• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About
    • Contact
    • Subscribe
  • Recipes
    • Easy Dinners
    • Dessert
    • Breakfast and Brunch
    • Thai
    • Gluten-free
    • Vegetarian

Inquiring Chef

menu icon
go to homepage
subscribe
search icon
Homepage link
  • Recipes
  • Easy Dinners
  • About
  • Subscribe
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
  • ×

    Home > Recipes > Easy Dinners

    Honey Ginger Chicken Stir-Fry

    Published: Jan 18, 2021 · Modified: Mar 12, 2022 · by Jess Smith · Jump to Recipe · 15 Comments · This post may contain affiliate links.

    5.9K shares
    stir fry over rice in a white bowl with chopsticks
    chicken stir fry over rice in a white bowl
    honey ginger chicken stir fry
    Honey Ginger Chicken Stir-Fry

    chicken stir fry over rice in a white bowl with chopsticks

    Make this delicious, healthier, takeout fake-out Honey Ginger Chicken Stir-Fry for dinner tonight. The sauce is sweet and savory with soy sauce, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil and the dish comes together in about 30 minutes. Serve it with rice and a steamed broccoli for a meal that’s worthy of the regular dinner rotation. 

    It’s been a strange first few weeks of 2021 with a packed online school schedule for first graders Molly and Clara and busy work schedules for Frank and I. Two-year-old June is, as usual, along for the ride, prancing around the house in Elsa pjs and wondering when the next snack will appear. 

    In the midst of this crazy season of life, we are no strangers to takeout. I love a good Chinese-style stir-fry and love it even more when it’s brought to my door without me having to dirty a single pan. However, whenever I make one of these takeout-inspired dishes myself, I’m always impressed at how delicious and simple they can be. Next time you’re tempted to order takeout, give this one a try instead.

    The key to a great homemade takeout fake-out dish is in the details. Fresh ginger and garlic make all the difference in transforming a simple sauce into something that tastes special.

    I’m hungry just thinking about it. Let’s make Honey Ginger Chicken!

    chicken stir fry over rice in a white bowl

    Ingredients

    • Chicken Breast - Use cubed chicken breast here. It also works with chicken thighs, shrimp, or extra-firm tofu. 
    • Cornstarch - Tossing the chicken with cornstarch before cooking not only helps it to brown nicely in the pan, but it thickens the sauce. 
    • Ginger and Garlic - The recipe will work without these, but they add so much flavor that I strongly encourage you to put in the couple of extra minutes it takes to prepare them. Be sure the ginger is very finely diced or grated before using it.
    • Toasted Sesame Oil - Look for this in the Asian / international aisle at the grocery store. It should be dark in color.
    • White Sesame Seeds - Stir these into the sauce to give it some texture. Feel free to sprinkle some on top of the finished stir-fry as well for some color. 
    • Honey, Soy Sauce, Ketchup - Pantry staples you’ll need to make the sauce.
    • Green Onions - These add fresh flavor and color when stirred into the dish at the end of cooking. 

    making sauce for chicken stir fry

    How to Make Honey Ginger Chicken

    1. Make sauce. Combine all ingredients for the sauce. 
    2. Toss chicken with cornstarch. This recipe uses a good amount of cornstarch to insure that the sauce thickens. It may not all stick to the chicken, but give it a good stir to coat it as much as possible.
    3. Sear chicken. Sear chicken until golden brown.
    4. Add first part of sauce. Add 3 tablespoon of sauce until chicken is sticky and coated.
    5. Add second part of sauce. Add all remaining sauce and simmer for a few minutes until chicken is fully cooked.
    6. Finish and serve. Stir in green onions and serve!

    adding sauce to the chicken in a wok

    tossing sauce with chicken in a wok

    Why Add Sauce in Two Parts

    When I was testing this recipe, my goal was to find a balance between chicken that is really coated in a sticky glaze of sauce and still has plenty of liquid sauce remaining in the pan to spoon over rice. The key is to add the sauce in two additions. The first small portion of sauce reduces way down and completely coats the chicken. The second larger portion cooks for just a couple of minutes so it doesn’t get quite as thick. The result mimics the sticky, saucy consistency of a great takeout stir-fry. 

    Possible Variations

    • Make it vegetarian - Use cubed extra-firm tofu instead of chicken. 
    • Add vegetables - Stir some steamed broccoli, diced bell peppers, or chopped steamed green beans into the dish. 
    • Make it gluten-free - Use gluten-free Tamari in place of the soy sauce to easily make this recipe gluten-free. 

    chicken tossed with sauce in a wok

    More Chicken Stir-Fry Recipes

    • 20-Minute Chicken Ramen Stir-Fry
    • Honey Garlic Chicken Fried Rice
    • Sesame Garlic Ramen Stir-Fry

    Favorite Tools

    • Anchor 3-Piece Glass Mixing Bowls 
    • Whisk
    • 6-inch Global Knife
    • Cutting Board 
    • Joyce Chen Carbon Steel Wok 
    • Wok Spatula

    stir fry over rice in a white bowl

    stir fry over rice in a white bowl with chopsticks
    Print Recipe
    4.27 from 19 votes

    Honey Ginger Chicken Stir-Fry

    In a sweet, savory sticky sauce, this quick and easy 30-minute honey ginger chicken will be your new favorite takeout fake-out. Serve it with rice and a steamed broccoli for a meal that’s worthy of the regular dinner rotation.
    Prep Time10 mins
    Cook Time20 mins
    Total Time30 mins
    Course: Main Dish
    Cuisine: Asian
    Keyword: Chicken Recipe, fakeout takeout, stir fry
    Servings: 4
    Calories: 416kcal
    Author: Jess Smith via Inquiring Chef
    Cost: $9.00

    Equipment

    • Mixing Bowl
    • Wok or Large Skillet

    Ingredients

    For the Sesame Sauce:

    • 1 tablespoon Fresh Ginger, very finely diced (see note)
    • 2 cloves Garlic, minced
    • ¼ cup Honey
    • ⅓ cup Low-Sodium Soy Sauce (sub Tamari for a gluten-free version)
    • 3 tablespoon Ketchup
    • 2 teaspoon Toasted Sesame Oil
    • 1 teaspoon White Sesame Seeds, plus more for topping

    For the Stir-Fry:

    • 1 ½ lbs Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast
    • 2 tablespoon Cornstarch
    • 3 tablespoon Cooking Oil, divided
    • 2 stalks Green Onions, chopped, plus more for topping

    Instructions

    • Make sauce by whisking together garlic, ginger, honey, soy sauce, ketchup, sesame oil, and sesame seeds. Set aside.
    • Toss chicken with cornstarch until evenly coated.
    • In a wok or large skillet, heat cooking oil over medium-high heat. Add chicken and let cook for a moment without stirring until browned on the bottom, 3 to 5 minutes.
    • Give the chicken a stir and pour in about 3 tablespoon of sauce (it doesn’t have to be super precise, so you can just estimate it by tipping in about a quarter of the sauce). Cook chicken in sauce, stirring frequently until chicken is well coated and looks sticky with sauce.
    • Pour in the remaining sauce and bring to a simmer. Simmer until the sauce reduces slightly and chicken is cooked, 4 to 5 minutes more.
    • Stir in the 2 stalks of green onions.
    • Serve chicken over rice with some more sesame seeds and green onions on top.

    Notes

    Fresh Ginger - Peel the ginger first. Then be sure to dice the ginger very small so that you don’t have large pieces of it in the sauce. You can also grate the ginger, but reduce the amount to about 1 ½ teaspoon if you opt to grate it. 
    Sesame Oil - Look for 100% Pure Sesame Oil for this recipe - it should be dark in color and likely be produced in Japan or China.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 416kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 109mg | Sodium: 1010mg | Potassium: 731mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 169IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 24mg | Iron: 1mg

    *This post contains affiliate links*

    Related

    « Homemade Hot Chocolate
    Sheet Pan Steak and Potatoes »
    5.9K shares

    About Jess

    Hi! I'm Jess. I am the recipe creator and photographer behind the 900+ recipes you’ll find on Inquiring Chef. As a mom to three young kids and professional cook, my mission is to make every moment in the kitchen and around the table count. If you’re looking for easy, flavorful, family-approved recipes, you’ve come to the right place! Learn more about me here.

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Alex

      January 25, 2021 at 8:57 pm

      5 stars
      I made this tonight! It had a real depth of flavor to it and it was so easy. I really liked how the chicken really felt and tasted like take out. Your directions on how to cook the meat in steps was very helpful. My hubby absolutely loved it. I added some broccolini from our garden too.

      Reply
      • Jess Smith

        January 26, 2021 at 7:00 am

        So glad you liked it Alex!! (I'm jealous of your garden-fresh broccolini!)

        Reply
    2. Maiesha

      April 01, 2021 at 1:41 am

      4 stars
      Just made for dinner tonight. I like how the cornstarch keeps the chicken nice and moist. I enjoyed how the flavors melded together and it was super simple to make. The presentation was just as good as the taste. I have not been out to eat since my birthday last Christmas. Trying to eat at home 99.9% of the time. Will keep on standby for lazy days (everyday is a lazy day).

      Reply
    3. Marc

      June 27, 2021 at 10:37 am

      5 stars
      Made this at the weekend and it was absolutely amazing! I added two chillies to the sauce for a little bit of kick as well. The sauce is so clean tasting and really has that fake-out vibes I was after.

      Do you think it's possible to make a batch of the sauce, freeze it and it would be okay?

      Keep up the great work-your recipes are fantastic! 😀

      Reply
      • Jess Smith

        July 03, 2021 at 8:48 am

        Thanks so much for the kind note. Yes! The sauce freezes well! I freeze sauces like this in small 8 oz mason jars (leaving a good amount of headspace) and they're so easy to defrost in the microwave for really quick weeknight meals.

        Reply
    4. Kathy

      July 16, 2021 at 5:34 pm

      4 stars
      Can you recommend any substitutions for Ketchup?

      Reply
      • Jess Smith

        July 19, 2021 at 2:58 pm

        Try using tomato paste that has been thinned with a small amount of water. You'll still get the same texture, color, and flavor, though it will have slightly less sweetness.

        Reply
    5. Jessica

      October 28, 2021 at 4:57 am

      5 stars
      This recipe is AWESOME. I think the two-step sauce instruction made all the difference in making it taste like it really could have come from an actual Chinese restaurant. We all loved it. The only change I made was to add a little extra honey because the sauce seemed slightly bitter.

      This is DEFINITELY going into the recipe rotation!

      Reply
      • Jess Smith

        October 29, 2021 at 9:08 am

        So glad your family enjoyed it as much as our family does!

        Reply
    6. karen

      January 03, 2022 at 7:17 pm

      my husband and two sons each said that it was very good... write it down. At our house ,when we write it down... it's a keeper! Thank you for the great recipe. It was very tasty and quite simple to make. Your directions were easy to follow and the meal was better than take out.

      Reply
      • Jess Smith

        January 05, 2022 at 9:34 am

        Love that!

        Reply
    7. Damali

      March 04, 2022 at 3:25 pm

      Seriously!!!! This is an ABSOLUTELY AMAZING meal! I’m scanning to see how long the sauce would last in the refrigerator. It is sooooooo good! I’ve been sharing it with EVERYONE! 🥰

      Reply
      • Jess Smith

        March 04, 2022 at 6:05 pm

        Yay! So glad to hear this! Thanks so much for the kind note. The sauce will definitely be fine for 5 days in the fridge.

        Reply
    8. Susan

      March 07, 2022 at 12:15 pm

      Absolute lovely! Love the ginger flavor which is so subtle. Family very pleased

      Reply
      • Jess Smith

        March 08, 2022 at 8:26 am

        So happy to hear this!

        Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

    Primary Sidebar

    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

    Welcome! We're Jess and Frank. Since 2010, we have been serving up easy, original recipes here on Inquiring Chef.

    More about us →

    Latest Recipes

    • Vietnamese Noodle Bowls (Bun Thit Nuong Cha Gio)
    • Brownie Ice Cream Cake
    • Pad See Ew (Wide Rice Noodles)
    • Muhammara (Roasted Red Pepper Dip)

    Trending Recipes

    • Crispy and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
    • Honey Ginger Chicken Stir-Fry
    • Mason Jar Overnight Oats
    • Beef and Broccoli Ramen Stir-Fry

    Welcome! We're Jess and Frank. Since 2010, we have been serving up easy, original recipes here on Inquiring Chef.

    More about us →

    Latest Recipes

    • Easy Pad Thai
    • Ground Chicken Burrito Bowls
    • Authentic Homemade Thai Iced Tea
    • Cajun Fish with Sweet Peppers

    Trending Recipes

    • Crispy and Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe
    • Honey Ginger Chicken Stir-Fry
    • Mason Jar Overnight Oats
    • Beef and Broccoli Ramen Stir-Fry

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • About Us
    • Privacy Policy

    Connect

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates
    • Follow us on Instagram and Pinterest

    Contact

    • Email Us

    Copyright © 2022 Inquiring Chef

    • Pin
    • Share
    • Yum
    • Tweet
    • Email
    5.9K shares