Description
Five spice chicken with mushrooms and veggies brings savory depth to your dinner table with warm spices, tender chicken, and fresh vegetables that cook together in one pan. This dish comes together quickly and gives you a balanced meal that tastes like you spent hours in the kitchen when really it only takes about thirty minutes.
Ingredients
Scale
Proteins:
- 2 lbs chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
Seasonings and Liquids:
- 1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 0.5 teaspoon pepper
- 0.25 cup low-sodium soy sauce
Vegetables and Oil:
- 8 teaspoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 16 ounces mushrooms, sliced
- 2 medium zucchinis, sliced into thin semi-circles
- 4 ounces fresh spinach
Instructions
- Warm 4 teaspoons of olive oil in your large skillet at medium-high heat, then add your chopped onion and let it cook for about 3 minutes until it becomes translucent, stirring occasionally as it softens.
- Once your onion is ready, stir in the 4 minced garlic cloves and keep stirring constantly for about 1 minute until the garlic becomes fragrant.
- Add your 2 pounds of bite-sized chicken pieces to the skillet along with 1 teaspoon of five-spice powder, 1 teaspoon of salt, and ½ teaspoon of pepper, cooking everything at medium-high heat until your chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- Carefully transfer the cooked chicken and all its juices into a separate bowl and set it aside for now.
- Pour the remaining 4 teaspoons of olive oil into your skillet and add the 2 medium zucchinis that you’ve sliced into thin semi-circles, sautéing them at medium heat for about 2 minutes.
- Add your 16 ounces of sliced mushrooms to the zucchini and continue sautéing for about 4 to 5 minutes at medium heat until the mushrooms turn tender, seasoning with a bit more salt and pepper if you prefer.
- Layer your 4 ounces of fresh spinach across the bottom of the skillet, then pour the reserved chicken and its juices directly over the spinach.
- Pour ¼ cup of low-sodium soy sauce over everything, cover your skillet, and let it cook for a few minutes until your spinach wilts completely, stirring occasionally.
- Place any leftovers into an airtight container and refrigerate for 3 to 5 days.
Notes
- Toast your five-spice powder in the skillet for 30 seconds before adding the chicken to deepen its flavor and eliminate any raw spice taste.
- Check that your chicken reaches 165°F with a meat thermometer rather than relying on appearance, since the soy sauce darkens the meat and can make it hard to judge doneness visually.
- For a vegetarian version, replace the chicken with firm tofu or chickpeas and use tamari or coconut aminos instead of soy sauce to keep the dish salty and savory.
- If your mushrooms release a lot of liquid while cooking, drain some of it off before adding the chicken back in, so the dish doesn’t become watery and the flavors stay concentrated.
- Prep Time: 4 minutes
- Cook Time: 15-16 minutes
- Category: Sautéed Chicken
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Chinese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 345 kcal
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 710 mg
- Fat: 14 g
- Saturated Fat: 2 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 9 g
- Fiber: 3 g
- Protein: 44 g
- Cholesterol: 110 mg