Our teriyaki chicken thigh stir fry recipe is a family favorite one pot meal we make for dinner. With a homemade marinade that we use to make air fryer teriyaki chicken plus green beans, bell peppers, broccoli and carrots you can make it spicy or mild.
Stir fry with chicken thighs is tastier than using breasts. Dark meat not only has more flavor in every bite but it is by far more tender too. Packed with fresh vegetables, you can make this popular Asian dish yourself in a jiffy after work.
I like to share how to cook the same meat a number of different ways. This is How Long to Bake Chicken Thighs 375 in the oven but I don’t always want to heat up my whole house to make a meal. I am sure you get it. Both are great with veggies on the same pan but if you want to use your stovetop this is how to do just that.
Can you make stir fry with frozen chicken?
Cooking frozen chicken thighs is possible that way too, but not in this case. You want them boneless skinless for this dish so the meat can be cut into bite size pieces so the sauce can really soak on in to every nook and cranny.
Stir Fry Sauce
We wanted an Asian flare like we did with our baked teriyaki chicken thighs so we started with soy sauce (aminos are a gluten free option, used honey for sweetness, mustard seeds for a pop of tang, olive oil to coat and keep meat moist, paprika or smoked gives it a rich umami, granulated garlic gives it a bolder savory flavor and you can adjust with as much or little salt and pepper as need be.
For the sauce used I wouldn’t buy more than 2 pounds of chicken thighs boneless skinless, 1.5 is usually perfect for the 2 of use when the kids are out of the house.
You want some olive oil to coat the outsides, avocado oil would be a good alternative. Use a good one, extra virgin for the best flavor.
What are the best vegetables to use?
As far as the vegetables are concerned you want to choose some that cook at the same rate; green beans cut in half, slices of bell peppers (any color), broccoli florets and peeled and slices of carrots are the best combinations in our experience.
Sugar snap peas are great too, red pepper flakes work to make it a bit on the spicy side. I mean it’s quick and easy with tons of possibilities for sure. This is our homemade chicken stir fry marinade we made.
Can you make stir fry with leftover chicken?
If you already had leftover chicken breasts on hand you could make half the marinade and toss it so it’s more like a sauce. You would want to cook the veggies until almost completely tender and then combine since the meat wouldn’t need much time, just enough to warm up.
Variations
You can make this dish “fancier” when served with a sprinkle of diced chives and/or sesame seeds on top. Some followers have noted that a handful of chopped water chestnuts gives it a different texture that they love so that is a great option to try sometime. There are tons of other ways to jazz up our chicken thigh recipes to make spicy too of course with a pinch of red pepper flakes or dry Sriracha!
Chicken Thigh Stir Fry Recipe
Equipment
- 1 pan
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs chicken thighs, boneless skinless
- 1/2 cup green beans, cut in half
- 1/2 large bell pepper, sliced
- 1/2 head broccoli, cut into small florets
- 1 large carrot, peeled and diced
- 1 tbsp olive oil
Teriyaki Stir Fry Sauce
- 4 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp mustard seeds
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 1/2 tsp granulated garlic
- 1/2 tsp pepper
Instructions
- Pour soy sauce into a bowl, add olive oil, liquid honey, mustard seeds, and spices. Thoroughly mix the marinade until smooth. You can use a whisk. Part of the sauce can be immediately reserved for serving.
- Put chicken thighs into sauce filled bag, freezer Ziploc is best. Close the bag and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Cut carrots and bell peppers into strips, fry together in pan with a bit of olive oil with green beans for 7-8 minutes on medium heat, stirring occasionally.
- Add chopped finely broccoli florets and stir fry for another 5 minutes. Then remove the vegetables from the pan when they are as tender but slightly al dente. Transfer the marinated chicken to the pan along with the marinade.
- Cook and brown, stirring for 10 minutes or so until almost cooked thru. Transfer the vegetables to the pan and fry everything together for another 10 minutes until meat is cooked thru.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
