Gather your ingredients. For a basic chicken stir-fry, you'll need chicken breast or thigh meat, assorted vegetables (such as bell peppers, broccoli, carrots, snap peas, onions, and mushrooms), garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and cooking oil (such as sesame oil or vegetable oil).
Prepare the ingredients by slicing the chicken into thin strips and chopping the vegetables into bite-sized pieces. Mince the garlic and ginger finely.
Marinate the chicken strips in a mixture of soy sauce, minced garlic, minced ginger, and a splash of sesame oil for about 15-30 minutes. This step adds flavor and helps tenderize the chicken.
Heat a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add a tablespoon of cooking oil and swirl to coat the bottom of the pan.
Add the marinated chicken strips to the hot pan, spreading them out in a single layer. Cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink. Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside.
Add a bit more oil to the pan if needed, then add the chopped vegetables to the pan. Stir-fry for 3-4 minutes, or until they are tender-crisp. Add the minced garlic and ginger to the pan and stir-fry for an additional 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
Return the cooked chicken to the pan with the vegetables. Add soy sauce (or your preferred stir-fry sauce) to the pan, tossing everything together until well combined and heated through.
Once the chicken and vegetables are cooked and coated in sauce, remove the pan from the heat. Serve the chicken stir-fry immediately over cooked rice or noodles. Garnish with chopped green onions, sesame seeds, or crushed red pepper flakes if desired.