Chinese Chicken and Broccoli (paleo, whole30, keto)
by Chinese Chicken and Broccoli Recipe with tender chicken breasts and Whole30 chicken stir-fry sauce. If you love my Paleo Beef and Broccoli then I guarantee you’ll fall in love with this sister version of Paleo Chicken and Broccoli Stir-Fry. Serve with a bowl of steamed rice for gluten-free meal, cauliflower rice, or lightly sautéed zucchini noodles for low carb healthy dinner!
What’s easy to make ? You’ll fall in love with my Chinese Paleo Chicken and Broccoli!
About a year ago I shared a very popular recipe on my blog – Beef and Broccoli. My beef stir-fry recipe has become so popular on the net and since then many people have asked that I create a sister version for Chinese Paleo chicken and broccoli stir-fry.
This Paleo Chicken and Broccoli stir-fry is similar to my Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry but I adjusted the seasonings to make it more suitable for Chicken and Broccoli. There’s no fish sauce in my Paleo Chicken and Broccoli recipe and the chicken breasts are tender and juicy.
…But aren’t chicken breasts dry and flavorless ?
If you compare chicken breasts with chicken thighs, chicken breasts tend to have drier texture than the thighs. This is one big reason most chicken stir-fry recipes you see in Asia prefer using thigh meat (or a combination).
That being said, chicken breasts do give a cleaner taste and when done right they are great for quick sear just like the gorgeous golden brown color you see in the picture below.
Easy, Quick, and Efficient – Chinese Chicken and Broccoli Stir-Fry
Many people follow me on YouTube and Instagram love my quick sear technique using stainless steel skillet. I want to point out that Chinese stir-fry is usually done in a fairly quickly manner. The meat is thinly sliced, seasoned, and quickly seared in a well-heated wok or skillet by controlling the stove top temperature carefully. There’s no need to sear the meat piece-by-piece because stir-fries are meant to be quick. It’s different from grill or bbq.
Be sure to check out my blog post on how to stir-fry using a stainless steel skillet. You’ll see I use the same stir-fry technique in my Chicken Cabbage Stir-Fry, Mongolian beef featured in Whole30 Fast and Easy Cookbook, Mongolian Chicken, Whole30 Sesame Chicken, Sweet and Sour Chicken, Cashew Chicken, and Kung Pao Chicken.
And if you find my recipes and technique helpful, be sure to provide a link back to my blog or tag me if sharing on social media, I’d really appreciate it !
Also check out the seafood version with Shrimp and Broccoli in ginger garlic sauce. It’s super good! You can also use Chinese Broccoli (gai lan) to replace broccoli florets, if you can find them in grocery stores!
So my friends this Paleo Chicken and Broccoli is –
Juicy flavorful
Easy
Healthy
Paleo, Whole30, and Keto
I guarantee you are gonna love this Chinese Chicken and Broccoli stir-fry made Paleo, Whole30, and Keto! Let me know how it goes! Leave a comment and rate the recipe. And don’t forget to take a picture and tag it #IHeartUmami on Instagram. I’d love to see what you come up with. XOXO !
Chinese Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry (Whole30, Keto)
Ingredients
For the Chinese Chicken and Broccoli Seasonings:
- 1.5 lbs chicken breasts, thin sliced
- 1 tbsp coconut aminos
- 1.5 tsp arrowroot powder
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ⅛ tsp black pepper + ¼ tsp coarse salt
- 2 tbsp olive oil
For the Stir-Fry Sauce:
- 2 tbsp coconut aminos
- ½ tsp toasted sesame oil
- ½ tsp aged balsamic vinegar
- ¼ tsp coarse salt
- 2 tbsp chicken stock
- 1 tsp arrowroot powder
Other:
- 4 large garlic cloves, thin sliced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger, finely chopped
- 4 bulbs scallions, chopped and separate white + green parts
- 10 oz. broccoli florets, blanched
- Cooking fat of your choice, avocado oil or ghee
Instructions
- Thin slice chicken breasts to about ¼ and ⅛ inch thin. Season with ingredients under ‘Chinese chicken and broccoli seasonings’. Mix well and set aside in the fridge while preparing other ingredients. Stir well ‘Stir-Fry Sauce’ until there are no lumps. Prepare garlic, ginger, and scallions. Hot water blanch or microwave broccoli florets for 1-2 minutes on high and set aside to cool/drain.
- In a well-heated large stainless steel skillet or cast iron, add 1.5 tbsp cooking fat. Sear the chicken breasts in one even layer in the skillet over medium-high heat without disturbing until they are in golden brown color (about 3-4 mins.) then use a fish spatula to flip and sear the flip side. The chicken should be almost cooked through before setting them aside along with the pan juice and oil in the skillet.
- Use the same skillet and add 1.5 tbsp cooking fat, saute garlic, ginger, and white parts of scallions over medium heat until fragrant. Season with a pinch of salt and stir fry frequently to prevent them from burning (about 8-10 seconds). Add chicken and broccoli florets to the skillet. Toss and stir the stir-fry sauce one more time before pouring it in the skillet . Toss and coat the sauce over chicken and broccoli until the sauce is slightly thickened (about 8 -10 seconds). Garnish with green parts of scallions and serve hot or in room temperature with cauliflower rice, steamed rice, or lightly sautéed zucchini noodles.
Video
Nutrition
More Amazing Asian Stir-Fries Here (Paleo, Whole30, and Low Carb!)
- Thai Larb Recipe (Larb Moo)
- Thai Basil Chicken Recipe
- Chinese Sesame Chicken
- Paleo Orange Chicken
- Paleo Cashew Chicken
- Paleo Mongolian Beef
- Mongolian Chicken Recipe
- Ginger Chicken
- Chinese broccoli with oyster sauce
- Cumin Beef Stir-Fry with Roasted Butternut Squash
- Broccoli fried rice
I made this last night and it was Delicious! Due to family food sensitivities I left out the garlic and used coconut aminos. I served it over rice for my GF family and I ate it ‘neat’ for my low carb diet sprinkled with toasted sliced almonds. It was so satisfying that none of us wanted to stop eating it! I look forward to trying more of your recipes! Thank you❤
I don’t know how you do it but you are able to make restaurant tasting food at home without straying from Whole 30. This chicken and broccoli is better than any I would get out to eat and it’s gluten free and whole 30. Thank you for being my favorite resource for delicious food!
Love your recipes! My husband and I made the Chinese Chicken and Broccoli tonight. Another win for dinner!
Thanks for sharing..
Ann
That’s awesome. Thanks for coming back here and share with us, Ann!
A great solid recipe that you can change veggies or protein easily! Always a hit with the whole family!
I’ve been missing Chinese food since May. I cannot wait to try this! So glad I found your site!
Thank you! So happy to have you here. Please feel free to browse more of my free recipes!
What if you’re too lazy to go to the store for fresh broccoli but you have some frozen?
I’d defrost the frozen ones in a microwave – drain the liquid – before adding back to the pan 🙂
Loved this recipe! It was great for easy cooking and I passed it in to some of my bootcamp girls bc they are always looking for simple but tasty recipes. Hubby approved as well! 🙌🏻
Thank you! So happy to hear!
I have made this a zillion times in the last few years but last week I took it camping and it was a hit! In advance: Oven poached the chicken and cut in to cubes and put in a ziploc, very lightly cooked the broccoli, sliced up red pepper to add and put those in ziploc 2, mixed up the sauce and put in a jar, added a small container of minced garlic and ginger, and lastly added a tiny container with the arrowroot. Put everything in a large ziploc. At the campsite I added the arrowroot to the jar of sauce and shook it up and proceeded to stir fry. I also had a jar of coconut oil in my camp kitchen. Everyone was delighted!
Wow!
This is one of my favorite dishes! Simple, light and super flavorful. I love to add in extra veggies, especially carrots and mushrooms.
Thank you, Elizabeth!
This was excellent, Chihyu! This was super quick and flavorful, the perfect meal for a Monday night. I love having this in my arsenal. Thank you!
Thank you, Amy!
How should I cut the chicken? I assume the 1/4 to 1/8 is the thickness. How big should the pieces be before cooking in the pan?
Thin slice. Think sashimi thin ,.,,.I’d say about 1/8 thin.
Made this tonight – quick, easy, and delicious! So flavorful! I will definitely be making this broccoli chicken stir fry on the regular!
Love this!! My family is picky. Their is 5 of us between the ages of 57 and 13. Tonight will be the 3rd or 4th time I am making this. Thank you!
Wow!That’s amazing!
This has become a staple in our home. We absolutely love this version of chicken and broccoli. Sometimes I mix it up with different veg depending on what we have in the house at the time. Sometimes I use the sauce just for a vegetarian/nut dish. It’s so versatile. The chicken is always tender and the sauce flavour is so yummy. I even added sirarcha last night… seriously yum!
This is the best chicken broccoli I’ve had. It’s such an easy recipe. I usually double the recipe, since it’s great as leftovers. Definitely part of my go to’s.
Thank you so much!
So easy to make and super delicious!
Family cook together. Lots of grand interaction and teachable moments!
Easy, fresh and tasty!
We served with a sprinkling of cashews and the guys put it over rice.
This is my favorite recipe at the moment. My clients and I are loving it. It’s super easy and also tastes great as leftovers. I can’t wait to try more.
Kind regards
Nikki Ostrower
Delish!
And made for awesome leftovers, as the chicken and broccoli absorbed all of the flavors.