Well, that only took about four months…. So you know I am a wee bit obsessed with Asian food right?
I have so many great Asian inspired dishes posted on here but almost every single one contains soy in some form. Guess what I haven’t re-introduced to my diet since completing the Whole30?
Yep, you guessed it — Soy.
Mostly because I have been plagued with this dry skin for the last couple of years and I now have pretty good reason to believe that soy may be the culprit. I went into the Whole30 thinking soy was possibly related and my immediate results when I removed soy from my diet pretty much confirmed my hypothesis but that is for another conversation.
In the meantime, I have been on a mission to make some good soy-free Asian dishes and let me tell you, it ain’t easy.
I have been using this soy-free soy-sauce substitute, Coconut Aminos. It’s really good but a bit expensive, can be hard to find (I got it at Whole Foods Market) and doesn’t have the same umami flavor that good, fermented soy sauce has. Plus it’s a bit sweeter and much less salty than good soy sauce. Now, none of these are deal breakers, I just needed to create some new recipes that highlight the coconut aminos.
Enter this Paleo Chicken Stir Fry. Last time I made it, I posted pictures to my Instagram and Facebook and I got a lot of emails asking me to post the recipe.
My family was thrilled when I told them I was making it again so that I could take pictures and share it with you because they all love it as well – especially my son. He literally licked his plate clean and was upset when it was all gone. That is a very good thing. There is nothing more satisfying than watching your kid devour healthy, homemade food and want more!
I served this on top of Cauliflower Rice. If you aren’t familiar, here is a step-by-step tutorial.
Also, I added hot sauce on the side but I like my food really spicy. This is not spicy at all. That is on purpose. If you want to make this hot and aren’t cooking for little kids like I am, triple the crushed red pepper flakes or add in 2 or 3 dried red chilies!
Finally, I saw this post the other day and wanted to include it when I finally posted this Stir Fry because if you are looking for Asian Paleo recipes, this is a goldmine!
NOTES:
- If you don’t have issues with soy or can’t find the coconut amino’s, use a good quality organic tamari or fermented soy sauce. Note that both tamari and soy sauce are higher in sodium and less sweet than the coconut amino’s so the sauce will taste different. I recommend using 1/2 the amount of soy sauce if substituting for coconut aminos. Also, omit the 1 tsp kosher salt mixed in with the aromatics and season to taste after sauce thickens.
- You could easily substitute beef, pork, shrimp or chicken breast for the chicken thighs.
- I recommend quartering the mushrooms unless they are huge, then cut them in 6ths or even 8ths.
- Napa cabbage would also work well!
- While the sauce does immediately thicken, it doesn’t stay thick after reheating so I recommend serving this immediately.
Did you make this recipe? Please give it a star rating below!
8 Points Plus Per Serving -- Serves 6 (over cauliflower rice)
- 6 medium cloves garlic smashed and finely chopped
- 3 inch piece fresh ginger root peeled and finely chopped
- 1 bunch scallions light and dark parts separated, light parts finely chopped and dark green parts cut into 2" pieces and set aside
- 1 1/4 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite sized pieces
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil divided
- 4 tablespoons Coconut Aminos divided
- 1/8 teaspoon + 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper divided
- 1/2 teaspoons + 1 teaspoon kosher salt divided
- 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or more to taste
- 2/3 cup chicken broth or stock plus a couple more splashes for cooking
- 1 1/2 lbs green cabbage core removed and cut into 1" pieces
- 1 1/4 pound head of broccoli stalks trimmed and cut into 1" pieces, florets cut into even bite sized pieces
- 1/2 pound white mushrooms cleaned, stems trimmed and quartered
- 1/4 cup cold water
- 1/4 cup tapioca flour
- 1 tablespoon virgin coconut oil divided
- cauliflower rice for serving
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Grab garlic, ginger and scallions.Cut the scallions so the whites and darks are divided.
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Peel garlic, smash cloves and finely chop. Peel ginger with a teaspoon, smash and finely chop.Smash and finely chop scallion whites.
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Cut scallion greens into 2" pieces and set aside.
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In a small bowl, combine chopped garlic, ginger and scallion whites.[img src="http://www.everydaymaven.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/IMG_9296.jpg" width="550"]
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Trim chicken thighs of any big pieces of visible fat and cut into bite sized pieces (about 1 1/2 to 2"). Add 3 Tablespoons of the garlic, ginger and scallion white mixture to the chicken pieces along with 1 Tablespoon of toasted sesame oil, 2 Tablespoons of coconut aminos, 1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper and 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt. Mix until well combined, cover and place in refrigerator to marinate while you finish prepping the vegetables.
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Remove core from cabbage and chop into 1" pieces. Don't worry if they are not even or perfect. There will be some bigger chunks here and there.
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Wash mushrooms, trim ends and quarter.
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Trim ends of broccoli and discard. Remove the florets and cut into even bite sized pieces. Set aside.
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Cut the outer edge off of the broccoli stalks. If you are very patient or have more time, peel with a vegetable peeler. Slice the stalks lengthwise into thin strips. Stack the strips and slice lengthwise in half. Slice into 1" pieces and set aside with chopped cabbage.
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Grab remaining garlic, ginger and scallion white mixture and add remaining 1 Tablespoon toasted sesame oil, 2 Tablespoons coconut aminos, 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Also add in crushed red pepper flakes and 2/3 cup chicken broth. Stir to combine.
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Finally, combine cold water with tapioca flour until dissolved.[img src="http://www.everydaymaven.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/06/IMG_9316.jpg" width="550"]
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Heat wok or very large skillet over high heat. Add 1/2 Tablespoon coconut oil. Once hot, add in cabbage and broccoli stalks. Cook 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
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Add a splash chicken broth, cover and cook 4 to 5 minutes until tender.
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Add in broccoli florets and mushrooms. Cook 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
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Add a splash of chicken broth, cover and cook 1 to 2 more minutes. Remove vegetable mixture from wok to a serving bowl.
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Return wok to heat, add remaining 1/2 Tablespoon coconut oil. Once hot, add in chicken thighs. Cook untouched for 2 minutes.
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Stir to mix and scrap the bottom of the wok, continue cooking for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
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Add garlic-coconut amino sauce to chicken and bring to a rapid boil. Cover and cook until chicken is cooked through, about 2 to 3 minutes.
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Remove lid, pour in tapioca starch mixture and immediately stir to combine. The sauce will thicken rapidly.
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Toss the vegetables back in along with the scallion greens. Toss to with sauce, remove from heat and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Did you make this recipe? Tag @EverydayMaven on Instagram with the hashtag #EveryDayMaven and please give a star rating below.
I have been making this recipe for YEARS. It’s the stir fry I judge all stir fries against. It’s so good, hits all my flavor preferences.
I do make an few adjustments. I am not on paleo, therefore I do use regular soy sauce, low sodium when I can find it. Secondly, I don’t care for the texture of the mushrooms at the stage they are stated to be added to the pan. To fix this, I dry sauté them at the very beginning with nothing more than a bit of salt to help release the water. I remove them from the pan and continue the recipe as otherwise written and toss the mushrooms back in with the green onion tops.
This ranks as one of my favorite recipes to make!
Hi Jess! Thank you so much – this is a such a complement!!! I love your tip about the mushrooms. <3
This was a yummy stir fry. I used pork, omitted the mushrooms and added bok choy, carrots, red bell pepper and onion. Just an fyi the image after cauliflower rice in the ingredients is not displaying. Thanks for a great recipe!
Hi Donna! So glad you liked it and thanks for the heads up about the image. I’ll fix it now!
I made this tonight. Pretty quick & easy. Super delicious! Thanks for sharing the receipe.
You’re welcome Jenn! Thanks for taking the time to comment and let me know. Glad you liked it!
Just tried this tonight and it was delicious! Great step by step instructions and I love pictures! My husband loved it too, tasted like great takeout only healthy!
Thanks for sharing.
Thank you Josie! I appreciate you taking the time to comment and let me know. Glad you both loved it!
I tried this recipe for dinner tonight and I have to say, it was excellent! I haven’t been able to eat anything stir fried for over six months since I have cut out soy. I tried one stir fry about a month ago, but this was the one I’ll make for the rest of my life. Thank you so much for this recipe!
Wow! That is amazing Sandie – so glad you love this recipe and thanks for taking the time to comment and let me know 🙂
So good! My husband and I are just starting to eat Paleo, and we’ve had a few misses – but, this was a hit!
We used shrimp, cabbage, broccoli, and snow peas (just because I found a great deal on them at the store), and also added a handful of slivered almonds. I can’t wait to make this again and try it with chicken or beef.
Thank you for a great recipe, and your detailed instructions were wonderful, too!
Thanks for the feedback Lisa! So glad this worked and it sounds awesome with shrimp. 🙂
This is delicious, I was starting another recipe but it just seemed awfully bland for my liking so I decided to search again and hopefully be able to work with the stuff i had already prepped. This is definitely one ill keep as a go to recipe for stir fry! my husband has not tried it yet but when it comes to asian stir frys im the picky one and this gets my approval so im sure he’ll love it ! Thanks for sharing this awesome recipe!!
Awesome Eloisa! Thanks for taking the time to come over and let me know 🙂