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Chicken and Corn Stir-Fry

4.6

(67)

Chicken Corn Stir Fry Recipe
Photograph by Emma Fishman, food styling by Micah Morton, prop styling by Elizabeth Jaime

Oyster sauce is packed with umami yet is rarely overpowering, adding tons of depth to stir-fries like this one, boosting flavor in marinades, and just being all-around incredibly delicious. No ripe corn at the market? Swap in peppers, peas, mushrooms, or summer squash.

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What you’ll need

Recipe information

  • Yield

    4 Servings

Ingredients

3

Tbsp. oyster sauce

1

Tbsp. unseasoned rice vinegar

1

tsp. toasted sesame oil

4

skinless, boneless chicken thighs (about 1 lb.), cut into 1” pieces

Kosher salt

2

Tbsp. cornstarch

4

Tbsp. vegetable oil, divided

½

small red onion, sliced

4

garlic cloves, sliced

1

1” piece ginger, peeled, finely chopped

½

tsp. (or more) Aleppo-style pepper or other mild chile flakes

3

ears of corn, kernels cut from cobs

Steamed rice and cilantro leaves with tender stems (for serving)

Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Stir together oyster sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, and 2 Tbsp. water in a small bowl. Set aside.

    Step 2

    Place chicken in a medium bowl. Season with salt and sprinkle with cornstarch; toss lightly to coat. Heat 2 Tbsp. vegetable oil in a large well-seasoned wok or nonstick skillet over medium-high. Cook chicken, tossing occasionally, until golden brown and nearly cooked through, 6–8 minutes. Add red onion, garlic, ginger, Aleppo-style pepper, and remaining 2 Tbsp. oil. Cook, tossing, until vegetables are softened, about 2 minutes. Add corn and cook, tossing often, until tender, about 3 minutes.

    Step 3

    Stir in reserved oyster sauce mixture and cook, tossing often, until reduced nearly to a glaze, about 2 minutes. Taste and season with salt if needed.

    Step 4

    Serve stir-fry with rice, topped with cilantro.

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Reviews (67)

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  • Loved this! Used 1 1/2 cups of frozen corn instead of fresh, I don't think there is much of a difference. The Aleppo pepper is really key!

    • Katherine

    • Connecticut

    • 12/20/2022

  • After reading the reviews I did a little change. I cooked the onion and garlic on the sesame oil then add the chicken and then the corn. I did not use the vegetable oil at all. I added a little bit of wine vinegar because that's what I had and I used power ginger. I couldn't find oyster sauce so i used the stir fry sauce you can find in any store. It turned out good but not the greatest recipe.

    • Anonymous

    • Somewhere

    • 12/7/2022

  • This sounds good, but the sequence surprises me. Adding the onion when the chicken is nearly done sounds like it would produce either undercooked onion or overcooked chicken?

    • RRR

    • 6/4/2022

  • Big fan of this recipe, great way to use the corn when it’s in season. We even made it over the fire one night while camping, and it was even better!

    • Aileen

    • Halifax, NS

    • 5/8/2022

  • Easy to do, but corn should be at least par cooked, flavors are good, but they overwhelm and should be cut back.

    • cbkn

    • 10/18/2021

  • This was a pretty solid weeknight stir fry - came together quick without a lot of fuss, as long as you prep all your ingredients up front and use a big enough pan/wok. I tried it first by following the recipe exactly, and I’d rate it a solid 4. I think it can be pushed up to a 5 by doing two things: nixing the cilantro and going for sliced green onions instead, and adding MSG at the end instead of salt. Once we put some MSG into the mix it was perfect, so I’m definitely coming back to this one.

    • Kat

    • Pittsburgh, PA

    • 10/10/2021

  • I cook Chinese-ish usually once a week. Oyster sauce is a common ingredient in both Japanese and many Chinese dishes. It adds major umami to the stir fry. It is by no means an "unusual" sauce. This is a marvelous quick weeknight meal, especially during sweet corn season (aka summer).

    • Tracy Madison

    • Madison, WI

    • 9/16/2021