Ginger Chicken Stir-fry with Asparagus

Sometimes I think I should have been born in an Asian country. I love every asian dish I’ve ever had, even the ones I can’t pronounce. It’s the type of food I miss most from California. So whenever I have an asian craving (which is atleast once a week!), I consider making ginger chicken stir-fry because of its delicate sauce and robust amount of vegetables. It only takes 20 minutes and is fun to make! I feel like a real chef when I dredge the chicken, use my wok, and make my own sauce. This ginger chicken stir-fry is just the recipe you need if you want to take your cooking to the next level.

I originally got this recipe from an advertisement for McCormick spices. I don’t know how long it has been around but probably quite awhile since I have been making it for several years.

Start by slicing 16 oz of cleaned mushrooms and chopping up asparagus into 2 inch pieces. If you are wondering about how to clean and de-stem mushrooms, please see my how-to page here. You will also need to cut a medium onion into thin wedge pieces.

When preparing a meal, it is important to chop the vegetables before cutting the meat in order to keep salmonella and other bacteria from spreading. Even though all these ingredients will end up in the same pot, I am careful to be clean because of past experiences. I was once hospitalized for food poisoning. It was so bad that I would rather give birth! Sparing you the gory details, this is the sickest I have ever been in my life and I do not wish it on my worst enemy. I am sure this culinary vigilance is obvious, but even seasoned cooks can make a mistake here and there.

One thing I do to help is to use separate cutting boards for meat and veggies. I cut vegetables and fruit on the green cutting board (because that’s what color they are and it is easy to remember) and meat on the pink cutting board. If I never mix the two I am even more likely to avoid the spread of bacteria. If I cut my veggies before the meat, even if I forget to clean my knife (heaven forbid!) no bacteria is going to transfer from the meat to the produce.

Ok, enough of my public service announcement. Sorry, just have to do my due diligence there!  Now cut up a pound of chicken breast into 1 inch pieces.

Sprinkle 1/4 cup of flour into the bowl and mix it around so the chicken is evenly coated. This is an essential step because it will help the meat turn nice and brown and give the sauce something to stick too.

Remove the chicken into a new bowl but keep the previous bowl with the flour in it. You will use the leftover flour for the base of the ginger chicken stir-fry sauce.

Add 1 cup of chicken stock, 1/4 cup of honey, 1/4 cup of soy sauce and then sprinkle in 1 teaspoon of ground ginger, 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder, and 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper flakes. If you like extra heat, don’t be shy with the red pepper flakes!

In a wok or large saute pan, drizzle in 1 tablespoon of oil and fry up the chicken. Occasionally stir the chicken, but give it a minute or two between stirs so that it can brown around the edges. After about 5-6 minutes, remove the chicken and set it to the side.

Add another tablespoon of oil to the wok and stir-fry the mushrooms, asparagus, and onion. Be careful to stir them regularly so that they don’t burn. Stir-fry for about 5 minutes or until they are tender but still crisp. If you haven’t invested in a wok, I highly recommend it. They are perfect for stir-frys because they have high sides and it’s not as easy for all the goodies to fall out. If you do plan on buying a wok or other kitchen appliance, would you consider visiting my shop? These are affiliate links to all the products I use and I receive a 10% commission.

Whisk your sauce mixture again as some of the honey may have settled at the bottom. Add it to the vegetables.

Let all this deliciousness come to a boil and then add the reserved chicken. Give it a chance to heat all the way through and then you are ready to serve!

My ginger chicken stir-fry was served over a mound of rice in a medium sized bowl. I like to use bowls rather than plates because I don’t lose all the sauce. I like to sop it up with the rice and taste every juicy bit! Are you a sauce-sopper too? Happy cooking ya’ll!

Ginger Chicken Stir-fry with Asparagus

Heidi Davison

Ginger Chicken Stir-fry with asparagus is a healthy, quick dinner solution. The browned chicken and ginger glaze taste delicious over rice.

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Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 10 minutes mins

Total Time 20 minutes mins

Course Entree

Cuisine Asian

Servings 4 -5

Ingredients

  

• 16 oz cleaned de-stemmed mushrooms
• 1 bunch asparagus cut in 2 inch pieces
• 1 medium onion cut in thin wedges
• 4-5 chicken breasts 1 lb cut in 1 inch pieces
• 1/4 cup flour
• 2 Tbsp oil divided
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Instructions

 

• Cut all vegetables.
• Cut up chicken into 1 inch pieces and mix with the flour. Save flour bowl for sauce.
• Mix all wet ingredients and spices in bowl with leftover flour.
• Heat 1 Tbsp oil in wok and cook chicken about 5 minutes or until brown.
• Remove chicken and set aside.
• Heat 1 Tbsp oil in wok and saute vegetables about 5 minutes or until tender.
• Add in sauce and bring to a boil.
• Add reserved chicken and stir to combine.
• Serve warm over rice.