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.
Christianne says
This is, by far, my favorite stir fry recipe ever. So many veggies. The toasted sesame oil is perfect. Since I don’t follow strict paleo, I used soy sauce & regular flour. So, so, so good. My husband is already asking when I’m going to make it again!!
LCDC says
The tapioca mixture was definitely distributed evenly, and the amount was right because I measured it myself (hubby and I were tag teaming it on this one). We’ll try cooking it a little longer next time and see how that works. Thanks!
LCDC says
We made this last night and it was really delicious! The only negative was a textural issue – the sauce was really gelatinous, kind of like a thin pudding. Any ideas what we did wrong?
EverydayMaven says
Hmm, did you stir in the tapioca mixture into just one spot? Or, maybe it needed another minute on the heat. It shouldn’t have been gelatinous. Is there any way you measured the wrong amount of tapioca? Glad you liked the taste though!
Nane says
This was so great. I made it as is, with the exception of using more coconut oil in place of the sesame oil when I ran out mid-recipe. It turned out fantastic. I will make this again. Thank you so much.
EverydayMaven says
Hi Nane,
So glad you liked it – thanks for letting me know 🙂
Erin says
It took me 45 minutes just to prep everything, but I’m including cauliflower rice in there. However, I added some carrot, red pepper, zucchini, snow pea pods and baby corn (I know, and I’m not stressing about those last two). I like the simpler stir fry but I had expensive produce to use up! 🙂 I also had 1.75 lb chicken thighs, so overall a significantly larger batch. That said, I know my husband tends to like his dishes with a bit less garlic & onion than I do, so I kept the ginger/garlic/onion (didn’t have scallions) the same quantity, and it turned out deee-lish. So, so good. Worth the prep time and definitely going on Pinterest for future reference. I just ate a big bowl of leftovers for breakfast. Nom. Thanks for an awesome recipe!
EverydayMaven says
Hi Erin! So glad you like it and the addition of veg and chicken sounds soooo good. I love snow peas in a stir fry 😉
Erin says
Half a decade later, and this is still our go-to stir fry recipe. Thanks again!
EverydayMaven says
Oh my gosh Erin!! I love it. Thanks for taking the time to comment and let me know that this is one of your go-to recipes!
Michele says
Thanks so much for the excellent recipe and detailed instructions. I really wanted to make a stir fry with cabbage, broccoli and chicken thighs. I also love to use coconut oil for stir fry and tamari. We can’t eat mushrooms, but I added in green beans and red bell pepper. Didn’t have sesame oil either, so I ended up making a sweeter/spicier concoction with a little rice vinegar, honey, stevia, a lot of crushed red pepper, some wasabi, and…ok I admit it… some sugar! This was probably the best chicken-style stir fry I have ever made. Also, it took me WAY longer than 45 min, but it was completely WORTH IT! Thank you again!
EverydayMaven says
I love red bell pepper in stir fry – your sauce sounds really good Michele! So glad the recipe was a good base for you 🙂