This easy and healthy ground chicken stir-fry is veggie packed and ready in less than 30 minutes. Made with a sweet and savory teriyaki sauce that is gluten free and super easy to whip together. This meal is perfect for busy weeknights and food prep!
Love an Asian inspired dish? Try my healthy chicken fried rice or gluten-free teriyaki chicken next.
Recipe Highlights
- Easy, healthy sauce - I use a variation of my gluten-free teriyaki sauce in this recipe. It's made with simple ingredients that are soy free and gluten free. This sauce adds so much flavor and is so easy to make (not to mention so much better for you than store bought).
- Meal prep friendly -This ground chicken stir-fry reheats beautifully, making it perfect for food prep.
- Customizable - Feel free to use whatever veggies you have on hand - you really can't go wrong with the veggies you choose for this meal.
Move over take-out and say hello to this easy homemade ground chicken stir-fry. Using ground chicken in stir fry is SO much easier than messing around with chicken breasts. It cooks faster and I personally think it tastes better. Check out my gluten-free chicken meatballs for another ground chicken recipe.
This is also one of those "I don't know what to make for dinner tonight" kind of meals. It's easy, combines a simple protein and simple veggies, and is on the table in 30 minutes. My chicken apple sausage sheet pan and oven baked fajitas are also great options for easy, hands-off dinner options.
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Ingredient Notes
- Coconut aminos - Coconut aminos are an alternative to soy sauce that are gluten free and soy free. They are slightly milder and less salty, though slightly sweeter, than soy sauce. I prefer them in my Asian inspired dishes, but soy sauce can also be used.
- Arrowroot powder - This is a gluten free and grain free way to thicken the sauce. Tapioca starch or corn starch can be used as well. You'll find me using arrowroot to thicken my healthy chicken pot pie soup with cauliflower.
- Chicken broth - Using chicken broth adds a ton of flavor to the sauce and I highly recommend chicken bone broth. If you don't have any on hand, water can be used. You'll find me using bone broth in a lot of recipes, like my chicken kale soup and chicken cauliflower soup. Bone broth also adds more protein and tons of nutrients.
- Toasted sesame oil - Make sure you use toasted sesame oil NOT regular sesame oil. Toasted sesame oil is used for adding flavor to dishes, while un-toasted is a neutral oil used for cooking.
- Cashews - Cashews are completely optional, but I love the flavor and slight crunch they provide. If you have a few extra minutes, I recommend you use roasted cashews.
A complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below. Here are some specific notes to help with selecting ingredients.
Variations & Substitutions
- Feel free to swap the ground chicken for ground turkey or even ground beef.
- If in a pinch, you can use store-bought teriyaki, or stir fry, sauce. Because of the clean ingredients they use, I recommend Primal Kitchen.
- Use your favorite veggies, or whatever you have on hand. This is a great recipe to use up leftover veggies in your fridge. Pea pods, asparagus, onions, Brussels sprouts, green beans, or mushrooms are all great options.
How to Make Ground Chicken Stir Fry
Step 1: Cook ground chicken in a large skillet. Remove cooked chicken and set aside.
Step 2: Sauté veggies until soft, but still slightly crisp. Add the garlic and ginger towards the end of cooking.
Step 3: While the veggies are cooking, whisk together the stir-fry sauce ingredients.
Step 4: Add the cooked ground chicken back to the pan and add the sauce. Stir to combine and simmer on low until sauce has thickened.
Tips & Notes
- Use a 12", or larger, skillet (Lodge cast iron is my favorite) to provide enough room for the veggies to quickly sear and evenly cook.
- Stir veggies frequently to help with even cooking and avoid burning.
- If you like it spicy, add some red pepper flakes to your stir-fry.
- To maximize your time, cut the veggies while the chicken is cooking. Or, for an even quicker dinner, you can cook the veggies and chicken at the same time in separate pans.
Serving Suggestions
Looking for a way to serve this ground chickens stir fry? Try some of the following:
- Go the more traditional way and serve over white rice, brown rice, or even quinoa.
- Brown rice noodles are also a fun option.
- Try in some lettuce wraps (butter lettuce, aka Bibb lettuce, is best for wraps).
- Or for a low-carb option, serve will cauliflower rice or make some easy roasted cauliflower steaks.
Making Ahead & Storing
I love how simple this recipe is for food prep. Cook as the directions are written and then portion it out for food prep or store for family-friendly re-heating.
- Food prep: Divide the stir-fry evenly between your favorite food prep containers (add rice, cauliflower rice, or rice noodles as well if you'd like). Perfect for grab-n-go lunches or single serve dinners.
- Family style: Keep everything together in one large air-tight container and reheat portions as needed throughout the week.
To store: Store in the fridge for up to 5 days. When ready, simple reheat in the microwave until heated through.
Recipe FAQs
No, a large skillet with plenty of room for the vegetables to sear and evenly cook works just fine.
Absolutely. You can either freeze in individual serving sizes, or keep everything together. Just make sure to use freezer safe containers. Ground chicken stir-fry will stay fresh in the freezer for up to 2 months.
While fresh are recommended, frozen can definitely be used in a pinch. Just note you won't have to sauté them as long (more so just to warm them) as frozen vegetables are pre-cooked.
More Easy & Healthy Dinner Recipes
If you make this recipe, please let me know what you think! I would so appreciate you leaving a star rating and/or comment below. And don't forget to share a photo on Instagram or Facebook and mention @CleanPlateMama!
Eat Clean.Be Well!
-Sara
Ground Chicken Stir-fry
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Equipment
- 1 12" skillet
Ingredients
Chicken and Veggies
- 3 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil or avocado oil, divided
- 1 lb. ground chicken
- 2 cups broccoli florets, chopped
- 1 red pepper, sliced
- 1 cup large carrots, sliced on the diagonal
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tsp. fresh ginger, minced or grated (or ¼ tsp. ground ginger)
- ⅓ cup raw cashews
Teriyaki Stir-fry Sauce
- ½ cup chicken bone broth or water
- ½ cup coconut aminos
- 1 tbsp. honey
- 2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
- 2 tbsp. arrowroot starch (tapioca or cornstarch also work)
Instructions
- Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a large skillet and heat over medium heat. Add the ground chicken and break up as it cooks. Cook until no longer pink, stirring frequently. Remove cooked chicken from skillet and set aside.
- Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil to the skillet and turn heat to medium-high. Allow oil to heat up and then add the veggies. Cook, stirring frequently, until tender yet slightly crisp. Mix in the garlic and ginger during the last minute or so.
- While the veggies are cooking, whisk together the bone broth, coconut aminos, honey and toasted sesame oil. In a separate, small bowl, make a slurry by mixing the arrowroot starch with 2 tablespoons of cold water.
- Once the veggies have cooked, return the cooked ground chicken to the skillet. Pour the teriyaki sauce and the slurry over the veggies and chicken. Turn heat to low and simmer for 3-5 minutes, or until the sauce has slightly thickened. Lastly, mix in the cashews (if using) or sprinkle on top when serving.
- Serve over your favorite rice, rice noodles, or as a lettuce wrap. Enjoy!
Notes
- A 12" skillet is recommended to provide enough room for the veggies to quickly sear and evenly cook. Cast iron skillets are my favorite.
- Bone broth is recommended for the teriyaki sauce as it adds more flavor and has tons of health benefits. If you don't have any on hand, you can use water (tip: freeze bone broth in large ice cube trays so you always have some on hand).
- Cashews are optional. If you add some, I recommend toasting your cashews, but raw is still a great choice.
- This makes enough for 4 good-sized servings. You can get 6 servings if on the smaller side, or serving to kids as well.
Nutrition
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Sara says
I appreciate how simple this meal is, especially how quick it is to make the homemade stir-fry sauce. And I especially love how the sauce is just slightly sweetened with honey.