Chinese Chicken Stir Fry with Vegetables and Rice ($10 Family Dinner Idea)
This recipe is a throwback to some of the flavors we grew to love when we lived in Taiwan for 2 years! It’s definitely “Americanized” in the fact that you can buy all of these ingredients at any local grocery store, but it still reminds my husband and me of some of our favorite traditional dishes from Taiwan. I also love that this is such a healthy way to get a large amount of vegetables into one meal without even feeling like you’re eating healthily!
Ingredients
Ingredients for Chicken and Veggie Stir Fry:
- 1- lb boneless chicken tenderloins or breasts diced into small pieces (Aldi – $2.19/lb) — $2.19
- 4 Tablespoons olive oil divided (Aldi – $7.25 for 33 tablespoons) — $0.88
- 3/4 lb broccoli chopped into bite-size florets (Aldi – $2.09/lb) — $1.57
- 3 cups additional fresh vegetables chopped (I used peppers and carrots) — $1
- 2 green onions diced (Aldi – $0.99/bag) — $0.15
- 1 can water chestnuts optional — I use because we love them! (Publix) — $0.99
Ingredients for Sauce:
- 1/2 cup soy sauce Aldi – $1.50 for 10oz — $0.60
- 4 Tablespoons brown sugar Aldi – $1.85 for 2 lbs — $0.09
- 5 cloves garlic cloves minced, to taste, and divided
- 2 Tbsp Fresh ginger peeled and finely diced, to taste, and divided— $0.50
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil Walmart – $3.48 for 5 oz — $0.34
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch Aldi – $2.09 for 16 oz — $0.07
Ingredients for Steamed Rice:
- 3 cups dry rice Aldi – $6.75 for 5 lbs — $1.69
- Water
- Salt
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together all of the sauce ingredients, adding only half of the minced garlic and finely diced ginger. Set aside.
- Cook the 3 cups of rice according to the directions on the package (or using your prefered method to cook rice).
- Heat a wok or electric skillet to medium-high. Add 2 Tablespoons of olive oil and swirl to coat the pan. Stir in the diced chicken and cook until done and starting to brown, stirring often (don’t overcook!). Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.
- Add the remaining olive oil to the skillet along with the chopped carrots and broccoli pieces. Cook and stir until the vegetables are just starting to turn tender. Add the remaining vegetables and continue to cook and stir an additional 1-2 minutes.
- Add the cooked chicken back into the skillet and pour the sauce over the chicken and vegetables. Cook and stir until the sauce thickens.
- Serve the stir fry over rice.
Notes
This “recipe” can be customized according to what vegetables your family likes (which unfortunately rules out mushrooms and onions at our house — both of which are amazing in this stir fry if you ask me!), and you can make more or less of the sauce, depending on your taste preferences.
You can garnish the stir fry with additional chopped green onions, sesame seeds, and/or peanuts or cashews, if desired.
Nutrition
Calories: 664kcal | Carbohydrates: 110g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 12g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 48mg | Sodium: 1207mg | Potassium: 966mg | Fiber: 8g | Sugar: 14g | Vitamin A: 416IU | Vitamin C: 65mg | Calcium: 102mg | Iron: 3mg
Find it online: https://moneysavingmom.com/chicken-stir-fry-with-vegetables-10-family-dinner-idea/