Full of texture and big flavors, this Umami-Rich Ground Basil Chicken Stir Fry with Green Beans is a gluten-free delight of a meal! Made with tender dark meat ground chicken that crisps up flawlessly in the skillet, along with perfectly cooked bites of green beans, fragrant basil, shallots, scallions, and garlic – hello flavor! The 4-ingredient homemade stir fry sauce is made with coconut aminos so the recipe is not only gluten free, but also soy free. It makes an excellent weeknight meal, and any leftovers are just as good as it is straight from the pan!
The yummiest stir fry that we can’t stop making
Busy weeknights love a good stir fry recipe.
And while there are times we want to make something with a bigger variety of veggies like we do in our Cashew Chicken Stir Fry, sometimes all you need is one vegetable plus chicken / beef / pork and you’re set. This pork and pea stir fry is another good example of how well that formula can work!
The gorgeous green beans have been abundant this summer, but they’re also, fortuitously, one of those vegetables that’s plentiful year round!
I think I’ve been making a version of this stir fry for at least 5 years. But green beans with basil and ground chicken is by far my most favorite combination yet.
A few recipe notes for the best cooking experience
The secret to this recipe is in a couple of simple prep steps and techniques that aren’t hard to execute, but make all the difference for a meal that you’ll be absolutely thrilled to dig into.
The first is the same step that’s true for most stir fries – prepping everything before you start cooking (stir-fries come together fast!), and cooking things in the right order and for the right amount of time. For this recipe, that means sautéing the aromatics until they’re just starting to caramelize. Any longer, and they may end up burning as they continue to cook with the ground chicken.
Allow the ground chicken time to sear and caramelize in the pan. Instead of plopping the chicken into the skillet and breaking it up immediately, press it into a thin layer to maximize contact with the hot pan and let it cook undisturbed for a few minutes for the best bits of golden-brown yum. Once that sear has taken off, then you can start breaking it up with your spatula. I strongly suggest going for a mix of bigger and smaller pieces as you do this for peak textural contrast!
Blanching the green beans! This step might seem a little extra, but I have never made a stir-fry where a quick blanch of green beans, instead of adding them straight to the skillet, hasn’t improved the end result. They’ll only be in the simmering water for about 90 seconds, and it gives them the best evenly cooked (!!!) head start.
The ingredient line up
Pulling the recipe together
If you enjoyed this easy chicken stir fry I’d love it if you would take a moment to rate and review it below! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 It’s also a great place for questions, and super helpful for other readers if you share any modifications you made to the recipe.
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Umami-Rich Ground Basil Chicken Stir Fry with Green Beans
- Total Time: 40 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Diet: Dairy-Free, Gluten-Free
Description
Full of texture and big flavors, this Umami-Rich Ground Basil Chicken Stir Fry with Green Beans is a gluten-free delight of a meal! Made with tender dark meat ground chicken that crisps up flawlessly in the skillet, along with perfectly cooked bites of green beans, fragrant basil, shallots, scallions, and garlic – hello flavor! The 4-ingredient homemade stir fry sauce is made with coconut aminos so the recipe is not only gluten free, but also soy free. It makes an excellent weeknight meal, and any leftovers are just as good as it is straight from the pan!
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup coconut aminos
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce, or to taste (optional)
- 4 green onions, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 2 medium shallots, finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1 pound ground dark meat chicken
- 12 ounces green beans, ends trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Extra basil and sesame seeds to garnish
Instructions
Time saving tip: As you prep the green beans, shallots, and garlic, start a small pot of water to boil that you’ll use to blanch the green beans in step 2.
- Make the stir fry sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the 1/2 cup coconut aminos, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, and 1 teaspoon hot sauce (if using). Whisk together to combine, and set aside.
- Blanch the green beans. Bring a small saucepan of water to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Add the cut green beans and cook for 1 minute for french green beans (haricot vert), and 1 1/2 minutes for regular-sized green beans. Immediately drain and run under cold water until the green beans are cool to the touch. Set aside in the colander to continue draining.
- Start preparing the stir fry. Heat 1 tablespoon avocado oil over medium heat in a large skillet. Add the shallots and garlic and cook until the shallots are translucent and starting to caramelize – about 3 minutes. Move the shallots and garlic to the side of the pan and increase the heat to medium-high. Add the ground chicken and press into a flat layer. Cook undisturbed for 2 minutes so that it can brown a bit. Then, break it up into smaller pieces and fold in the shallots and garlic. When the chicken is cooked through and the liquid from the chicken has evaporated, add the green beans and green onions and continue to stir fry for another 3 minutes, until the green beans are hot and slightly more cooked than when you added them to the pan.
- Add the stir fry sauce and basil to the skillet. Reduce heat to medium, pour in the stir fry sauce, and add the basil. Stir to combine, scraping up any stuck-on bits from the bottom of the pan, and cook for another 2 minutes – until the sauce coats the meat and the basil has wilted.
- Season and serve! Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve hot over rice if desired. Garnish with extra basil and sesame seeds.
Notes
The total time to make the recipe includes 15 minutes of prep time.
This stir fry should keep in a covered container in the refrigerator for 3 days.
Nutrition facts are for the stir fry without any rice.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 25 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Asian
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