Quick and easy Chicken Chop Suey recipe is a simple chicken stir fry that comes together in under 30 minutes. Made with tender, juicy chicken breast, veggies and a savory sauce, you can skip the take out and have dinner on the table faster than delivery.

Overhead shot of chicken chop suey on a white rectangle serving dish.


American Chop Suey

When life gets busy, it’s so easy, and tempting, to reach for the phone to order from our favorite Chinese restaurant. The lure of no dirty dishes to wash or hovering over a stove making something the family may or may not eat is always appealing. 

But having a few recipes that are even better than take out and I can have dinner on the table in 30 minutes makes it less of a chore to pull it together. This Chicken Chop Suey is one of our favorite dinners and you can, literally, use any vegetables you have on hand to cook it up.

It’s a great recipe for using leftover vegetables at the end of the week and chicken is always a hit with the kids. Plus, it’s super simple to whip up with just one pot to clean if you don’t count the one you use to make rice as a side dish.

Close up shot of chicken chop suey on a square blue and white stripe plate.

What is Chop Suey?

Chop Suey, or Chop Sooy, is an American Chinese dish consisting consisting of bite size pieces of meat like chicken, pork or shrimp. It’s cooked quickly with vegetables such as bean sprouts, cabbage, or celery and drenched in a thick and savory sauce.

As with many Chinese recipes, there are really no hard and fast rules to this stir fry. You can, basically, throw in just about anything you want.

The difference between Chop Suey and Chow Mien is the latter is made with noodles. American Chop Suey is cooked without them and then served over rice.

Ingredients You Will Need

All you need is a meat, in this case chicken, vegetables and ingredients for the brown sauce. It’s fairly simple to make and I usually mix it up with whatever vegetables I have on hand.

  • Chicken – I like to use boneless chicken breast cut into bite sized pieces but you can also use chicken thighs with great results.
  • Vegetables – The standard here is carrots, snow peas, onions, peppers, mushrooms and bean sprouts. Again, you can use what you have….broccoli works well and we use that often.
  • Sauce – The sauce is simple and made with just sugar, soy sauce, oyster sauce, Chinese Cooking Wine (Mirin) and cornstarch to add thickness.
Overhead shot of American Chop Suey in a wok.

How To Make Chop Suey

This recipe takes just about 5 minutes to cook once you have everything prepped. Be sure to have all your vegetables and chicken cut up before cooking because the process goes quickly.

  1. Whisk together the ingredients for the sauce and set aside.
  2. Heat the oil in a wok.
  3. Add the garlic stirring constantly and cook for 1 minute.
  4. Add the onion cooking until slightly softened.
  5. Stir in the chicken and cook until no longer pink.
  6. Add the remaining vegetables and cook until slightly softened.
  7. Stir in the sauce and cook for 2 minutes or until thickened.
  8. Serve the stir fry over rice, if desired.
Overhead shot of Chicken Chop Suey on a platter and on a square plate with rice.

What To Serve With It

While the standard is white rice you can also serve it over this cauliflower rice.  It’s just as good and you won’t even miss the carbs!

More Easy Stir Fry Recipes

If you love this Chicken Chop Suey, you may also like this easy Mongolian Beef Stir Fry.  It’s, seriously, one of our favorite dinners ever. Or you can also try this Singapore Rice Noodle Stir fry…..totally better than any take out.

Want something a little spicy….try this easy Szechuan Chicken Stir Fry that’s ready in minutes!

Or try this easy Kung Pao Chicken….so quick to make. This Hunan Chicken is another fiery favorite!

For more easy take out inspired recipes, follow us on Instagram and Facebook!

Dinosaur chopsticks picking up a piece of chicken stir fry.
Overhead shot of American Chop Suey in a wok.

Get the Recipe: Chicken Chop Suey Recipe

Yield: 6
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Skip the take out and make this easy Chicken Chop Suey at home in 30 minutes. A simple chicken stir fry with vegetables in a savory brown sauce.
5 from 1 vote
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Ingredients

For the sauce:

  • 1/2 cup chicken stock, or chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
  • 1 teaspoon Rice Wine Vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon Mirin, Chinese Cooking Wine or Sherry
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon Soy Sauce
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch

For the stir fry:

  • 2 tablespoons peanut oil, or canola oil
  • 1 cup sliced onion
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite sized pieces
  • 1 stalk celery, sliced
  • 1 cup thinly sliced carrot
  • 1 cup snow peas, sliced
  • 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
  • 1/3 cup baby corn, sliced (one 5-oz can)
  • 1/3 cup bamboo shoots, sliced (one 5-oz can)

Equipment

  • wok

Instructions 

  • In a bowl, whisk together the chicken stock, oyster sauce, vinegar, wine, sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar, pepper and cornstarch until smooth. Set aside.
  • Heat the oil in a large wok over high heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute.
  • Stir in the onion and cook for another minute.
  • Add the chicken and stir to combine. Cook the chicken, stirring occasionally, until no longer pink on the outside.
  • Add the celery, carrots, snow peas, mushrooms and corn to the pan tossing to combine. Cook for an additional minute.
  • Stir in the bamboo shoots and sauce. Toss to coat. Cook for an additional 1-2 minutes or until sauce is slightly thickened.
  • Serve immediately over rice.
Calories: 196kcal, Carbohydrates: 13g, Protein: 19g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 49mg, Sodium: 361mg, Potassium: 509mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 5g, Vitamin A: 3801IU, Vitamin C: 15mg, Calcium: 29mg, Iron: 1mg
Author: Kellie
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Chinese