Description
A vibrant and colorful Rainbow Chicken Stir Fry packed with a kaleidoscope of fresh vegetables and tender chicken thighs, all coated in a light, flavorful Asian sauce. This stir fry features a variety of textures and colors, from crisp sugar snap peas and crunchy cashews to tender chicken and wilted baby bok choy, making it as pleasing to the eye as it is to the palate. The sauce is delicate yet umami-rich, thanks to light soy sauce, oyster sauce, and a hint of sesame oil, finished with a touch of Chinese cooking wine for authentic depth.
Ingredients
Scale
Vegetables
- ½ red capsicum (bell pepper), sliced
- ½ yellow capsicum (bell pepper), sliced
- 100g red cabbage, thinly sliced
- 2 small baby bok choy, stems separated from leaves and chopped
- 100g sugar snap peas, trimmed
- 100g frozen shelled edamame, thawed
- 2 green onions (spring onions), sliced
- 50g roasted unsalted cashews
Chicken
- 400g boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon Chinese cooking wine (Shaoxing wine)
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil (added at the end)
- 1 teaspoon cornflour (cornstarch)
- ½ teaspoon white pepper
Instructions
- Prepare the Ingredients: Slice the red and yellow capsicums, thinly slice red cabbage, trim sugar snap peas, separate baby bok choy stems from leaves and chop both, slice green onions, and cut chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces. Thaw frozen shelled edamame if using.
- Mix the Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk together light soy sauce, oyster sauce, Chinese cooking wine, cornflour, and white pepper until smooth. Set aside.
- Cook the Chicken: Heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add a small amount of neutral oil and stir-fry the chicken pieces until they turn golden brown and are cooked through, about 5-7 minutes. Remove chicken from the wok and set aside.
- Stir Fry the Vegetables: In the same wok, add a bit more oil if needed. Add the harder vegetables first: baby bok choy stems, sugar snap peas, and edamame. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until they begin to soften but remain crisp. Then add sliced capsicums, red cabbage, bok choy leaves, and green onions, stir-frying for another 2 minutes until the leaves wilt and vegetables are vibrant and tender-crisp.
- Combine Chicken and Sauce: Return the chicken to the wok with the vegetables. Stir the sauce again and pour it over the stir fry. Toss everything together vigorously, allowing the sauce to thicken and evenly coat the ingredients, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add Cashews and Sesame Oil: Turn off the heat and stir in the roasted unsalted cashews and drizzle toasted sesame oil for a fragrant finish.
- Serve: Serve hot over steamed rice or noodles for a colorful and wholesome meal.
Notes
- If you don’t have all the exact vegetables, feel free to substitute with similar veggies such as green cabbage, spinach, kale, snow peas, or regular onions.
- You can swap chicken thighs for chicken breast or tenderloin, but tenderizing is recommended to keep meat juicy.
- For a shellfish-free option, use vegetarian oyster sauce alternatives.
- If Shaoxing wine is unavailable, mirin, sake, dry sherry, or low sodium chicken broth can be used instead.
- Use light soy sauce to keep the sauce light in color and avoid overpowering the vibrant vegetables.
- Toast raw cashews in a dry pan before adding if you prefer them over pre-roasted ones.
- White pepper is traditional, but black pepper can be substituted.
