Ginger Sesame Ground Chicken Stir Fry is the perfect busy weeknight dinner. It’s packed full of vegetables and Asian takeout flavors your whole family will enjoy! This 30 minute meal is made with ground chicken, red bell peppers, broccoli, onions and carrots, then coated in a sticky stir fry sauce that makes the easiest, kid-friendly meal!
Ginger Sesame Ground Chicken Stir Fry – The EASY Way!
Sometimes as moms I think we make things harder than they need to be. This stir fry with ground chicken is one of those “work smarter, not harder’ dishes.
The savory flavors from the stir fry sauce, tender ground chicken, and colorful veggies make it a wholesome and delicious choice for even the pickiest eater. Plus, it’s so easy to prepare that you’ll have dinner on the table in no time, leaving more quality family time and less kitchen stress.
Why I LOVE this recipe!
- QUICK — In 30 minutes or less you will have a mouthwatering dish in front of your family.
- Versatile — Use whatever vegetables you have on hand or whatever your family prefers. It’ll all cook up delicious!
- Kid-Friendly Flavors — The stir fry sauce coating the savory ground chicken and vegetables makes this stir fry irresistible for kids and adults.
What to Serve with Ginger Sesame Ground Chicken Stir Fry
Since this dish has the classic flavors of Takeout, it will pair well with many of your favorite Asian side dishes. There are both classic options and some healthy options to keep it light.
Side Dish Ideas
- Asian Cucumber Salad — This salad is light and flavor packed!
- Spicy Mayo — This is not a side, but it’s worth making so you can drizzle on top of your stir fry. I love having an excuse to make this!
- Sriracha Slaw — This cabbage has a little kick if you like that sort of thing!
- Steamed Rice — White or brown rice, or even quinoa, would be great beside the saucy stir fry.
- Cauliflower Rice — If you want to lighten the meal up you can use riced cauliflower or broccoli.
- Noodles — If you like lo mein, ramen noodles would be great as a side. Cook it up and toss it with the stir fry.
You can choose one or add a few sides to make a wholesome, well rounded dinner.
Recipe Notes
This Ginger Sesame Ground Chicken Stir Fry recipe is as simple as promised! Just one pan and 30 minutes for a family friendly meal.
In this section I am going to go through a few tips and tricks I use when making this recipe to get the absolute best and most delicious results.
Make sure to scroll to the bottom for the FULL recipe card.
Ingredients + Substitutions
- Ground Chicken – I love ground chicken because of how lean it is. You can substitute with ground turkey or ground beef if you prefer. You can also reference my recipe for ground beef stir fry, or this Chicken Stir Fry if you want to use chicken breast.
- Sesame Oil – This oil has a nutty flavor which really brings out the Asian flavors in the recipe so I highly recommend it. It will last a long time in your fridge. If you don’t want to purchase it, you can just use canola or any other neutral cooking oil instead.
- Vegetables – This recipe is versatile and sometimes that’s just what we need with our families! You can swap out whatever veggies you prefer depending on what your family likes. Aside from what I have suggested in my recipe other options include sugar snap peas, snow peas, corn, cabbage, mushrooms, or anything else you might like.
For the Stir Fry Sauce
- Soy sauce — You can swap in coconut aminos, liquid aminos, or tamari if needed.
- Brown sugar
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Sriracha —You can omit this. It doesn’t make the stir fry spicy, it just adds a layer of flavor.
- Cornstarch
- Water
- Garnish — These are all optional, but recommended. We love to add green onions and sesame seeds on top for that perfect chef’s kiss. Chives or scallions also work, or add a sprinkle of chopped peanuts or cashews for a bit of crunch.
Recipe Tips
- Prep Ahead — This easy ground chicken stir fry only takes 30 minute, so it is very quick. Before you add everything to your pan, it’s very important to have veggies chopped, stir fry sauce ready and the ground chicken handy. If you don’t have all of the ingredients ready to go it can make cooking this dish feel very chaotic. So prep ahead!
- Whisk the sauce – Mix cornstarch very well with water until dissolved and smooth. If you skip that step, you’ll end up with a layer of cornstarch left in your bowl. Cornstarch is key to thickening your sauce!
- Large pan – Use the largest skillet you have on hand, preferably one with a high side as well. Once you get all the chicken and veggies cooking in the pan it can get very difficult to stir if it’s not big enough.
Recipe Short Cuts
If you need to make this recipe, but are extra short on time, here are a few ideas that can help make this recipe even faster!
- Use pre-chopped vegetables– You can find most fresh vegetables already washed and cut in the produce aisle, so use these to your advantage! You can also use a bag of mixed frozen veggies to cut down on prep time. Frozen veggies can be added directly to the pan, no thawing needed.
- Precook the ground chicken– You can get a nice head start on this recipe just by pre-cooking the ground chicken and having it ready to go when you start.
- Make it ahead– It’s easy to whip this up quickly, but if you’re going to be scrambling at dinner time then make this ahead and simply reheat gently on the stove for a delicious meal.
Recipe Variations
If you love this recipe as much as we do and want some quick ways to change it up for variety, these little tips will do the trick!
- Protein – Swap out the chicken for turkey or beef. I have a Ground Turkey Stir Fry recipe here, as well as a Ground Beef Stir Fry recipe.
- Steak Stir Fry – I also have a Pepper Steak Stir Fry that is delicious. You are basically swapping out the ground chicken for thin slices of steak.
- Toppings – Try different toppings like chopped peanuts or a tasty sauce. I love a good excuse to make Yum yum sauce!
Freezer Meal Instructions
Making this Ginger Sesame Ground Chicken Stir Fry recipe into a freezer meal is simple! Follow the steps below and you can store this recipe in the freezer for up to 6 months.
- Cook it completely.
- Allow it to cool.
- Package in a freezer bag or container.
- Freeze.
- When ready to eat, thaw in the fridge overnight.
- Reheat with a splash of water in a large skillet over medium high heat. When it’s hot throughout, serve.
Ginger Sesame Ground Chicken Stir Fry Leftovers
If you have leftovers after making this Ginger Sesame Ground Chicken Stir Fry, then it is your lucky day! They save and reheat well, and can make the start of another delicious dish.
To save leftovers, separate into meal sized portions and then place in an airtight container and store:
- in the refrigerator for 3-4 days
- in the freezer up to a month
Leftover Recipes
Here are a few ways to repurpose those leftovers and give them a delicious makeover!
- Stir-Fry Remix: Heat it up in a skillet, add some fresh vegetables or noodles, and a bit of extra sauce if needed to refresh the flavors. You can easily turn it into another stir-fry meal.
- Salad — Take the leftover stir fry and use it as a topping for a green salad. It can add a tasty protein element to your salad.
- Wraps or Sandwiches: Use the leftovers as a filling for wraps or sandwiches. Add some lettuce, tomato, and your favorite condiments.
- Stuffed Bell Peppers: Hollow out red bell peppers or pepper of your choice, stuff them with the leftover stir fry, and bake them until the peppers are tender.
- Lettuce wraps – Use a nice, wide leaf lettuce like butter and reheat as much of your Asian ground turkey stir fry as you like to fill them up. This would be perfect as a light lunch the next day!
More One Pan Recipes
If you enjoyed this recipe, I really hope you will take a moment to grab a few more easy recipes for another busy night!
You can check out all of my Asian inspired Easy Family Recipes here, or see a few of our readers favorite recipes below.
- Chicken Taco Tortellini Skillet
- Italian Chicken and Veggie Skillet
- Cajun Chicken Skillet
- Hibachi Chicken
- Skillet Greek Chicken
- Turkey Club Sliders
- Beef and Broccoli (with ground beef)
- Baked BBQ Chicken Breast
Ginger Sesame Ground Chicken Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 2 pounds ground chicken
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 red bell pepper, roughly chopped
- 1/2 cup shredded carrots
- 1/2 pound broccoli, cup into small florets
- 1 red onion, roughly chopped
Stir fry sauce
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger, (1 teaspoon ground ginger)
- 1 teaspoon sriracha, optional
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon water
Garnish (optional)
- sesame seeds
- chopped green onion
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, and sriracha. Mix the cornstarch and water together until the cornstarch is dissolved, then whisk into the stir fry sauce.
- Heat a large, high-sided skillet over medium high heat.
- Once the pan is hot, add the ground chicken to the pan. Cook breaking the chicken apart as you cook until chicken is cooked through (165˚F internal temp.) Remove from skillet and set aside.
- Heat the oil in the pan, then add the vegetables. Cook stirring occasionally for 4-6 minutes or until the veggies become tender.
- Add the meat back the pan and pour the stir fry sauce in and toss to coat in the sauce. Cook 1-2 minutes or until the sauce has thickened then remove from heat.
- Garnish as desired with green onion and/or sesame seeds.
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