Sticky Chicken and Brussels Sprouts Stir-Fry

By Ali Slagle

Published March 1, 2024

Sticky Chicken and Brussels Sprouts Stir-Fry — Kelly Marshall for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Roscoe Betsill. Prop Stylist: Paige Hicks.

Total Time: 30 minutes
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Rating: 4(723)
Notes: Read community notes

If teriyaki chicken and balsamic brussels sprouts met up in the skillet, you’d get this quick weeknight stir-fry. Cubes of boneless chicken breasts and seared brussels sprouts are glazed in a sweet, savory, sticky mixture of balsamic vinegar, soy sauce and maple syrup. The recipe is adaptable, too: Instead of brussels sprouts, any other vegetable you like in your stir-fries can be seared until crisp-tender, like broccoli florets, green beans or snow peas. For spice, add crushed red pepper or chopped garlic or ginger to the sauce. You can also make this vegan by using pressed, cubed tofu instead of chicken. Serve over steamed rice or sweet potatoes.

or to save this recipe.
Subscriber benefit: give recipes to anyone
As a subscriber, you have 10 gift recipes to give each month. Anyone can view them - even nonsubscribers. Learn more.
Subscribe
Share
Print Options
Include recipe photo

Ingredients

Yield:4 servings

¼cup soy sauce
¼cup balsamic vinegar
¼cup maple syrup
1tablespoon cornstarch
1pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into roughly ¾-inch pieces
3tablespoons grapeseed or vegetable oil
1pound brussels sprouts, halved
Salt

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Preparation

Step 1
In a medium bowl, use a fork to stir together the soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, maple syrup, cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water until the cornstarch is dissolved. Add the chicken and stir to coat.
Step 2
In a large nonstick skillet or wok, heat the oil over medium-high until shimmering. Add the brussels sprouts in a single layer, cut sides down, season with salt and cook until browned underneath, 2 to 4 minutes. Stir and continue cooking until bright green and crisp-tender, 2 to 4 minutes.
Step 3
Stir the chicken and sauce once more, then add the mixture to the skillet and stir until the chicken is cooked through and glazed with sauce, 4 to 6 minutes. At first it will seem there might not be enough sauce, but the vegetables and chicken will release some liquid. If the sauce starts to burn on the bottom of the skillet, add a tablespoon of water.

Ratings

4 out of 5

723 user ratings

Have you cooked this?

Private Notes

Leave a Private Note on this recipe and see it here.

Cooking Notes

Beth Parent3 months ago

Delicious, very easy and quick recipe. I used approximately one pound of leftover roast chicken and marinated with the sauce ingredients for about thirty minutes before cooking. Will definitely make again as it pairs beautifully with Brussels sprouts.

Stephanie3 months ago

I don't understand how you can get the sprouts fully cooked so fast when they're cut in half, unless they're quite small. The ones I buy are much larger. I slice them in 3ds and put the cover on to steam them for a couple minutes so they're soft & sweet all the way through.

Chickenfog3 months ago

Added sesame seeds. I was shocked how good this was considering its simplicity. Made w/ leftovers (chicken/br sprouts) for an easy, delicious meal. Keeper.

Bill3 months ago

no need to use sugar, maple syrup, etc

Sharon B3 months ago

We enjoyed this dish quite a lot. I was concerned about the straight sweet n sour flavor profile so I added a half a tablespoon of sambal oolek. Also garnished with scallions for a bit of allium. Super easy and fast to make, so I’ll make it again (with my modifications).

QUAASAM3 months ago

It was great. Easy, quick and delicious. Served with roasted sweet potato slices (425F - 20 Min.). They absorbed the delicious sauce. Will do it again.

bwc3 months ago

Super simple, super delicious, was a little too sweet for my taste so I cut back on the maple by half the second time I made it. It definitely needs a little heat if your tastes run that way, so Sriracha, gochujang, chili crisp or some other complex spicy thing will go a long way.

John3 months ago

I just made this for the family last night, I added carrots, celery, and cashews to the stir fry and served it over sticky rice. Fantastic!

Sara3 months ago

Anyone cook this with chicken thighs instead of breasts for those who prefer dark meat?

A little too sweet2 weeks ago

I agree with others it was a little too sweet, next time I’ll cut the maple syrup in half. I think some minced ginger added in just before the chicken would be good.

K.C.2 weeks ago

Subbed broccoli for the Brussels, and this was a slam dunk for a busy weeknight with young kids!

Cathy3 weeks ago

Used boneless skinless chicken thighs because that’s what we had. Reduced the maple syrup to 3 TB and added some sesame seeds based on others’ comments. Otherwise followed the recipe exactly. The brussels sprouts were too crunchy/tough after following the directions, so next time I might try microwaving first, or even roasting them. Otherwise the flavors were awesome. I agree with commenters that some extra spiciness might be great. Excellent dish that we will try again!

Mark3 weeks ago

Very good but too sweet...would use 1/2 to 1/3 of the maple syrup next time (or maybe none)...the secret of this recipe is its simplicity, but it could easily be made easily complicated with other ingredients including toasted sliced almonds or toasted sesame seeds, could also substitute toasted sesame oli for neutral oil, could add peanut oil/butter or put on top of your favorite rice...and the list goes on...

dontcallmerosie1 month ago

really quick and easy, but healthy and flavorful. I served it with jasmine rice and that went well.

Mark Fichman1 month ago

This is an excellent quick easy dinner. I microwaved the Brussels sprouts for 2 minutes and that worked well. Served with pasta.

Elise1 month ago

Its good- but lacking some flavor, I'd recommend adding some spices (salt, pepper, paprika, garlic salt, garlic powder, etc). Also adding mushrooms are a great add too!

Scott1 month ago

Have to agree with others on this forum that the recipe results in a dish that is too sweet. Next time I’ll reduce the maple syrup to 1/8 cup. Also, if you have anything other than tiny brussels sprouts, you have to parboil or steam them before pan searing.

A little bland1 month ago

I found this to be a bit bland, even after adding siracha to the sauce. I ended up adding about a 1/4 cup of Thai Sweet Chili Sauce, then it was great.

debbie1 month ago

I used boneless skinless chicken thighs and marinated them for 1/2 hour. I only used 1/8 cup of maple syrup and added 1/8 cup gochuchang sauce. Served it over rice with a salad. It was a huge hit. Will definitely make this again

Robin1 month ago

This was pretty good, quick and easy. Brussels sprouts cooked just fine in the time allotted. Next time would definitely use chicken thighs and add something for heat/spice.

julia2 months ago

Used turkey filets because I had them on hand, cut maple syrup to 3 tbsp and added 1 tsp sambal oelek for heat. Easy and delicious, will make again!

Carly2 months ago

Delicious! Made with leftover rotisserie chicken, which I marinated for a bit while trimming Brussels. Next time maybe add some cashews and/ or hot sauce.

Dan S2 months ago

Added ~3 cloves minced garlic, ~3 green onions (white part only), and crushed red pepper to the sauce mixture. Used the green part of the green onions for garnish.

Lisa T2 months ago

I made this with broccoli. Loved how the veg cooked, nice and crisp. The sauce is delish and I like the suggestions of sambal oelek, scallions and sesame seeds. We added spice also. I didn’t find it”sticky” though and would have liked the sauce to be thicker but didn’t want overcooked chicken.

Private notes are only visible to you.