Crispy wok gnocchi, chicken, and broccoli mixed up with a sweet and spicy chili hoisin sauce: this Gochujang Stir Fried Chicken and Broccoli Gnocchi is the tastiest quick dinner.
Jump to RecipeIn all honesty, I’ve never been one to order gnocchi at a restaurant. I mean, I love a good pasta dish as much as the next girl, but I’ve always felt like gnocchi is just… not pasta. It’s a potato dish through and through, if you ask me. So, when mixed up with your classic marinara and cheese situation, I always find that I’d rather have those luscious Italian noodles. Recently, however, I was told by a friend that gnocchi is their absolute favorite starch out there — and that I just had to whip up a gnocchi dish. So, in the name of sticking with my ~Italian pasta is better~ montra, I decided to take my own spin on the little potato clouds. I decided to make Asian gnocchi. And, truth be told, this Gochujang Stir Fried Chicken and Broccoli Gnocchi may have converted me to a gnocchi person. It’s that good.
the breakdown…
This Gochujang Stir Fried Chicken and Broccoli Gnocchi is seriously a dish that can be whipped up and served on the table in no time. I mean, with a quick saute of some veggies, gnocchi, and chicken and the easiest ever sauce, there’s really not much to it. To start things off, I like to get a good crisp on that gnocchi. Gnocchi is an interesting starch, meaning that it can come in SO many forms. For this recipe, you can use fresh, frozen, or dried… or even cauliflower gnocchi! As long as you follow the instructions in the notes (aka “ If you use frozen, I recommend microwaving them for 2 minutes before stir frying to get rid of the excess water. If you use fresh or dried gnocchi, boil your gnocchi for about half of the time the package calls for”) your gnocchi is sure to turn out delicious.
So, with whatever gnocchi you go with, make sure you give them some time in some hot oil by themselves. I like to start with a bit of a neutral oil to get a good crisp on them, as you really don’t need any dramatic sesame oil flavor to get a golden brown exterior on those pillows. Give them a few minutes on each side, only flipping once to give them some time to sear, and your gnocchi should be good for now. You might be wondering, why can’t I just throw the gnocchi in with the chicken and broccoli? Well, to that I’ll say that you could do that, but your gnocchi will not get as crisp. And, let’s face it, nobody wants soggy gnocchi — especially not with an Asian recipe like this Gochujang Stir Fried Chicken and Broccoli Gnocchi.
now with the chicken and broccoli…
Once your gnocchi is all pre-crisped and set aside, go ahead and toss in some sesame oil. While you could add an additional tbsp of a neutral oil, I love the Asian flair that the sesame brings to this dish…And oil is so key to a good stir fry!! Then, toss in your chicken and broccoli to get a good crisp on everything. You could definitely use chicken thighs for this Gochujang Stir Fried Chicken and Broccoli Gnocchi. I simply chose to call for chicken breasts because I think they are easier to dice up — especially if you get them already sliced in tenders to begin with. And, as for the broccoli, there’s no need to pre-steam it or anything. If you have a super hot large skillet or wok (woks are the best!), your broccoli should cook through and get super crisp in no time. That being said, you could totally substitute the broccoli for cauliflower (like this Crispy Kung Pao Chicken and Cauliflower), brussels sprouts, bok choy, or mushrooms. Anything goes with this one!
While you’re getting a good crisp on that chicken and broccoli, go ahead and prepare the flavor of this dish: the sauce. Start off with a ton of diced garlic — because, garlic is garlic. It makes everything better. Then, with a bunch of ginger for a natural spice and some gochujang for the real heat, your sauce gets that perfect level of spice for an Asian stir fry. As always, though, you could totally use less or more gochujang to your liking… or, if you’re like me, and you love spice but have family members who don’t, you could go with 1 tbsp gochujang and then just top your own with some sriracha at the end. Boom, everyone’s happy.
that sauce…
With those spicy flavors, go ahead and mix in some cornstarch for thickness and some brown sugar and water for balance. Lastly, go in with a large amount of hoisin sauce to bring some substance into this sauce. If you aren’t familiar, hoisin is truly my store-bought Asian secret weapon. I mean, you could definitely make it yourself with some peanut butter, soy sauce, rice vinegar, etc… but that’s a whole lot of ingredients. So, by mixing in a bit of this store bought option, you get the best ever creamy, tangy sauce without having to measure out thousands of ingredients.
how to serve it up…
Pour that sticky sauce situation over top of the chicken, broccoli, and gnocchi and allow a nice glaze to form. Mix in some peanuts for crunch and voila! Dinner is served. This Gochujang Stir Fried Chicken and Broccoli Gnocchi is truly one of my favorite quick dinners. I mean, I seriously think I could whip this one up in about 20 minutes. Oh, and, the best part? There’s no need for sides, sauces, or any other frills. It’s just a plain well-rounded dinner as is… unless you wanted to add some sriracha or nori (dried seaweed) ofc;)))
I hope you love this Gochujang Stir Fried Chicken and Broccoli Gnocchi as much as I do! Let me know what you think in the comments below:))
Gochujang Stir Fried Chicken and Broccoli Gnocchi
Course: Main CourseCuisine: Asian, American, Fusion, KoreanDifficulty: Easy4
servings15
minutes10
minutes25
minutesCrispy wok gnocchi, chicken, and broccoli mixed up with a sweet and spicy chili hoisin sauce: this Gochujang Stir Fried Chicken and Broccoli Gnocchi is the tastiest quick dinner.
Ingredients
2 tbsp neutral oil (such as avocado oil or canola oil)
24 oz gnocchi (see notes for cooking instructions)*
1 tbsp sesame oil (or an additional tbsp neutral oil)
1 head broccoli, cut into florets
1 lb chicken breasts, diced into 1 inch cubes
5 cloves garlic, finely diced
1 tbsp ginger, freshly grated
2-3 tbsp gochujang chili paste*
1 tbsp cornstarch
1-2 tbsp brown sugar
⅓ cup water
¼ cup hoisin sauce
¼ cup peanuts, finely chopped
Instructions
- In a large skillet or wok, heat the neutral oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, toss in gnocchi and sear for about 4 minutes. Only flip once at the halfway point (this will help get a good crisp on the gnocchi). Remove the gnocchi from the skillet temporarily.
- Add the remaining 1 tbsp of sesame oil. Once hot, toss in the broccoli and chicken. Sauté for 4-5 minutes, or until the chicken is browned and the broccoli is charred.
- Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk the garlic, ginger, gochujang, cornstarch, brown sugar, water, and hoisin sauce.
- Toss the gnocchi back into the hot skillet. Pour the prepared sauce over everything, making sure it completely covers the chicken, broccoli, and gnocchi. Cook for another minute or two, then mix in the peanuts. Serve and enjoy!
Notes
- Instead of chicken breasts, you could also use chicken thighs (fat removed), tofu, beef, or pork loin.
- GNOCCHI: You can use frozen, fresh, or dried gnocchi for this recipe. If you use frozen, I recommend microwaving them for 2 minutes before stir frying to get rid of the excess water. If you use fresh or dried gnocchi, boil your gnocchi for about half of the time the package calls for. Frozen or dried cauliflower gnocchi also works.
- Sambol Oelek also works well, if you can’t find gochujang
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