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This Whole30 Chicken and Broccoli is a staple in our house!
One of my all-time favorite dishes growing up was Chicken and Broccoli from a Chinese restaurant in McKinney, Texas– China Sun. It was the closest Chinese restaurant to the small town I grew up in and my closest friends and I would drive there at least once a week to pig out on big platters of chicken and broccoli with a side of wonton soup. I loved those teenage “road trips” (it was about 30 minutes away) with my best friends from home: Ashley, Lindy, and Beth. I have so many fond memories of Ashley, Lindy, and I eating our platters of chicken and broccoli!
Over the years, I’ve made variations of the classic American Chinese dish. But I’ve finally gotten a great Whole30 rendition that I just know that you and your families will love. My kiddos love this Chinese Chicken and Broccoli stir-fry as much as my husband and I do, making it a great go to on any weeknight! It’s simple to make, and full of flavor, with a rich and flavorful brown sauce you’ll want to lick off the plate!
If you like this chicken stir fry, try this Chicken and Kimchi Stir Fry or Chicken and Mushroom Stir Fry.
Chicken and Broccoli
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp white pepper (black pepper is okay)
- 1 tbsp coconut aminos
- 1 tsp tapioca flour
For the Sauce:
- 3 tsp tapioca flour
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1/4 cup coconut aminos (I like Big Tree Farm brand)
- 1 tsp fish sauce (I use Red Boat brand)
- 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp finely grated ginger
For the Stir-Fry:
- 2 tbsp avocado oil, or more as needed
- 6 cups broccoli, cut into florets
Instructions
Prepare the Chicken:
- Place chicken in a single layer across a cutting board and cover with wax paper. Using a meat mallet or the bottom of a skillet, pound the chicken until it is a uniform 1/2 inch thickness. Then, cut chicken into 1/2 inch sized cubes.
- Place the cubed chicken in a large bowl with the avocado oil, kosher salt, white pepper, coconut aminos and tapioca. Toss until well combined. Set aside.
Make the Sauce:
- In a small bowl, combine all of the "for the sauce" ingredients and whisk until well combined and the tapioca has dissolved in the mixture. Set aside.
Make the Stir Fry:
- Heat oil in a large, non-stick skillet or wok over medium-high heat. When hot and in batches so as to be careful not to overcrowd the pan, cook the chicken until golden brown on both sides and cooked through, 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer cooked chicken to a plate and continue, adding oil if your skillet seems dry as needed, until all the chicken is browned and cooked through.
- In the same skillet (still over medium-high heat), add the broccoli florets and 1/4 cup of water to the skillet. Cook, stirring, until the water has completely evaporated, about 2 minutes.
- Add the sauce to the skillet with the broccoli and cook, stirring, until the sauce just begins to thicken, about 2 minutes.
- Add the chicken and any of it's juices back into the skillet with the broccoli and sauce. Simmer, stirring, until the sauce is thick and coats the chicken evenly, about 2 to 4 more minutes.
- Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
A family favorite, we make this almost weekly and my two kids love it!
Could I use olive oil for the avocado oil? Allergic to avocados.
yes! you can.
Has anyone added other stir fry veggies to this? Just wondering if it would taste good with onions, peppers etc?
Both would be great in this!
Oh my goodness. Had to make two changes based on what I had (used corn starch instead of tapioca flour and used liquid soy aminos instead of coconut aminos). Soooo good! I served it with jasmine rice and it was just heavenly. Will make many more times.
This dish was delicious! Perfect for meal prep as well. Thanks for this awesome recipe.
This is so good! Tried it once and its awesomely perfect! The whole family loved it, too! Will definitely try again over the weekend. Just glad I got to get all the necessary Asian ingredients I needed in Karman Foods.
Made this one on the fly. O. M. G. Alex, this was the most amazing meal. Weekly repeat, for sure! My favorite Chinese take out restaurant changed hands and the flavor is just not the same. Plus we have had to make some changes in the family’s diet and this one hit all the marks…flavor, ingredients, ease of prep. Thank you for all the hard work you do to make amazing recipes for healthy and tasty food.
what would be a good substitute for tapioca flour? Thanks!
Arrowroot flour is the best substitute.
Is arrowroot a 1:1 sub for tapioca?
yes!
I only have regular flour, will that work?!
It won’t thicken the right way.
is the coconut aminos you use – coco aminos teriyaki?
No, just regular coconut aminos– not flavored. I like this one from Big Tree Farms:
https://amzn.to/2U7hz79
Looks so good! I’m allergic to coconut. Are you able to substitute the coconut aminos for low sodium gf soy sauce or do you have an alternative you like better? Love your recipes! Can’t wait to try!
Soy Sauce is a great alternative, but I’d also omit the fish sauce or it may turn out too salty.
Thanks so much! Trying it this week!
Hi Alex,
How could I go about making this in a slow cooker? (Just for the sake of ease) I’ll try to do some research but thought I’d ask. Thank you!
Delicious! I added shiitake mushrooms!! Yum.