Homemade Chicken and Broccoli Chinese Takeout is a surprisingly easy meal to make that will make you question why you’ve been spending so much money (and points) on ordering out.
Just like ordering take out, this is the meal I make when I don’t feel like cooking--when I get home and realize I have nothing planned or prepared since I’m actually not the best at sticking to a meal plan.
This homemade Chinese takeout chicken and broccoli is not only low in points but super simple and done in 30 minutes--tops.
Tips for prepping chicken and broccoli
I’ve got two tips for slicing the chicken. If I buy a big family pack of chicken breast, I butterfly the breasts and portion them out for dinner and the freezer pretty much the day after I shop.
Usually, I’ll get two nicely portioned chicken breasts, but if I mess up and have a scraggly looking second piece, I thinly slice it for stir fry. Without fail, I’ll have enough for at least one dinner and if I don’t, I’ll slice up one of the better-looking chicken breasts to have a full meal’s worth.
If you are not breaking down a big package of chicken and you find it difficult slicing chicken so thin, throw it in a freezer about an hour before you need it; the chicken will freeze a little, but it won’t be rock solid. The chicken will be firmer and easier to slice, and it’ll thaw super quickly because of how thin it is.
Homemade takeout is simple
The reason why I love this healthy chicken and broccoli recipe is because it uses pantry items and simple vegetables I always have on hand.
The one ingredient that you may need to pick up that's different from your usual rotation may be ginger paste which is typically found in the produce section near the herbs. You can buy ginger paste in a tube, or you can grate fresh ginger. Fresh ginger can be stored, unwrapped, in your freezer for months.
While cooking your chicken and onions, microwave your steamed broccoli. Yes, you can use fresh steamed broccoli, but I rarely have the time or energy to steam broccoli.
I typically pick up the store brand, but you want to make sure you use broccoli florets instead of chopped broccoli; it's still broccoli, but broccoli florets hold up better in the sauce.
Looking for other healthy takeout recipes?
Some of my favorite recipes for homemade takeout include:
- Turkey Potstickers (Gyoza)
- Cream Cheese Rangoons
- Trader Joes Chicken Fried Rice Recipe
- Sweet Chili Turkey Meatballs
- Korean BBQ Sauce (ebook exclusive)
- Spicy Peanut Sauce (ebook exclusive)
The recipe below serves 6 and is only 2sp per serving. I’m warning you now, you’re going to want to do a double batch. Not because the serving is small (Roughly 1 ¼ c serving for only 2sp), but because it is that good.
My daughters devour it. Even my sister-in-law who “hates Chinese food” devours it. If you want leftovers, double this bad boy because people will definitely be going back for seconds.
We turn to this meal again and again when we're in that "just got home from work, exhausted, want to watch Netflix and eat something comforting" kind of mood. It is tangy, a little sweet, and a little savory.
Yield: 6 servings
Healthy Chicken and Broccoli Chinese Takeout
This healthy homemade Chicken and Broccoli is a fan favorite because it is quick, delicious, and will rival your go-to takeout.
1 1/4 cup serving
Blue & Purple 2 WW SP
Green 5 WW SP
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Ingredients
- 4 chicken breasts (1.5 lbs), thinly sliced into strips
- 2 medium onions, thinly sliced
- 2/3 c low sodium soy sauce (or tamari or coconut aminios)
- 1/4 c brown sugar
- 1.5 c low sodium beef broth
- 1/4 c corn starch
- 3/4 tsp grated ginger I use the tubes they sell in the produce section
- 1 tsp red pepper flakes
- 4-6 cups cooked broccoli, I use 2 microwavable steamed broccoli bags
- canola oil cooking spray
Instructions
1. Heat a wok, cast iron, or large nonstick pan. Spray the pan liberally, and cook thinly sliced onions and chicken on medium until chicken is fully cooked. The chicken will take a few minutes depending on thickness and cut style. I did these pretty thinly so they only took about 5-10 minutes. You may have to work in batches depending on the size of your pan.
2. While chicken and onions cook, heat broccoli according to package.
3. In a separate bowl, mix soy sauce, red pepper flakes, ginger, and brown sugar.
4. In a second bowl, whisk together beef broth and cornstarch. When cornstarch is fully combined, add to the bowl with the soy sauce mixture. The sauce should be a pale brown (don’t worry, it’ll get thick and dark).
5. When chicken and onions are fully cooked, remove the chicken and onions from the pan, and pour in the sauce mixture. Stir the sauce as it comes to a slight boil. You will see the sauce become darker and thicker.
6. Once the sauce mixture thickens and darkens, add the onions, chicken, and broccoli to the pan to coat.
Notes
This recipe is very flexible. I like to add shredded carrots, snap peas, or other vegetables to bulk this up even more.
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6 Serving Size:
1.5 cups
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 234Total Fat: 4gSaturated Fat: 1gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 60mgSodium: 1444mgCarbohydrates: 24gFiber: 4gSugar: 12gProtein: 27g
