Chinese Chicken and Broccoli
We’re big fans of the Chinese takeaway, so we’re always looking for slimming friendly alternatives. Enter Chinese Chicken and Broccoli!
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NutritionPer Serving
- Calories184
- Carbs16g
- Protein19g
- Fat1g
- Saturates0.3g
- Sugars7g
For the full list of ingredients and comprehensive instructions, please see the recipe card at the end of this post. Before you scroll, there’s important stuff to know in the blurb!
This Chinese Chicken and Broccoli is just as tasty and fresh as something you’d get from the Chinese. In fact, it’s pretty close to how the Chinese takeaway will make it – only minus the oil, sugar, and sesame oil!
Our Chinese Chicken and Broccoli is still packed with Chinese flavours and crunchy veg, and because it’s lower in calories and fat, you can enjoy it on Weight Watchers and similar diet plans guilt-free. Ideal for a fakeaway night or if you fancy something quick and easy: it’s on the table within half an hour!
What diets is this Chinese Chicken and Broccoli suitable for?
This Chinese Chicken and Broccoli recipe can be made gluten free as long as you swap out the following ingredients for gluten free versions;
- Soy sauce
- Oyster sauce
- Stock
You could also enjoy this Chinese Chicken and Broccoli if you’re dairy free.
Please make sure to double or triple check all of your ingredients if you’re cooking for people with allergies.
How Weight Watchers friendly is this Chinese Chicken and Broccoli?
- You need to count 3 Points per portion of this Chinese Chicken and Broccoli recipe if you’re on WW Green.
- You need to count 2 Points per portion of this Chinese Chicken and Broccoli recipe if you’re on WW Blue.
- You need to count 2 Points per portion of this Chinese Chicken and Broccoli recipe if you’re on WW Purple.
Do you need any special ingredients to make Chinese Chicken and Broccoli?
When you’re cooking with soy sauce it’s important to use a good quality one. If you don’t you may find that the finished dish tastes very salty, without much flavour. When you use a really good quality soy sauce, you’ll get this amazing sheen and such a nice depth of flavour.
We’ve used Lee Kum Kee Premium dark soy sauce. You can of course use any brand, but be sure to use dark not light.
Light soy sauce is usually used to season and alter the flavour of dishes, whilst dark soy sauce is used to add flavour, seasoning and colour. Lee Kum Kee Premium dark soy sauce has a thicker texture and deeper colour than other brands resulting in a dark, glossy finish to dishes.
Which is exactly what we’re looking for in this Chinese Chicken and Broccoli.
If you fancy trying it out you can pick some up from Tesco, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons and you can follow them over on Instagram!
Broccoli is also a key ingredient in this dish. You can use either tenderstem broccoli or a large head of broccoli for this recipe, but whichever you decide to use don’t throw away the stalks. Slice them up and add them to the dish!
How many calories is Chinese Chicken and Broccoli?
Each serving of this Chinese Chicken and Broccoli is only 184 calories! This is really low for something that tastes like it came from the takeaway, and all the veg makes it really filling.
This means it falls into our Everyday Light recipe category. You can find all of our other Everyday Light recipes here.
As a guide, an average man needs around 2,500kcal (10,500kJ) a day to maintain a healthy body weight. For an average woman, that figure is around 2,000kcal (8,400kJ) a day. Obviously, if your goal is to lose weight then you might want to adjust these slightly! You can read more about these recommendations on the NHS website.
Step 1
Heat up a wok or decent sized frying pan, and spray with low calorie cooking spray.
Step 2
Add the diced chicken, season and cook for 3-5 minutes until browned, remove from the pan and set aside.
Step 3
Spray with a bit more low calorie cooking spray, then add the onions, garlic, ginger and mushrooms.
Step 4
Stir and cook until they are browned and starting to soften.
Step 5
Add the carrots, spring onions and broccoli.
Step 6
Return the chicken to the pan and stir in the dark soy sauce, oyster sauce and rice vinegar.
Step 7
Pour in the stock, stir well and allow to simmer on a high heat, stirring occasionally until the sauce reduces and thickens slightly. it should take around 8-10 minutes to cook the vegetables and reduce the sauce.
Step 8
Check the chicken is cooked. Serve with an accompaniment of your choice!
What should you should serve with Chinese Chicken and Broccoli?
What should you should serve with Chinese Chicken and Broccoli?Any of the following go really well with Chinese Chicken and Broccoli.. it can of course be enjoyed on its own too!
Whatever accompaniment you choose, don’t forget to account for the extra calories and/or other nutritional values.
How long can you keep Chinese Chicken and Broccoli in the fridge?
Once you’ve put it out, ideally you should eat it within 4 hours.
If you allow any left overs to cool, make sure to refrigerate in a container with a lid and chill. You can keep leftovers of Chinese Chicken and Broccoli in the fridge for approximately 3 days or so.
Can I freeze this Chinese Chicken and Broccoli?
Yes you can! This recipe can be frozen, but please remember to do the following;
- Freeze it as soon as it is cold enough.
- Use a container or bag that is suitable for freezing.
Don’t forget to add a label with what it is, and on what date you put it in the freezer!
How do I reheat Chinese Chicken and Broccoli?
From chilled: Place in a microwave proof container with loosely fitting lid and heat for 4-7 minutes until piping hot.
From frozen: Allow to defrost, and heat covered in the microwave for 3-5 minutes then stir. Cook for a further 5-7 minutes until piping hot.
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Chinese Chicken and Broccoli
We’re big fans of the Chinese takeaway, so we’re always looking for slimming friendly alternatives. Enter Chinese Chicken and Broccoli!
-
Prep Time
10 MINS
-
Cook Time
20 MINS
- KCals 184
- Carbs 16G
- WW Points:
- 3 Green
- 2 Blue
- 2 Purple
Instructions
- Heat up a wok or decent sized frying pan, and spray with low calorie cooking spray.
- Add the diced chicken, season and cook for 3-5 minutes until browned, remove from the pan and set aside.
- Spray with a bit more low calorie cooking spray, then add the onions, garlic, ginger and mushrooms.
- Stir and cook until they are browned and starting to soften.
- Add the carrots, spring onions and broccoli.
- Return the chicken to the pan, stir in the dark soy sauce, oyster sauce and rice vinegar.
- Pour in the stock, stir well and allow to simmer on a high heat, stirring occasionally until the sauce reduces and thickens slightly. it should take around 8-10 minutes to cook the vegetables and reduce the sauce.
- Check the chicken is cooked. Serve with an accompaniment of your choice!
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71 comments
See what others have to say
MicheleMonday 26th October 2020
Can I use ground ginger instead of fresh minced & how much do you think I should add?
Thanks in advance.
HollyWednesday 28th October 2020
Hi Michele, if you’d like to substitute the fresh ginger for ground ginger I would suggest using 1/4 tsp and adding it in step 6 instead. Hope that helps!
Caroline PinchbeckTuesday 11th August 2020
Tried this recipe last night, just me and my partner so we halved it, even though he asked me to make the whole thing next time so he can take it to work the next day. Was so nice and couldnt believe how much it made! We combined with some plain noodles but would have been fine on it’s own. Will definatly be making this again.
SharonTuesday 11th August 2020
Hi Caroline, we’re so pleased to hear you enjoyed the Chinese Chicken and Broccoli and that you thought there was plenty. Glad to hear you’ll be making this again!
LaurenTuesday 26th May 2020
Hi, could I put in some Chinese 5 spice with this dish?
LisaTuesday 26th May 2020
Hi Lauren. Yes, that sounds like a great idea.
LisaSaturday 9th May 2020
Measured out the soy sauce, rice vinegar and some worcestershire sauce (had no oyster sauce) in to a glass.
Then proceeded to take a gulp of it as mistook it for my cola!!!
Apart from that, the dish was lovely although a bit too salty, so will use reducaced saly soy sauce next time.
LisaTuesday 12th May 2020
Oh no!!! Glad you enjoyed the recipe more than your “cola”!
Matthew GordonWednesday 6th May 2020
Made this tonight, very tasty and healthy. We didn’t have oyster sauce so didn’t use it, mixed and matched the recipe a bit so added two peppers as we love those. Didn’t have fresh ginger so just used some ground ginger which works the trick.
Sharon FitzpatrickThursday 7th May 2020
Hi Matthew, thanks for letting us know how you got on making the Chinese Chicken and Broccoli. It sounds like you did a great job adapting the recipe to use the ingredients you had available. It sounds delicious.
Phil GraingerSunday 19th April 2020
Anyone tried reheating (after freezing) WITHOUT a microwave? I assume gentle warming in a pan iIs the way to go?
LisaWednesday 13th May 2020
It would be fine to reheat that way, Phil. Just make sure its piping hot! Enjoy.
MarieMonday 2nd March 2020
This dish is a firm staple in our house! Love it for tea and also batch cook and split into 5 gives me plenty for work! Definitely reccomend this dish 🙂
HollyWednesday 6th May 2020
Hey Marie, so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
HannahTuesday 25th February 2020
What type of stock pot do you use?
Sharon FitzpatrickFriday 8th May 2020
Hi Hannah, we used a chicken stockpot in this recipe. Although any brand will be fine, we usually use Knorr stockpots.
Christine CurranTuesday 18th February 2020
Am I misreading the instructions? I can see where it says to add the broccoli stalks but not the florets. I added them with the chicken but they were still very raw so I had to put a lid in the work to steam them for about 10 minutes to get them cooked. Tasted lovely when cooked though.
Holly LevellThursday 21st May 2020
Hi Christine, if you are using a full head of broccoli cut it into small florets and slice the stems up too adding them in at step 5. This way all the vegetables should cook at a similar rate but you want the broccoli to have a bit of bite and crunch. Hope that helps!
EmmaSunday 9th February 2020
Hi, can you explain why you use a stock cube and a stock pot? Or is it supposed to be ‘or’ instead of ‘and’ in the ingredients list?
Thanks
Emma
Steve CowderoyThursday 7th May 2020
Hi Emma, thanks for getting in touch with us. We do make the chicken stock with both the stock pot and the stock cube as we belive it gives a more intense flavour. Please let us know how you get on with it.
Kate KirklandSaturday 25th January 2020
Hi I
I don’t have oyster sauce is it essential?
Thanks
Kate
Sharon FitzpatrickWednesday 13th May 2020
Hi Kate, the oyster sauce is one of the main flavouring ingredients so without it the dish would lose it’s rich Chinese flavour. The dish would have a thin soy flavoured sauce which just wouldn’t be the same. Thanks for getting in touch.
EmilyTuesday 21st January 2020
I agree with the sauce comment, mine looked much more thin than how it looks in the pic. It was ok, I added some chilli flakes to give it a bit of a kick
Holly LevellThursday 21st May 2020
Hi Emily, the water content of the vegetables and chicken can create a lot more liquid and make the sauce a lot thinner. Try keeping it on a high heat and the sauce should reduce down. Hope that helps!
Rox WellsTuesday 14th January 2020
What do people have with this? Is there a good sticky rice recipe?
Holly LevellThursday 21st May 2020
Hi Rox, Any of the following go really well with Chinese Chicken and Broccoli, Fakeaway Fried Rice, Salt and Pepper Chips, Speedy Singapore Noodles or it can be enjoyed on its own too!
AmberThursday 9th January 2020
Just made this for me, my sister and my mum. Really enjoyed it. Very filling and paired with chinese style rice from uncle bens, 1/3 of the pack each.
Holly LevellFriday 15th May 2020
Hi Amber, so glad you all enjoyed this recipe!
Kate FranceThursday 9th January 2020
Hi Please could you advise me how many servings the chicken and broccoli dish makes so I can work out the calories thanks ?
Sharon FitzpatrickWednesday 20th May 2020
Hi Kate , thanks for getting in touch. This recipe serves 4 and is 212 calories per serving. If you scroll down to the recipe card at the bottom of the page you will find the information there. Do hope this helps and enjoy making this dish!
Laureta BeqiriWednesday 8th January 2020
is this recipe in the original first book of pinch of nom??
Holly LevellThursday 21st May 2020
Hi Laureta, this Chinese Chicken and Broccoli is a website recipe. If you like this have a look at our Chicken Satay Curry, Chicken Chow Mein and the rest of our Fakeaway category of the website!
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