Easy Blackberry Chicken Stir Fry Recipe

This easy chicken stir fry recipe is great all season long. Both a little sweet and a little spicy, it is a great way to use up summer produce.

Note: This post was updated on August 5, 2019 with new photos and content.

When summer produce is aplenty and it’s hot outside, the last thing you want to do is slave over a hot stove for hours. This quick and easy chicken stir fry recipe only needs 20 minutes to cook to get tender, golden brown chicken and crisp tender veggies. Plus, the stir fry sauce is only two ingredients! How’s that for an easy and delicious summer meal!

The Blackberries Seem Like A Strange Ingredient For Stir Fry

They are unusual, yes, but that doesn’t mean they don’t work. In fact, they don’t just work, they shine.

Fresh, ripe, plump blackberries are a great way to add flavor to this easy chicken stir fry recipe without having to go overboard on the sauce. The fruit lends a delicious sweetness that removes the need for sugar, and it also adds a lot of texture and color. 

Be careful though. The blackberries should be added at the very last minute, just so the pan can heat them up. If they are added too soon, they’ll break down and you’ll only notice the seeds in the stir fry. This 

What Goes with Chicken Stir Fry?

One of the great things about this quick and easy chicken stir fry recipe is that you can use almost any summer produce with it. You can easily replace one vegetable with another to suit you desires (example: snow peas for snap peas).

If you want something to serve your chicken stir fry with, I recommend:

• Steamed jasmine rice (Get my super secret chef's hack here.)
• Yakisoba noodles tossed with toasted sesame oil
• Fresh steamed cruciferous vegetables (like broccoli)
• Spiralized veggies, like zucchini or turnips
• Egg rolls
• An asian slaw

How Long Does It Take To Cook Chicken In A Wok?

This really depends on how you cut the chicken, taking anywhere from 5-10 minutes. The smaller and thinner you cut your chicken the faster it will cook. However, this isn’t the only thing that determines speed.

For stir fried chicken that is tender and juicy, pat dry the outside of the cut chicken with a paper towel. If you only pat it dry before cutting, it won’t be quite as effective. Once it is cut, toss in is a light amount of corn starch. This aids in the browning, and works as a thickener for the sauce later.

One of the biggest things to slow down cooking time in a wok is overcrowding. If you get your wok really hot and utilize the flame all around it, your chicken pieces don’t just need to be heaped onto the bottom. You can sprinkle them up the sides of the wok to cook as well. This helps them cook faster by utilizing the complete surface and not letting them sit on each other.

Once the chicken breast is done cooking, remove it from the wok and let it rest. This keeps it from overcooking and getting rubbery. Right before you add the blackberries, add in chicken to help warm it back up.

Can I Make This Recipe Without a Wok?

Yes, you absolutely can, it will probably just take longer.

I know with stir-frying, nonstick pans are usually advised to help reduce the amount of oil needed for cooking. While this might possibly be healthier, it isn’t as delicious. I recommend using a stainless steel pan so you can get a nice crisp browning on the chicken breast. This additional texture is important for the finished meal, and just doesn’t turn out the same in nonstick.

Tips For Making This Easy Chicken Stir Fry Recipe

I don’t know how you cook, but I tend to cut stuff up as I need it. Even with the best of knife skills however, a hot wok cooks faster than many can cut. So the first and most important tip I can give you is to prepare all your ingredients before you begin. You’ll be so very glad you did and a lot less likely to burn stuff.

Besides that, your stir fry can be improved by using any or all of these great recipe tips.

• How To Stir-Fry. These are the basics to help you master the technique of stir frying. It covers everything from when to add oil to your wok, to how to keep it clean and seasoned.
• Buy The Best Blackberries.  Nobody likes a watery berry. Use these tips to figure out the ripest blackberries that are bursting with flavor.
• How To Blanch & Shock.  If you would like to reduce the amount of time you spend cooking in the wok, you can utilize this method. It also helps retain beautiful color and crisp tender texture in your veggies.

Easy Chicken Stir Fry Recipe

As directed, this stir fry recipe has only a bare minimum hint of spice, making it pretty kid friendly, but you can always replace it with bell peppers if you want. Or, if you want your stir-fry to be a little spicier, leave the veins and seeds in the jalapeno. Additionally, if you would like for it to be a little sweeter, you can always add more blackberries. (Or purée some and add them into the sauce!)  

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Want a printable grocery list for this easy chicken stir fry recipe? Get it here.  Everything is listed in standard grocery store amounts. If no size is specified, even the smallest package will provide more than enough.

Thanks so much for stopping by!

Happy Cooking! 🙂