Chicken and Broccoli Stir-Fry with Rice
Golden seared chicken and crisp broccoli tossed in a glossy soy sauce, served over fluffy rice. A quick, high-protein stovetop dinner that keeps the vegetables bright and the chicken juicy.
- Total
- 40 min
- Prep 10 · Cook 25 · Rest 5
- Serves
- 1
- Difficulty
- Easy
You'll practice: Searing · Stir-frying
- Savory
- Stovetop
- Oven
Instructions
-
Rinse the rice under cold water until the water runs clear, then drain well. Add the rice and 150 ml water to a small saucepan with a pinch of the salt. Bring to a boil, then cover, lower the heat and simmer for 15 minutes until the water is absorbed.
~15 min
Rinsing removes surface starch so the grains stay separate instead of turning gluey.
-
While step 1 cooks
While the rice cooks, cut the chicken into 2 cm pieces and season with the remaining salt and the black pepper. Cut the broccoli into small 2 cm florets and slice the garlic thinly.
~8 min
-
Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the chicken in a single layer and sear for 4 minutes without moving, then stir and cook 3 minutes more until browned and cooked through to 74°C/165°F. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
~7 min
Searing in a single layer without moving builds Maillard browning, the savory base for the sauce.
Pat the chicken dry before searing so it browns instead of steaming, which builds the savory base for the soy sauce.
Searing Pat the chicken dry and leave it undisturbed in a hot pan so a brown crust forms; moving it too early steams the meat and prevents browning.
-
Add the broccoli to the same skillet and stir-fry for 3 minutes until bright green and crisp-tender. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds until fragrant, not browned.
~3 min
Brief cooking keeps broccoli bright green and crisp-tender before residual heat softens it.
Keep the broccoli in the pan just until crisp-tender; it will soften further from the residual heat once the chicken returns.
Stir-frying Keep the pan hot and toss the broccoli constantly so it chars lightly while staying crisp; overcooking turns it soft and dull.
-
Return the chicken to the skillet, pour in the soy sauce and toss for 1 minute until everything is coated and glossy. Remove from the heat.
~1 min
Tossing off the heat lets the soy sauce glaze without scorching or turning bitter.
-
Fluff the rice with a fork and let it stand covered for 5 minutes. Spoon the rice into a bowl, top with the chicken and broccoli, and serve.
~5 min