Ground Chicken Stir Fry (Made with Frozen Vegetables)
This Asian-inspired ground chicken stir fry is a healthy and super easy recipe. It’s made with frozen vegetables and without soy sauce or cornstarch. Although, you can use these things if you’re not sensitive to them (and not doing AIP). It makes for a simple, fast option on busy nights. Plus, it can be prepped ahead of time and/or frozen.
This recipe was a huge hit with my family and it only takes about 20 minutes to make. It’s AIP, Paleo, gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, and full of flavor.
If you’re wanting more chicken recipe ideas, check out my AIP Chicken Recipes post which has over 130 recipes.
If you’re looking for an air fryer recipe, you may want to take a look at my Air Fryer Teriyaki Chicken recipe.
**Just a quick heads up- this post contains affiliate links which means if you click on them and buy something, I will earn a small commission (at no additional cost to you) to help continue maintaining this site.
Why You’ll Love This Ground Chicken Stir Fry Recipe
- It’s made with ground chicken so you don’t have to cut any meat before cooking- time saver!
- It’s made with frozen vegetables so you don’t have to prep any veggies- time saver!
- The sauce is very easy and delicious.
- It has no soy sauce or cornstarch although you can use these if you prefer.
- It’s kid-approved. My kids love this dish!
- It’s ready in 20 minutes.
- You can make it ahead of time and/or freeze it.
- It’s relatively healthy and checks a lot of dietary restriction boxes
Ingredients
- Coconut Oil- I use coconut oil in this recipe because we're cooking at a high temperature. Coconut oil has a relatively high smoke point so it works well. However, if you're sensitive to coconut or don't have coconut oil, you can use something else. Some other good choices would be avocado oil, lard, or tallow. If you don't have any of these, just use whatever oil you have (as long as it meets your dietary restrictions).
- Ground Chicken- You can also use ground turkey, pork, or even ground beef.
- Frozen Stir Fry Vegetables- Choose a mix of veggies that you like and that meet your dietary needs/restrictions.
If you’re doing strict AIP, it’s unlikely that you’ll find a compliant stir-fry mix because they usually have green beans, peppers, and/or baby corn. This isn’t a problem though. Just choose 2-3 small bags of frozen vegetables to mix together.
Some good choices would include broccoli, cauliflower, asparagus, carrots, onions, brussels sprouts, mushrooms, etc.
AIP Asian Stir Fry Sauce
- Coconut Aminos- The coconut aminos allow us to make an awesome stir fry sauce without soy sauce. This keeps it soy-free and AIP/paleo compliant. However, if you’re not sensitive to soy, you can use soy sauce. Since soy sauce is a bit different than coconut aminos, I’d recommend using 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce +2 tbsp honey in place of the ¼ cup of coconut aminos.
- Orange Juice- Use 100% juice. This could be freshly squeezed or store-bought.
- Honey - Alternatively, you could use maple syrup.
- Fresh Ginger- If possible, I’d use fresh ginger for the best flavor. However, you could use ground ginger instead if needed. Sub in ⅛ to ¼ tsp ground ginger in place of the 2 tsp fresh ginger.
- Garlic Powder - You could use fresh if you prefer. Add in 3 minced garlic cloves in place of the 1 tsp garlic powder.
- Arrowroot Starch- You can also use tapioca flour or cornstarch (for non-Paleo/AIP) in equal amounts.
Chicken Stir Fry Instructions
How To Make The Perfect Stir Fry With Frozen Vegetables
- Prep the Sauce Before You Begin Cooking
Cooking goes pretty quickly, so it’s easiest to have the sauce mixed up and ready to go before you turn on the stove.
- Make Sure the Pan is Nice and Hot
Make sure the pan has time to get nice and hot before you add the frozen vegetables. This helps them to cook quickly and prevents them from getting soggy.
- Use an Oil With a High Smoke Point
Since stir fry should be cooked quickly and at a relatively high temperature, it’s important to use an oil that can tolerate the heat. I chose coconut oil but you can also use things like lard, tallow, or avocado oil.
- Cook the Meat Separate from the Veggies
In this recipe, you’ll cook the chicken first then remove it from the pan. Next, you’ll cook the veggies, then add the chicken back to the pan with the sauce. This allows for plenty of hot cooking surface to cook the food quickly and keep the veggies from getting soggy.
Best Type of Pan for Stir Fry
The ideal type of pan to use for a stir fry is a wok. If you don’t have a wok, a cast-iron skillet or frying pan is the next best option. I don’t have a wok or cast-iron skillet, so I just used a large frying pan.
Woks and skillets function similarly to frying pans but woks and skillets cook things slightly faster.
The cooking times for this recipe are made as if you’re using a frying pan. If you use a wok or iron skillet, just be aware that your cook times may be a little shorter.
Tips/Notes
- Consider Doubling the Sauce Recipe- The amount of sauce in this recipe is just enough to lightly coat everything. If you like a very saucy stir fry, consider doubling the sauce portion of the recipe.
- Consider Doubling the Recipe for Family Meals- This recipe makes about 4 1-cup servings. If you serve it with cauliflower rice or something else to bulk up the meal, it’s enough for 4 people to have a comfortable meal. However, if anyone wants seconds, there will likely not be any. At my house, that’s a problem, so I double up on the recipe for our family of 4.
How to Serve This Meal
This stir fry is great served over steamed cauliflower rice or sweet potato glass noodles.
Variations
- Use Other Meats- Ground pork, turkey, beef or even non-ground meats. Fish is an option as well.
- Change up the Vegetable Variety- As mentioned above, you can go with a stir-fry mix or make your own blend. Just choose a few different kinds of frozen veggies and mix them together.
- Use Fresh Veggies Instead of Frozen- This is a little more work but you can use fresh vegetables if you prefer. Just be sure to cut them a similar size. Also, keep in mind that you'll likely need to cook them at a slightly lower temperature (medium-high rather than high) and for longer than the cooked veggies.
Storage
This meal will stay fresh in an air-tight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. It will stay good in the freezer for at least 3 months. See below for thawing and reheating instructions.
Meal Prep- HOW TO FREEZE STIR FRY
This is a great meal for meal prep. The veggies are already frozen so that just leaves the sauce and chicken to prep. There are actually two ways you could do it:
Make Stir Fry Kits and Combine later
OR
Cook the Whole Recipe and Freeze
For Stir Fry Kits:
Store everything separately until ready to heat.
- Cook the ground chicken. Spread it out on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet to allow some separation between the pieces. Freeze it for at least an hour.
- Put the frozen ground chicken pieces in an airtight container or large zip lock bag.
- Make the sauce by mixing the sauce ingredients together and then freeze it in an airtight container or zip lock bag.
- The veggies are, of course, already frozen so there’s nothing to do with them.
- Store everything in “kits” so all the recipe components are in one place and easy to pull out of the freezer and use.
- To Thaw and Reheat- Just thaw the chicken and sauce out in the fridge or microwave. *Do not thaw the frozen veggies. You’ll cook the veggies according to the instructions in this recipe, then just add in the cooked chicken and the sauce to heat them through. This will take maybe 5-10 minutes to make if everything is prepped.
To Make the Whole Meal and Freeze
You can completely cook this whole meal in large batches and then store them in the freezer. Be sure to store them in tightly-sealed freezer-safe containers. Thaw in the fridge or microwave and reheat the meal on the stove or in the microwave.
For more meal planning ideas, you can check out my 7 Day AIP Meal Plan for Busy People.
Other Asian-inspired recipes you may like:
Conclusion
I hope you love this recipe. If you tried it, leave a comment below and let me know what you thought. What are some ingredient combinations you like to see in stir fry dishes? I’d love to hear your ideas!
Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram @foodcourage for the latest AIP/Paleo recipes and Food Courage happenings!
*This recipe has changed. If you liked the old version, you can find it here.
Ground Chicken Stir Fry No Soy Sauce
Equipment
- 1 Stainless steel frying pan or wok
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp coconut oil divided, or oil of choice
- 1 pound ground chicken
- 14 oz bag frozen stir fry vegetables about 3 1/2 cups, see notes for AIP option
Stir Fry Sauce
- 1/4 cup coconut aminos (or 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce +2 tbsp honey for non-AIP/Paleo)
- 1 1/2 tbsp orange juice (use 100% juice)
- 1 1/2 tbsp honey or maple syrup
- 2 tsp fresh ginger peeled and grated, or 1/8 -1/4 tsp ground ginger
- 1 tsp garlic powder or 3 minced cloves
- 1 tbsp arrowroot starch or tapioca flour or cornstarch (for non-Paleo/AIP)
Instructions
- Make the stir fry sauce by combining all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Heat about 1 tbsp of oil in a wok or stainless steel pan over medium-high heat. Add the ground chicken, break it up in the pan, and cook it until no longer pink. Remove it from the pan, put it in a bowl, and set it aside.
- In the same pan, heat 1 tbsp of oil over high heat and allow it to get nice and hot. Add the frozen stir fry veggies to the pan and cook for 3-5 minutes or until heated through.
- Reduce the heat to medium-high. Add the ground chicken back to the pan. Add the sauce in as well. Mix them together. Continue cooking for just 1-2 more minutes then remove it from the heat. Serve over cauliflower rice, sweet potato glass noodles, or side of choice.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
