Need a quick and comforting dish that comes together in 30 minutes or less? This chicken and asparagus stir-fry is the perfect weeknight meal that includes pantry staples! It’s the easiest veggie and protein-packed dish you’ll have ready in no time!
🥘 Simple Stir-Fry Formula for Delicious Results EVERY. TIME.
1. Preparing Like a Pro
Cooking a stir-fry happens very quickly, so you need to have your ingredients properly prepared before turning on the stove. The last thing you want is to be rummaging through your pantry for seasonings, then turn around to find your food burnt to a crisp!
- Meat needs to be cut into bite-size pieces. Typically for stir-fries, I like to marinade the protein to soak in some additional flavor. I also add a bit of cornstarch to tenderize it while I prep the rest of my ingredients.
- Veggies need to be cut thinly and / or into bite-size pieces so they cook quickly. For veggies with long stalks like asparagus, cut them at a 45° angle. That way you get long strips of veggies while still having thin slices that cook quickly.
- Sauce should be mixed together in a bowl, ready to pour into the wok.
2. Putting the Wok to Work
Believe it or not, the bowl shape of a wok makes a huge difference in cooking your food. The base of the wok can reach a screaming high heat.
The outer side of the wok, on the other hand, is cooler in temperature and acts as the perfect buffer so you don’t overcook your food. You can easily push ingredients off to the outer sides to slow the cooking process.
3. Fast & Furious Frying
As I mentioned, stir-fries happen very quickly. The wok is usually set to high or medium-high heat. In combination with the meat and veggies cut in small pieces, it doesn’t take long for everything to be cooked through. In fact, you can dry it out if it’s overcooked.
To prevent that, I usually cook protein until it’s about 80% done. Then, I either remove it from the wok and add it back in when the rest of the ingredients are ready or (in this case for the chicken asparagus stir-fry) add in the final ingredients so everything finishes cooking at the same time.
🍚 What to Pair with Chicken & Asparagus Stir-Fry
This goes so well with a steamy fluffy bowl of rice and / or a fresh crisp salad!
Let’s get cooking!
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Chicken & Asparagus Stir Fry
Ingredients
Marinade
- 1 pound skinless boneless chicken thigh sliced into bite-size pieces
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 1/4 cup chicken stock or water
Ingredients
- 5 garlic cloves minced
- 1 pound asparagus (end trimmed and sliced on a sharp angle into 2-inch pieces)
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine the chicken marinade ingredients. Cover and set aside to marinate while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
- In a mixing bowl, combine the sauce ingredients. Set aside.
- Heat a large pan on medium-high heat then add about a tablespoon of oil. Add in asparagus and cook for about 30 seconds, or until the asparagus is tender but still crunchy. Remove and set aside.
- Add in chicken and cook until it’s about 80% done, then add in garlic and cook for a few more seconds.
- Pour in the sauce and cook until the sauce starts to thicken and the chicken is cooked through.
- Mix asparagus back in, drizzle on sesame oil, then mix. Remove from the heat and enjoy!
Notes
- Cornstarch: This simple pantry ingredient helps tenderize the chicken during the short marinate.
- Important Prep: This recipe comes together quickly so make sure to have all your ingredients ready before turning on the stove. You don’t want the food to burn when you’re scrambling to get things together.
Nutrition
Exact calculations may vary. For the most accurate nutritional information, use your preferred nutrition calculator, actual ingredients, and quantities used for the recipe. Please consult with your physician or registered dietitian if more precise nutrition calculations are needed for health reasons.
