Recipe of the Week: Chicken, Broccoli, and Brown Rice Stir Fry

I didn’t get a chance to go food shopping this week…or last week…so my choices for dinner on Sunday were limited.  My options included toast, cereal, Campbell’s soup, or brown rice.  I knew I had some frozen chicken somewhere in the back of the fridge and a head of broccoli that may or may not have been past its expiration date.  It was time to get creative.

Of all of the things I mentioned, only the chicken, broccoli, and rice seemed reasonable enough to include in a recipe, so I decided to throw them altogether in a skillet.  I figured I could add a few spices here, some lemon juice there, and the dish would be fail proof.  Usually, when I come up with these seemingly fantastic ideas in my head, they don’t translate very well onto the plate.  This time was the exception, however.  The stir fry came out great!  I couldn’t believe I was successful and I was so proud of my culinary genius.  Clearly, this dish fed my stomach AND my ego.

Chicken, Broccoli, and Brown Rice Stir Fry

Original recipe and photo by Culinary Chronicles of a College Kid.blogspot.com

Serves: 3

• ¾ of a small head of broccoli
• 1 chicken breast
• 1 14oz. can of chicken broth
• 1 garlic clove
• 2 oz. of water
• 2 tsp. lemon pepper seasoning (or something similar)
• 1 cup of brown rice
• olive oil
• lemon juice
• salt and pepper to taste
• large plastic bag

Woops, forgot the chicken! It was marinating..

Start by defrosting the chicken breast (let sit at room temperature for about two hours before starting to cook) and cutting into small cubes.  Then, pour a small drizzle of olive oil into the plastic bag along with a tablespoon of water.  Add the lemon pepper seasoning, a squirt of lemon juice, and a pinch of salt and pepper into the bag as well.  Put the defrosted chicken into the plastic bag with the mixture and let it marinade in the fridge for at least ½ hour.

As this is marinating, pour the water, chicken broth, and rice in a large pot over medium heat.  Cover with a lid so that it cooks faster.

After the rice has been simmering for 20 minutes, place a large skillet over medium heat and lightly coat the bottom with olive oil.  Chop the clove of garlic into fine pieces and add to the skillet.  The garlic will brown fast, so be sure to spread it around as soon as it hits the heat.

The chicken should be finished marinating, at this point, and will be ready to add to the skillet.  Take it out of the fridge and gently add the pieces of chicken onto the skillet.  Be cautious of hot oil splashing out of the pan as the chicken is added…I would know.

Don't make fun of my apron



Keep moving the chicken around in the pan, using a large spoon, to make sure that it is evenly cooked.

After about five minutes, add the broccoli and keep stirring.  If you feel that the pan is too dry, add a little more olive oil.  Be careful not to add too much, though, as the rice will add some moisture as well.  Let the broccoli cook for a few minutes, then check on the rice to see if it is ready.  You will know that it is ready to be added to the skillet when all of the liquid has been absorbed into the rice.  If the rice is ready before the chicken and the broccoli, take it off the burner and let it sit until it is ready to be added.  Timing is the only tricky part of this recipe, so be alert.

Carefully pour the rice over the chicken and broccoli in the skillet.  Mix well then sprinkle with some more lime juice, salt, and pepper.  Enjoy!

As I mentioned earlier, I love this recipe.  From now on I will make sure to always have some broccoli, chicken, and rice on hand so that I can make this as my default dinner when I’ve got nothing else.  You should too!  I promise it won’t let you down and it’s not as difficult as it may seem.

The only drawback for this recipe is that it doesn’t take five minutes to prepare, like most of my posts.  It took some extra time to marinate the chicken and cook the rice, but I’m telling you it was well worth it.  It’s great for a Sunday night when you have a little more time to spend in the kitchen, and are ready for a hearty, energizing meal before the week starts.  Plus, this recipe makes about three servings.  If you don’t plan on sharing, save it for leftovers during the week.  It may take that extra twenty minutes to prepare, but you’ll end up getting three meals out of it.  Spend the time on Sunday, and save the time during the week!

Total time: 35 minutes plus prep for chicken