Anna Louise A chicken stir fry is the fastest proper dinner you can make. Twenty minutes from start to plate — chicken, vegetables, a glossy savoury sauce, served over rice or noodles. It is also, when done well, one of the most satisfying weeknight dinners there is.
Mary Berry’s chicken stir fry recipe focuses on the two things that make stir fries genuinely good rather than merely adequate — high heat and a proper sauce.
The vegetables must be cooked at the highest heat your hob can produce, in the smallest amount of oil, for the shortest possible time. This is what gives them that characteristic combination of slightly charred exterior and fresh, still-crisp interior that defines great stir fry cooking.
The sauce is made from scratch — soy sauce, oyster sauce, a little sesame oil, fresh ginger and garlic, a touch of honey, and a small amount of cornflour to give it that glossy, restaurant-style consistency that coats every piece of chicken and vegetable perfectly.
The Two Rules of a Great Stir Fry
Maximum heat. A stir fry at medium heat is not a stir fry — it is a braise. The vegetables release their moisture slowly, steam in the pan, and become soft rather than developing the slightly charred, intensely flavoured exterior that high heat creates. Use the highest setting on your hob and a wok or very large frying pan that can get properly hot.
Everything prepared before you start. A stir fry cooks in four to five minutes. There is no time to be chopping vegetables while the pan is on. Everything — vegetables sliced, sauce mixed, chicken cut — must be ready before the wok goes on the heat.
Ingredients for Mary Berry Chicken Stir Fry
For the Chicken
- 600g boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, thinly sliced
- 1 tbsp cornflour
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
For the Stir Fry Sauce
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp rice wine vinegar or mirin
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp cornflour
- 2 tbsp cold water
For the Stir Fry
- 2 tbsp sunflower or vegetable oil
- 3 garlic cloves, finely grated or crushed
- 3cm fresh ginger, finely grated
- 1 red pepper, deseeded and thinly sliced
- 1 yellow pepper, deseeded and thinly sliced
- 200g tenderstem broccoli, cut into small florets
- 150g sugar snap peas or mangetout
- 4 spring onions, cut into 3cm lengths
- 1 fresh red chilli, thinly sliced (optional)
To Serve
- Cooked egg noodles or jasmine rice
- Toasted sesame seeds
- Extra sliced spring onions
How to Make Mary Berry Chicken Stir Fry — Step by Step
Step 1 — Marinate the Chicken
Toss the thinly sliced chicken with the cornflour, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Mix well and leave for 10 minutes while you prepare everything else. The cornflour helps the chicken develop a slightly glossy, golden exterior when it hits the hot pan.
Step 2 — Mix the Sauce
Combine all the sauce ingredients — soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice wine vinegar, honey, sesame oil, cornflour, and cold water — in a small bowl or jug. Stir until the cornflour is fully dissolved. Set aside — this needs to be ready to pour in immediately when required.
Step 3 — Prepare Everything
Have all vegetables sliced, the garlic and ginger grated, the sauce mixed, and the cooked noodles or rice ready before the wok goes on the heat. Once the stir fry starts, there is no time to prepare anything.
Step 4 — Cook the Chicken
Heat a wok or very large frying pan over the highest heat your hob can produce for two minutes until smoking hot. Add one tablespoon of oil. Add the marinated chicken in a single layer — do not stir for one minute, allowing it to sear and colour. Then stir fry for a further two to three minutes until cooked through and golden in places. Remove and set aside.
Step 5 — Stir Fry the Vegetables
Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the hot wok. Add the garlic and ginger and stir for 30 seconds — no longer, or they will burn. Add the peppers and broccoli and stir fry for two minutes over maximum heat. Add the sugar snap peas and spring onions and stir fry for one more minute. The vegetables should be bright, slightly charred in places, and still with a definite crunch.
Step 6 — Add the Sauce and Chicken
Return the chicken to the wok. Pour the sauce over everything. Toss everything together vigorously for one to two minutes until the sauce has thickened, turned glossy, and coated every piece of chicken and vegetable.
Step 7 — Serve
Serve immediately over noodles or rice. Scatter with toasted sesame seeds and extra spring onions. A stir fry waits for nobody — serve the moment it is ready.
My Top Tips For Mary Berry Chicken Stir Fry
Slice the chicken thinly and against the grain. Thin slices — about 5mm — cook through quickly and evenly at high heat. Cutting against the grain of the muscle breaks up the fibres and gives a more tender result. Freeze the chicken for 20 minutes before slicing — slightly firm chicken is much easier to slice thinly.
Do not crowd the wok. Crowded chicken steams rather than sears. If your wok is small, cook the chicken in two batches. The extra five minutes is worth it for the golden, slightly charred exterior that makes a great stir fry.
Use the highest heat possible. This cannot be overstated. A gas hob at full blast is ideal. An electric hob can work but must be given time to reach its maximum temperature before the oil goes in.
Have everything ready before you start. A stir fry is four to five minutes of intense, continuous cooking. The preparation must be complete before the wok goes on the heat. Write a list if it helps — vegetables, sauce, noodles, chicken.
Add garlic and ginger for 30 seconds only. Garlic and ginger burn very quickly at stir fry temperatures. Thirty seconds is all they need to become fragrant. More than that and they will be bitter.
Serving Suggestions
Over egg noodles tossed with a little sesame oil. Over jasmine rice. With a side of extra chilli sauce for those who want more heat. As a light dinner with a small portion of noodles. As part of an Asian-inspired spread alongside spring rolls and dumplings.
How to Store
In the fridge: Store in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Reheat in a hot wok or frying pan with a splash of water — do not microwave if you want to preserve the texture of the vegetables.
Freezing is not recommended — the vegetables become soft and watery when frozen and defrosted.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use different vegetables?
Yes — any combination of firm vegetables works. Baby corn, pak choi, mushrooms, courgette, carrots cut into matchsticks, asparagus, beansprouts — all excellent. Add harder vegetables first and softer ones last.
Can I make this with beef or prawns instead of chicken?
Yes — thinly sliced beef steak (sirloin or rump) or raw prawns work with exactly the same method and sauce. Beef: cook two to three minutes per batch. Prawns: cook two to three minutes until pink and just cooked through.
Can I make this gluten-free?
Yes — use tamari instead of soy sauce and check that your oyster sauce is gluten-free. Some oyster sauces contain wheat. Lee Kum Kee makes a gluten-free oyster sauce.
What is the difference between oyster sauce and soy sauce?
Soy sauce provides saltiness and umami. Oyster sauce provides a slightly sweeter, more complex umami flavour with a thicker consistency. Both are essential in this sauce — neither replaces the other.
Can I use a frying pan instead of a wok?
Yes — use the largest, heaviest frying pan you have and make sure it is very hot before anything goes in. A wok distributes heat more evenly at high temperatures but a large frying pan works well.
Mary Berry Chicken Stir Fry Recipe
Ingredients
Method
- Toss chicken with cornflour, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Leave 10 minutes.
- Mix all sauce ingredients until cornflour dissolves. Set aside.
- Prepare all vegetables. Cook noodles or rice. Have everything ready.
- Heat wok over highest heat 2 minutes until smoking. Add 1 tbsp oil. Sear chicken in a single layer 1 minute then stir fry 2–3 minutes until golden and cooked through. Remove.
- Add remaining oil. Add garlic and ginger — 30 seconds. Add peppers and broccoli — 2 minutes. Add sugar snaps and spring onions — 1 minute. Maximum heat throughout.
- Return chicken. Pour over sauce. Toss vigorously 1–2 minutes until sauce thickens and coats everything.
- Serve immediately over noodles or rice. Scatter sesame seeds and spring onions.
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