Air-Fried Chicken Stir Fry: Quick, Easy, And Delicious!

Chicken stir fry is a quick and easy meal to make in an air fryer. It's a healthier alternative to deep-fried chicken, with less oil and fewer calories. You can use chicken breast or thighs, and add vegetables of your choice such as broccoli, bell peppers, onions, and mushrooms. The chicken is marinated in a sauce, and then cooked in the air fryer for around 10-15 minutes, with the vegetables being added halfway through. This is a versatile dish that can be customised with different proteins and vegetables, and served with rice or noodles.

Choosing your ingredients

Protein

You can use chicken for your stir fry, or you can opt for other types of protein such as shrimp, beef, pork, tofu, or even chickpeas. If using chicken, choose either chicken breast or thighs, ensuring they are boneless and skinless. Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces so they cook evenly.

Vegetables

A stir fry typically includes a variety of vegetables. Some popular options include bell peppers, red onion, mushrooms, broccoli, zucchini, courgette, and snow peas. You can also add in vegetables like carrots, eggplant, asparagus, or green beans. Cut the vegetables into even-sized pieces to ensure they cook at the same rate as your protein.

Oil and Seasoning

When it comes to oil, choose an option with a high smoke point such as light olive oil, vegetable oil, avocado oil, or grapeseed oil. Avoid using sesame oil as it may burn. For seasoning, a simple blend of salt, pepper, garlic powder, and ground ginger will add flavour to your dish. You can also add chilli flakes or red pepper flakes for a spicy kick.

Sauce

You can either make your own sauce or use a store-bought option. A basic stir-fry sauce or teriyaki sauce works well, and you can add ingredients like honey, soy sauce, coconut aminos, rice vinegar, or maple syrup to enhance the flavour. If you want some spice, add sriracha or chilli sauce.

Remember, the beauty of a stir fry is its versatility, so feel free to experiment with different ingredients and combinations to find your perfect flavour profile!

Preparing your sauce

The sauce is a key component of any stir-fry, and you can easily make your own at home. You can also use a store-bought stir-fry or teriyaki sauce, but making your own allows you to customise the flavours to your taste.

For a basic stir-fry sauce, you will need:

• Soy sauce or coconut aminos
• Honey
• Olive oil, sesame oil, avocado oil or canola oil
• Rice vinegar or white wine vinegar
• Garlic, either fresh and minced or in powder form

You can also add other ingredients to customise your sauce, such as:

• Ginger, either fresh and minced or in powder form
• Chilli powder or chilli flakes
• Brown sugar
• Hot sauce
• Lemon juice

To make your sauce, simply whisk all your ingredients together in a bowl until they are well combined. You can then add your chicken pieces to the sauce and leave them to marinate in the mixture for at least 30 minutes, or even overnight if you want to prepare your meal in advance.

Once your chicken has marinated, place it in the air fryer basket and cook according to your chosen recipe. You can also reserve some of the sauce to pour over your vegetables and chicken partway through the cooking process, or to add at the end for extra flavour.

If you are short on time, you can also heat up your sauce in the microwave or in a small pan while your chicken and vegetables are cooking in the air fryer, and then toss them in the sauce once they are cooked through.

Marinating the chicken

Firstly, prepare your marinade. In a bowl, combine your chosen oil (such as olive oil, sesame oil, avocado oil, or grape seed oil) ,garlic (either minced or powder), ginger (either fresh or powdered), soy sauce, rice vinegar, and any other seasonings you wish to add, such as hot sauce, salt, or pepper. Whisk these ingredients together until well combined and you have a marinade with a nice consistency.

Next, prepare your chicken. Cut boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs into bite-sized pieces. You can also use chicken tenders or strips if you prefer. Aim for evenly sized pieces so that they cook at the same rate.

Now it's time to combine the chicken and the marinade. You can do this in a bowl or a sealable bag. Add the chicken pieces to your chosen container and pour in the marinade. Toss or stir the chicken until all the pieces are well coated. Place the container in the refrigerator and let the chicken marinate. The ideal marinating time is between 30 minutes and an hour, but you can also leave it overnight if you want to prepare this ahead of time.

Once the chicken has finished marinating, it's time to cook it in the air fryer. Lightly spray the air fryer basket with olive oil or another suitable cooking spray. Then, place the marinated chicken into the basket in a single layer. Depending on the recipe you are following, you may also add vegetables to the basket at this point. Air fry at around 375-380°F for 5-10 minutes, tossing or stirring the ingredients halfway through the cooking time to ensure even cooking.

After the initial cooking time, add the remaining ingredients to the air fryer basket, such as any vegetables and the reserved marinade. Cook for a further 7-10 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked with an internal temperature of 165°F and the vegetables are tender.

And that's it! You now have perfectly marinated and cooked chicken for your stir-fry.

Cooking the stir fry

Now that you have your ingredients and your air fryer is preheated to 375°F–400°F, it's time to cook your stir fry!

First, place your marinated chicken in the air fryer basket in a single layer and cook for 5–6 minutes.

After 5 minutes, add your vegetables to the air fryer basket. If you're using bell peppers, red onion, and mushrooms, pour the reserved marinade over the vegetables and chicken and mix everything together.

Continue air frying for an additional 7–8 minutes, or until the chicken is fully cooked (with an internal temperature of 165°F) and the vegetables are tender.

If you're using broccoli, you have two options:

• For regular cooked broccoli, add the broccoli and onions halfway through cooking the chicken. This will give you moderately cooked broccoli.
• For crispy, charred broccoli, add the broccoli at the beginning and cook everything together.

If you're adding other vegetables, like zucchini, bok choy, Brussels sprouts, or carrots, you can add them at any time according to your preference.

Once the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender, your stir fry is ready to be served!

You can serve it as-is, or with a side of rice, noodles, quinoa, or even on top of a salad. Enjoy!

Serving suggestions

There are many ways to serve chicken stir fry made in an air fryer. Here are some suggestions:

Rice or Noodles

The stir fry can be served on a bed of rice or noodles. Some rice varieties that go well with the dish include white rice, brown rice, basmati rice, jasmine rice, wild rice, steamed rice, and cauliflower rice.

Potatoes

The stir fry can also be served with mashed potatoes, baked potatoes, or sweet potatoes.

Other Bases

Quinoa, a salad, or roasted veggies such as eggplant, zucchini, or asparagus can also be used as a base for the stir fry.

Sauces

The stir fry can be tossed in a sauce of your choice. Some options include sweet and sour sauce, teriyaki sauce, honey garlic sauce, or a garlic-soy sauce.

Toppings

Some toppings that can be added to the stir fry include sesame seeds, sliced green onions, chopped cilantro, and chopped peanuts.

Frequently asked questions