Garlic-Ginger Chicken & Zucchini Stir-Fry
Tender chicken and peak-season Washington zucchini meet a glossy garlic-ginger sauce in this fast, family-friendly Chinese stir-fry.
This recipe may need another look before cooking.
It scored 7/10, below our 8/10 retry mark.
Ingredients
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Foster Farms Fresh & Natural Chicken Thighs Value Pack1½ pounds bone-in chicken thighs $1.29
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Zucchini1 pound $1.79
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Jasmine rice¾ cup dry $3.59
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Green onions4 green onions $1.19
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Garlic3 cloves
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Fresh ginger1 tablespoon minced $3.99
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Reduced-sodium soy sauce2 tablespoons
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Rice vinegar1 tablespoon
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Honey1 tablespoon
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Toasted sesame oil1 teaspoon
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Cornstarch1 tablespoon
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Crushed red pepper flakes¼ teaspoon
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Neutral cooking oil2 tablespoons
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Kosher salt½ teaspoon
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Black pepper¼ teaspoon
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Water1½ cups
Instructions
- Remove the skin and bones from 1½ pounds bone-in chicken thighs and cut the meat into 1-inch pieces. Halve and slice 1 pound zucchini into ½-inch pieces, thinly slice 4 green onions while separating their white and green parts, mince 3 cloves garlic, and mince 1 tablespoon fresh ginger.
- Combine ¾ cup dry jasmine rice, 1¼ cups water, and ¼ teaspoon kosher salt in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover, and cook over low heat for 15 minutes; remove from the heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes.
- Toss the chicken cut from 1½ pounds thighs with 1 teaspoon cornstarch and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. In a small bowl, whisk 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes, and ¼ cup water.
- Heat 1 tablespoon neutral cooking oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat. Add the coated chicken from 1½ pounds thighs in one layer and stir-fry for 6–8 minutes, until browned and its thickest pieces reach 165°F; transfer the chicken to a clean plate.
- Add 1 tablespoon neutral cooking oil and 1 pound sliced zucchini to the hot skillet. Sprinkle with ¼ teaspoon kosher salt and stir-fry for 3–4 minutes, until browned but still crisp; add the white parts of 4 green onions, 3 cloves minced garlic, and 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger, then stir-fry for 30 seconds.
- Return all cooked chicken from 1½ pounds thighs to the skillet and pour in the sauce made with 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes, and ¼ cup water. Toss for 2 minutes, until the sauce bubbles and coats the chicken and zucchini.
- Fluff all cooked rice made from ¾ cup dry jasmine rice and divide it between two bowls. Spoon all the chicken-zucchini stir-fry over the rice, top with the green parts of 4 green onions, and serve immediately.
Total time: 40 minutes
Estimated cost: About $7–$9 for 2 servings
Health notes: About 650 calories per serving, with roughly 40 grams protein plus a generous serving of zucchini.
Drink pairing: An off-dry Riesling cools the chile heat and complements the sweet-savory sauce.