# Chinese Chicken and Broccoli Freezer Meal

Chicken breast in a soy, garlic, and brown sugar sauce, with the broccoli and cornstarch added on the day so they stay green and glossy.

 

 

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## Chinese Chicken and Broccoli Freezer Meal

Recipe by Iren Pavlenko

 

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0.0 from 0 votes ** 

Course: Main CourseDifficulty: Easy

Servings

6

servings

Prep time

15

minutes

Cooking time

7

hours 

30

minutes

Chicken breast in a soy, garlic, and brown sugar sauce, with the broccoli and cornstarch added on the day so they stay green and glossy.

### Ingredients

- In the bag: 2 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut in large chunks
- In the bag: 1 can (14.5 oz) chicken broth
- In the bag: ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- In the bag: ⅓ cup brown sugar
- In the bag: 1 tbsp minced garlic
- In the bag: 1 tsp grated ginger
- In the bag: 1 tbsp sesame oil
- Day of: 4 cups fresh broccoli florets
- Day of: 2 tbsp cornstarch
- To serve: steamed rice, sesame seeds, sliced green onion
- 1 gallon-size freezer bag
- Permanent marker for the label
- Salt and black pepper to taste

### Directions

- Label the bag with the recipe, date, cook time and day-of additions before you fill it.
- Put the chicken, broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, and sesame oil in a gallon freezer bag. Press out the air, seal, and freeze flat.
- The day before: move the bag to the fridge, on a plate, 24 hours ahead.
- Empty the bag into the crockpot and cook 6–8 hours on LOW.
- Whisk the cornstarch into ¼ cup of the hot sauce, stir it back in, and add the broccoli.
- Cook 30 minutes more with the lid on, until the sauce is glossy and the broccoli is bright green.
- Check the thickest piece of chicken reads 165°F and the broccoli is still bright green.
- Let the pot rest 10 minutes with the lid off so the sauce settles.
- Cool leftovers within 2 hours and refrigerate in shallow containers for up to 4 days.

 

### Notes

 

Broccoli frozen raw in the bag turns olive and soft. Keep it fresh and add it at the end.

 

  

## Why the broccoli goes in late

 

Broccoli frozen raw in the bag cooks for hours and ends up olive green and mushy. Added fresh in the last half hour, it stays bright and has a little snap. The cornstarch thickens the sauce into the glossy kind you expect from a takeout order.

 

## Swaps and what to avoid

 

Honey can replace the brown sugar in the same amount. Snap peas or sliced bell pepper work in place of some of the broccoli. Use low-sodium soy sauce as written, because regular soy makes the sauce too salty after reducing. Do not stir the cornstarch in dry, since it clumps.

 

## Serving Chinese Chicken and Broccoli

 

Steamed rice is the natural base. A sprinkle of sesame seeds and sliced green onion finishes it. Leftovers keep 3 days in the fridge, and the sauce thickens, so add a splash of water when you reheat.

 

Mistake: skipping the step of whisking cornstarch into a bit of hot sauce first. It guarantees a smooth, glossy result.