What's for dinner? Five easy stir fry recipes that are ready in minutes

Quick, easy and always delicious, stir fries are the best way to use up tired vegetables and a speedy route to a healthy dinner

Chicken stir fry

recipe by:Derval O'Rourke

This speedy sweet chilli stir fry is the perfect way to use up tired, leftover vegetables

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 15 mins

Total Time

 25 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

• 500g chicken breast, sliced into strips

• salt

• pepper

• 3 tbsp sunflower oil

• ½ red pepper, roughly chopped

• ½ yellow pepper, roughly chopped

• ½ green pepper, roughly chopped

• 3 medium carrots, finely chopped

• 150g broccoli, cut into florets

• 1 bunch of spring onions, roughly chopped

• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated

• 1 garlic clove, crushed

• For the sauce:

• 2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

• 2 tbsp dark soy sauce

• 1 tbsp cornflour

• 200ml chicken stock

Method

1. To a small bowl, add 2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce along with the chicken strips and season well. In a large frying pan or wok, heat 1 tbsp of the oil then add the chicken and fry over a high heat until golden brown and just cooked through. Transfer to a plate.

2. To make the sauce, add the sweet chilli sauce, soy sauce, and cornflour to a small bowl and stir until smooth.

3. Blend in the stock and season well. Heat the remaining oil in the frying pan or wok. Add the vegetables and stir fry for three to four minutes.

4. Add the ginger, garlic and spring onions and stir fry for 3-4 minutes until just cooked. Add the chicken and sauce and toss together for two minutes.

5. Serve with rice or noodles and enjoy.

Sticky beef stir fry

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

For a no-fuss midweek meal, try this sweet and sticky beef dish with garlic undertones - serve with basmati rice

Servings

2

Preparation Time

 5 mins

Cooking Time

 15 mins

Total Time

 20 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• dash of sunflower oil

• 3 garlic cloves, finely sliced 

• 400g beef, sliced thinly 

• 1 onion, sliced 

• 1 green pepper, de-seeded and sliced 

• 1½ tbsp soy sauce 

• ½ tbsp honey 

• ½ tbsp pink peppercorns, crushed 

• basmati rice, to serve 

Method

1. Stir the soy sauce and honey together.

2. Heat a little oil until very hot in a wok or large saucepan. Quickly stir fry the garlic and beef for just a minute until the beef is brown on the outside and still a little rare on the inside. Pour the contents of the pan onto a plate and toss the beef in the crushed peppercorns so that it is coated. Set aside.

3. Throw the pepper and onions into the same wok and stir fry until they are beginning to soften. Add the soy and honey and continue to fry for about a minute.

4. Place the beef onto the rice and then spoon the vegetables and juice over the whole lot.