiple dishes or spend forever scrubbing pots afterward. It’s as simple as cook, serve, and savor!
🍗 If you’re looking to win over even the pickiest eaters, trust me, Chicken Parmesan works every time — it’s like magic on a plate.
Recipe Ingredients
- Chicken breasts
- Chicken broth
- Soy sauce — I like Kikkoman
- Szechuan spicy stir-fry sauce — I’ve only ever used House of Tsang.
- Cornstarch
- Sugar
- Cooking oil
- Onion
- Pea pods
- La Choy Fancy Chinese vegetables — These are the canned Chinese style vegetables.
- Broccoli
- Carrots
See the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and quantities.
How to Make Spicy Chicken Stir Fry
Step 1: Cut up vegetables, and cut chicken into strips. Combine broth, soy sauce, Szechuan sauce, cornstarch, and brown sugar; set aside.
Step 2: Stir fry chicken in oil in a nonstick wok over medium-high heat for two minutes. Add onion and stir fry for two minutes. Add remaining vegetables and stir fry two minutes more.
Step 3: Add sauce, stirring constantly until it thickens and vegetables are heated through. Serve over rice or noodles.
Recipe FAQs
Yes! This recipe works great with shrimp, beef, tofu, or even pork as a substitute for chicken. Just adjust the cooking time slightly depending on the protein — shrimp cooks faster, while beef or pork might need a bit longer to tenderize.
Jasmine or basmati rice pairs perfectly, but you can also use brown rice, quinoa, or even noodles for a fun twist. For a low-carb option, try cauliflower rice or serve it over a bed of steamed greens like spinach or bok choy.
Feel free to toss in your favorites — zucchini, snap peas, carrots, or mushrooms would all be delicious additions. If using harder veggies like carrots, slice them thinly or pre-cook them slightly to ensure they’re tender when the dish is done.
Expert Tips
- Prep Everything First: Stir fries cook quickly, so have all your ingredients chopped, measured, and ready to go before you start cooking. This ensures nothing burns while you’re scrambling to prep.
- High Heat is Key: Use a ripping hot pan or wok to get that perfect sear on the chicken and veggies. This locks in flavor and keeps everything crisp-tender.
- Don’t Overcrowd the Pan: Cook in batches if needed to avoid steaming the ingredients. Overcrowding lowers the temperature and can make the dish soggy.
- Use Cornstarch for Tender Chicken: Toss the chicken in a bit of cornstarch before cooking—it helps create a light coating and keeps the meat juicy and tender.
How to Store Leftovers
Store leftover stir fry in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Please note that the longer the stir fry sits, the softer the veggies will become.
Reheat individual portions of the stir fry in the microwave for 1 minute, or until hot. If necessary, heat in 10 second intervals after a minute, until desired temperature is reached.
More Weeknight Chicken Dinner Recipes
Try these other fast recipes with chicken for dinner this week:
- Chicken Tortellini Soup is warming, comforting, and contains fresh peas and carrots.
- Chicken and Cheese Taquitos are crispy and stuffed with juicy shredded chicken: perfect for dipping into salsa and guacamole.
- Pesto Roll-Ups have savory, cheesy herby pesto sauce and make an elegant dinner for company.
Did you try this recipe? Leave a ⭐️ rating below and share it on Instagram.
More Chicken Recipes to Consider
WANT TO SAVE THIS RECIPE?
Enter your email below and we will send it straight to your inbox. Plus you will get great new recipes from us every week!
Spicy Chicken Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
- ⅓ cup chicken broth
- ⅓ cup soy sauce (I like Kikkoman.)
- 1 tablespoon Szechuan spicy stir-fry sauce (I use House of Tsang brand.)
- 4 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- ½ cup onion, chopped
- 6 ounces pea pods
- 1 14 ounce can La Choy Fancy Chinese vegetables
- 1 cup broccoli, cut into bite-sized pieces
- ½ cup shredded carrots
Instructions
- Cut chicken into strips.
- Combine broth, soy sauce, Szechuan sauce, cornstarch, and brown sugar; set aside.
- Stir fry chicken in oil in a nonstick wok over medium-high heat for two minutes.
- Add onion and stir fry for two minutes.
- Add remaining vegetables and stir fry two minutes more.
- Add sauce, stirring constantly until it thickens and vegetables are heated through.
- Serve over rice or noodles.
Notes
- Find La Choy Fancy Vegetables (canned) and the stir-fry sauce in the International section of your grocery store.
- If you can’t find the La Choy fancy vegetables at your grocery store, you can substitute fresh bean sprouts and a small can of water chestnuts. Just be sure to drain the water chestnuts first.
- Once you add the sauce, keep stirring! Not only does this prevent burning, but it helps create that beautiful glaze that coats every piece of chicken and vegetable. Make sure to scrape up those flavorful browned bits from the bottom of the pan – they’re little flavor bombs that will take your stir fry from good to great.
- Taste and adjust the sauce as you go—add more soy sauce for saltiness, a splash of vinegar for tang, or a pinch of sugar to balance the heat.
CR
Delicious. Used some extra sauce for more zip and used sesame oil. Served with ramen noodles. My husband is picky and really enjoyed this dish for a summer lunch.
Melissa Griffiths
SO glad you liked it! The noodles sound like a perfect addition.
CookingCourtney
this looks SOOO good!
makes me hungry lol
Jude
A complete meal in one wok. I love crunchy pea pods in stir fries
Aggie
Oh this looks delish, I love all the veggies!
~Priscilla~
that looks soo good!! a good stir fry is always delicious.
The Blonde Duck
Isn’t it fun when you find out family reads your blog? It’s so suprising!
Jenny
Wow, This looks scrumptious, I’d love it for dinner tonight!
Candy
It’s funny what they miss when they are away isn’t it? Mine always wants meatloaf when he comes home. Congrats on your daughter’s wedding. Looks like lots of fun.
Maria
I love stir fry!! So many wonderful veggies!!
HoneyB
This looks really light and delicious! Heaven knows, I need light. Starting to be more careful as of this morning and writing everything down!!
Lisa
It looks like a nice healthy dish.
Sara
This looks delicious, I love a good stir fry!