A Favorite Weeknight Stir-Fry

Back again today with another weeknight must-cook recipe in our household. Yes, did you catch that? I said RECIPE. *Shock*

As you probably know by. now, I don’t often follow recipes, rather, I gather inspiration from them and then do lots of riffing on my own–but this is one recipe I follow exactly (well, mostly 😜) EVERY time, and it turns out perfectly EVERY time: NYT Cooking’s Turmeric Black Pepper Chicken Stir Fry.

A little sweet, a lot savory, the perfect amount of pepperiness–and the turmeric and vinegar together give it that “I can’t put my finger on WHY this is so good, but it’s SO. GOOD” quality.

Even better? It’s super easy (because it uses chicken thighs, it’s impossible to overcook the chicken!) it’s quick, and perhaps best of all–I usually already have all the ingredients on hand. (I always keep chicken thighs in the freezer and I usually buy asparagus once a week at the store to use in one recipe or another. Bonus: Asparagus lasts a while in the crisper drawer, too! (Especially if it’s in a produce bag!)

Try it this week! It’s a crowd pleaser for the whole family. (June loves it too!) It’s also delicious and fun enough to serve for company!

Serving tips + easy modifications:

• Don’t skip adding the vinegar at the end. It really makes the whole dish! (If you don’t have rice vinegar, whatever vinegar you have will likely work!)
• I typically serve it with a side of steamed sushi rice, but it would be great if you stir fried some noodles into it, too!
• Don’t have asparagus? You could use some fresh or frozen green beans (TJ’s frozen Haricot Verts are the best!) Sliced celery would be delicious too. Sounds weird, but try it!
• I often like to add sliced onion (any color) or shallot if I have it! (Onions make everything tasty!)
• If you like more heat (spice), add a bit of chili paste, pepper flakes, or chili crisp.
• I have actually never squeezed a lime over the top as the recipe suggests for finishing. I haven’t found it necessary! So if you don’t have lime, don’t worry!

That’s it! Hope you love this one as much as we do! Happy cooking! (And now I’m hungry and craving this. I might put this on the menu tomorrow. 😂)

Want more cooking inspo? Head right over here!