10-Minute Chicken and Bell Pepper Stir Fry Recipe

Making a great filling for sandwiches, or a homemade version of your favorite takeout, this Quick, healthy, and delicious Chicken and Bell Pepper Stir Fry recipe! Perfect for busy weeknights and ready in under 30 minutes. is a winner all the way. Cook once, eat twice—serve it with rice, and then use leftovers to make chicken pepper sandwiches on soft rolls with cheese for another quick, delicious weeknight meal. Good Asian cuisine—or even authentic Asian ingredients—can be hard to come by in our small rural community. Hence, it’s great to get a quick go-to recipe that I can whip up when I get a craving for Chinese food. Dishes like Moo Shu Pork, “Egg Roll in a Bowl,” Sticky Chicken, and General Tso Chicken are quick, homemade versions of the dishes we all know and love from restaurants—and you can add this easy chicken and pepper stir fry to the list!

It can be assembled in less time than it would take me to pick up Chinese and no—thank goodness—unusual ingredients. or rarefied ingredients, and it’s better for you than restaurant food. It is also a very flexible dish!

You can serve the meat and veggies over rice or use riced cauliflower for a lighter option. Stuff the chicken and the bell peppers into hoagie rolls and hold melted cheese for sandwiches that are Asian variations on classic chicken Philly cheese steaks. Or, substitute vegetables to please your family’s palate (broccoli, sliced water chestnuts, or mushrooms would all be excellent). Anything goes when you’re cooking in your kitchen.

How do you fry chicken in a wok without it drying out?

So, for stir-frying chicken, we let it sit for a few minutes in the tasty marinade & then do a quick cook over really hot oil. Don’t crowd the pan, or you’ll steam the meat instead of getting a good sear on the outside. If your skillet isn’t large enough to fit the chicken in a single layer comfortably you might have to run in batches and only cook half at once.

How do you tenderize chicken stir fry?

You can use chicken breast instead of chicken thighs in this recipe, but the thighs are less likely to get dry or tough, so they’re your best bet if you’re worried about the juiciest, most tender meat to be had in your dish. And you have to sear that chicken fast over very high heat—not low

Do you season chicken with salt and pepper?

The soy sauce will add sufficient saltiness to the chicken, so I wouldn’t recommend seasoning the meat with extra salt and pepper until you’ve tasted it at the end. You can always mix in some freshly ground black pepper or crushed red pepper flakes if you want a little heat.

Chicken and Pepper Stir Fry Ingredients

→ Skillet Chicken and Pepper Stir Fry Preparation Overview All specific measurements and full cooking instructions can be found in the printable recipe box at the end of the post, as usual.

• Soy sauce: I use less-sodium soy sauce, but it may be replaced with whatever type you have available. This is the ingredient that brings the stir fry sauce a salty, umami flavor.
• Rice vinegar: for a mild acidic touch.
• Brown sugar: contributes sweetness; you can use more sugar, to taste.
• Sesame oil: used in so many Chinese dishes, this oil has such a distinctive toasty flavor that’s hard to replicate with other ingredients. And don’t replace it with another oil.
• Ginger: Fresh ginger is my go-to for the best zippy flavor, though you can add ground ginger as a substitute in a pinch.
• Garlic: for even more flavoror in the sauce.
• Cornstarch: the thickener that makes the sauce stick to your meat and veggies.
• Sweet bell peppers: I prefer red bell peppers because they are sweeter than green bell peppers, but any color will do. So are orange and yellow peppers.
• Chicken: You can use both boneless, skinless chicken breast or boneless, skinless chicken thighs here, so choose your favorite.
• Vegetable oil: a neutral-flavored oil that has a high smoke point for stir-frying the meat and peppers.
• Water or chicken broth: to thin the sauce
• Kosher salt (add this): to bring out all the other flavors in the dish.
• Cooked white rice: same to serve with the chicken stir fry

Instructions Prepare the Ingredients:

1. In a large mason jar or in a small bowl, whisk or shake together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, and cornstarch until the cornstarch is dissolved and the mixture is smooth. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, combine chicken. Pour about ¼ cup of the soy sauce mixture over the chicken and toss to coat. Set aside, reserving the rest of the sauce for later.
3. In a large cast iron pan, heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the bell peppers and stir-fry until crisp-tender, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
4. Wipe the pan clean, pour in the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, and heat the oil over high heat. When the skillet is very hot, add the chicken mixture, holding back most of the marinade (discard this marinade). Arrange the chicken in the pan, then let it rest, undisturbed. about 1-2 minutes, so that the chicken can get some nice browning. Turn the chicken and cook until cooked through, stirring here and there, 5 to 6 minutes.
5. Stir in water or chicken broth, reserved soy sauce mixture, and peppers. Bring to a simmer and cook, stirring, over high heat for 30 seconds to 1 minute; then turn off the heat. The sauce will thicken more as it sits. Adjust seasoning with salt if needed, to taste.
6. Serve over rice and garnish with optional toppings.

Chicken Pepper Fry Recipe | How to Prepare Chicken Pepper Fry

Make sure to get your rice cooking first, though, as this easy chicken and bell pepper stir fry is fully done from start to finish in under 30 minutes! I’ve laid out the step-by-step instructions in the recipe card below, but here’s the quick version:

• Shake together the sauce.
• Marinate the cubed chicken with some of the sauce.
• Stir-fry the peppers.
• Stir-fry the marinated chicken chunks.
• Add the sauce, and simmer until thickened — about 1 minute.

Serving Suggestions

You can’t go wrong with chicken peppers pressed the rice, right? Top each serving with your choice of toppers, such as sliced green onions, toasted sesame seeds, red pepper flakes, chopped peanuts, or crunchy chow mein noodles.

The chicken and peppers are also great served in sandwich rolls with melted cheese—as an Oriental chicken cheese steak.

To complement the meal with other side dishes, consider serving the chicken and bell pepper stir-fry with pasta, ramen noodles, sesame peanut noodles, ramen noodle coleslaw, sesame ginger snap pea Cucumber Salad, store-bought egg rolls, and fortune cookies for dessert!

How to Store Chicken Pepper Stir Fry

Leftover stir fry can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. The chicken and peppers will be reheated. the sauce in a skillet over low heat or in a microwave until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Don’t reheat it for too long, are you will dry out the meat.

Leftovers can also be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months. But do keep in mind that the texture of the veggies will be mushy or soft after you thaw them (so proceed at your own risk)!

Recipe for Stir Fry Chicken Bell Pepper Variations

• Chicken and Broccoli Stir Fry: Sub out the bell peppers for an equal amount of broccoli.
• Blanched, thinly sliced carrots: or fresh mushrooms would also make a nice addition to the stir-fry.
• For a sweeter sauce: Mix in 1-2 more tbsp brown sugar for an even sweeter sauce. If you want a deeper, sweeter note, you can whisk in about 1-2 tablespoons of hoisin sauce to the skillet toward the end, too.
• Swap out the chicken: We change up the chicken and make it with shrimp or thinly sliced flank steak in this easy stir fry recipe.
• Make it spicy: Spicy it up with a pinch of crushed red pepper flakes or a splash of sriracha hot sauce.

Best Chicken and Bell Pepper Stir Fry Tips

• Keep fresh ginger root in the freezer so it’s always at hand when you need to grate off a bit for a recipe! You can also use dried ground ginger in for this here.
• Add the chicken when your skillet is super hot. You want the chicken to get on the heat so you can get your chicken cooked fast over very high heat so the meat is juicy and tender, not cooked longer and tougher.
• If your skillet or wok isn’t large enough to allow the chicken to be spread in an even layer so it cooks comfortably, then you’ll need to cook half the meat at a time, in batches. You’ll steam the chicken if you do the other thing instead of browning it nicely and darkly on the outside.
• Allow it to cook down for a thicker sauce minute’s worth or so, but keep in mind — the sauce will keep thickening just a little as it cools. If the sauce thickens up too much, just thin it again with a splash of water or broth.
• Garnish the dish Flaunt additional toppings on the dish, adding further flavor. Things we love: toasted sesame seeds, sliced green onion, chopped peanuts, cashews, chow mein noodles, crushed red pepper flakes.

✅ Quick Tips: Read the recipe in its entirety before you start cooking. This will help you understand the ingredients, steps, and timing involved, and allow you to prepare any necessary equipment or ingredients beforehand.