This healthy chicken chop suey is packed with protein and veggies and makes an easy batch cooked meal prep dinner!
I haven’t eaten in a restaurant since Covid hit in mid-March, which is kinda surreal considering how much I love Toronto dining and restaurants. What this has meant though is that we try to support restaurants other ways and order delivery or take-out once or twice a week. It’s kinda been fun to explore new take-out restaurants I otherwise would have never heard of, and trying new types of cuisines each week. Chinese food is still one of our family’s favourites and chicken chop suey has been a go-to that E can enjoy as well (since it’s not spicy). But since a lot of restaurant food is really high in sugar, salt and fat, I wanted to recreate some of my family’s favourites at home – including this healthy chicken chop suey.
What is Chop Suey?
Chop suey is an American Chinese dish that consists of some kind of meat and/or sometimes eggs, and lots of veggies, cooked in a starch thickened sauce. It’s often served on some kind of noodle or rice.
Key Ingredients to Healthy Chicken Chop Suey
This is a relatively simple and versatile recipe, so you can easily switch this up based on what you have on hand.
Low sodium chicken broth – The base of the sauce is low sodium chicken broth which offers a nice neutral, yet flavourful chickeny flavour.
Low sodium gluten free tamari – This adds the umami and salty element. You can use soy sauce or tamari (if you need gluten free), but I do prefer to go low sodium so you can control the salt.
Maple syrup or honey– You need a little sweetness to balance out the salty element.
Oyster sauce– No, this sauce will not taste “fishy” but it will add some characteristic umami to this sauce. Oyster sauce has tons of flavour yet less salt than soy sauce, so it’s a nice way to add more flavour without more salty soy or tamari. If you can’t find oyster sauce, you can mix soy sauce with hoisin sauce in a 1:1 ratio.
Sesame oil – I love a little sesame oil to add a little more savoury richness.
Cornstarch or tapioca starch – This is key to thickening your sauce, and it also keeps this recipe gluten free.
Skinless, boneless chicken breasts – To keep this version super lean, I like using chicken breasts, but you could easily also use skinless thighs, or throw in a rotisserie chicken at the end.
Veggies– Throw in any of your family’s favourites! That’s the beauty of a stir-fry! I like to make this recipe towards the end of the week when I have a bunch of little bits of veggies I need to use up.
What to Serve with Healthy Chop suey
The easiest and most traditional options is to serve this with rice or chow mein noodles. I like using brown rice for a bit more fibre. Other less traditional options include:
- Quinoa
- Cauliflower rice (for low carb)
- Zucchini noodles (for low carb)
- Whole wheat spaghetti
- Chickpea spaghetti (to keep it low carb and higher fibre)
easy Recipe variations
In addition to switching up the accompanying grain or starch, you can totally make this recipe your own with whatever you have on hand. Here are some ideas!
Instead of chicken breasts, you can use:
- Chicken thighs
- Ground meat or chicken
- Tofu
- Edamame
- Shrimp
- Stir-fry steak strips
- Pork loin
- 3/4 cup low sodium chicken broth
Other veggies that would work here:
- Cauliflower
- Baby corn
- Water chestnuts
- Green beans or long beans
- Broccoli
- Bok choy
- Cabbage
- Eggplant
- Zucchini
FAQ about this recipe
Here are some of the most commonly asked questions about this recipe.
Can I make this healthy chop suey vegan?
You absolutely can use tofu, tempeh or a vegan meat swap instead of chicken here. You could also simply keep it mainly veggies and add in some edamame for extra protein.
Is this gluten free?
Yes, as long as the tamari, soy, oyster sauce and starch you choose are gluten free, this recipe will be completely gluten free.
Is chicken chop suey kid-friendly?
I have a kid who is averse to a lot of heat and spice but loves this recipe because it’s inherently mild, yet well balanced. This is a great recipe for making veggies more flavourful, and and easy one pan meal to make clean up easier!
Can I batch prep this for meal prep in the week?
Yes, this makes a great meal for meal prep and batch cooking. It will last about 3 days in the fridge.
Can you freeze this recipe?
You actually can freeze this, and I did when I was prepping meals for postpartum life. I recommend letting it cool, then transferring it to a freezer-safe container. When ready to eat, thaw in the fridge overnight and pop it into a large skillet to warm through. This will last in the freezer for 3 months.
Do you have other easy stir-fry recipes?
We love stir-fries and other homemade takes on take-out classics. Check out some of our favourites right here:
Chinese Five Spice Shrimp Stir Fry
Sticky Chicken Breast Sheet Pan
What are some of your go-to take-out meals that you would like to see me recreate but healthier? Have you tried this healthy chicken chop suey yet? Leave me a comment below with your thoughts!
Healthy Chicken Chop Suey
Ingredients
- 3/4 Cup Low sodium chicken broth
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp low sodium tamari
- 2 tbsp maple syrup or honey
- 3 tbsp oyster sauce gluten free if needed
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp cornstarch or tapioca starch
- 4 tsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lb skinless boneless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
- Pinch each salt and pepper
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup sliced carrots about 3 medium
- 1 cup sliced celery about 2-3 stalks
- 1 cup snap peas halved on the bias
- 1 red bell pepper diced
- 2 cups sliced cremini mushrooms
- 1 cup frozen peas
- 450 g bag bean sprouts
For serving:
- Cashews toasted
- Sesame seeds
- Cooked brown rice optional
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix together the broth, tamari, maple, oyster sauce, sesame oil and cornstarch.
- In a large wok or nonstick skillet, heat half of the oil over medium high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to the pan. Cook until lightly browned on all sides and pretty much cooked through. Remove from the pan to a large bowl.
- Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds, then add in the carrots and celery. Saute for 5 minutes or until al dente. Add the bell peppers, snap peas, and mushrooms and cook until lightly browned and slightly softened. Transfer to the bowl with the chicken.
- Add in the sauce to the pan and cook over medium heat until it bubbles and thickens, about 5-8 minutes.
- Add back the chicken and vegetables, along with the peas and sprouts. Toss everything in the sauce.
- Serve on top of rice if desired and top with cashews and sesame seeds.
Nutrition
Updated on October 4th, 2021
Abbey Sharp is a Registered Dietitian (RD), regulated by the Ontario College of Dietitians. She is a mom, YouTuber, Blogger, award winning cookbook author, media coach specializing in food and nutrition influencers, and a frequent contributor to national publications like Healthline and on national broadcast TV shows.
Angela says
Hi Abbey, I’m making this dish tonight & just noticed there’s no quantity for the broth listed in the first part of the directions for the sauce ingredients. Could you please confirm amount? Thanks! 😊
Abbey Sharp says
Oh dear looks like a formatting Transfer error! My apologies! Should be 3/4 c low sodium chicken broth!
Angela says
Thanks Abbey! I was making it that evening & had all the ingredients ready, so guessed at using 1 cup broth (as I hadn’t yet heard from you) and it turned out great! I was close in the amount! It was SO delicious! Definitely a keeper for one of our favourite meals to make! Thanks again! 😊