Ground Chicken Stir Fry

This lean chicken stir-fry packs in vegetables and keeps the fat low. Ground chicken cooks fast over high heat alongside broccoli, mushrooms, red bell pepper strips, and onions, all finished with a light cornstarch-thickened sauce flavored with sesame oil and fresh ginger.

The optional dried chili pepper trick is worth trying. Cooking a whole dried chili in the hot oil for 30 seconds infuses the oil with gentle heat, then you pull the pepper out. All the spice goes into the oil without any seeds or chili bits in the finished dish. If heat isn’t your thing, just skip this step entirely.

Fresh ginger root and garlic go in with the vegetables, not before them. In a quick stir-fry like this, adding aromatics too early means they burn before the chicken is done. Mixed into the crowded pan, they cook gently and release their flavor into the steam.

Chef Tips

• Keep the heat high and stir constantly. Ground chicken releases moisture that will steam instead of sear if you let it sit.
• Dissolve the cornstarch completely in the cold broth before adding it to the pan. Undissolved cornstarch creates lumps.
• A half teaspoon of sesame oil goes a long way. It’s meant as a finishing flavor, not a cooking oil.
• Break the ground chicken into small crumbles as it cooks for even pieces throughout.

Variations

• Add a splash of soy sauce or tamari to the sauce for more umami depth.
• Use ground turkey instead of chicken for a slightly richer flavor.
• Toss in snap peas or baby corn for extra crunch and color.