Description
A vibrant and flavorful Rainbow Chicken Stir Fry featuring tender chicken thighs tossed with a colorful mix of fresh vegetables and a glossy, savory sauce, finished with toasted sesame oil and served over fluffy white rice. This quick and easy stir fry balances textures and tastes for a healthy, satisfying meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Sauce:
- 4 tsp cornflour / cornstarch
- 1 cup water
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce (can substitute with vegetarian oyster sauce)
- 2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce or all-purpose soy sauce
- Pinch white pepper (or black pepper)
Chicken:
- 350g / 12 oz boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1 cm / 0.4″ strips
- 1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine
- Pinch white pepper
Rainbow Stir Fry Vegetables:
- 2 tbsp peanut oil (or vegetable or canola oil)
- 4 garlic cloves, finely minced
- 3 green onion stems, cut into 4 cm / 2″ lengths, white parts separated from green parts (or 1/2 onion sliced)
- 1 cup sugar snap peas, strings removed
- 1/2 each red and yellow capsicum (bell pepper), deseeded, cut into 1 cm / 0.4″ strips
- 3 baby bok choy, leaves cut off stems, big stems cut lengthways
- 3/4 cup unsalted roasted cashews (or almonds)
- 3/4 cup frozen shelled edamame beans
- 1 1/2 cups purple cabbage, cut into 5 x 1 cm / 0.4″ strips
- 2 tbsp sesame oil (for finishing)
Serving:
- White rice or any preferred rice
Instructions
- Prepare the Sauce: In a jug, dissolve the cornflour in a splash of the water. Then add oyster sauce, Chinese cooking wine, light soy sauce, white pepper, and the remaining water. Stir well until fully combined.
- Marinate the Chicken: Toss chicken strips with Chinese cooking wine and a pinch of white pepper to add flavor and tenderize.
- Cook Chicken: Heat 2 tablespoons peanut oil in a large 30 cm / 12″ non-stick skillet over high heat. Add the marinated chicken and stir constantly for about 2 minutes until mostly cooked through.
- Add Aromatics: Add the minced garlic and the white parts of the green onion to the pan, cooking for 1 minute to release their fragrance.
- Add Vegetables and Nuts (Part 1): Stir in the capsicum strips, sugar snap peas, bok choy stems, cashews, and frozen edamame beans. Cook for 1 minute, allowing the vegetables to maintain their crunch.
- Add Vegetables (Part 2): Add bok choy leaves, purple cabbage, and the green parts of the green onions. Toss quickly using two spatulas to wilt the greens gently, about 30 seconds.
- Add Sauce and Thicken: Pour in the prepared sauce and stir to combine, letting it simmer for about 1 minute until it thickens and becomes glossy, coating the ingredients beautifully.
- Finish with Sesame Oil: Drizzle 2 tablespoons of sesame oil over the stir fry and toss through to enhance aroma and flavor.
- Serve: Serve the rainbow chicken stir fry immediately over cooked white rice or your preferred rice choice.
Notes
- Chinese cooking wine deepens the flavor; if unavailable, substitute with Mirin, cooking sake, or dry sherry. For a non-alcoholic version, omit the wine and replace water in the sauce with low-sodium chicken stock.
- Use light soy sauce to maintain bright vegetable colors; all-purpose soy sauce or tamari work well but will darken the dish slightly. Avoid dark or sweet soy sauces for this recipe.
- Chicken thighs stay juicy and tender; to use chicken breast or tenderloin, tenderize before cooking. This method applies similarly to pork or beef additions.
- Vegetable substitutions are flexible; use about 7–8 cups total if including many leafy/wilting vegetables, or 5 cups of hard veggies if preferred.
- When preparing sugar snap peas, remove the string along both seams and snap off the stem end; use whole. For snow peas, remove one string side only.
- The recipe is best cooked in a large 30 cm / 12″ pan to avoid crowding; smaller pans or woks may require batch cooking to prevent steaming instead of stir-frying.
- Leftovers keep up to 3 days refrigerated; sauce may thin due to vegetable moisture. Not recommended for freezing.
- Nutrition excludes rice; cashews contribute about 107 calories per serving, so omitting them reduces calories significantly.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Chinese
Keywords: chicken stir fry, rainbow stir fry, Chinese chicken recipe, colorful stir fry, quick chicken dinner, healthy stir fry, chicken vegetables
