Description
A quick and flavorful Garlic-Ginger Chicken Stir-Fry featuring tender chicken breast, fresh bok choy, red onion, and a savory garlic-ginger sauce, garnished with crushed peanuts and fresh basil. Perfectly paired with coconut jasmine rice or cauliflower rice for a wholesome meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Marinade and Sauce
- 1 1-inch knob fresh ginger (minced)
- ⅓ cup reduced sodium soy sauce or GF tamari
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 6 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar or sugar substitute like monk fruit
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 to 3 teaspoons chili paste (to taste)
Chicken and Vegetables
- 1 ½ pounds thin sliced boneless chicken breast cutlets (sliced into thin strips)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 medium red onion (cut into ½-inch chunks)
- 15 ounces baby bok choy (roughly chopped, about 6 cups)
Garnish and Serving
- ⅓ cup dry-roasted peanuts (crushed, for garnish)
- ½ cup fresh Thai or traditional basil (torn)
- Coconut jasmine rice or cauliflower rice (optional, for serving)
Instructions
- Prepare the marinade: In a bowl, whisk together the minced ginger, soy sauce, rice vinegar, minced garlic, sugar, toasted sesame oil, cornstarch, and chili paste until well combined. Remove ⅓ cup of this marinade and set aside for later use.
- Marinate the chicken: Add the thinly sliced chicken breast strips to the remaining marinade in the bowl and toss to coat. Let the chicken marinate for at least 15 minutes, up to 4 hours for more flavor.
- Heat the skillet: Place a large, heavy cast-iron or stainless steel skillet with a lid over high heat to get it very hot.
- Cook the first half of chicken: Pour 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil into the hot pan and swirl to coat. Using a slotted spoon, add half of the marinated chicken strips to the skillet. Stir and scrape the bottom with a wooden spoon as you cook. Cook the chicken for about 2 to 3 minutes on each side until golden brown, covering briefly if needed to reduce splatters. Then transfer the cooked chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Clean the skillet if needed: If there is caked-on starch or burned bits from garlic, return the skillet to heat and add about 1 cup of water to deglaze, scraping the bottom to loosen residue. Pour the water down the sink and wipe the skillet dry with paper towels.
- Cook the remaining chicken: Heat another teaspoon of vegetable oil in the skillet and repeat the cooking process with the remaining chicken strips, then transfer them to the plate once cooked.
- Sauté the onions: Clean the skillet once more and add the last teaspoon of oil. When hot, stir in the chopped red onion and sauté for about 2 minutes until they are lightly charred but still retain crunch.
- Combine chicken and sauce: Return all the cooked chicken pieces to the skillet with the onions. Pour in the reserved ⅓ cup marinade and add ½ cup of water. Cook together for 1 minute, then stir in the chopped bok choy until just wilted.
- Garnish and serve: Transfer the stir-fry to a serving platter. Sprinkle the crushed dry-roasted peanuts and torn fresh Thai or traditional basil on top. Serve hot over coconut jasmine rice or cauliflower rice, if desired.
Notes
- Marinate the chicken longer if time permits for deeper flavor infusion.
- If you prefer less heat, reduce or omit the chili paste.
- To keep the bok choy crisp, add it at the last moment and avoid overcooking.
- Use gluten-free tamari instead of soy sauce to make the dish gluten-free.
- For a lower-calorie option, substitute regular rice with cauliflower rice.
- Make sure to clean the skillet between cooking batches to prevent burnt bits from affecting final flavor.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 2 cups
- Calories: 450 kcal
- Sugar: 9 g
- Sodium: 1034 mg
- Fat: 21 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 17.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 19.5 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 45.5 g
- Cholesterol: 124 mg
