Chicken and Asparagus Stir-Fry with Lemon

This Chicken and Asparagus Stir-Fry with Lemon is a flavour explosion. It uses simple ingredients for a no muss, no fuss lunch or dinner.

Stir fry is so versatile and quick to make, plus it's incredibly healthy which makes it the perfect meal. It also works great for meal prep and is freezer friendly.

Today I have a delicious chicken stir fry recipe for you. It's incredibly simple to make and always a hit with my family and friends.

What I love about this one is it's fairly healthy. Not only is it healthy but it's super quick and easy to make. This is perfect for weeknights when you're insanely busy.

On weekends I make giant batches of it so I can freeze a bunch of individual containers of it for lunches for the next couple of weeks. Stir-fry freezes really well.

I hope you get a chance to make this amazing recipe. The final splash of lemon juice just takes it to a whole other level. You will flip your lid when you taste this one.

Ingredient Notes:

• Oil - I used two kinds of oil for this recipe, olive oil and grapeseed oil. Feel free to use one or the other, or substitute avocado oil or coconut oil if you prefer. Adding a little sesame oil is a nice touch too.
• Asparagus - Use fresh asparagus if it's available. Personally, I love thinner stalks when choosing asparagus but use what you prefer. You can also add other vegetables, like broccoli or cauliflower.
• Garlic - I highly recommend using fresh garlic if you can. It just tastes so much better. If you don't have fresh garlic you can substitute garlic powder or garlic salt.
• Spices - For this recipe, I only used salt and pepper but you can add ginger, onion powder, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes or any spice you love.
• Chicken - Boneless, skinless chicken breasts is the easiest protein to use in this recipe. However, if you want more flavour you can substitute chicken thighs instead of boneless skinless chicken breasts.
• Sauce - I used Tamari sauce for this particular stir fry recipe but you can use soy sauce, teriyaki sauce, or hoisin sauce. Or use a combination of more than one sauce.
• Broth - Chicken broth is my preferred liquid for this recipe but you can substitute vegetable broth if you prefer it.
• Cornstarch - This is used to make a slurry which will thicken the sauce. You will mix it with water. Use cornstarch, not flour.
• Water - When mixed with cornstarch, water makes the perfect slurry for thickening sauces.
• Lemon - Using lemon is optional. Personally, I like adding a bit of lemon juice and zest to my chicken stir fries. You can omit it if you like.
• Rice or Noodles - You can eat this stir fry solo, or serve it over prepared rice or noodles. I'm a huge fan of serving this recipe over basmati rice or jasmine rice but we have noodle fanatics here too. You can also use cauliflower rice.

How to Make Chicken and Asparagus Stir Fry:

1. If you plan to serve this over rice or noodles, be sure to prep them first so they are ready when the stir fry is done.
2. Heat the oil in a wok or skillet over medium heat, then add asparagus. Cook for about 3 to 5 minutes, depending on how crisp or tender you want the asparagus to be.
3. Add garlic and spices to the pan, cook briefly so the garlic does not burn.
4. Transfer to a small bowl and set aside.
5. Next, add olive to same wok or skillet and allow it to heat up. Toss in the cut up one inch bite-sized pieces of chicken, and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes.
6. Transfer to a bowl.
7. Place wok or skillet back on the stove and  add the sauce and broth. Bring to a boil.
8. While the sauce is coming to a boil, make a slurry by mixing the cornstarch and water together.
9. Add a little bit of the slurry to the wok or skillet and wait for the sauce to thicken. It's always better to start with a little and add more if needed.
10. Once the sauce is thickened, add the chicken and asparagus back to the wok or skillet and cook over medium heat, mixing to incorporate all the ingredients well. You want the chicken and veggies to be coated evenly with the sauce.
11. Remove pan from the heat and add a little lemon juice or zest, if desired. I highly recommend adding it for a well balanced dish.
12. Serve the chicken and asparagus stir fry on its own, or over prepared rice or noodles.

Tips for Chicken Asparagus Stir Fry:

• Try to use fresh ingredients whenever possible.
• Spice it up according to your own taste buds. Be creative, if you like red pepper flakes then add them, if you like a higher ratio of veggies then adjust that. You do you!
• Chicken thighs do offer more flavour so feel free to substitute thighs for boneless skinless chicken breasts.
• Omit the salt or use reduced sodium sauces or broth if you are watching your salt intake for health reasons. There are so many great low sodium options on the market these days.
• Don't skip thickening the sauce. It's a game changer.
• If you are gluten free be sure to use GF sauces and broth. There are a ton of great GF options out there.

Ingredient Variations:

What's fun about stir fries is the endless options of things you can add. You can jazz it up with seasonal vegetables or keep it simple with frozen veggies if you're in a hurry. The possibilities are limitless.

• Peppers - Green, orange, red and yellow bell peppers are great in stir fries. You can also add Jalepeno peppers for added spice.
• Mushrooms - One of my hooligans is a mushroom fanatic so we love adding them to recipes like this. Any variety of mushroom will work so use the kind you love most. Or go wild and add a variety of different mushrooms.
• Carrots - Honestly, I freaking LOVE carrots in stir fry. Chop 'em, slice 'em, dice 'em or use ribbons of carrots, there's no right or wrong way to cut them up. Rainbow carrots would add great colour and vibrancy to this dish.
• Onions - Sweet onions are always lovely when added to stir fries while cooking. You can also add red onions, or green onions to the final dish before serving.
• Peas - Snow peas and sugar snap peas are the perfect additions to a recipe like this one. If you can find them, I highly recommend them.
• Green Beans - Another great option to add colour, flavour and nutritional value to your stir fry.
• Corn - Fresh corn cut of the cob, or frozen corn kernels would be a great addition here. Baby corn is another great option. It's cute and tasty!
• Bok Choy - This is such a great way to add interesting flavour and texture to stir fries. I'm a huge fan of bok choy.
• Cauliflower and Broccoli - I adore stir fries with cauliflower and broccoli. They work well together or separately.
• Proteins - You can swap out the juicy chicken for any other meat or protein source you love. Shrimp, salmon, pork, turkey, beef or tofu would be great instead of chicken. If you're vegetarians you could use veggies and a variety of beans in place of meat.

What to Serve with Stir Fry:

• Rice - Personally, I love mine with basmati, jasmine or any kind of white rice. You can also use brown rice, or wild rice if you prefer.
• Noodles - My kids love theirs over broad egg noodles. You can use any kind of noodle you love.
• Cauliflower Rice- This is a great option for those watching their carbs or doing a more Keto friendly diet.

How to Store Chicken Stir Fry:

• Once the food is cooled, store it in an airtight container.
• Cooked stir fry can be stored in the fridge for 3 to 5 days. This makes it ideal for meal prep.
• You can also freeze stir fry for up to 2 months.

More Dinner Recipes:

• Easy Steak Stir Fry
• Roasted Red Pepper and Italian Sausage Pasta
• Easy Steak and Peppers
• Simple Beef and Bean Sprout Stir Fry
• Teriyaki Sockeye Salmon Stir Fry
• Sesame Chicken
• Beef Stir Fry Using Leftover Beef Roast
• Easy Tuna Stir Fry Bowls

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5 from 3 votes

Chicken and Asparagus Stir-Fry with Lemon

This Chicken and Asparagus Stir-Fry with Lemon is a flavour explosion. It uses simple ingredients for a no muss, no fuss lunch or dinner.

Course Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine Asian Cuisine

Keyword chicken recipe, chicken stir fry, stir fry recipe

Prep Time 5 minutes minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes minutes

Total Time 20 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Calories 363kcal

Author Kim Beaulieu

Equipment

• Wok

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 bunches asparagus ends snapped off, chopped into inch long pieces
• 4 cloves garlic smashed or minced
• 1 pinch salt
• 1 pinch pepper
• 2 tablespoons Grapeseed oil
• 5 boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1 inch cubes or thin strips
• ½ cup Tamari sauce
• ¼ cup liquid chicken broth veggie broth is a great substitute

Cornstarch slurry:

• 1 ½ teaspoons corn starch
• ¼ cup COLD water

Garnish:

• 1 lemon juice and zest

Serve with:

• prepared basmati or jasmine rice if desired

Instructions

• If making rice to serve with it, prepare that ahead of time. I made Basmati rice to serve with mine.
• In a wok or large skillet, heat olive oil until it glistens. Add asparagus and cook for about 3 to 5 minutes, depending on thickness. I cooked mine for about 5 minutes because I like it quite soft.
• Add garlic, salt, and pepper, cook for 1 minute more. Do not overcook garlic, it burns very easily. You want it to become fragrant without burning.
• Transfer asparagus and garlic mixture to a bowl and set aside.
• Add 2 tablespoons of Grapeseed oil to wok or large skillet and heat over medium-high heat until oil glistens. Toss in the chicken. Cook until chicken is browned and juices run clear. The wok or large skillet is fairly hot so the chicken should cook in 3 to 5 minutes. Stir as it cooks so all sides of the chicken are browned perfectly. Transfer the chicken to a bowl. I added mine to the bowl with the asparagus. Less dishes to wash later.
• Place wok or large skillet back on the stovetop and add ½ cup Tamari sauce and ¼ cup chicken (or veggie) broth. Cook over medium heat until it boils.
• While you are waiting for sauce to boil, make a Cornstarch Slurry. Grab a small jar, add 1 & ½ teaspoons corn starch and ¼ cup COLD water. Pop a lid on the jar and shake until it's mixed well. This is your corn starch slurry. Using this will thicken your sauce without the cornstarch turning into globs<- super technical cooking term!
• By now the Tamari sauce and chicken broth should be boiling, turn down the heat to low and add the cornstarch slurry. Stir gently until the sauce thickens.
• Add the chicken and asparagus back to the pan and stir until chicken and asparagus are evenly coated with sauce.
• Take off heat, add lemon juice (to taste) and lemon zest (if desired). Stir until well combined.
• You can serve this over rice, noodles, or on its own. Do your own thing.
• Serve with a big old stir-fry loving smile.

Notes

Nutritional information is a rough estimate and does not include rice. Please use your own nutritional calculator if making changes or substitutions. 

 

This recipe can feed 4 to 6 people if serving with rice or noodles. You can adjust the servings in the recipe card by hovering over the serving size number then sliding the bar to your desired number. 

 

 

Nutrition

Calories: 363kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 39g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g | Monounsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 91mg | Sodium: 1854mg | Potassium: 1091mg | Fiber: 6g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 1750IU | Vitamin C: 30mg | Calcium: 81mg | Iron: 6mg

Thanks for reading. Be sure to check out my recipe index for more healthy recipes. You can also find more chicken recipes.

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Toodles! xx