Made with tender chicken and fresh asparagus glazed in a sweet and tangy honey lemon stir fry sauce, Chicken and Asparagus Stir Fry comes together in less than 15 minutes!
When you need a quick meal on the table, stir-fries are a great option, as they tend to cook up quickly and pack a punch of flavor!
This Chicken Asparagus Stir Fry is a great option, just like Stir-Fried Chicken and Bok Choy, as it is ready in less than 15 minutes and delivers a wholesome, flavor-packed dinner with minimal effort and minimal ingredients.
Using fresh asparagus, and chicken breasts or chicken thighs, the chicken and asparagus cook up quickly, while being glazed in a sweet and savory sauce.
And let's take a minute to talk about this stir-fry sauce because it is truly the star of this simple chicken dinner. Made with soy sauce, garlic honey, and fresh lemon juice, the stir-fry sauce is sweet and savory and kissed with brightness from the lemon. It is the perfect complement to both the chicken and the asparagus.
So the next time you find yourself needing dinner in less than 15 minutes, turn to this simple chicken asparagus recipe.
Notes on Ingredients
- Chicken: Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs that have been cut into thin strips.
- Asparagus: It is best to use asparagus that is thin, not ones that have thick, woody stems, as they will not cook up as well in this fast stir fry recipe.
- Stir Fry Sauce: This sweet and tangy lemon garlic sauce is made with fresh lemon juice, honey, soy sauce, and cornstarch to thicken. It forms the perfect glaze over the chicken and asparagus.
- Oil: Avocado oil is my go-to for cooking quick stir-fries because it has a high heat index and does not impart much flavor to a dish, letting the honey and lemon flavor shine in this chicken stir-fry. However, coconut oil, peanut oil, or canola oil can be substituted for avocado oil, as they all have high heat indexes.
How to Make Chicken Asparagus Stir Fry
- An essential step to restaurant-quality stir fry is to thinly cut chicken breasts. By cutting the chicken so thin, the result will be extremely tender chicken. The thin strips also allow more surface area for the rich honey garlic glaze to coat the chicken as well, resulting in a more flavorful recipe. To thinly slice your chicken breasts or thighs, place the chicken in the freezer for 15 minutes. Remove from the freezer and cut chicken width-wise (against the grain) into strips no thicker than ¼ inch.
- Prepare the stir-fry sauce by whisking together the honey, garlic, soy sauce, lemon juice, lemon zest, and cornstarch until the cornstarch is dissolved. And set aside.
- Heat the oil in a large wok or skillet over high heat until glistening.
- Add the chicken to the skillet and stir fry until the chicken is golden and browned. It will only take a couple of minutes, as the chicken is cut thinly.
- Add the asparagus and the reserved sauce to the skillet.
- Saute the chicken and asparagus for 2-3 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the honey lemon sauce has thickened and formed a glaze over the chicken and asparagus.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this Chicken Asparagus Stir Fry over Instant Pot Jasmine Rice, Instant Pot Brown Rice, Instant Pot Quinoa, or cauliflower rice, for a wholesome meal that you will want to make over and over again!
Recipe Modifications
- Gluten-Free: To make this chicken stir-fry gluten-free, simply use Tamari or your favorite gluten-free soy sauce for soy sauce.
- Corn-Free: Use an equal amount of arrowroot powder in place of the cornstarch if you are avoiding corn for any reason.
- Other Vegetable Options: Feel free to substitute your favorite vegetable for asparagus. Broccoli, cabbage, bell peppers, or sugar snap peas all work well in this stir fry.
More Easy Chicken Recipes
- Stir-Fried Chicken and Bok Choy
- Chicken Katsu
- Honey Lemon Chicken
- Chicken Piccata
- Tex-Mex Chicken and Sweet Potato Skillet
If you enjoyed this simple Chicken Stir-Fry, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.
Chicken Asparagus Stir Fry
Ingredients
Honey Lemon Stir Fry Sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
- zest of one lemon
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice about 1 lemon
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
For the Stir Fry
- ½ tablespoon oil with a high smoking point such as avocado, canola, or peanut oil
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs cut into thin strips
- 1 pound fresh asparagus woody ends discarded and cut into 1 inch pieces
Instructions
- To thinly slice your chicken breasts or thighs, place the chicken in the freezer for 15 minutes. Remove from freezer and cut chicken width-wise (against the grain) into strips no thicker than ¼ inch
- Whisk together the honey, garlic, soy sauce, lemon zest, lemon juice, and cornstarch until the cornstarch is dissolved. Tip: Zest the lemon before juicing.
- Heat the oil in a large wok or skillet over high heat until glistening.
- Add the chicken to the skillet and stir fry until the chicken is browned for about 2-3 minutes.
- Give the stir fry sauce a quick stir again and add to the skillet along with the trimmed asparagus.
- Saute the sauce, chicken, and asparagus together for 2-3 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened.
- Serve plain or over rice or cauliflower rice.
Chris
Delicious - made with canned green beans and jarred minced garlic (only 1/3 teaspoon). Quick and easy. Husband said he’d order this in a restaurant.
Kristen Chidsey
Wonderful! I hope you enjoy time and time again.