Chicken Chop Suey
This Chicken Chop Suey recipe is an easy one pan stir fry that takes less than 30-minutes to make. The perfect quick and easy meal for weeknight dinner, it’s loaded with tender veggies and chicken all coated in a tasty sauce. 
I am currently going through a stir fry kick right now and have been making them regularly for dinner because they are not only quick and easy, but also loaded with veggies. This is my spin on Chop Suey which is a dish that I always used to order when my family and I would go out for Chinese food when I was a kid. I loved the combination of tender chicken and sautéed veggies all coated in a savory sauce. Unlike some of the other Chinese inspired dishes I have on this site like Black Pepper Chicken and Szechuan Pork & Green Beans, the sauce and flavours in this dish are relatively mild, making it a kid friendly meal. I recommend serving this Chop Suey with a side of hot rice to soak up any of the yummy excess sauce.
Why You Will Love This Chicken Chop Suey Recipe
- It’s perfect for weeknight dinner: This easy chicken chop suey recipe is a one pan 30-minute dish that is perfect for those nights when you are in need of a meal you can throw together quickly.
- This is a family favorite in my house! My kids love the flavorful sauce that isn’t spicy or too rich.
- Use what you have!This is a great recipe to use loosely as you really don’t need to follow it to a T. Feel free to add in any other fresh vegetables that you have in the fridge and you can use a different protein too to make pork chop suey using pork tenderloin or beef chop suey using thinly sliced steak.
- Incredibly tender pieces of chicken: I used my go to stir fry trick (the secret ingredient is baking soda!) which I leave the sliced chicken to marinate in for just a few minutes. Trust me when I say that this is a step that you won’t want to miss and is what transforms this from a boring old stir fry to a dish you would find at local Chinese restaurants.
- These are leftovers you will actually want to eat:The leftovers are so tasty! I highly recommend making extra because the leftover vegetables and chicken reheat well and are great enjoyed as lunch over the following few days.
- This Chop Suey is also Whole30, Grain Free, Gluten Free, Paleo, Dairy Free and Specific Carbohydrate Diet Legal.
What Is Chop Suey
Chop Suey is a westernized dish you often see on Chinese restaurant menus here in North America. It is not a dish you would find in China, but rather something invented in the US using a loose recipe and a cooking method adopted from Chinese cooking. It is a dish consisting of stir fried meat and vegetables in a brown sauce and is often made using whatever vegetables you have on hand.
Ingredients You Need To Make Chicken Chop Suey Recipe
- Chicken: I prefer using very thinly sliced boneless skinless chicken breast for this recipe, but chicken thighs can also be used.
- Baking Soda: baking soda is used to tenderize the meat and is a step that should not be skipped.
- Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar can be used in this recipe
- Coconut Aminos: Coconut Aminos can be substituted for tamari or regular soy sauce depending on your diet/what you have on hand.
- Onion: I like thinly slicing a medium onion but alternatively it can be finely chopped if you prefer it to blend in to the sauce.
- Celery: I recommend cutting the celery into thin strips
- Carrot: use large peeled carrots and cut them into paper thin coin shaped pieces.
- Snow Peas: I like using snow peas which add a nice crunch to the chop suey. Snap peas which are thicker can also be used.
- Mushrooms: Feel free to use white button or brown mushrooms or oyster or shiitake mushrooms a combination of different types.
- Bok Choy: I prefer using baby bok choy which is much smaller and more tender. When chopping the bok choy I recommend separating the greens from the white stem as they should be added at different times in the cooking process
- Garlic & Ginger: I always prefer using fresh ginger and garlic, but jarred store bought ginger and garlic can also be used.
- White Pepper: another secret ingredient that really elevates the flavor in this chop suey recipe. It has a much milder flavor compared to black pepper. You can find
- Honey: honey or maple syrup can be used as a sweetener. If you are doing a Whole30 swap the honey for 2 medjool dates. If you are using medjool dates make the sauce in a blender so that the dates blend into a smooth consistency.
How To Make This Chicken Chop Suey Recipe
- Place thin strips of chicken in a medium bowl. Add in the baking soda, coconut aminos and vinegar and give it a good stir to ensure the chicken is all well coated. Set aside to marinate while you prep the vegetables
- Cut the variety of vegetables into thin pieces and set them all aside on a plate
- Heat the sesame oil in a large nonstick skillet or frying pan on medium-high heat. Add in the chicken in a single layer and cook for a few minutes until the chicken is golden brown in color. Use a slotted spoon to remove the cooked chicken and set it aside on a plate.
- Add the onion and carrots and cook until softened and then add in all of the remaining vegetables
- In a small bowl whisk together the sauce ingredients (chicken broth, pepper, vinegar, coconut aminos, ginger and honey)
- Add the chop suey sauce to the pan with the veggies and give everything a stir. Leave to cook for 4 minutes until the sauce has thickened and the veggies are tender (or if you prefer crisp veggies I recommend cooking for only 2 minutes so they still have a slight crunch).
Can I Add Other Vegetables To The Chop Suey?
There are so many different kinds of vegetables that you can add into this stir fry including thinly sliced green bell pepper, broccoli florets or broccolini, asparagus, shredded napa cabbage, snap peas, baby corn, red bell pepper, spinach or bean sprouts. If adding different fresh veggies just keep in mind how long things take to cook and add veggies like carrots, broccoli or bell peppers first followed by quicker cooking veggies such as asparagus, spinach or cabbage. To make this recipe more authentic you can add in bamboo shoots or a can of drained water chestnuts.
What To Serve With This Chicken Chop Suey
I like serving this chicken chop suey over cauliflower rice to absorb all of the yummy sauce. If you are not in a low carb/paleo diet then this dish is also delicious served over white rice, brown rice or chow mein noodles.
Can I Add A Different Protein?
Feel free to swap the chicken breasts for chicken thighs, or alternatively you can use thinly sliced pork tenderloin or pork chops, turkey breasts or shrimp.
What About Leftovers
Leftover Chicken Chop Suey will last for up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the fridge. I recommend reheating them in the microwave or alternatively they can be warmed in a large skillet on medium heat with a splash of chicken stock.
Here are a few easy stir fry recipes that you might enjoy:
- Sweet & Sour Pork
- Black Pepper Beef & Onions
- Mongolian Chicken
- Pork & Eggplant Stir Fry
- Simple Green Bean, Chicken & Ginger Stir Fry
- Ginger Beef Stir Fry
- Szechuan Pork & Green Bean Stir Fry
- Black Pepper Chicken
If you make this recipe let me know in the comment section below, I would love to hear what you think or take a photo and tag me (@everylastbite_) on Instagram, I love seeing your photos!
Chicken Chop Suey
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp coconut aminos (or tamari/soy sauce)
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 onion thinly sliced
- 2 sticks celery thinly sliced
- 1 carrot thinly sliced
- 1 cup snow peas
- 1 cup thinly sliced mushrooms
- 2 small bunches bok choy thinly sliced
- 3 cloves garlic finely diced
- 2 inches ginger finely diced
Sauce
- 2/3 cup chicken stock
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp coconut aminos (or tamari/soy sauce)
- 1 tbsp chopped ginger
- 1 tbsp honey or 2 medjool dates
Instructions
- Start by cutting the chicken breasts into very thin strips (the thinner the better!) and place the slices in a bowl. Add in the baking soda, coconut aminos and apple cider vinegar, give everything a stir and leave it to marinate while you prep the veggies.
- Thinly slice the celery, onion, carrots, bok choy and mushrooms. Separate the thinly sliced leafy greens of the bok choy from the white parts as they will be added to the pan at different times. Finely dice the ginger and garlic. Have all of the veggies cut and ready near the stove before you move on to the next step.
- Heat the sesame oil in a wok or large skillet on medium high heat. Add in the chicken plus any excess marinating liquid and sauté for 4-5 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
- Once the chicken is browned, remove it from the pan and set aside on a plate. Add in the onion and carrots and cook for 3 minutes until the onion begins to soften.
- Next add in the mushrooms, white parts of the book choy, celery, ginger and garlic and sauté for 4 minutes.
- While the veggies are cooking make a quick sauce. In a blender or NutriBullet container blend together ginger, honey (or medjool dates), coconut aminos, apple cider vinegar and chicken stock until smooth.
- Once the veggies have begun to soften, add in the sauce, snow peas, greens of the bok choy and chicken. Give everything a stir and leave to cook for 4 minutes until the veggies are tender and the sauce has thickened. Serve on its own or with cauliflower rice to absorb any excess sauce.
Nutrition
This recipe was posted on April 27, 2021. It was updated with new copy on June 10, 2024.
This dish was absolutely delicious. Takes some time to chop everything but it is so worth it. A little tip to get the chicken sliced very thin is to slightly freeze the chicken breasts first and then slice. My chicken literally looked and tasted like something you’d get at a nice chinese restauraunt. I will make this again and again. Plus all the veggies…yum! I will be adding different veggies along with the ones listed. This was the first time I’ve used book Choy…super easy to deal with.
Loved this recipe.. only thing is I felt like it needed more veggies lol
I will use way more next time.
It was filling and delicious!!
I am a slow chopper lol it took me like an hour to make haha
Looks delicious!
Please follow the lead of other sites and provide a link to the recipe at the top of your post
This tasted and smelled so good!
It really was delicious, in fact I’ve made a few times, and was delicious each time!
This is amazing recipe. Thank you for sharing this.