Ponzu Zucchini Stir Fry with Chicken

This Ponzu and Chili Crisp Zucchini Stir Fry with Chicken is sure to become a weekly staple! Each bite has tender chicken, crisp zucchini, and the stir fry sauce on the onions and zucchini is out of this world!

Take this from someone who loves a good midweek chicken stir fry; this is the ONE to make.

Don’t believe I’m the chicken stir fry queen? Have you seen the one with black pepper, my jalapeño chicken, or the saucy chicken broccoli stir fry?

This Chicken zucchini stir fry is one of those meals that taste way better than they should. It’s easy because the same ingredients I use in the sauce are the ones that go into the marinade for the chicken. And it’s quick and healthy and flavorful enough to serve for weeknight dinner and to box up for desk lunches the next day! Plus the total time on this recipe is around 40 minutes – and that’s with 20 minutes of marination time.

I keep the vegetables pretty simple with just a white onion and some zucchini, but you could add a red bell pepper for color, swap the zucchini for yellow squash in the summer, or skip the rice and serve this over cauliflower rice (to get in another vegetable and up your fiber intake!) 

The veggie possibilities are truly endless.

Ingredients for chicken zucchini stir fry recipe:

• Chicken: Feel free to use boneless skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs for this recipe. Just be sure to cut them into thin strips so that they cook up in the time listed.
• Zucchini: I like to cut them into thin half-moon slices so that it cooks up tender crisp with the onions
• Onions: You’ll need half an onion; dice it so that it cooks up at the same time as the zucchini slices.
• Cornstarch: we’ll coat the chicken with a bit of cornstarch so that it seals in the moisture. You’ll also need a bit of cornstarch to help thicken the sauce for this dish.
• Ponzu soy sauce: ponzu is a citrus-based sauce used in Japanese cooking. It’s made with soy sauce, tamari, rice vinegar, and bonito flakes, amongst other ingredients. Tons of umami flavor!
• Seasonings: I like to use garlic powder and red pepper flakes to season the chicken
• Oyster sauce: I don’t use shellfish-based oyster sauce in my recipes, so what I’m actually using is a vegan-oyster-flavored sauce. This gives the sauce a golden brown color. For someone with a shellfish allergy, the mushrooms oyster sauce works beautifully! You can find it here.
• Chicken Stock: just a splash for the sauce portion of the dish. I like to just whisk the stock, cornstarch pans, oyster sauce, pressed garlic, and chili crunch together in a bowl before adding it to the pan so that the sauce doesn’t need a cornstarch slurry at the end to thicken it!
• Garlic Cloves: use minced garlic for the stir fry portion. You can swap it for minced garlic in a jar; you’ll need 6 teaspoons.
• Chili crunch or chili crisp: I use this brand, but you can use any chili crunch that you typically like on your food! Use as much or as little as you would like to make this spicier. I recommend 1 teaspoon to keep things pretty mild!
• Cooking oil: You’ll need a couple tablespoon oil to stir fry zucchini and onions and then to cook the chicken in.
• Sesame seeds: these are completely optional and just for garnish if you’d like.

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Instructions for Zucchini Stir Fry with Chicken

1. Marinate the chicken. In a large bowl, combine the portioned cornstarch with ponzu, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, and oyster sauce. Stir until the cornstarch dissolves. Then add the chicken pieces and marinate for 15-20 minutes or up to 3 hours in the fridge.
2. Combine the sauce. you’ll want to combine the remaining ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl or measuring cup. Whisk to combine and set aside for now.
3. Sauté the veggies. heat a wide skillet over medium-high heat. When the wok or skillet is hot, add a tablespoon of oil to the skillet and sauté the zucchini and onions. When the zucchini is vibrant and al dente and the onions are slightly blistered, remove to a plate. I cook them for a short period of time over high heat because I don’t want them to a have a soft texture. 
4. Cook the chicken. Add the remaining oil to the pan, and then add the protein. Cook for 4-5 mins or as needed to cook the chicken all the way through.
5. Pour in the sauce. Once the chicken is done, pour the sauce over it then toss to combine. The sauce will sizzle, start to cling to the chicken and thicken immediately. Add the veggies to the pan and give it all a good toss before you top with a few sesame seeds. That’s it! Serve it up with a little rice or whatever else you like!

If you like this recipe, you might also like:

• Pepper Steak Beef Stir Fry 
• Sticky Baked Chicken Bites in Honey Sriracha Sauce
• Turmeric Black Pepper Chicken with Hot Honey Sauce
• Sesame Oil Ginger Tofu and Veggie Stir Fry
• Crispy Honey Garlic Tofu

Ponzu Zucchini Stir Fry with Chicken

4.85 from 19 votes

This Ponzu and Chili Crisp Zucchini Stir Fry with Chicken is sure to become a weekly staple! The chicken is tender, the zucchini is crisp, and the stir fry sauce on the onions and zucchini is out of this world!

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Prep Time: 10 minutes mins

Cook Time: 10 minutes mins

Total Time: 40 minutes mins

Servings: 4

Author: Marzia

Equipment

• Wok Spatula 
• Mixing Bowls
• 10-inch Wok

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Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken, cut into thin slices (thighs or breasts)
• ▢ 2 medium zucchini cut into semi-moon slices
• ▢ ½ white onion diced
• ▢ 1 tablespoon cornstarch divided
• ▢ 6 tablespoons ponzu soy sauce or low sodium soy/tamari
• ▢ ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ▢ ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• ▢ 4 teaspoons oyster sauce
• ▢ ½ cup chicken stock
• ▢ 6 cloves garlic minced or pressed
• ▢ 1 teaspoon chili crunch or chili crisp or more
• ▢ 2 tablespoons oil
• ▢ Sesame seeds for garnish (optional)

Instructions 

• MARINATE: In a bowl, combine: 1 ½ teaspoon cornstarch, 3 tablespoons ponzu, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, and 2 teaspoons oyster sauce. Stir until the cornstarch dissolves. Add the chicken and let marinate for as long as possible, 20 minutes minimum and ideally, 2-3 hours covered in the fridge.
• SAUCE: In a measuring cup, combine the remaining 1 ½ teaspoon cornstarch, 3 tablespoons ponzu, 2 teaspoon oyster sauce, ½ cup chicken stock, pressed garlic, and chili crisp. Whisk to combine; set aside for now.
• SAUTE: Heat a large wok over medium-high heat. When the wok is hot, add 1 tablespoon of oil and saute the zucchini and onions together until they blister but still remaining vibrant and green. I don’t cook them for more than 2 minutes because I prefer them a little crisp. Cook longer if you like the veggies softer. Remove to a plate.
• STIR FRY: Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the wok, add the chicken and saute the chicken stir as needed. Cook for 4-5 minutes or until the chicken is almost done. Stir and pour the sauce over the chicken. Toss to combine. It should start to sizzle and thicken. Add the veggies and toss everything until all is coated in the sauce. Remove from heat and serve warm with white or brown rice topped with sesame seeds.

Nutrition

Calories: 262kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 12g | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

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