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This Whole30 Chicken and Broccoli is a staple in our house! If we can’t decide between ordering Chinese takeout or cooking something at home, I turn to this recipe that the whole family loves.
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.
Over the years, I’ve made variations of this classic Chinese-American dish, but I finally nailed a great Whole30-approved rendition that I just know that you and your families will love. My kiddos love this stir-fry as much as my husband and I do, making it a great option for busy weeknights ! It’s simple to make and super flavorful, thanks to a rich and umami-packed brown sauce that you might just want to lick off the plate!
ingredients:
- Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
- Kosher Salt
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- Tapioca Flour
- Coconut Aminos
- Toasted Sesame Oil
- Fish Sauce
- Low-Sodium Chicken Broth
- Garlic Cloves
- Fresh Ginger
- Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
- Avocado Oil
- Broccoli
- Cooked Rice or Cauliflower Rice
step-by-step:
step one: prep the chicken
Place the chicken breasts on a cutting board and cover with parchment paper or plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy skillet, pound the chicken until it is a uniform 1/2-inch thickness. Pat dry with paper towels and cut into 1-inch pieces.
step two: coat the chicken
In a large mixing bowl, add the chicken, salt, pepper, tapioca flour, and coconut aminos. Toss until well combined and set aside.
step three: make the sauce
In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut aminos, sesame oil, fish sauce, chicken broth, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes (if using), and tapioca flour until well combined. Set aside.
step four: cook the chicken
Heat the oil in a large, deep nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in a single layer, working in batches as needed, and cook, undisturbed, until a golden-brown crust forms, about 3 minutes. Flip the chicken and continue to cook until both sides are golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate and set aside.
step five: cook the broccoli
Reduce the heat to medium and add the broccoli to the pan along with 1/4 cup of water. Cook, scraping up any browned bits, until broccoli is bright green and the water has evaporated, about 3 minutes.
step six: combine the chicken and broccoli
Add the chicken back to the skillet and pour in the sauce. Cook, simmering and stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and coats the chicken, about 3 minutes.
step seven: serve
Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Serve as is or over prepared rice, if desired.
recipe faqs:
Make a quick slurry by combining 2 teaspoons tapioca flour with 1 tablespoon water in a small bowl. Whisk together until the flour is dissolved, then add to the skillet with the chicken, broccoli, and sauce and stir to combine.
Absolutely! The sauce pairs well with so many types of meat and seafood. Just be sure to adjust the cook time to ensure that whatever meat you cook reaches a safe temperature.
The next time you’re craving takeout, you need to try this Whole30 Chicken and Broccoli! Let me know what you think of the recipe in the comments below.
looking for more Chinese-inspired recipes? try these!
Chicken and Scallion “Dumpling” Meatballs with Chili-Sesame Drizzle
Chicken and Mushroom Stir Fry.
Whole30 Chicken and Broccoli
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons tapioca flour
- 1 tablespoon coconut aminos
For the Stir Fry:
- 1/3 cup coconut aminos
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons fish sauce
- 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 tablespoon tapioca flour
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 head broccoli, cut into small florets (about 4 cups)
For Serving:
- prepared cooked rice or cauliflower rice (optional)
Instructions
Prepare the Chicken:
- Place the chicken breasts on a cutting board and cover with parchment paper or plastic wrap. Using a meat mallet or the bottom of a heavy skillet, pound the chicken until it is a uniform 1/2-inch thickness. Pat dry with paper towels and cut into 1-inch pieces.
- In a large mixing bowl, add the chicken, salt, pepper, tapioca flour, and coconut aminos. Toss until well combined and set aside.
Make the Sauce:
- In a small bowl, whisk together the coconut aminos, sesame oil, fish sauce, chicken broth, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes (if using), and tapioca flour until well combined. Set aside.
Make the Stir Fry:
- Heat the oil in a large, deep nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in a single layer, working in batches as needed, and cook, undisturbed, until a golden-brown crust forms, about 3 minutes. Flip the chicken and continue to cook until both sides are golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the broccoli to the pan along with 1/4 cup of water. Cook, scraping up any browned bits, until broccoli is bright green and the water has evaporated, about 3 minutes.
- Add the chicken back to the skillet and pour in the sauce. Cook, simmering and stirring occasionally, until the sauce thickens and coats the chicken, about 3 minutes.
- Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Serve as is or over prepared rice, if desired.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
SO good and so easy!! I made it with frozen broccoli which made it even easier. Great week night dinner because it’s quick and super simple!
Easy and delicious! So easy for a weeknight! I added some red paper flakes to give it a bit of a kick.
Gotta have red pepper flakes! Great addition, thank you for the comment!
My fiancé replied with “this is the best stir fry sauce you’ve made” – thanks for creating the best flavor combos, you’re my go-to!! 😋
Love to hear it!
How necessary would you say the sesame oil and fish sauce are?? I have all other ingredients and want to make it but I don’t want it to be ruined if I leave one or both out!
The Fish Sauce adds a wonderfuly and salty umami flavor that may be missed if you just use the coconut aminos. or i’d sub in soy sauce instead of the coconut aminos if you don’t have the fish sauce.
The sesame oil isn’t essential but does add a depth of flavor and nuttiness!
Can I substitute or leave it the fish oil?
You can omit.
One of our go tos!
Our family loves this recipe! We double it so we can eat it for a few meals. I love that it tastes amazing like from a restaurant but it’s also made with nourishing ingredients. Thanks for this recipe!!
This was sooooo good. Better than takeout! I substituted Liquid Aminos for the Coconut Aminos, Cornstarch for the tapioca flour, and olive oil instead of avocado oil. The only downfall was it was WAY too salty for our taste. I would maybe reduce the amount of salt on the chicken and even slightly reduce the aminos or fish sauce? It tasted so good so we kept eating it but we were chugging water throughout the meal.
Hi!! Liquid aminos are *so much* more salty than coconut aminos– which is why you had that issue!
We couldn’t believe this was Whole30! We made it two weeks in a row and double the recipe both times.
We used a cast iron wok both times and enough fond developed while browning the chicken that I didn’t need to use chicken broth. I actually think it would’ve been a little overpowering to have chicken broth in addition to the fond.
Thanks for making our Whole30 possible, Alex! Your recipes have been on constant rotation since we started.
Hi! This looks delish! We aren’t on a special diet. Can we use regular flour?
Cornstarch works here, not regular flour!
SO GOOD! I am making 3 recipes of this for some ladies I’m having for dinner. Could I make this ahead of time and freeze it and then thaw and warm for serving that evening? My family enjoys many many many of your recipes.
I don’t think that this recipe would freeze well! unfortunately the arrowroot or tapioca wouldn’t hold up in the freezer well in this stir fry.
I know this is really late but I can report that the sauce at least holds well in the fridge. We had some leftover from doubling the recipe and it was delicious on another occasion. It also made dining at someone else’s house really easy. The host made a stir fry, held a portion aside for us before saucing, and we just used the remaining sauce in a separate pan.