Sweet and Spicy Chicken Stir Fry
This sweet and spicy stir fry is a vibrant medley of crisp broccoli, bell peppers, and carrots, tossed with tender chicken in a glossy, flavor-packed sauce. Once the chicken is seared and the veggies are just tender, everything gets coated in a silky blend of soy sauce, hoisin, honey, sesame oil, minced garlic, and a kick of cayenne. The result? A crave-worthy balance of heat and sweetness that clings to every bite.
What this recipe means to me and why I think you should make it
I didn’t set out to reinvent dinner. I was just hungry—tired, a little restless, and craving something that didn’t feel like a repeat of last week’s meals. I had the usual lineup of fridge staples, nothing flashy. But something in me refused to settle. I wanted bold. I wanted heat. I wanted that elusive moment when a dish surprises you, wakes you up, makes you feel like you’ve stumbled onto something worth remembering.
So I started mixing. No recipe, no rules—just instinct and a little rebellion. The sauce came together like a secret whispered in the dark: smooth, rich, with a slow-building fire that didn’t ask for permission. I threw everything into the pan and let it sizzle, watching the colors deepen, the steam rise, the scent wrap around me like a dare.
And then I tasted it.
It was one of those bites that stops time. Sweet and spicy, sharp and warm, layered in a way that felt almost accidental—except it wasn’t. It was mine. A dish born from impulse and a refusal to play it safe. I didn’t just eat it. I felt it. And I knew, without question, that this was something I had to share. Not because it’s perfect, but because it’s alive. Because it reminds you that cooking isn’t just about feeding yourself—it’s about discovering what you’re capable of when you trust your gut.
Now Lets Get Cooking!
Prepare the stir fry sauce
Pour chicken broth into a bowl and mix in the cornstarch. Once smooth mix in soy sauce, hoisin sauce, honey, sesame oil, minced garlic and cayenne pepper and mix until smooth
Prepare stir fry vegetable
Chop and slice veggies into roughly medium sized pieces. It is important that they are roughly the same size so that they cook at about the same rate and are finished at the same time.
Start Chicken Breast
Slice raw chicken breast into medium sized cubes and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place a pan over medium high heat and add 1 tbsp high heat oil. Once hot, cook chicken breast pieces until just cooked through. About 3 to 5 minutes each side. Then remove pieces of chicken from the pan and set aside.
Start Rice
Add additional tbsp of oil to the same pan and then add all veggies except the mushrooms as they take less time to cook. Allow these to fry in the oil for about 5 minutes. During this time you can start your rice by heating a small saucepan and filling it with a cup of water. Once water is boiling add rice, a sprinkle of salt and pepper and cover. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes. Rice should be done when water has been absorbed.
Simmer
Once the vegetables have started to soften add stir fry sauce and mushrooms into the pan and mix veggies with sauce and allow to simmer for another 5 minutes or until a fork passes easily through the broccoli. Then add chicken pieces and stir.
Assemble
In a bowl place the cooked rice then top with stir fry chicken and veggies. Finally top with sesame seeds and then enjoy!
The Recipe
Sweet and Spicy Chicken Stir Fry
Equipment
- 1 Skillet or Wok
- 1 Sauce pan with lid
Ingredients
- 2 Medium Chicken Breasts
- 250 gram Broccoli
- 3 Medium Carrots
- 1 Large Bell Pepper
- 75 gram Water Chestnuts
- 100 grams Mushrooms
- 75 grams Onions
- 100 grams Basmati Rice
- 2 tsp Minced Garlic
- 1 tbsp Sesame seeds
- 2 tbsp High Heat Oil
- 1 cup Water
- Salt and Pepper
Instructions
- Pour chicken broth into a bowl and mix in the cornstarch. Once smooth mix in soy sauce, hoisin sauce, honey, sesame oil, minced garlic and cayenne pepper and mix until smooth
- Chop and slice veggies into roughly medium sized pieces. It is important that they are roughly the same size so that they cook at about the same rate and are finished at the same time.
- Chop raw chicken breast into medium sized cubes and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place a pan over medium high heat and add 1 tbsp high heat oil. Once hot, cook chicken breast pieces until just cooked through. About 3 to 5 minutes each side. Then remove pieces of chicken from the pan and set aside.
- Add additional tbsp of oil to the same pan and then add all veggies except the mushrooms as they take less time to cook. Allow these to fry in the oil for about 5 minutes. During this time you can start your rice by heating a small saucepan and filling it with a cup of water. Once water is boiling add rice, a sprinkle of salt and pepper and cover. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes. Rice should be done when water has been absorbed.
- Once the vegetables have started to soften add stir fry sauce and mushrooms into the pan and mix veggies with sauce and allow to simmer for another 5 minutes or until a fork passes easily through the broccoli. Then add chicken pieces and stir.
- In a bowl place the cooked rice then top with stir fry chicken and veggies. Finally top with sesame seeds and then enjoy!
