Chicken with red, yellow and green bell peppers, soy sauce and sesame seeds in a pan, with jasmine rice alongside

My long-awaited holiday is coming to an end. Well, almost — I’m still enjoying the last few days. 🙂 And with autumn here, I thought I’d make the most of the seasonal vegetables. This time, bell peppers take centre stage: red, yellow and green, for a little extra colour on the plate.

I paired them with chicken breast and a sauce made with soy sauce, ginger, garlic and lemon, then served everything with plain jasmine rice. The result is this Asian-style chicken and bell pepper stir-fry, with slightly crisp vegetables and plenty of sauce. I wanted enough for the rice too. It’s not just there for decoration. 😁

For the sauce, I used ground ginger and lemon juice. A little honey adds sweetness, while the soy sauce brings the savoury flavour. It’s an easy combination to adjust to your taste, especially when it comes to the tanginess or how strongly you want the ginger to come through.

Why Try This Chicken and Bell Pepper Stir-Fry?

It’s a good way to give chicken breast plenty of flavour without needing a long list of ingredients. The sauce brings the chicken and vegetables together and works well with a simple side that doesn’t need much seasoning of its own.

The peppers also add a welcome contrast in texture. Briefly cooked, they keep a little bite, which works nicely with the chicken and sauce. Each colour brings a slightly different flavour, too.

You don’t need a wok to make it. A wide frying pan with enough room for the ingredients will do the job. The rice can cook separately while you prepare the rest of the meal, leaving you free to focus on the quick cooking in the pan.

There’s no need to make it spicy, either. Soy sauce, garlic and ginger already give it plenty of flavour. Anyone who likes a little heat can add chilli flakes to their own portion.

Red, Yellow and Green Bell Peppers

The three colours make this dish look cheerful, but they also contribute to its flavour. Red and yellow peppers are sweeter, while green peppers have a more pronounced, slightly grassy taste. Together, they balance the savoury sauce and its gentle sweetness.

For even cooking, cut the peppers into strips of a similar thickness. Very thin strips soften quickly, while much thicker pieces may still be too firm by the time everything else is ready.

The peppers should soften slightly while keeping some bite. The exact cooking time depends on the thickness of the strips, your pan and the heat, so it helps to check their texture as you go.

The onion contributes to the final flavour as well. As it cooks, it becomes sweeter and complements the peppers.

Chicken strips with red, yellow and green bell peppers, onion and soy sauce, topped with sesame seeds in a pan with a wooden spatula

Plenty of Sauce for the Rice

The sauce is an important part of serving this dish, too. There’s enough to spoon over the rice as well as coat the chicken and peppers, so every part of the meal gets some flavour.

Soy sauce provides the savoury base, honey rounds it out, and lemon juice adds acidity and a citrus note. Since brands and personal preferences vary, taste the finished sauce before adding any extra salt.

Ground ginger mixes easily into the sauce and has a warmer flavour than fresh ginger. Start with a small amount if you prefer it in the background. Garlic complements the combination, but it needs watching in a hot pan because it can burn quickly.

Cornstarch helps the sauce cling to the chicken and vegetables. It should be lightly thickened but still pourable, so it can mix into the rice. It will thicken a little more as it cools, so there’s no need to reduce it until it’s very dense.

Tips for Making This Recipe

Prepare everything before heating the pan. Having the chicken and vegetables sliced, the garlic minced and the sauce mixed makes cooking much easier. Once you start, things move quickly, and it helps to have everything within reach.

Cut the chicken into evenly sized strips. Thin pieces cook faster than thick ones and can dry out while the larger pieces finish cooking. Consistent thickness is more useful than relying entirely on a fixed cooking time.

Give the chicken some space. If the pan is crowded, moisture takes longer to evaporate and the chicken starts cooking in its own juices. If your pan is small, cook the chicken in batches.

Stir the sauce again before adding it. Cornstarch settles at the bottom of the bowl after a few minutes. Mixing it again helps it spread evenly through the sauce and thicken it without lumps.

Adjust the heat to suit your pan. The ingredients should cook quickly, but the oil shouldn’t be smoking. If the garlic starts browning too fast, lower the heat before continuing.

What to Serve with It

I served this chicken and bell pepper stir-fry with jasmine rice, cooked according to the package instructions. Its delicate aroma goes well with the soy sauce, ginger and lemon, and it soaks up the sauce without needing butter or extra seasoning.

You can serve the rice alongside the chicken and vegetables, then mix them together as you eat. Sesame seeds or chilli flakes make optional finishing touches, so everyone can adjust their own plate.

Overhead view of a pan of chicken with three-colour bell peppers and sesame seeds, alongside jasmine rice and fresh pepper halves

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use just one colour of bell pepper?

Yes, you can use whichever peppers you have. The flavour will be slightly different: a combination of only red and yellow peppers will taste sweeter than one that also includes green pepper.

Can I use fresh ginger instead of ground ginger?

Yes. Finely grate the fresh ginger and add it with the garlic. It has a fresher, more pronounced flavour, so adjust the amount to taste rather than replacing the ground ginger gram for gram.

What should I do if the sauce is too thick?

Add a little water at a time, stirring over the heat until the sauce reaches the consistency you want. Keep it loose enough to spoon over the jasmine rice as well.

More Recipes You Might Like

If you enjoy chicken with vegetables, there are a few more combinations on the blog with different sauces and seasonings. They’re useful when you have the same basic ingredients but fancy something different for dinner.

Easy Chicken Chili with Kidney Beans and Corn — A chicken dish with a thicker sauce and a different mix of spices, for another way to use chicken breast.

Spicy Chicken with Bell Peppers and White Wine — Another chicken and pepper combination, with white wine and eggs added at the end for a different flavour and texture.

Mexican Chicken and Quinoa Casserole — A filling combination of chicken, kidney beans, corn and quinoa, topped with melted cheese.

Chicken and Bell Pepper Stir-Fry – Asian-Style Recipe

Recipe by Loredana Arion

Servings

servings

Prep time

minutes

Cooking time

minutes

Calories per serving

615

kcal

Chicken with colourful, slightly crisp bell peppers and plenty of savoury, lightly sweet and tangy sauce, served with jasmine rice. An easy Asian-style meal to make at home.

Ingredients

For the chicken and vegetables
400 g boneless, skinless chicken breast
½ red bell pepper, approximately 75 g after trimming
½ yellow bell pepper, approximately 75 g after trimming
½ green bell pepper, approximately 75 g after trimming
1 small onion, approximately 80 g after peeling
2 garlic cloves
15 ml coconut oil
For the sauce
60 ml soy sauce
120 ml water
20 ml lemon juice
20 g honey
10 g cornstarch
¼–½ teaspoon ground ginger
For the rice
100 g uncooked jasmine rice
Water, according to the package instructions
Optional toppings
Sesame seeds
Chilli flakes

Directions

Cook the jasmine rice according to the package instructions. Keep covered until ready to serve.
Cut the chicken into strips of a similar thickness. Trim and slice the bell peppers, slice the onion and mince the garlic.
In a bowl, mix the soy sauce, water, lemon juice, honey, cornstarch and ground ginger until smooth.
Heat a wide frying pan over medium-high heat. Add about two-thirds of the coconut oil, then cook the chicken for approximately 5–7 minutes, depending on the thickness of the strips, stirring occasionally. Work in batches if necessary. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
Add the remaining oil to the pan, followed by the onion and peppers. Cook for approximately 3–4 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the peppers soften slightly but still have some bite.
Add the garlic and stir for about 30 seconds, taking care not to let it burn.
Return the chicken to the pan. Stir the sauce again to redistribute the cornstarch, then pour it over the chicken and vegetables.
Bring to a gentle simmer and cook for approximately 2–3 minutes, stirring, until the sauce thickens and the chicken is fully cooked. Add a splash of water if the sauce becomes too thick.
Taste before adding any extra salt, as the soy sauce already provides saltiness.
Serve with the jasmine rice and, if desired, sesame seeds or chilli flakes.