I love Asian-inspired food. What I don’t love is how quickly it turns into a sugar-and-starch situation when you’re eating keto. Even dishes that sound safe usually aren’t — sauces are sweetened, thickeners sneak in, and suddenly you’re way off plan and out of ketosis.
This keto chicken stir fry is one of those recipes that solves that problem without turning into a whole production. It’s fast, flexible, and actually realistic for a busy weeknight.
I’ve shared a few other Asian-inspired low carb recipes over the years as well, including General Tso’s Meatballs and Keto Asian Noodle Salad with Peanut Sauce, but this chicken stir fry is by far one of the fastest and most flexible options for a busy weeknight.
The secret weapon here is bagged broccoli slaw — one of the most underutilized keto-friendly vegetables in the grocery store. It doesn’t taste strongly of broccoli, it holds up well to high heat, and it’s surprisingly low in carbs (about 3g net carbs per ¾ cup). You’ll find it in the produce section, already washed and prepped, which saves a ton of time.
Because most of the vegetables come from the slaw mix, this low carb chicken stir fry comes together incredibly quickly. From start to finish, it takes about 15 minutes, including prep. Faster than takeout, and without the mystery ingredients.
This recipe is naturally low carb and gluten free, hearty enough to stand alone as a full meal, and easy to work into a weekly meal prep rotation. It’s featured in the Week Three Keto Menu Plan, alongside other simple, repeat-friendly meals designed for consistency.
Simple ingredients, bold flavor, and no post-meal regret — exactly how keto dinners should be.
Why This Keto Chicken Stir Fry Works
- Ready in about 15 minutes
- Uses store-bought broccoli slaw to cut prep time way down
- Naturally low carb and gluten free
- Easy to double for meal prep
- No specialty ingredients or complicated techniques
Easy Swaps & Variations
This recipe is flexible, so feel free to adjust based on what you have:
- Chicken thighs can be swapped for chicken breast if you prefer
- Add sliced bell peppers or mushrooms if your carb budget allows
- Serve over cauliflower rice or enjoy it on its own
Keto Chicken Stir Fry (Gluten Free)
- Total Time: 14 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Diet: Diabetic
Description
An easy low carb chicken stir fry that takes only 15 minutes to make!
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
- 1/4 cup gluten free soy sauce (tamari)
- 1/2 cup water
- 1 teaspoon onion powder
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon granulated sugar substitute
- 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum
- 2 heaping cups bagged broccoli slaw mix
- 1/2 cup chopped scallions
Instructions
- Slice the chicken thighs into thin pieces or strips.
- In a large saute pan, stir fry the chicken and minced ginger in the sesame oil for 2 – 3 minutes.
- Add the soy sauce, water, onion powder, garlic powder, red pepper flakes, sugar substitute, and xanthan gum.
- Stir well and simmer for 5 minutes.
- Add the slaw and the scallions and toss to coat – simmer for 2 minutes or until al dente. Don’t overcook or it will be mushy.
Notes
Approx nutrition info per serving: 219 calories, 10g fat, 5.5g net carbs, 19g protein
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 9 minutes
- Category: keto dinner recipes
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Asian
Nutrition
- Serving Size: Approximately 1 1/2 cups or half the batch
- Calories: 219
- Fat: 10g
- Carbohydrates: 6g
- Protein: 19g
Dana says
This was delicious. I used shredded rotisserie chicken and added bean sprouts. Soooo good.
Lizette says
Made this tonight and it was amazing… took less than 15 mins to make and hubby loved it had seconds and requested it again tomorrow… that’s a win in my books…. thanks for all that you do we love all the recipes :)
Liz G says
I made this recipe today. I loved it! I used other vegetables as I only had kale, asparagus and onion… but I did have the scallions. Also, I prefer a slightly sweeter recipe, but I will definitely be making this again. Next time I’ll make it exactly as the recipe states but using a bit more sweetener. Thank you for this! ?
Gale says
Love, love, love this recipe! Will definitely be making again! Taste is great and sugar free too. Awesome!
Erin says
Is the sugar sub necessary? I stay away from sweeteners.
Tere says
Mellissa: Ya know when you get that “gotta have something Asian” hankering? That was me today. This isn’t the first time I’ve made this dish and won’t be the last. But, I’ve never commented on it. I just want to say it’s a favorite! So easy to make…so quick..so delicious! I had prepared everything ahead of time this afternoon; so, when it came time to fix supper — Bam! It was done! It didn’t take maybe 15-20 minutes from pan heating to plate. And my Asian craving was happily satisfied. It’s so hard to believe something this good is low carb… Actually, I feel that way about all of your recipes I’ve cooked.
Thanks again!!
Mellissa Sevigny says
Thanks for commenting Tere, I still love this one too!!!
Ari says
This recipe absolutely blew me away! I feel like I’m eating something from a restaurant. Thank you!
I couldn’t find broccoli slaw in any stores, so I just bought a bunch of broccoli and chopped some zucchini. I put my zucchini slices in with the soy sauce, water, etc, then put the broccoli and scallions in like the directions indicated. So delicious and I will definitely be making similar meals in the future.
Randi says
What exactly is the xanthum gum used for? Is it a thickener or a sweetener?
Diane Wheless says
It’s a thickener!
Tessa says
I just made this for me and my mom as we are starting low carb and wanted to have prepared lunches. Just delicious! We both love it. Only things I added were cauliflower and green pepper and it turned out great.
Emma says
I made this tonight. I was so excited to find a low-carb Asian style dish. This turned out fantastic, I improvised a little by adding fresh broccoli slightly blanched, and added some cooked bean sprouts (which added another 2 carbs). This will be my go-to recipe from now on when I am craving American Chinese type food, I didn’t even miss the rice. Thank you!