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This 30-minute zucchini chicken stir fry is a quick and flavorful dinner made with tender chicken, fresh zucchini, and a savory sauce. Serve over rice or noodles for a meal that’s perfect for busy weeknights!

A plate of zucchini stir fry with white rice.

It’s another extra-curricular-packed Tuesday evening, we’re short on time, and everyone is getting hangry. I open the refrigerator and stare blankly into the abyss, hoping something appears out of thin air thats ready to eat…yet nothing appears. Instead, all I see is a pack of chicken breasts, a pair of zucchini I bought with high hopes, and a slightly soft bell pepper.

If you have ever been in this scenario, I know how you feel. BUT, don’t let your hand reach out for the food delivery app just yet! This 30-minute zucchini chicken stir fry is about to become your new go-to. It is a quick, filling and made with some of the most simple ingredients chicken, fresh zucchini, and a savory sauce.

A pan of zucchini chicken stir fry with red peppers garnished with sesame seeds.

Why You’ll Love This Zucchini Chicken Stir Fry

What I love most about this dish is that rids you of the myth that quick meals have to be boring. It’s fast, it’s delightfully tasty, and it requires remarkably little cleanup. Huge win!

Some people (my husband), get a little unenthused with cooked zucchini. It’s true, mushy squash happens. But good news, it doesn’t have to be that way. One thing I have learned is that cooking the vegetables quickly over high heat is the way to keep them crisp-tender, with slightly caramelized edges.

Chicken breast also has a bit of a reputation for drying out and becoming chewy when stir-fried, but we fix that problem by slicing it thinly and searing it just until it’s nearly cooked through before pulling it out of the pan, it stays perfectly juicy.

This sauce though…It perfectly balances savory and sweet without requiring you to hunt down one use only ingredients. It creates a glaze that coats every single nook and cranny of this stir fry.

Ingredients

oil

While I normally cook with olive oil, stir-frying over medium high heat requires an oil with a higher smoke point. Canola, vegetable, peanut, and avocado oil are all good options.

Chicken breasts

I like to use boneless skinless chicken breasts as the protein in this recipe. Slicing it thin helps ensure that it cooks fast and stays tender. Chicken thighs work great too, as does shrimp, and pork tenderloin (or try this pork and broccoli stir fry for another great option with pork tenderloin!).

ZUCCHINI

This is a great opportunity to use up that garden zucchini if it’s that time of the year! I love the mild flavor of fresh zucchini in a stir fry. But if you’re cleaning out the produce drawer, broccoli, yellow squash, mushrooms, bok choy, julienned or very thinly sliced carrots, snow peas, and snap peas, are all great subs.

OYSTER SAUCE

Oyster sauce has a mild, savory flavor, and this well-balanced sauce is more on the savory than sweet side. That said, if you prefer a sweeter stir fry, hoisin sauce is a good substitute.

CORNSTARCH (OPTIONAL)

Since this isn’t a super saucy stir fry, I consider the thickener to be optional in this recipe. If you do like a saucier stir fry I would recommend doubling the sauce ingredients, and adding the cornstarch slurry for a glossy sauce with some body that coats every ingredient. To make the slurry, you simply combine a teaspoon of cornstarch with a tablespoon of water, stir that in at the end and let it bubble until the sauce is thickened.

Don’t forget to watch the video!

Most of my recipes include a short step-by-step video tutorial. Just scroll down to the recipe card, or use the “Jump to Video” button at the top of the post!

Step-by-Step Instructions

Here is exactly how this quick, comforting dinner comes together in your kitchen:

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Heat the oil in a large skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, season with salt and pepper, and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned and nearly cooked through. Transfer to a plate.

Top-down view of chicken breast that has been sliced and placed in a skillet with olive oil.

Add the onion, zucchini, and red bell pepper to the pan, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper, and cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring frequently, until the vegetables are crisp-tender and lightly caramelized.

Stir in the garlic and cook for 30-60 seconds, until fragrant.

Onion, bell pepper, zucchini in added to the cooked chicken in the stir fry.

Return the chicken to the pan. Add the soy sauce, oyster sauce, honey, and sesame oil, stirring to coat evenly.

red pepper, zucchini, cooked chicken and now garlic added to the stir fry pan to be cooked for Stir-fry.

Optionally, if you prefer a thicker sauce, pour in the cornstarch slurry and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring, until the sauce thickens slightly and clings to the chicken and vegetables.

stir fry ingredients in the stir fry pan that include garlic, cooked chicken, bell peppers, zucchini now coated in the sauce and topped with soy sauce to taste.

Season with additional soy sauce to taste. Remove from heat, garnish with green onion and sesame seeds, and serve with additional soy sauce for adding to taste. Add a pinch of red pepper flakes for a little kick, if you like.

A plate of zucchini chicken stir fry on a bed of rice.

Helpful Tips

Get your prep done first. Stir-frying moves incredibly fast once the ingredients hit the hot oil. Have your chicken sliced, your veggies cut into half-moons, and your sauce ingredients measured out and waiting right next to the stove before you get started.
Use a large pan. If your pan is too small, your vegetables will pile on top of each other and trap steam, which will cause the zucchini to get soft and soggy instead of developing those beautiful caramelized edges. Use a large wide skillet or a wok to ensure everything has enough room to make direct contact with the heat.
For a saucier dish, the sauce ingredients can be doubled, and in that case, you will definitely need the cornstarch slurry to thicken it up so it stays rich and clings beautifully to your rice or noodles.
Don’t slice your veggies too thin. This helps them stay crisp-tender instead of getting too soft.

Storage

This recipe is perfect for healthy meal prep or quick, ready-to-go lunches for work or school the next day.

Refrigerator: Store any leftover stir fry in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 or 4 days.

Reheating: Warm any leftovers gently over medium-low heat in a small skillet, stirring occasionally until heated through. If you are using a microwave at the office, heat it in 30-second intervals, giving it a good stir between sessions to ensure it warms up evenly.

A Note on Freezing: Zucchini has a high water content, it changes texture significantly when frozen and thawed, turning soft. For the best crisp-tender experience, we highly recommend enjoying this dish fresh or out of the refrigerator!

Tell me what you think!

If you try this recipe, l’d be so grateful if you’d leave a comment and a rating in the recipe card. I love to hear your feedback, and your tips can help other readers too!

Zucchini Chicken Stir Fry

Why You’ll Love This Zucchini Chicken Stir Fry