Chicken and Broccoli is the Spaghetti and Meatballs of the Chinese takeout world—basic, familiar, and ubiquitous. This is a healthy, tasty, and super easy dish to make at home. This version of the dish is a really light, pure-flavored one in a white sauce rather than brown sauce, and it’s also a bonus for all of you gluten free folks since this recipe does not use any soy sauce.
For those of you who like the brown sauce you can add a teaspoon of light soy and a teaspoon of dark soy and use less salt. If you want to kick it up, them add a teaspoon of oyster sauce too!
And, for those of you who are not fond of the cornstarch based gravy or just trying to avoid the carbs, just leave out the corn starch slurry and eat you chicken and broccoli without any gravy. I mean why would you even consider going to the takeout place and ordering from the “healthy” menu when you can whip this up at home?
I like my chicken with broccoli with some hot white rice but you can have it any way you like!
What can I say, this chicken and broccoli is just a great, simple dish and with that, it deserves a simple post so on with the recipe!
Recipe Instructions
Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch the broccoli, drain, and set aside. Some like it crunchy and some like it soft so you just cook it the way you like it!
Then blanch the chicken until it turns opaque. This makes for really clean flavors in the final dish. My dad tells me this is how a lot of the restaurants do it.
Heat your wok over medium high heat and add the oil and garlic. Throw in the broccoli and the chicken and stir-fry for a minute. Then pour in the chicken stock, sugar, salt, sesame oil, Shaoxing wine, and white pepper.
The chicken stock is key, so it’s best to make Judy’s homemade chicken stock recipe or use a good organic chicken stock/chicken bouillon. Keep stirring for another minute to combine.
Just remember to put enough salt into this dish and balance it accordingly with sugar (1 part sugar to 2 parts salt) or your dish will just taste bland and you may not make this again at home!
Mix the cornstarch and water into a slurry.
Move the chicken and broccoli to the sides of the wok. There should be a little well of chicken stock/liquid at the center of the pan. P
our the cornstarch slurry into the liquid and stir until it thickens until the sauce clings to the chicken and the broccoli—just like you get at a good Chinese takeout restaurant.
Give everything a final stir. Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed and plate!
Serve your homemade chicken and broccoli over white rice!
Chinese Takeout Chicken and Broccoli
Ingredients
- 4 cups broccoli florets
- 1 chicken breast (sliced)
- oil
- 3 cloves garlic
- ¾ cup chicken stock (180 ml)
- 1/8 teaspoon sugar
- salt (to taste)
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon shaoxing wine
- white pepper (to taste)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch (mixed with 1 tablespoon water)
Instructions
- Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Blanch the broccoli, drain, and set aside. Then blanch the chicken until it turns opaque.
- Heat your wok over medium high heat and add the oil and garlic. Throw in the broccoli and the chicken and stir-fry for a minute. Then pour in the chicken stock, sugar, salt, sesame oil, wine, and white pepper. Keep stirring for another minute to combine.
- Mix the cornstarch and water into a slurry. Move the chicken and broccoli to the sides of the wok. There should be a little well of chicken stock/liquid at the center of the pan. Pour the cornstarch slurry into the liquid and stir until it thickens.
- Give everything a final stir. Taste for seasoning and adjust if needed. Plate and serve!
This looks great but…
My favorite take out restaurant used to make me Chicken and Broccoli in a spicy garlic sauce though I don’t remember specifics. It wasn’t on the menu, they were nice and accommodating a regular.
How do you suggest I try this at home? Make Chicken With Garlic sauce and use broccoli instead of the veg? Just increase the garlic a little here and use chili oil at the table?
Thanks!
BTW – my Szechwan flakes just arrived so I’m about to make my first batch of oil!
Hi Dave, yes, your suggestion sounds right. You may have to adjust/increase the amount of sauce and spices if you like more sauce on your broccoli. Excited to hear you will be making our chili oil!
Thanks so much, I have been wondering what was in that sauce for so long. I made the dish, turned out fabulous. Sorry, didn’t think to take a photo and tag you.
You’re welcome Jasmin, we’ll take a raincheck on your photo. Just post on Instagram and tag us ;-)
I only had cooking sherry on hand. Holy Cow! Ohhh Sooo Delicious! Better than Chinese takeout for sure. Even my super fanatically picky daughter had 3 servings my first time making it. Gonna have to get me some shaoxing wine and take it to whole ‘nother level!
Thank you so much for this recipe. I will be making it again and again.
BevM.
Hi B, cooking sherry is the perfect substitution for Shaoxing wine. Glad you and your daughter enjoyed it.
Is using a wok a must? Or can I use just a regular pan?
Hi J, a regular pan will work fine :)
There is a dish at our local place that is chicken with string beans and ginger. I can’t find anything close besides a fast-food version and that’s not it. I’m going to try this sauce and add ginger to see if it comes close. At least it’s a starting point. I have made this before, and it was good.
Hi Deirdre, This sauce will work using chicken and string beans, but you can also try our chicken and string bean stir-fry recipe.
This was so good! Better than takeout! My mom is on the keto diet so I subbed 1/2 tsp of konjac powder for the cornstarch and it came out perfect! Thank you so much for all of the awesome and fool proof recipes! ❤️
Really great, so much better than carry out and you know what is in it. I added extra vegetables just because I needed to use them up.
Hi SueS, great idea to add more veggies. Another beauty of cooking at home. :)
So well-explained and easy to make! 5 stars!!!
Thanks Michelle and glad you liked it!
It was quick and very tasty, just like the ones I takeout in NYC
Hi Ivelisse, great to hear you liked it!
We made this vegan by using Better Than Bouillon No-Chicken-Chicken Broth and eliminating the meat. It was really delicious and super easy and quick to prepare. Really nice served with brown rice and Spicy Tofu Steaks but I cannot wait to try it with your Vegan Mapo Tofu. Thanks so much!
Ho Joan, never tried it but sounds delicious!