Chicken Thigh? Stir Fry! (with Asparagus)

Next up in our series of easy weeknight dinner recipes that can be on your table in 30 minutes or less: Chicken Thigh? Stir Fry! (with Asparagus). Using boneless skinless thighs keeps this chicken stir fry tender & tasty, but you can also make it with chicken breast if you have it on hand.

If you have a protein and a veggie on hand, you have the basic building blocks for so many different weeknight dinners. Case in point, today’s quick & easy stir fry recipe! Although I often throw a variety of veggies into my stir fries for color and contrast, this time I kept things super simple with today’s Chicken & Asparagus Stir Fry dinner.

Sometimes, simple is… simply relaxing. Don’t mistake fewer veggies for less flavor, either! The lightly sweet & spicy sauce here perfectly complements the tender chicken and crisp-tender asparagus, and you can have dinner on the table in just 25 minutes.

Chicken Thigh? Stir Fry! (with Asparagus)

Ingredients

1 Tbsp canola oil
1.25 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed and cut into bite sized pieces
Sea salt, to taste
Black pepper, to taste
1 lb asparagus, trimmed and cut into bite sized pieces
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp packed brown sugar
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp minced garlic
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper
1/4 tsp powdered ginger
2 tsp cornstarch + 1 Tbsp cold water

Directions

Trim and cut up the chicken, then season it with sea salt and pepper. Trim the asparagus and cut into bite sized pieces. Mince garlic, if not using jarred.

When you’re almost done chopping, start heating the canola oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat until shimmering. Swirl to coat, then add the chicken and brown for four minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the asparagus to the pan and continue stir frying over medium-high heat for another four minutes, stirring occasionally, or until asparagus is bright green and chicken is cooked through.

While the chicken and asparagus are cooking, combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, minced garlic, crushed red pepper, and ginger in a small bowl.

Stir the cornstarch and cold water together in a separate small bowl until the cornstarch is dissolved.

When the asparagus and chicken are cooked through, stir in the soy sauce mixture and continue cooking for one minute over medium-high heat.

Add the cornstarch mixture to the pan and continue to stir for another minute, until the sauce is thickened and shiny. Serve immediately, over cooked rice if desired.

Note: The purpose of the corn starch is to thicken the sauce and make it shinier, both for a pretty presentation and to make it adhere nicely to the chicken and asparagus.

Such a fresh & lovely stir fry idea

I’m clearly searching for spring when it comes to this week’s produce choices, but today’s chicken & asparagus stir fry did pair beautifully with yesterday’s (somewhat spicer and saltier) easy garlic green beans recipe. This week, we’re eating green!

Stir fry can also be a great way to get more veggies into your kids. My Middle School Guy gobbled up everything — pair it all with rice, and you’ll never miss carryout.

Chicken Thigh? Stir Fry! (with Asparagus), printable recipe

Recipes in the real world

Be sure not to miss the free ALDI meal plans, which show you how to use these easy family recipes to meal plan affordably and realistically for your family. Or, find more recipe ideas with the Recipe Search!

Be sure not to miss the free ALDI meal plans, which show you how to use these easy family recipes to meal plan affordably and realistically for your family. Or, find more recipe ideas with the Recipe Search!