Chicken and Pepper Stir Fry – 🫑🌶️👏🏻 An EASY one-skillet chicken stir fry complete with tender chicken pieces and crisp-tender bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, and green onions! Everything is coated in a savory stir fry sauce that’s packed with FLAVOR! Ready in just 20 minutes, this is a PERFECT healthy weeknight dinner recipe that’s full of lean protein + veggies to help keep you on track!
Easy Chicken and Bell Pepper Stir Fry Recipe
I’m always on the hunt for quick, easy, flavorful, and healthy chicken dinner recipes. Focusing on lean protein + veggies is the name of the game for me.
This chicken stir fry checks off all those boxes and here’s why you’ll love it!
- The chicken is tender, juicy, and because it’s dredged in a bit of cornstarch before cooking it, the exterior crisps up and it’s so tasty.
- An array of crisp-tender vegetables including bell peppers, jalapeno peppers, and green onions, add texture, fiber, and a satisfying light crunch.
- The sauce is overall savory with just a touch of sweetness from sweet chili sauce to balance the salty soy sauce. It coats every inch of the chicken and veggies and any extra can be sopped up with rice.
- It’s made in one skillet to save on time doing dishes later. And no wok required!
- Ready in 20 minutes, this is a fast chicken dinner recipe that’s perfect for busy weeknights. Extras reheat great for tomorrow’s lunch.
More Favorite Quick and Easy chicken stir frys
Ingredients in Stir Fry with Chicken and Peppers
There are two components to this quick and easy one-skillet stir fry recipe – the sauce and the stir fry primary ingredients including chicken + veggies.
Sauce
- Reduced or low sodium soy sauce – You can also use liquid aminos or coconut aminos, or tamari. Tip – If you want to keep this recipe gluten-free, make sure to use an alternate to traditional soy sauce.
- Sweet chili sauce – I get mine from Trader Joe’s but it’s easy to find in the Asian section of well-stocked supermarkets. If you want a spicier and less sweet dish, use chili garlic sauce.
- Brown sugar – In order to balance the savory aspect of the soy sauce, brown sugar works great but you can use granulated sugar or an alternative sweetener.
- Cornstarch – This helps your sauce to thicken and should not be omitted.
- Seasonings – Garlic powder, ground ginger, salt, and pepper are what I use. For extra heat, add red pepper flakes or a pinch of cayenne pepper. You can use freshly grated ginger if you have it as well as minced garlic cloves if you prefer.
Stir Fry
- Boneless skinless chicken – I use chicken thighs for extra flavor and moisture, but you can use boneless skinless chicken breasts if you prefer white meat.
- Cornstarch – Dredging the chicken in it helps to give a lightly crisped exterior and not to be missed.
- Oil – Canola, vegetable, olive oil are all fine here.
- Peppers – I use a mixture of red bell peppers and jalapeno peppers. Wondering if this dish is spicy or if you can make substitutions? See the FAQs below.
- Green onions – They add a great flavor to the skillet although if you want to use chunky pieces of yellow onions that could work.
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How To Make Bell Pepper Chicken Stir Fry
- Whisk all the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.
- Dredge the chicken pieces in cornstarch, add oil to a large skillet , and cook the chicken over medium-high heat until it’s done, about 5 minutes. Remove and set aside.
- Add the peppers and green onions to the skillet and saute for 3-4 mins or until crisp-tender.
- Add the chicken back into the skillet, pour the sauce in, stir to combine and coat evenly, and allow the sauce to bubble and thicken for a few minutes before serving. If desired, you can garnish with additional green onions or sesame seeds.
what to serve with chicken stir fry
Storage
In the Refrigerator: This recipe will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days.
In the Freezer: This recipe will keep airtight in the freezer for up to 3 months noting that the texture of the vegetables will change and become softer if frozen/thawed/reheated.
To Reheat: I use my microwave for quickness and ease and reheat my leftovers for about 30 seconds on high, or as needed.
Recipe FAQs
No, it’s not spicy. Jalapeno peppers are really not spicy, especially if you remove the seeds and/or the white membranes which is where the heat is concentrated. If you want more heat, keep the seeds. And considering adding red pepper flakes, cayenne pepper, sriracha, or whatever your favorite head-adding trick is. Chili garlic sauce is also a way to quickly ramp up the heat level.
Tip – Don’t confuse jalapeno peppers with serrano chile peppers because serranos ARE spicy! They are longer and more slender than jalapenos.
I use a combo of red bell peppers and jalapeno chile peppers but you can use solely bell peppers, use a different color, use more jalapeno, or pickled jalapenos also work. Other types of chile peppers are all fair game, too. Make sure you know what you’re getting into with the peppers you select. For example, serrano chile peppers add a significant uptick in the heat level.
Stir frys are a great way to work in extra veggies including mushrooms, baby corn, peapods, bean sprouts, carrots, broccoli, or any veggies you have in your produce drawer that may need to be used. Make sure to check below the recipe card section for other stir fry recipes because I have lots!
After you combine the cooked chicken with the veggies, add the sauce, and allow it to simmer for a few minutes, if it’s too thin you can either crank up the heat and cook it at a faster boil to help excess liquid to simply evaporate, although you run the risk of overcooking the food. A better tactic would be to combine 1 teaspoon cornstarch + 1 teaspoon water, stir, and add this slurry to the sauce and then continue stirring for 1-2 minutes and it should thicken up. If not, repeat.
If it’s too thick and you want to thin it out, adding 1-2 tablespoons of chicken broth (or water) should do the trick. Add additional salt to taste, if necessary.
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Sauce – To a small bowl, add all the sauce ingredients, whisk to combine; set aside.
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Stir Fry – Add the chicken pieces to a large bowl, evenly sprinkle with cornstarch, and toss to coat evenly.
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Add 1 tablespoon oil to the skillet, add the chicken, and saute over medium-high heat for about 5-6 minutes, or until chicken is done and cooked through. Stir and flip intermittently as the chicken is sauteing to ensure even cooking. When it’s done, remove it with a slotted spoon and set aside on a plate.
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Add the remaining oil, add all the vegetables, and cook saute for about 4 minutes, or until vegetables as done as desired. I prefer mine to stay at the crisp-tender stage, cook as you prefer them.
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Add the cooked chicken back in, evenly drizzle the sauce over the top, and allow the mixture to bubble, and continue simmering for about 3 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened to the desired amount. Stir and flip the chicken and veggies frequently while the sauce simmers. Sauce Tips – If your sauce is too thin (or too thick), consult the FAQs in the blog post for how to rectify it. In a nutshell, if it’s too thin, combine 1 tsp cornstarch + 1 tsp water in a small bowl, add this slurry to the skillet, and stir nearly constantly for about 2 minutes as the mixture continues to simmer, and the sauce will thicken. If it’s still not as thick as desired, repeat this process. If it’s too thick, add 1-2 tbsp of chicken broth, or water, and stir to combine.
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Taste, and as desired, add additional salt, pepper, or red pepper flakes for heat. Optionally garnish with additional green onions, sesame seeds, fresh herbs like basil, etc. and serve immediately.
Storage: Recipe will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 4-5 days or in the freezer for up to 3-4 months, noting the texture of the veggies will change and become softer if they’re frozen/thawed/reheated. Reheat gently in the microwave for about 30 seconds, or as desired.
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 382kcal, Carbohydrates: 16g, Protein: 21g, Fat: 26g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g, Monounsaturated Fat: 13g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 111mg, Sodium: 1042mg, Potassium: 419mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 9g, Vitamin A: 1154IU, Vitamin C: 44mg, Calcium: 32mg, Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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