If you’re like me, you try to cook light and healthy meals when eating in. For a quick and delicious way to prepare lean chicken breast, try my flavorful Chicken Stir-Fry with Garlic Chives recipe. I’ll share my method to keep the chicken juicy and tender and make a balanced sauce that’s savory, sweet, and a little spicy.
Craving more chicken dishes? Try my Baked Chicken Katsu, Chicken Teriyaki, and Butter Shoyu Chicken recipes next!
Why I Love This Recipe
- Incredibly easy to make – Slice the chicken breast, dust it with flour, stir-fry with the chives, and add the sauce. It’s such a simple, 20-minute dish for any night of the week.
- A quick sauce that hits all the right notes – It’s savory, sweet, salty, and a bit spicy. Even with the complex flavors, it’s super simple to make—just mix and pour.
- A great way to cook chicken breast – My method seals in the juices and evenly cooks this lean protein so it stays tender and flavorful.
Ingredients for Chicken Stir-fry with Garlic Chives
- Chicken breast
- Garlic chives – they are also called nira in Japanese or Chinese chives
- All-purpose flour
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper – or use white pepper powder
- Toasted sesame oil – for cooking
- Sauce
- Sake
- Mirin
- Miso – any type
- Soy sauce
- Honey
- Doubanjiang – spicy chili bean paste
Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
Jump to RecipeSubstitutions
- Chicken breast – You can substitute skinless chicken thighs. They take longer to cook, so adjust the cooking time accordingly.
- Garlic chives – If you can’t find it, you can substitute other aromatics like green onions/scallions.
- Miso – Use any type. The most common ones you’ll find in Japanese grocery stores are white miso, red miso, and awase miso. I use my favorite additive-free, red koji miso from Hikari Miso that you can find on Amazon.
- Mirin – For 1 tablespoon of mirin, you can substitute 1 Tbsp sake (or water) + 1 tsp sugar. It doesn’t taste the same, but it’s close.
- Sake – In a pinch, you can substitute Chinese rice wine, dry sherry, or water.
- Doubanjiang—Skip or reduce it to suit your preference. I personally use the Taiwanese brands Lian How (岡山) or Ming De (明徳), which have a no-heat and spicy versions. I blend them together for a milder heat level. You can find spicy Sichuan doubanjiang on Amazon or at Asian markets. Other options for spicy heat are gochujang (spicy Korean chili paste) and sriracha. Use gluten-free doubanjiang for GF.
How to Make Chicken Stir-fry with Garlic Chives
Preparation
Step 1 – Mix the sauce. Add the sake, mirin, miso, soy sauce, honey, and chili bean paste to a small bowl. Stir to dissolve the miso.
Step 2 – Cut the garlic chives and chicken. Slice the nira into short pieces and cut the chicken breast into flat, bite-size pieces of equal thickness.
Step 3 – Season and dredge. Season on both sides with salt and pepper, then coat lightly in flour.
Cooking
Step 4 – Sear. Heat sesame oil in a hot frying pan or wok set over medium heat. Sear the chicken in two batches. Fry until golden brown, flip, and brown the other side.
Step 5 – Stir-fry. Toss the chives with the chicken in the pan to combine. Add the sauce and coat the ingredients quickly before the sauce thickens.
Step 6 – Serve. Transfer to a serving plate and enjoy.
Nami’s Recipe Tips
- Cut the chicken pieces the same thickness – The key is to create thinner, flatter pieces that have an open surface area. This allows it to cook evenly and at the same rate, so nothing overcooks. I achieve this with the sogigiri Japanese cutting technique by tilting my knife back and slicing at a slanted angle.
- Dredge the chicken lightly – A thin dusting of flour will help lock in the seasonings and juices. Be sure to shake off the excess, which could make the sauce cloudy and ruin the chicken’s texture. I shake the chicken pieces and flour in my favorite stainless prep tray for the perfect light coating.
- Sear until golden brown – Fry the chicken undisturbed until the bottom is golden brown, then flip over to brown the other side. This will seal in the juices and develop a delicious flavor and aroma.
- Don’t crowd the pan – Space the chicken pieces apart for better air circulation and browning. This is why I seared it in two batches. You’ll end up steaming the chicken if you add too much at once.
- Don’t overcook it – The chicken should be fully cooked once seared, so you just need to briefly toss it at the end with the chives and sauce.
Variations and Customizations
- Add garlic and ginger. For an added layer of aromatics, try adding sliced garlic cloves and/or fresh minced ginger to the sauce.
- Toss in other vegetables. You can bulk up this dish with veggies like bean sprouts, sweet bell peppers, zucchini, eggplant, snow peas, mushrooms, or onions.
- Swap pork or beef. Slice tender cuts of meat into flatter pieces of equal thickness so they cook at the same rate.
- Make it vegan/vegetarian. Sear cubes of tofu instead of chicken breast to make it plant based.
What to Serve with Chicken Stir-fry
- Soup – 10-Minute Meal Easy Miso Soup goes with just about any meal.
- A salad – A lovely contrast is light and refreshing Japanese Cucumber Salad (see the instructions for seafood options).
- A vegetable side – Serve easy, make-ahead Green Bean Gomaae with sesame dressing
- A rice dish – Delicious and eye-catching Tuna Mayo Onigiri is popular among all ages.
Storage Tips
To store: You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to thicken the sauce with cornstarch or potato starch?
No. We coat the chicken with flour, which will naturally thicken the sauce.
Chicken Stir-fry with Garlic Chives
Take chicken breast in a savory, sweet, and spicy direction in my Chicken Stir-fry with Garlic Chives. Seared to seal in the juices and seasoned with an easy mix-and-pour sauce, this lean protein recipe will be your new dine-in favorite.
Ingredients
- 1 chicken breast (14 oz, 400 g)
- ⅛ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 1 small bunch garlic chives (Chinese chives or Nira) (1.5 oz, 40 g)
- 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour (plain flour) (for coating the chicken)
- 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil (for cooking)
For the Sauce
- 1 Tbsp sake
- 1 Tbsp mirin
- 1 Tbsp miso
- 1 tsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp honey
- 2 tsp doubanjiang (spicy chili bean paste)
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients.
To Mix the Sauce
- Add 1 Tbsp sake, 1 Tbsp mirin, 1 Tbsp miso, 1 tsp soy sauce, 1 tsp honey, and 2 tsp doubanjiang (spicy chili bean paste) to a small bowl. Stir well to dissolve the miso. Set aside.
To Prepare the Chives and Chicken
- Cut off the tough ends of 1 small bunch garlic chives (Chinese chives or Nira). Slice the leafy parts into 1½-inch (4-cm) pieces.
- Slice 1 chicken breast into 1½-inch (4 cm) squares of equal thickness. I use the sogigiri Japanese cutting technique. To do this, tilt your knife back and slice at a slanted angle. This creates a thinner, flatter pieces with an open surface area so the chicken cooks evenly and at the same rate in the frying pan.
- Season the chicken pieces on both sides with ⅛ tsp Diamond Crystal kosher salt and ⅛ tsp freshly ground black pepper.
- Lightly dredge the chicken with 2 Tbsp all-purpose flour (plain flour). Tip: I put the chicken and flour in my favorite stainless prep tray and shake together for the perfect light coating.
To Cook
- Preheat a large frying pan or carbon steel pan over medium heat. When it's hot, add 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil. Add the chicken when the oil is hot, leaving space between the pieces. I cooked it in two batches. This allows the air to circulate so they sear nicely. Cover and cook for 3 minutes.
- When the chicken is slightly brown on the bottom, flip over the pieces and sear the other side for 2 minutes. If your pieces are thick, cover the pan and cook for 3 minutes. Remove to a tray. Repeat searing the remaining chicken. Tip: Make sure that the chicken is almost cooked through at this stage. You will only cook it briefly at the end to toss with the sauce and garlic chives.
- Once both batches are done, add all the chicken back into the pan. Then, add the garlic chives.
- Toss together the chicken and chives to heat. Then, add the sauce. Mix to combine.
- Coat the ingredients well with the sauce quickly before it thickens. Transfer to a serving plate and enjoy.
To Store
- You can keep the leftovers in an airtight container and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Nutrition
Calories: 372kcal, Carbohydrates: 12g, Protein: 46g, Fat: 13g, Saturated Fat: 2g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 0.03g, Cholesterol: 128mg, Sodium: 907mg, Potassium: 824mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 1011IU, Vitamin C: 14mg, Calcium: 34mg, Iron: 3mg
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