Easy Gluten-Free Chicken Stir Fry

Friday is our fakeaway night but to beat the lure of Deliveroo we need to make sure our stir fry is just as delicious and quicker to make than the time it would take if we ordered it.

Well we’ve gone and smashed it. This Gluten-Free Chicken Stir Fry actually tastes so much better than our local equivalent, it is quicker, and of course it’s way cheaper.

The task that takes the most time in this recipe is prepping the chicken and the vegetables. But start the cooking after you have cut it all up and then the actual cooking time is simple and relaxed.

I recommend working with fresh vegetables which you can guarantee are bright and not browning in a bag. Plus you can use the ones you actually like, no more slimy red pepper, chunky onion roots or picking out the broccoli (just to clarify I love broccoli but for some reason it’s horrible in those bags).

Most shop bought stir fry sauces have hidden gluten (mainly from soy sauce) but this is a simple homemade 5 minute sauce, using easy store cupboard ingredients which, if you’ve made this stir fry once, you’ll have on hand for future dinners.

The whole dinner is bright, fresh, budget-friendly, simple to make and wholly more satisfying than ordering in.

Ingredients Needed

Groundnut oil. This is the oil I reserve for my stir fries. You can use olive oil or coconut oil but groundnut oil (which is peanut oil so be wary if you have allergies) has a high smoking point so is perfect here.

Chicken. I choose chicken breasts here as it becomes so soft when tenderised by our cornflour. It’s a great carrier for the flavour or our seasoning. Plus it’s very quick to cook. Remove the skin and check for any little bones or sinew then dice into small pieces.

Stir fry seasoning. I’ve made a separate post giving a lot of advice on how to use this homemade seasoning. I make a big batch of it and use across most of my stir fries. It contains dried onion, garlic, salt, white pepper, Sichuan pepper, ginger, chilli flakes and cinnamon.

Cornflour (cornstarch). The cornflour does a double function in this recipe. It’s added to the seasoning and coats the chicken which tenderises the meat. It also helps to thicken the stir fry sauce once that’s added later.

Vegetables. I love using this selection of vegetables in this stir fry as there’s lots of texture here. The carrot, baby corn and sugar snap peas give plenty of crunch and the cabbage gives softness. Plus they all cook at roughly the same time so nothing is allowed to get soggy and you don’t need to worry about the order to adding them. I don’t tend to include onion in the cooking of my stir fries as it throws off the cooking time. Instead I use fresh spring onions diced and tossed over the final dish to garnish.

You can use your favourite vegetables. Broccoli, red pepper, mangetout, chinese leaf or pak choi are also solid choices.

Stir Fry Sauce. This is an easy sauce and just whisks together tamari, honey, ginger garlic paste, rice vinegar and chilli paste.

How To Make Gluten-Free Chicken Stir-Fry

For full recipe instructions go to the recipe card at the end of this post.

Whisk together the ingredients of the stir fry sauce and prep the vegetables.

Whisk the stir fry seasoning and cornflour together in a large bowl. Dice the chicken up into small bite-sized pieces and toss into the seasoning mix.

Cook the chicken in an even layer and cook for 3-4 minutes on each side, over a medium heat, until cooked through. Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Toss in all the vegetables and fry for a couple of minutes.

Add the chicken back in, along with the stir fry sauce. Cook for 2-3 minutes until everything is heated through and the sauce has thickened.

Serve immediately with rice or noodles with sliced spring onions to garnish.

Make Ahead

I make this big batch for 4 people and often have leftovers if it’s just Luke and myself eating it. There is a certain charm to the re-heated leftovers but let’s not pretend that the vegetables are not a little soggier and the chicken a little tougher.

Therefore if you would like to make this dinner ahead these are better solutions to prepping things beforehand so it means your cooking time is under 15 minutes just before you serve.

Stir fry sauce. Make this up to 3 days ahead and store in the fridge in an airtight container.

Vegetables. You can easily cut and prepare your vegetables up to 2 days ahead of time. If you are doing this then keep the sliced carrot in water to prevent it drying out.

Chicken. You can dice your chicken ahead of time so you just need to season it immediately prior to cooking.

Best way to reheat without soggy vegetables. The best way to re-heat is to do it in the pan rather than in the microwave.

Freezing. You can freeze the chicken and sauce very happily but the vegetables will go softer and a little more watery. I recommend slightly undercooking your vegetables if you are making this stir fry to freeze. Although in my honest opinion, stir fry is always better fresh that it wouldn’t be my first choice of a freezer meal.

Best Gluten-Free Noodles and Rice Options

My favourite way to serve this chicken stir fry is alongside rice or rice noodles. I vary my selection every time and keep all of them in the larder:

• Brown rice
• Jasmine rice
• Rice noodles. You can buy flat noodles (which I prefer to use if I’m going to mix them in). I like thin vermicelli noodles when I’m serving them on the side.
• Sweet Potato Glass Noodles. These are Luke’s favourite and they have a delicious flavour and chewy texture.
• Buckwheat noodles. These are a bit more robust. Check that they are 100% buckwheat and gluten-free.
• Low carb options. Of course you could also opt for cauliflower rice or courgette noodles if you want to keep things lighter.

Recipe Variations

Peanut Chicken Stir Fry. Add 2 tablespoons of peanut butter into the stir fry sauce, plus a little water to loosen.

Chicken and Cashew Stir Fry. Add a small handful of raw cashews to the pan when you are cooking the chicken.

Spicy Gluten-Free Chicken Stir Fry. By all means ramp up the heat. You can add sliced fresh red chillies or another tablespoon of chilli paste to the stir fry sauce.

More Gluten-Free Recipes You’ll Love

Sticky Lemon Chicken with Honey is deliciously tender with crunchy sesame coating. A quick weeknight staple made with pantry-friendly ingredients. 

Make this easy Pork Mince Stir Fry in under 20 minutes using simple supermarket ingredients. Packed with vegetables and tossed with rice noodles.

These quick and easy Stir-fried Vegetables are packed with crisp colourful vegetables and a garlic ginger sauce for a simple side dish.