Chinese Chicken and Broccoli (paleo, whole30, keto)
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
Wow.. this is phenomenal. I made it without the ginger or aged balsamic vinegar (because I had none on hand) and it was still excellent. Thank you for this! I will now be adding it to the favorite meal rotation we have as a family 🙂
Good recipe, I esp. like your method of stir frying the chicken–letting it sit and sear, instead of constant stirring. Ended up with nice brown marks on all the pieces. Very flavorful. I’m bookmarking your site.
Thanks so much, Ted!
This is the Best thing I have ever made!!!!
Thank you so much!
You seriously need to enter this in some kind of cooking competition!
It is absolutely fantastic!
Thank you! Appreciate it!
I made this recipe and it was delicious! Thank you! And thank you for the detailed instructions, totally helped.
So happy to hear!
This recipe is delicious! I supervised my daughter as she prepared this incredibly flavourful dish. Did not have scallions so substituted with shallots, otherwise, followed recipe as written. A new favourite. Thank you!
Thank you so much for this recipe ; I don’t ever leave comments on any recipes that I make but I have to let you know that this stirfry is delicious ! I used chicken breast the first time and boneless thighs the second time ; we all liked it better with the thighs but both times it turned out fantastic ! My husband and 24 yo son are both pretty leery about any new recipes that I try on them but this was a hit with both of them !
I meant to leave 5 stars in my previous comment but for some reason it automatically switched it to 3 ; I’m so sorry about that ; this recipe is definitely worth 5 plus stars ! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Thanks so much, Pam!
Every time I make this everyone loves it! Delicious recipe. The sauce is so good and the chicken comes out juicy and fantastic.
That’s super awesome. Thank you so much!
I made this with no adjustments and it was awesome! The flavor was great and the blanching of the broccoli left it crunchy but not raw. I made a double batch and my family of four finished ALL of it. It’s so hard to find chicken breast recipes that are moist and flavorful (and paleo). This is a keeper!
Thank you ! So happy to hear!
This was so authentic tasting but even better than take out!! So delicious and easy!
Thank you, Ashley!
I’ve made this for friends and family who have all loved it! I especially love it because it comes together SO quickly. It has the flavor of takeout but it’s Whole30 compliant! So so good!
Thank you so much, Erin! We made this chicken broccoli often, too! It’s a quick and easy go-to weeknight meal!
Amazing recipe!! Truly crispy chicken that transforms it into a crispy and delicious taste! The stir fry sauce is also now my go to for all stir fry dishes! THANK YOU!
So happy to hear. Lovely!
Really excited to try this! How long can you let the chicken marinade for?
Thank you, Amy. I should make it more clear. It’s more like a seasoning to the chicken and not so much as a marinade. If you want to make ahead, you can marinate the chicken up to 24 hours in the fridge or store it flat in the freezer. Defrost before sauteing.
This was fantastic….I now love chicken again!
Mix up the vegetables with what I had on hand.
Thank you so much! happy to hear!
Super delicious and the entire family loved it!! Thank you!!
Happy to hear!
Hello this is second time i made it and we love it, easy and good. I am going to make the orange one next week.
Thank you
Debora
That’s awesome!
Yum!! I made this earlier in the week and it was delicious! I was hesitant to use the chicken breast since I usually steer clear, but it really did turn out juicy with this recipe. Thank you!
So happy to hear. Thank you!
I love this recipe! I’ve made this twice and loved it more the second time around. I doubled the seasoning sauce and let the chicken marinate for a couple of hours. I added spinach and carrots and doubled the stir fry sauce as I thought it could use more from the first time I made it. I can’t believe how delicious it came out and will be my go to recipe from now on when wanting stir fry!
How wonderful! Thank you!
Good Recipe!
Makes me wish there was some sort of gravyish sauce that could be added on top. Either way, it was delicious! One thing I added was cashews and red hot pepper flakes. Really enjoyed the crunch of the nuts and it a bit spicy.
Thanks, Jerard! Feel free to increase the sauce if you like! 🙂
Love this recipe. Whole30 round or not. It’s so yummy. I love that you make the sauce beforehand and you are not using bottle sauces that are full of crazy ingredients. It makes boring ingredients like chicken and broccoli come alive.
Thanks so much, Lisa!