Teriyaki Chicken Stir-Fry

By á-10966

It probably goes without saying, but the vegetables in this recipe are highly adaptable to what you have on hand or what you prefer. Cauliflower, peas, green beans and about a million other veggies would be fantastic. The key to this recipe is slicing the chicken as thinly as you can - I cut mine into 1/4-inch slices, if not slightly thinner. The chicken cooks in a flash and stays really tender. This meal is perfectly saucy for our family but if you like a lot of sauce, you might consider doubling or at least increasing by half the sauce recipe.

Ingredients

• Stir-Fry:
• 20-ounce can pineapple chunks, drained (juice reserved)
• 1 1/2 to 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 Tbsp. cornstarch
• Salt and pepper
• 1 Tbsp. oil, plus more as needed
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1 cup chopped carrots
• 1 red pepper, seeded and chopped or sliced
• 1/4 cup of reserved pineapple juice
• Sauce:
• 1/2 cup reserved pineapple juice
• 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp. molasses
• 2 Tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
• 1 clove garlic finely minced
• 1 tsp. minced fresh ginger or 1/4 tsp. dried ginger
• 2 tsp. cornstarch

Details

Servings 6
Adapted from melskitchencafe.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Thinly slice the chicken breasts and toss them in a medium bowl with the cornstarch and salt and pepper (about a teaspoon of each). Let the chicken sit for about 10-15 minutes while whisking the sauce and prepping vegetables.

2. For the sauce, combine all the ingredients together in a bowl or liquid measuring cup and whisk until smooth.

3. Heat the oil in a large, 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until rippling and hot. Add half of the chicken to the skillet in a single layer without overlapping and let it cook until nicely browned, about 30-45 seconds. Flip the chicken and let it cook through on the other side, 1-2 minutes. If your chicken is sliced super thin, it won't take long to cook through. Remove the chicken to a plate and repeat with the remaining chicken.

4. Add another teaspoon or so of oil to the pan if needed and heat again until hot and rippling. Add all of the vegetables and pineapple to the hot skillet and cook, stirring often, until the vegetables are bright in color and barely tender. Add about 1/4 cup of the reserved pineapple juice to the skillet and cover (you can add water here instead of the juice, if desired). Cook, letting the vegetables steam for 2-3 minutes until crisp-tender (add more liquid, if needed, if it dries up).

5. Add the chicken back to the skillet. Whisk the sauce to recombine and then stir the sauce into the skillet and simmer for 2-3 minutes until slightly thickened. Serve immediately over hot, cooked rice, if desired.