This healthy Chicken Asparagus Stir Fry promises crisp tender vegetables & white meat chicken in light and flavorful sauce. A delicious low carb recipe ready in under 30 minutes.
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What's the Best Wok for Stir Frys?
I bought myself a carbon steel wok for Christmas. If you have done any research on woks, you know that carbon steel woks are supposedly the best. And those with flat bottoms perform the best on regular stoves.
Carbon steel woks heat very quickly and after being seasoned they are non-stick. The down-side? They rust. That problem can be solved by spreading a very thin layer of oil on the wok after washing and drying, then drying with a paper towel.
Prior to my new wok, I used a teflon coated non-stick wok. We all know that overheating teflon pans isn't good for us as the coating breaks down releasing carcinogens.
As my teflon pans wear-out, I will replace them with safer options like cast iron skillets, stainless steel pots and pans, and egg pans with ceramic non-stick coating.
But back to my wok...
I love it!
Chicken Asparagus Stir Fry
I haven’t cooked a stir-fry in a long time. I don't know why. They used to be a staple at dinner time and a healthy chicken stir fry with lots of fragrant ginger and garlic and crisp tender bright green asparagus was always one of our favorites.
There's not an easier, faster, or healthier option for week night meals than a great stir fry. And they are so easy to adapt to any specialty diet.
Even though this recipe is low carb, I do use some cornstarch or arrowroot powder to thicken the sauce. Using 1 ½ teaspoons only adds 3-4 carbs per recipe keeping most of the carbs of the dish where they should be -- in the form of healthy vegetables. You can leave it out if you wish. I generally use less liquid if I decide not to thicken my sauces.
For color, I added 1 medium bias cut carrot and for variation of texture, Chinese green peas (snow peas). Carrots contain quite a bit of sugar, but they are also rich in healthy beta carotene, and one carrot split among 4 people isn't a deal breaker for me. I love incorporating vibrant colored vegetables in my dishes both for their health benefits and for visual interest.
This recipe is all you need for a complete dinner in 30 minutes. Since I'm not really into cooking separate sides for my meals, I enjoy putting everything into one bowl. Serve this chicken asparagus stir fry, over cauliflower rice or steamed zoodles if you need a larger serving.
[TIP] To help me get dinner on the table faster during the week, I will spiralize zucchini, chop broccoli or "rice" cauliflower and keep it in containers for a quick-grab-and-go side. These can all be quickly sauteed in a pan or steamed in the microwave.
You can also use boneless-skinless chicken thighs if you like a little more chicken flavor in your dish.
Use Tamari or Coconut Aminos to keep this stir fry gluten-free!
Check-out these other GREAT, fast & easy meals:
- Chicken Moilee
- Easy Weeknight Coconut Basil Chicken
- Indian Spiced Flank Steak with a Cilantro Pistachio Pesto
- Bangalore Chicken Curry
- Traditional Beef Fajitas
Ginger Chicken Stir Fry with Asparagus is 9 net carbs per serving.
Chicken Asparagus Stir Fry
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 ½ pounds chicken breast halves without skin
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil or your favorite
- 1 teaspoon peanut oil
Vegetables
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil
- 2 tablespoons minced ginger (about 1 ½ inch piece)
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic (about 3 cloves)
- ½ pound asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1 ½ inch pieces
- 4 oz medium carrot, thinly sliced
- ½ bunch sliced scallions, light green part, too.
Sauce
- ¼ cup chicken broth (2 fl oz)
- 2 tablespoons Tamari or Coconut Aminos (1 fl oz)
- 2 tablespoons dry sherry (1 fl oz)
- 1 tablespoon erythritol
- 1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch or arrowroot powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
Instructions
Preparation:
- 1. Mince the garlic and ginger, putting them on a small plate by the stove. 2. Cut the vegetables and put them in separate piles on a plate near the stove. 3. Cut the chicken into thin strips and put into a small bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of peanut oil and stir to coat each piece. Place the bowl near the stove. 4. In a small bowl, stir the sauce ingredients together. TIP: add the cornstarch/arrowroot first and then slowly stir in the the liquid to help dissolve. 5. Ready the serving dish near the stove.
Method:
- Heat a wok or a large heavy bottomed skillet over high heat. It's ready when a drop of water dances around the pan. Add 1 teaspoon oil and swirl to coat. Place ½ of the chicken into the wok and let it cook until it's half way cooked. Stir the chicken around and cook the other side. It's ready when it starts to release a lot of water. Remove the chicken to the serving dish and begin cooking the next batch. When cooked, remove the chicken and quickly and carefully wipe out the excess moisture.
- Add 1 tablespoon of peanut oil to the pan and then the garlic and ginger. Give it a good stir in the wok so it doesn't burn and cook for about 20 seconds. Add the asparagus and stir into the ginger and garlic. Let it cook for about 1 minute, stirring occasionally. Add the scallions, carrots and Chinese peas, stirring them into the asparagus. Let cook for about 2 minutes while stirring occasionally.
- Add the chicken back to the pan and stir. Add the sauce and cook for about 2 minutes or until the chicken is hot, the vegetables are bright in color and the sauce has thickened. Add the sesame oil, stirring once more.
- Serves 4 at 9 net carbs per serving.
Notes
Nutrition
James Clark
would love to find a wok that would work on a flat top electric stove.
Kim Hardesty
Me, too, James. I bought a cast iron wok but because it had a rim on the bottom, it did not heat evenly. I have two steel woks - an Indian one that is not even on the bottom so I can't use it on my induction cook top and a bigger older wok, Joyce Chen brand. The bigger wok works better, but still heats unevenly as the surface is not flat. We should go into business and develop a wok that is perfect for an Induction cooktop. Additionally, I have not found a grill pan that I like either. My mother had an electric wok, but it is teflon coated. They still make them. Have a nice day. -Kim
Kathy
Oh my gosh! Amazing! I subbed mushrooms for the carrots because I just could not do carrots AND arrowroot on the same night! The sauce is so good. I opted to skip "dessert" just to have another half serving.
Kathy
How much snow peas do you add?
Thanks!
Kim
Hi Kathy. I'm so glad you let me know there was a missing ingredient - I also found a mistake with the thickener which I have corrected. I updated and recalculated the recipe in fatsecret.com. I hope you like the recipe. -Kim
Thumbulina
Hey there, just wanted to thank you for placing the "Jump To Recipe" button at the top of each of your posts. Another blogger was very insulted/hurt? that someone commented that they were frustrated with scrolling through a lengthy post and multiple photos to get to the actual recipe. Of course people are lashing out at this person and calling her ungrateful, impatient, etc. Honestly, I think many folks would appreciate the option to jump to the recipe. It's not that we don't care about you and your family but I don't follow food bloggers posts for the stories, I follow them for the recipes. And yes, some of the stories are really great, but let's face it, what is relevant to the blogger in terms of recipe creation story may not be relevant to everyone. What I DO know is that you have really great, reliable recipes and when you post a new one I'm anxious to see it. I like that I have the option to jump directly to it instead of scrolling through a lenghty post and multiple (very well done) photographs. The recipe IS the story for some of us and we can't wait to see it. Love your blog and recipes, thanks!
Kim
How nice to hear. I have neglected adding it to some of my posts, but will fix them up. The "jump to recipe" doesn't play nice with my ad network and sometimes causes an ad to cover the recipe, but over-all I think people like it. Thank you. -Kim
Christina
This looks delicious! I'm going to have to break down and buy another wok, since we burned through my old one. Almost literally! haha
I do have a question, though: the reviews for the wok you recommended show issues with getting the film/coating off. Can you give me some tips?
Kim
Hi Christina. Oh, my, your poor wok! I did not have any problems getting off the film. I used a green scrubby and hot soapy water. I would be remiss if I did not mention that if this wok is not kept oiled, it will rust like crazy. To season it I used peanut oil and also bought several bunches of scallions and a hand of ginger, sliced them into big slices and pushed them against the sides of the pan distributing their flavor and the oil around the entire inside surface - several times. I also popped popcorn in it for my kids. If you don't want to be bothered with the upkeep of the steel wok, you may want a non-stick surface or a stainless steel wok. I love this wok and am sad that I haven't used it in a few months. I will have to break it out after Thanksgiving. -Kim
Kathy @ Beyond the Chicken Coop
I love stir fry....especially loaded with lots of crispy veggies! This looks like one I need for dinner this week!
Kim
Thanks Kathy. It's great basic recipe that puts the focus on all of those beautiful veggies. Thanks for the nice compliment. Have a great weekend! -Kim
Rach's Recipes
This looks wonderful. I'd like to add more vegetables to this recipe so that I can rotate them during weeknights, what else can you recommend goes well with this stir fry? Thank you.
Kim
Hi Rachel. Thanks for the compliment. This is a great basic stir-fry recipe and the beauty of stir-frys is that you can add any vegetable combination you like. It's a great way to clean out the fridge at the end of the week. I doubt that you could get it wrong! Enjoy your weekend. -Kim