Stir-Fried Chicken with Asparagus and Mushrooms

by Katie Chin, Tastemaker in Residence

It was one of those days. Before I knew it, it was 5 pm and I had to think about feeding my family. Can you relate? Here is a quick and simple Stir-Fried Chicken with Asparagus and Wild Mushroom recipe I love to make because it’s fast and the kids love it! Once you try it it will quickly become a staple using only a few ingredients that you can get anywhere.  I used chicken thigh for this recipe but boneless, skinless chicken breast works great too. Marinate the chicken in the morning before your day starts and it’s super fast. Mushrooms have been identified by the City of Hope as having powerful anti-cancer fighting potential so make room for Mushrooms!

Just before I start cooking, I wash the rice and get it going in my rice cooker so it’s piping hot and ready to serve when my stir-fry is done.

Marinate the chicken pieces in cornstarch, salt, and pepper. Cornstarch seals in the juices of the protein for making super tender chicken. Cover and place in refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. If you are a planner, you can even do this in the morning and let it marinate in the fridge all day, which will cut down on prep time later.

While chicken is marinating, slice mushrooms, mince garlic and cut asparagus.
I like to use fresh baby Bella mushrooms in this dish but you can improvise with really
any variety including white button, shitake or straw mushrooms. With stir-frying, the most important thing to do is have everything organized and ready to go as the stir-frying only takes just a few minutes. Also, this is a good time to make the cornstarch slurry which is the key to the velvety gravy in Cantonese stir-fry dishes.

You can snap off the tough ends off of asparagus easily. Bend about ¾ of the way from the end and the tough part will naturally snap off.

Heat your wok or frying pan (I prefer non-stick as it requires less oil and your protein won’t stick). Add the oil and then stir-fry the chicken pieces. Once they turn white, you remove from the pan and stir-fry the vegetables. Once they’re cooked, you add the chicken pieces back to the pan. Then add the chicken broth to the veggies and cooked chicken. Once it boils, you add the cornstarch slurry and combine all of the ingredients with a spatula. Add the oyster sauce and your dinner is done!

Serve with steaming hot rice and enjoy!

Ingredients

8 ounces (about 4) skinless, boneless chicken thigh
¼ teaspoon salt
3 teaspoons cornstarch, divided
4 ounces baby bella mushrooms
4 ounces asparagus spears
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
4 teaspoons vegetable oil
2 garlic cloves, finely minced
½ cup chicken broth

Instructions

1. Cut the chicken into 2 x ¼-inch slices. In a bowl, mix the salt, pepper and 1 teaspoon cornstarch. Stir in the chicken. Set aside.
2. Cut off and discard the stems from the mushrooms. Rinse the mushroom caps in cold water, pat dry and cut into ½-inch strips.
3. Break off tough end of asparagus spears. Slice the asparagus diagonally into 2-inch pieces.
4. In a small bowl, mix 2 teaspoons water and the remaining 2 teaspoons cornstarch.
5. Heat wok or nonstick pan over high heat. Add the vegetable oil and chicken and cook and stir until the chicken turns white about 2 minutes. Add the garlic, mushrooms and asparagus and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the chicken broth, cover, and cook for 1 minute. Stir in the cornstarch mixture; cook and stir until thickened. Add the oyster sauce and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Remove to a heated platter and serve immediately.