Chicken And Broccoli In Gluten Free Stir Fry Sauce

This gluten free chicken and broccoli is easy to make at home but tastes just like a restaurant-quality dish. It goes from stovetop to table in 30 minutes.

You’re going to love this stir-fry with tender chicken and slightly crisp broccoli in a mouthwatering sauce.

Back when I lived in New York, I loved dining in and getting takeout at a family owned and operated Chinese restaurant that made the best chicken and broccoli I’d ever tasted. Best of all, it was gluten free. In fact, they had two menus, and one was entirely gluten free (including the spring rolls!). 

The owners and staff were warm and friendly, going above and beyond to make their customers happy and accommodate any food allergies. And all of their food was delicious. You can bet I went there often. So often that they recognized my voice when I called for takeout and would already know exactly what I wanted to order.

Because their gluten free chicken and broccoli was outstanding, I never tried to make it at home. 

Until now.

The other day my family and I were reminiscing about that restaurant and their wonderful gluten free food. So I decided to see if I could make a similar gluten free chicken and broccoli inspired by that one we used to love.

I did some recipe testing to get the sauce just right, the seared chicken soft and juicy, and the broccoli with the right amount of crispness. Needless to say, my family didn’t mind having the dish over and over again while I experimented.

In fact, the final recipe is so good (and easy!), I’ll be adding it to my regular meal rotation.

I’ll show you how easy it is in a minute, but first a little about some of the ingredients I’m using to make this dish gluten free.

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Oyster Sauce

Oyster sauce is a rich syrup-like sauce made from oyster juice that contributes to the dark color of the sauce and adds a rich, savory flavor. Kikkoman has an oyster sauce that has the certified gluten free symbol on the label.

Coconut Aminos

Coconut aminos are a super-healthy ingredient in the sauce. They are a nutrient-rich sap that comes from coconut blossoms and are a wonderful source of amino acids, vitamins, and minerals, and have a nearly neutral PH.

Surprisingly, they don’t have a coconut taste and are actually often used as a substitute for soy sauce.

Sherry Wine

Some chicken and broccoli recipes call for rice wine, but rice wine is fermented with wheat-based yeast so it’s not gluten free. Instead, a little sherry goes well in this dish.

Instructions

*Free printable recipe card with complete list of ingredients is available at the end of the post.

Okay, ready to make gluten free chicken and broccoli? We’re going to prep all the ingredients including the sauce and place them right near the stove because stir fries move fast. Then, when we start cooking, everything will go smoothly.

Prep your ingredients

First, slice the chicken breasts against the grain into quarter-inch thin slices.

Here’s a tip. Slicing meat while it’s partially frozen makes it easier to cut.

Marinate your chicken for about 10 minutes. In a bowl, combine 3 tablespoons of water, a tablespoon of oyster sauce, and a teaspoon each of oil, and gluten free flour. Often times corn starch is used, but I used flour.

Then, cut your broccoli. You can use a package of pre-cut florets if you prefer. Today, I have cut florets. You can cut your pieces two or three inches long with the stems if you prefer. It’s best to cut all the pieces into similar sizes so they cook evenly.

Finally, pre-mix the sauce in a measuring cup or bowl. Stir together two-thirds of a cup of gluten free chicken broth with oyster sauce, coconut aminos, a little more oil, and white pepper.

Set the sauce aside along with the rest of the ingredients:

For the broccoli:

• 1/2 cup of oil 
• 2 cloves of garlic sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• and 2 tablespoons of butter 

To finish the sauce:

• another tablespoon of oil
• 2 cloves of garlic minced
• 1/8 teaspoon of ginger
• and a tablespoon of sherry 

And finally, for slurry to thicken the sauce:

• 2 tablespoons of water 
• 2 tablespoons of gluten free flour (Again, often times corn starch is used, but I prefer flour.)

Quickly stir-fry 

Grab your wok or large skillet, a thin metal spatula, spoons, and a large bowl and we’ll start cooking!

We’re going to cook the broccoli and chicken one at a time, using the same wok or large skillet. Then, at the end, we’ll toss them back together in the skillet along with the unbelievably delicious sauce.

Begin by basically steaming the broccoli with fresh garlic and oil. Season with salt, cover and simmer for four – five minutes so it’s tender, but still crispy. I like to finish it with butter. Garlic and butter add amazing depth of flavor here. (If you’re dairy free, you can skip the butter.)

Transfer the steamed broccoli with the garlic to a large bowl and set aside.

Wipe the pan and heat about 2 tablespoons of oil. Add your marinated chicken in batches. Don’t crowd the pan. As your meat cooks, it will start to give off moisture. If there’s not enough room, it’ll steam instead of browning. You want the chicken to be opaque with a nice sear.

Keep the chicken moving by stirring with a spatula for about 3 minutes.

Transfer the seared chicken to the bowl with the broccoli, and you’re almost done.

Add another tablespoon of oil with more garlic and a little ginger. Not too much. It’s can be very strong. I use ground ginger. You can grate fresh ginger on the small holes of your box grater or microplane if you prefer.

Then add the sherry to deglaze the pan, scraping up the brown bits. Then add the pre-mixed sauce mixture and simmer for two – three minutes while the flavors meld.

Finally, make a slurry to thicken the sauce. Do this by stirring the gluten free flour into the water until dissolved and then stirring the slurry into the sauce until it thickens.

Now toss your cooked chicken and broccoli back in with all their juices. Give it a good stir until well combined, coated with all the sauce. Add salt to taste. And your fast and easy dinner is ready to serve.

Pro tips and recipe note

• In this recipe, I use avocado oil. It’s very heat-stable with one of the highest smoke points making it one of the best possible oils for stir frying. You can also go with olive oil or whichever oil you prefer.
• Cooked broccoli will shrink so four cups of raw broccoli will yield about three cups when cooked.
• I tested several sauces before arriving at this one. Some recipes add a tablespoon of sugar. That’s up to you.
• You can add water if the sauce is too thick or more slurry if it’s too thin.
• I love the flavors in this recipe. What would you add? Onions? Mushrooms? Top it with sliced scallions or toasted sesame seeds? Serve it over rice?
• This recipe also works with beef.
• Leftovers will keep, covered in the fridge, for up to 4-5 days. It’s even better the next day and reheats well, too.

I hope this recipe becomes a favorite for you. And if you have any questions, please reach out to me in the comments or shoot me an email. I’ll respond ASAP.

Happy cooking!

Love an easy stir-fry? Try these recipes

Savory chicken stir-fry with spinach, mushroom, and tomatoes: This savory chicken stir fry is flavored with a beautiful medley of Indian spices.

Keto low carb fried cabbage and knockwurst: With only 6 ingredients, this healthy and satisfying dish is a quick weeknight dinner or an easy meal to prep for grab-and-go lunches.

One pot paleo stir-fry: Marinated chicken with kale, broccoli and sweet potatoes in a beautiful white wine lemon butter sauce. So flavorful. So perfect. 

Stir-fry chicken: One-pot stir fry chicken is nourishing and quick with lots of vegetables, gluten free tamari sauce (which is like soy sauce), and tender chicken. 

Easy Paleo Chicken With Baby Spinach And Mini Sweet Peppers– This delicious easy stir-fry comes together in 15 minutes

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5 from 1 vote

Chicken And Broccoli In Gluten Free Stir Fry Sauce

This chicken and broccoli in gluten free stir fry sauce is easy to make at home but tastes just like a restaurant-quality dish. It goes from stovetop to table in 30 minutes.

Course Dinner

Cuisine American

Keyword 30 minute meal ideas, Asian, chicken and broccoli, chicken dinner ideas, gluten free stir fry sauce, stir-fry chicken

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 4

Calories 280kcal

Author Barbara Bianchi

Equipment

wok

or large skillet

stir fry tool set

Ingredients

For marinade:

• 1 teaspoon of gluten free flour
• 1 tablespoon of gluten free oyster sauce
• 1 1/2 teaspoons of oil
• 1 pound of chicken breast skinless and boneless

For gluten free stir fry sauce pre-mix:

• 2/3 cup of gluten free chicken broth
• 1 1/2 tablespoons of coconut aminos
• 1 teaspoon of oil
• 1 tablespoon of gluten free oyster sauce
• 1/8 teaspoon of white pepper

For broccoli:

• 1/2 cup of oil
• 4 cups of broccoli florets
• 2 cloves of garlic sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 2 tablespoons of butter

For stir-frying chicken:

• 2 tablespoons of oil (I use avocado oil)

For finishing the gluten free stir fry sauce:

• 1 tablespoon of oil
• 2 cloves of garlic minced
• 1/8 teaspoon of ginger
• 1 tablespoon of sherry

For slurry:

• 2 tablespoons of water
• 2 tablespoons of gluten free flour

Instructions

• Prep your ingredients

  Prepare marinade: water, oyster sauce, oil, and gluten free flour. Set aside.

  Slice the chicken breasts against the grain into quarter-inch thin slices and add to marinate for just about 10 minutes.

  Cut up broccoli.

  Then pre-mix the gluten free stir fry sauce in a measuring cup or bowl. Stir together two-thirds of a cup of chicken broth with oyster sauce, coconut aminos, a little more oil, and white pepper. Set this aside.
• Quickly stir-fry

  Heat a 1/2 cup of oil in your wok or large skillet. Add broccoli with fresh garlic, season with salt, cover and simmer for five minutes so it's tender, but still crispy. Finish it with butter. (If you're dairy free, skip the butter.)

  Transfer the cooked broccoli to a large bowl and set aside.

  Wipe the pan and heat about 2 tablespoons of oil. Add your marinated chicken in batches. Don't crowd the pan. As your meat cooks, it will start to give off moisture. If there's not enough room, it’ll steam instead of browning. You want to get a nice sear. Keep the chicken moving by stirring with a spatula for about 3 minutes.

  Transfer the seared chicken to the bowl with the broccoli.

  Make gluten free stir fry sauce

  Add another tablespoon of oil to the pan with garlic and a little ginger. Not too much, it's very strong.

  Then add the sherry to deglaze the pan scraping up the brown bits.

  Then add the pre-mixed sauce mixture and simmer for a 2-3 minutes as the flavors meld.

  Finally, make a slurry to thicken the sauce. In a small bowl, stir 2 tablespoons of gluten free flour into 2 tablespoons of water until dissolved and then stir the slurry into the sauce until it thickens.
• Now toss your cooked chicken and broccoli back in with all their juices. Give it a good stir until well combined, coated with all the sauce. Add salt to taste and serve.

Notes

• Slicing meat while it's partially frozen makes it easier to cut.
• In this recipe, I use avocado oil. It’s very heat-stable with one of the highest smoke points making it one of the best possible oils for stir frying. You can also go with olive oil or whichever oil you prefer.
• Cooked broccoli will shrink so four cups of raw broccoli will yield about three cups when cooked.
• I tested several sauces before arriving at this one. Some recipes add a tablespoon of sugar. That's up to you.
• You can add water if the sauce is too thick or more slurry if it's too thin.
• I love this recipe. What would you add? Onions? Mushrooms? Top it with sliced scallions or toasted sesame seeds? Serve it over rice?
• This recipe also works with beef.
• Leftovers will keep, covered in the fridge, for up to 4-5 days. It's even better the next day and reheats well, too.

GET THE FULL VIDEO TO SEE HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN & BROCCOLI HERE

 

Nutrition

Calories: 280kcal

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