Chicken pesto stir-fry

Christie Whelan Browne invented this chicken pesto stir-fry when her husband got tired of her chicken satay stir-fry. They loved this new version so much, it became a weekly staple! Packed with plenty of nutritious green vegetables and served over a bed of sweet potato mash, this recipe is sure to become a household favourite.

Credit: Jiwon Kim

• serves

  4

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  15 minutes

• difficulty

  Easy

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Quick & Cosy

episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

25m

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episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

25m

G

Ingredients

• ¼ cup (60 ml) vegetable oil
• 2 chicken breast fillets, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 small brown onion, finely chopped
• 2 bunches broccolini, roughly chopped
• 250 g snow peas, trimmed and sliced
• 1 jar good-quality pesto sauce
• 2-3 tbsp thickened cream
• Sweet potato mash, to serve (see Note)
• ¼ cup toasted pine nuts, to serve
• ¼ cup basil leaves, to serve

Instructions

1. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large wok or large frying pan over high heat. Add half the chicken and stir-fry for 4 minutes, or until golden and cooked through. Remove to a plate, then repeat with the remaining chicken.
   
2. Return the pan to the heat with the remaining oil and onion. Cook, stirring, for 1-2 minutes, then add the broccolini and snow peas and cook for a further 2 minutes, or until tender but still slightly crisp.
   
3. Return the chicken to the pan with the pesto sauce and thickened cream. Stir well to combine and cook until just heated through. Serve the chicken pesto stir-fry with sweet potato mash (see Note), and sprinkle with toasted pine nuts and basil leaves.

Note

• Peel 2 large sweet potatoes and cut into large pieces. Steam for 15 minutes, or until tender. Place potatoes in bowl and mash. Add 40 g butter and stir until melted. Heat ⅓ cup milk and add gradually to the potatoes (you may not need all of it), season with salt and serve.

Photography by Jiwon Kim.

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Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.

Stream free On Demand

Quick & Cosy

episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

25m

G

episode • The Cook Up with Adam Liaw • 

cooking • 

25m

G