Air fryer chicken stir fry recipe

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Air Fryer Chicken Stir Fry has juicy chicken, crisp-tender vegetables, and glossy ginger-garlic sauce—with wok-like texture and no wok skills.

Prep Time20

Cook Time17

Total Time37

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American Chinese

Keyword: Air fryer chicken stir fry, Air fryer stir fry with chicken

Servings: servings

Slice the chicken breast: Hold your knife at a slight angle, about 45 degrees, and slice against the grain into thin, wide pieces, about ⅛-inch thick. Transfer to a mixing bowl.
If using chicken thighs: Trim away any excess fat and dice the chicken into ½-inch pieces.
Season and tenderize: Add the light soy sauce, water, sugar, baking soda, salt, olive oil, and white pepper. Gently mix and massage the chicken until it absorbs the liquid and looks glossy and slightly sticky.
Add the starch: Sprinkle in 2 teaspoons starch for chicken breast or 4 teaspoons for chicken thighs. Mix again until every piece is evenly coated. The chicken should feel lightly tacky, not watery.
Rest the chicken: Let it rest at room temperature for 10 to 15 minutes. You can also refrigerate it while you prepare the remaining ingredients.

Prepare the aromatics: Finely mince the garlic and ginger, then gather them on a small plate.
Prepare the mushrooms: Wipe away any dirt with a clean paper towel. Quarter the mushrooms, keeping the pieces similar in size so they cook evenly.
Mix the sauce: In a small bowl, combine all the sauce ingredients. Stir until the starch is completely dissolved.

Remove the crisper tray: Take the crisper tray completely out of the air-fryer drawer. This recipe cooks directly in the bottom of a drawer-style air fryer.
Preheat: Preheat the empty drawer at 400°F for 5 minutes. Do not add oil yet.

Add the chicken: Carefully grease the hot drawer with 1 tablespoon oil. Add the chicken and spread the pieces out as much as possible. A little overlap is fine, but spacing them apart helps prevent them from sticking together. I use a 6-quart air fryer.
Air fry chicken breast: Air fry at 400°F for 4 minutes. Open the drawer and use a firm spatula to flip and separate the pieces. Air fry for 3 more minutes.
For chicken thighs: Air fry at 400°F for 5 minutes on the first side. Flip and separate the pieces, then air fry for 3 more minutes.
Remove the chicken: Transfer the fully cooked chicken to a plate and set aside.

Add the vegetables: Add the mushrooms, garlic, and ginger directly to the drawer. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon oil and season with ¼ teaspoon salt. Stir to distribute the oil and aromatics evenly.
Air fry: Air fry at 380°F for 4 minutes. The mushrooms should be softened, with some pieces lightly browned. If they release a little liquid, leave it in the drawer—it will become part of the sauce.

Add the chicken and sauce: Return the chicken to the drawer. Stir the sauce again because the starch may have settled, then pour it over the chicken and mushrooms. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to combine everything thoroughly.
Finish cooking: Air fry at 400°F for 1 minute. The sauce should look light and glossy, coating the chicken and mushrooms while leaving enough flavorful sauce to spoon over rice.
Serve: Give everything one final stir and serve hot with rice.

Air-fryer style and size: This method is designed for a drawer-style air fryer with the crisper tray removed. I use a 6-quart model. If your drawer is smaller, cook the chicken in batches so the pieces are not crowded.
Why use more garlic and ginger? An air fryer does not toss the ingredients repeatedly against a hot wok, so I use a generous amount of garlic and ginger to keep the flavor bold throughout the dish.
Chicken make-ahead: Velvet the raw chicken and refrigerate it in an airtight container for up to 2 days. For the best texture, I recommend cooking it within 1 day.
Freeze: Place the velveted raw chicken in a freezer-safe bag and press it into a flat layer. Freeze for up to 2 months.
Defrost: Thaw the chicken overnight in the refrigerator before cooking.
Storage: Store the cooked chicken stir-fry in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
Reheat: Microwave on medium power for 1 minute at a time until warmed through. Add a small splash of water or chicken stock if the sauce has thickened in the refrigerator.