Chicken Stir Fry

Michael Eisenwasser

Print Recipe

Chicken stir fry with garlic-infused oil, scallion greens, and a tamari-ginger sauce over jasmine rice.

Prep 15 min

Cook 15 min

Serves 4

Gluten-freeDairy-free

Ingredients

Protein

• 1 1/4 lb (570 g) boneless skinless chicken breast or thigh, sliced thin against the grain
• 1 tablespoon garlic-infused olive oil
• Pinch of salt
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch (optional, for a silkier coating)

Vegetables

• 1 tablespoon garlic-infused olive oil
• 2 medium carrots, sliced into thin coins
• 3 cups broccoli florets (about 300 g total, ~75 g per serving)
• 1 medium red bell pepper (about 300 g total, ~75 g per serving), sliced
• 100 g bok choy (about 1 packed cup), roughly chopped
• 1/2 cup scallion greens (~40 g), sliced on the diagonal
• 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced

Sauce

• 3 tablespoons gluten-free tamari
• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 2 teaspoons light brown sugar or pure maple syrup
• 1 teaspoon cornstarch
• 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)

To Serve

• 4 cups cooked jasmine rice (1 cup per serving)
• Extra scallion greens and a few sesame seeds, to finish

Instructions

Prep the Aromatics and Sauce

1. Whisk the tamari, water, rice vinegar, brown sugar, cornstarch, sesame oil, and pepper flakes in a small bowl until the cornstarch dissolves. Set aside.
2. Toss the sliced chicken with a pinch of salt and the 1 teaspoon cornstarch if using.
3. Have every vegetable sliced and within arm's reach before you turn on the heat. Stir-frying happens fast.

Sear the Chicken

1. Heat 1 tablespoon garlic-infused oil in a large wok or wide skillet over medium-high to high heat until it shimmers.
2. Add the chicken in a single layer. Let it sit untouched for 1 minute to take on color, then stir and cook another 2 to 3 minutes until just cooked through (165°F / 74°C).
3. Transfer the chicken to a plate. The pan should stay hot.

Stir-Fry the Vegetables

1. Add the remaining tablespoon of garlic-infused oil to the pan.
2. Add the carrots and cook for 1 minute, tossing often.
3. Add the broccoli and bell pepper. Stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes until the broccoli turns bright green and the pepper softens at the edges.
4. Add the bok choy, scallion greens, and ginger. Toss for 30 to 60 seconds, until the bok choy leaves wilt and the ginger is fragrant.

Finish

1. Return the chicken and any juices to the pan.
2. Give the sauce another whisk, then pour it around the edge of the pan so it hits hot metal.
3. Toss everything for about 1 minute until the sauce thickens and coats the chicken and vegetables.
4. Serve over jasmine rice. Top with extra scallion greens and sesame seeds.

Tips & Substitutions

• Swap vegetables within Monash serves. Green beans (15 beans / 75 g per serve), snow peas (5 pods / ~30 g, keep it light), bean sprouts (1 cup), canned bamboo shoots (1 cup), and carrots (no FODMAP limit) all fit. Avoid white button mushrooms, sugar snap peas, asparagus, and cauliflower, which are high-FODMAP at common serves.
• Make it vegetarian with firm tofu. Use 14 oz firm or extra-firm tofu, drained and pressed dry, then cubed. Silken tofu is not low-FODMAP. Pan-fry in garlic-infused oil until golden on two sides before the vegetables.
• Dial up the heat. A second pinch of red pepper flakes in the sauce or a thin slice of fresh chili tossed in with the ginger. Chili oil often contains garlic, so check the label.
• Use gluten-free tamari. Wheat-based soy sauce is low-FODMAP in small serves because fermentation breaks down the fructans, but it still contains gluten. Tamari is brewed from soybeans without wheat, tastes nearly identical, and is low-FODMAP at 2 tablespoons. Skip bottled stir-fry sauces, teriyaki, and hoisin; almost all list onion, garlic, or honey.
• Serve over rice noodles if you want a noodle bowl. Cook 8 oz flat rice noodles separately, drain, and toss directly into the pan at the end with the sauce. Add a splash of extra water if the sauce grips too tightly.
• Thin or thicken the sauce. For a glossier glaze, add an extra 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water. For a lighter coating, add a splash of water after tossing.

Why This Works

Garlic-infused oil and scallion greens. Garlic's fructans don't dissolve in oil, and onion's fructans stay in the white bulb. Garlic-infused olive oil and the green tops of scallions give the usual stir-fry base without the FODMAP load.

Tamari instead of soy sauce. Soy sauce is brewed with wheat. Gluten-free tamari is made from soybeans without wheat and is low-FODMAP at 2 tablespoons per serve. Three tablespoons across four bowls keeps each serving well under that.

Vegetable portions do the heavy lifting. Broccoli heads (florets) are low-FODMAP at 3/4 cup / 75 g, red bell pepper at 3/4 cup, and bok choy at 1 cup. Portioning at the pot keeps the per-bowl serve inside Monash ranges without measuring at the table.

High heat, fast cook. A hot wok and small pieces mean the vegetables stay tender-crisp and the chicken sears instead of steaming. Cooking in two stages (chicken out, vegetables in, chicken back) keeps the pan from crowding and the sauce from turning watery.

Storage

Refrigerate in a sealed container for 2 to 3 days. Reheat briefly in a hot pan with a splash of water, not the microwave, to keep the vegetables from going soft. Freezing isn't recommended — the broccoli and bok choy turn limp on the thaw.

Not sure about an ingredient? FODMAP Tracker includes a database of 1,000+ foods with FODMAP ratings to help you cook with confidence.