Zucchini Mushroom Chicken Stir Fry
This easy Zucchini Mushroom Chicken Stir Fry recipe is bursting with flavor in each and every bite! All you need is one skillet, 20 minutes, and just a handful of pantry ingredients.
Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized cubes (you can also use boneless, skinless chicken thighs)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- ½ tablespoon fresh minced ginger, OR 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 8 ounces white button mushrooms, thinly sliced
- 1 zucchini, sliced into 1/4-inch thick half moons
- 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- sprinkle of toasted sesame seed oil, for garnish, optional
- sesame seeds, for garnish
- scallions, for garnish
Instructions
- Place chicken pieces in a bowl and sprinkle with cornstarch; toss to coat.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet or a wok set over medium-high heat; add chicken pieces to the hot oil and cook for 6 to 8 minutes or until browned on both sides and cooked through.
- Remove chicken from wok or skillet and set aside.
- Turn down heat to medium-low and add garlic and ginger to the skillet; cook and stir for 15 seconds or just until fragrant.
- Turn up the heat to medium-high and stir in the mushrooms and zucchini; cook for 4 minutes or until fork tender and browned. Stir frequently.
- In the meantime, in a small mixing bowl, whisk together soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sugar.
- Stir chicken back into the skillet.
- Add in the prepared soy sauce and stir to coat chicken and veggies.
- Stir and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until everything is heated through and sauce has slightly thickened.
- Remove from heat; sprinkle with sesame oil and sesame seeds.
- Garnish with scallions and serve.
Notes
- Chicken: This Panda Express "copycat" uses chicken breasts, but you can also use chopped chicken thighs. Chicken breasts and chicken thighs are both commonly used in stir-fry dishes. The main difference between the two cuts of chicken is the amount of fat they contain. Chicken breasts are leaner and have less fat, while chicken thighs are slightly fattier and have more flavor but will take a minute or two longer to cook through.
- Zucchini and Mushrooms: Again, keeping with the original recipe, I suggest cutting the zucchini into 1/4-inch thick half-moons and slicing the mushrooms about the same size.
- Stir Fry Vegetables: If you don't want to use or don't have the mushrooms and zucchini on hand, you can substitute them with sliced bell peppers, broccoli florets, snap peas or snow peas, onions, etc. However, it's important to note that not all vegetables cook at the same time and temperatures. Veggies like onions, carrots, and bell peppers take longer to cook than, say, bok choy, mushrooms, or spinach.
- Rice Vinegar: Rice vinegar is a type of vinegar made from fermented rice. It is a popular ingredient in Asian cuisine. If you find yourself in a situation where you cannot find rice vinegar, white vinegar or apple cider vinegar are suitable substitutes.
- Store completely cooled chicken and veggies in an airtight container and keep them in the fridge for 2 to 3 days.
Nutrition
Serving: 6ounces | Calories: 184kcal | Carbohydrates: 11g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 571mg | Potassium: 782mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 132IU | Vitamin C: 12mg | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1mg
