Chicken Stir-Fry

This is a family favorite! It’s a great recipe to use up any leftover veggies. And with a homemade teriyaki sauce, it’s cost effective, too!

  • Ingredients:
  • raw chicken, cut into chunks
  • any assortment of fresh or frozen vegetables. Some possibilities could be broccoli, snap peas, bell peppers, mushrooms, onion, carrot, celery, corn, green beans, or spinach. (I like to add water chestnuts and pineapple chunks as well.) Use what you’ve got!
  • whole grain brown or white rice (instant rice will work, too, but it’s more expensive)
  • homemade teriyaki sauce (recipe below)

Start by dicing up the vegetables. Add vegetables and a little oil to a frying pan or stir-fry pan and cook over medium high heat. Add vegetables in order of how long it takes to cook them. For example, carrots take longer to soften than spinach. I usually start with onion and add carrots, potato, celery first. Then add the vegetables that don’t cook as long after 5 minutes or so. Saute for another 5 minutes, then add chicken and some salt and pepper (if desired) and cook, stirring occasionally, until chicken is browned. In the meantime, start cooking the rice. Cook whole grain rice at a 2:1 ratio. Two parts water, one part rice. 1 cup of rice will feed 2-3 people. For my family of 8, I use 3 cups of rice and 6 cups of water. Set the rice and water to cook over medium high heat in a covered pot. When it starts to boil turn the heat down to medium. Let it simmer until all the water is absorbed. (about 15 minutes) Take it off heat and let it sit in the covered hot pot for a few minutes, then fluff with a fork.

  • Homemade Teriyaki sauce:
  • 1 cup soy sauce
  • a little garlic, minced (to your preference)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • a little pepper (to your preference)
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 1/4 cup flour
  • 1/4 cup vinegar

Option One: Combine all the ingredients in a sauce pan over medium heat. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened. Spoon sauce over the rice and veggies on your plate.

Option Two:Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and then dump it into the pan with the veggies and chicken. Cook over medium heat until the sauce thickens. Serve over rice.

*Teriyaki Sauce adapted from an old family cook book.