Winter Chicken And Vegetable Stir-Fry Recipe

When you're looking for a meal that's quick, easy, filling, and flavorful, it's hard to go wrong with a stir-fry. You've got protein, veggies, and carbs, all tossed together in a savory, Asian-style sauce. Here, recipe developer Chanel Murphy combines chicken thighs, Chinese noodles, and an array of colorful winter vegetables to create a satisfying meal that's easy to whip up on a weeknight. "The use of both vegetable oil for stir-frying and sesame oil for finishing gives this recipe a balanced and distinct flavor profile. Additionally, the combination of purple cabbage, carrots, and green onions provides a colorful and nutritious mix of vegetables," she notes.

Don't worry if you're missing an ingredient or two or don't love everything included; this is quite the flexible recipe. "You can certainly add bok choy to this stir-fry," Murphy notes. "It's a great addition that would provide a nice crunch and a slightly different flavor. Other vegetables like bell peppers, snap peas, or broccoli could also be added or substituted based on your preference." Now, let's get stir-frying.

Good stir-fries should only have a few ingredients, which makes shopping for this recipe a snap. You'll need boneless skinless chicken thighs (sliced into pieces), purple cabbage, shredded carrots, white onion, chopped green onions, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, and Chinese noodles that have been cooked already. "You can use egg noodles, rice noodles, or any other variety of Chinese noodles that you prefer or have on hand," Murphy says.

Start things off by slicing any veggies that need to be prepped, then move on to cooking your chicken thighs. Heat a skillet or wok on the stove over medium-high heat and add your vegetable oil. Once it's hot, put the chicken and soy sauce in the pan and saute until the meat is fully cooked. Take it out of the pan; you'll be coming back to it later.

Heat up a little more oil in the same pan you just cooked your chicken in. Toss in all your veggies (except for the green onions) and stir-fry them for a few minutes. You want them to be cooked but not too soft — use your best judgement here.

Put the chicken back in the skillet, followed by your Chinese noodles. Give everything a good mix so all the stir-fry components are combined and warmed through. Then, add the sesame oil, which Murphy says "gives the dish a nuttier flavor and is great for finishing dishes." Garnish with chopped green onions, and voila, you've got a hearty, tasty stir-fry just waiting to be enjoyed. "This stir-fry is quite versatile and can be served on its own as a complete meal. However, if you'd like to complement it, you can serve it with steamed jasmine rice, fried rice, or even with a side of steamed or stir-fried vegetables," Murphy says.

Leftovers? Those can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2-3 days, per Murphy. "To reheat, you can either use the microwave or stovetop. If using a microwave, cover the container with a microwave-safe lid or plate and heat in short intervals, stirring in between. If using the stovetop, reheat in a skillet over medium heat, stirring occasionally," she details. The next time you have chicken, noodles, and some veggies at home, you'll know exactly what to do.