Made with tender chicken and fresh asparagus glazed in a sweet and tangy honey lemon stir fry sauce, this recipe for Chicken and Asparagus Stir Fry comes together in less than 15 minutes!
When you need a quick meal on the table, a stir-fry makes a great option! From Stir-Fried Chicken and Bok Choy to Chicken and Mushroom Stir Fry to Shrimp Stir Fry to this Chicken and Asparagus Stir Fry, stir-fries cook up quickly and pack a punch of flavor.
Reasons to Love This Chicken & Asparagus Recipe
- 15-Minute Dinner Recipe. Just like Shrimp Tacos, Instant Pot Sausage and Potatoes, and Blackened Mahi Mahi, this recipe for Chicken Asparagus Stir fry takes 15 minutes from start to finish!
- Simple Ingredients. Using fresh asparagus, chicken breasts or chicken thighs, and a simple honey lemon sauce, this stir fry recipe only takes a handful of ingredients.
- Flavorful. The sauce makes the chicken and asparagus come to life. Made with soy sauce, garlic honey, and fresh lemon juice, it is sweet and savory and kissed with brightness from the lemon.
- Nutritious Dinner Recipe. Not only does this chicken asparagus recipe sing with flavor, but it is low in fat, low in calories, and filled with fiber and lean protein. It makes a quick and easy wholesome family dinner 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 thin, vibrant asparagus with firm stalks, that will ensure they are fresh, flavorful, and cook up quickly.
- Stir Fry Sauce: This sweet and tangy lemon garlic sauce is made with fresh lemon juice, honey, soy sauce, and minced garlic. It forms the perfect glaze over the chicken and asparagus.
- Cornstarch: The cornstarch will help to thicken the stir fry sauce and glaze 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.
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.
How to Make Chicken Asparagus Stir Fry
The following tips are provided to help you achieve perfect results. You will find the detailed instructions in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Step One: Prepare Chicken. 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.
Step Two: Prepare Stir-Fry Sauce. It is best to prepare the sauce before starting to saute chicken and asparagus, as once you begin to cook the protein and veggies, this dish moves quickly.
Step Three: Stir-fry the Chicken. Saute the chicken in glistening hot oil until golden and evenly browned.
Step Four: Stir-fry asparagus. Add the asparagus and the reserved sauce to the skillet and continue to saute 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!
More Easy Chicken Recipes
- Stir-Fried Chicken and Bok Choy
- Chicken Katsu
- Honey Lemon Chicken
- Chicken Piccata
- Easy Orange Chicken
- 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
- 1 large lemon zested and juiced (1 teaspoon zest & 2 tablespoons lemon juice)
- 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, the zest of the lemon, and 2 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice (from one large lemon) 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. Once 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.
Nicole
sounds delicious can't wait to try it. Instead of cornstarch or arrowroot can I use flour will that work?
Thank you
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Nicole! Yes, you can use flour, but you will need to use 1 tablespoon of flour to replace the cornstarch. And be sure it is fully dissolved before adding the stir-fry! Enjoy!
Christina
Husband, kids, and myself were all pleased with this recipe. We used green beans instead of asparagus. We omitted the soy sauce and added salt instead and loved the sauce! Your recipes continue to be hits with my family. You are my new go-to blog for recipes. Thank you!
Kristen Chidsey
I absolutely love hearing your family enjoyed this stir-Fry Christina. Thanks for sharing😊
Jenn
I'm on a mission to eat more asparagus and this recipe is just the ticket! So tasty and I love how speedy this dish is!
Natalie
Yum, absolutely delicious.
Stephanie
Incredibly delicious and easy to make.
Kristen Chidsey
So happy to hear you enjoyed Stephanie!
Lisalia
We loved this meal. I'm so glad it was truly ready in minutes. So fresh and the chicken was DELICIOUS! Thanks for a new favorite dinner that I can make in a jiffy!
Kristen Chidsey
YAY! I am so happy to hear this will be a regular at your house Lisalia!
Valentina
This stir fry is AMAZING! The chicken is tender and juicy!
Dorothy
This recipe is delicious the first time I tried asparagus, I hated it but this changed my mind.
Jamey Lum
I added about a 1/2 a cup of reduced sodium chicken broth to make the sauce a bit less thick and was able to spread it out throughout all the chicken and asparagus mixture. Just my preference this recipe is so excellent without my additional stuff!!!
Kristen Chidsey
So glad you enjoy this! I love your modification too Jamey 🙂
Lauren
Everyone in my family LOVED this meal! My six year old even ate asparagus willingly! Such amazing flavor and very easy to make.
Kristen Chidsey
YAY! You gotta love when the kids eat their veggies! I am so glad you all enjoyed!