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Chicken Apple Stir-Fry Recipe (Simple Dinner Idea)

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Wellness Mama » Blog » Recipes » Chicken Apple Stir-Fry Recipe (Simple Dinner Idea)

Sti- frys are one of my favorite dinners. They’re fast and easy to make, pack a punch of flavor, and contain a hefty serving of vegetables. I frequently use leftover, already-cooked meat for the protein in my stir-frys, which makes preparation even quicker.

And if there’s a bit of stir-fry leftover, I like to mix it into scrambled eggs in the morning for a hearty and healthy breakfast. Two meals in one is definitely a win!

Chicken Apple Stir-Fry With Fennel

I like making this stir-fry in the fall when apples are in season. The apples give it a nice burst of sweet/sharpness and the fennel gives it a mild little spice. I usually use leftover chicken that’s already cooked, and grilled is my favorite.

If it’s a busy night and we’re eating in a rush, this stir-fry converts easily into a cold chicken salad. Since apples and fennel are both delicious raw, I just chop all the ingredients and mix them together with some mayo and the spices.

If you have extra fennel, I bet it’d also taste great on top of this Honey Mustard Chicken with Mushrooms recipe too.

What Do I Need to Know About Fennel?

Fresh fennel is a common enough ingredient that it’s usually not too difficult to find in grocery stores. It’s got a white bulb on the bottom about the size of a medium-large onion. Green stalks shoot up from the bulb and are topped with feathery greens that look a bit like dill.

To use fresh fennel, slice or chop the bulb and saute or eat fresh. The stalks are a bit tough, so I don’t usually use them, but I know they can be chopped up and used in soups and salads. The greens are so pretty and delicate looking and are very tasty in salads.

Fennel tastes a bit like anise, but is light and fresh and not too strong. It can be used in almost any application that calls for celery. Here are some ideas on how to use it.

Love Stir-Fry As Much As I Do?

If you love stir-fry as much as I do, you may be interested in some more ideas. Here are some of our favorites:

Chicken Apple Stir-Fry

This savory and sweet chicken apple stir-fry is fast to make on busy nights and a kid favorite. 
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 25 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Calories 249kcal
Author Katie Wells

Servings

6

Ingredients

  • 3 chicken breasts (or the meat from 1 whole roasted chicken)
  • 2 TBSP butter (or coconut oil)
  • 2 medium apples
  • 1 medium onion
  • 1 bulb fennel
  • 1 tsp salt
  • ½ tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp basil

Instructions

  • There are two ways to make this recipe; oven or stove top.

Stove top:

  • Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces.
  • If chicken is raw, dice it and heat the butter or coconut oil in large skillet or wok until melted and cook chicken on medium-high heat until cooked through. (If chicken is pre-cooked, cook the vegetables in the butter first, then add the cooked, diced, chicken)
  • While the chicken is cooking, dice the apples and onion and thinly slice the fennel bulb into thin slivers.
  • Add the apples, onion, and fennel to the skillet or wok.
  • Add the spices, and saute over medium heat until all are cooked through and fragrant, approximately 10-12 minutes.
  • If using pre-cooked chicken, add the chicken, cook until warmed, and enjoy!

Oven:

  • Preheat oven to 375°F.
  • Grease a large baking sheet with butter or coconut oil.
  • Dice the chicken into bite size pieces and place on baking sheet.
  • Dice the apples and onions into bite sized pieces and sprinkle on top of chicken.
  • Thinly slice the fennel bulb and sprinkle on top of onion/apple mix.
  • Sprinkle with spices and place in the oven.
  • Bake for 30-40 minutes, stirring halfway through, until chicken is completely cooked through.
  • Enjoy!

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
Chicken Apple Stir-Fry
Amount Per Serving
Calories 249 Calories from Fat 75
% Daily Value*
Fat 8.3g13%
Saturated Fat 4.3g27%
Cholesterol 70mg23%
Sodium 700mg30%
Carbohydrates 23.1g8%
Fiber 5.3g22%
Sugar 12.9g14%
Protein 22.2g44%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Notes

Wrap this one in flatbread for hearty, filling breakfast. 

Like this recipe? Check out my new cookbook, or get all my recipes (over 500!) in a personalized weekly meal planner here!

Ever cooked with fennel? What do you use it for? Tell me below!

Sources

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Katie Wells Avatar

About Katie Wells

Katie Wells, CTNC, MCHC, Founder of Wellness Mama and Co-founder of Wellnesse, has a background in research, journalism, and nutrition. As a mom of six, she turned to research and took health into her own hands to find answers to her health problems. WellnessMama.com is the culmination of her thousands of hours of research and all posts are medically reviewed and verified by the Wellness Mama research team. Katie is also the author of the bestselling books The Wellness Mama Cookbook and The Wellness Mama 5-Step Lifestyle Detox.

Comments

14 responses to “Chicken Apple Stir-Fry Recipe (Simple Dinner Idea)”

  1. Mary Lee Avatar

    I don’t have fresh fennel amd can’t find it locally. I do have fennel leaves dried. Can I use that and any ideas how much?

    1. Suzanne Avatar

      For this recipe, you’re using the fennel bulb as a vegetable rather than the seeds of leaves as a spice/herb so that substitution wouldn’t work. You could try a mix of celery and leeks maybe. The flavor wouldn’t be quite the same, but still tasty.

  2. Shannon Avatar

    5 stars
    This recipe is fantastic, and I keep coming back to it. I love it, and so has everyone I’ve served it to. Thank you!

  3. Kelly Avatar

    Question: what type of apples did you use for this? It sounds yummy and I’d love to give it a try.

  4. Kelly Avatar

    5 stars
    I made this last night & it was so easy & delicious. I cooked the chicken in the crock pot all day so I just had to chop that up after frying up the veggies. Thanks for a great recipe & all your generous work to help us get healthier!

  5. Liz Avatar

    This recipe is one of my stand-bys! It’s so simple and quick to prepare, even on the stove with raw chicken. Very easy on a weeknight. 🙂 I’ve also never tried fennel (other than the seed) before making this recipe and it really is a winner! I’ll be looking for more uses for fennel for sure!

  6. Steph Avatar

    Great recipe! I didn’t have fennel but it was so delicious! Loved the sweetness from the apples and the mix of spices. I used three crushed garlic cloves and 1 tsp of onion powder. Another keeper in my recipe book 🙂

  7. Meg Avatar

    I slice the fennel with a mandolin slicer, add some quartered artichoke hearts (drained), toss it with a dressing made of minced garlic, lemon juice, mustard and olive oil, then top with shaved parmesan cheese. Love it.

  8. Sharon Avatar

    I use fennel with peas and onions. Just slice fennel, and onions, saute’ until onion is almost translucent, then add 1 pkg. frozen peas and put the lid on. Steam just until peas are bright green. Thanks for the new recipe to try.

  9. Jamie Scheer Avatar
    Jamie Scheer

    Made this tonight with the fennel from the farmers market…fennel (at least this fennel) was different than I thought it would be.  The middle stalk was very tough and so I peeled the ‘leaves’ off and thinly sliced them.  I really liked this dish.  It was easy and I got to use a new ingredient that I have never tried.  I added some fresh basil from my garden on top to finish it and served with slices tomatoes from my garden.  We had a great dinner, thanks for the great recipe!  Will make again.

  10. Jamie Avatar

    Oh, this sounds good! I will buy some fennel at the farmers market tomorrow morning and give this a try! Thanks for the great idea!

  11. Kati Avatar

    Yum! I’ve never cooked with fennel before…I’ll have to try it!  I make something similar with pork chops, sweet potato, and apples. :> Plus cinnamon.

  12. Jessica West Avatar
    Jessica West

    I use fennel in place of celery. I can’t stand celery, but it’s used in tons of recipes, especially soups. I read somewhere to use fennel instead, because it has a similar crunchiness. Fennel makes soup especially amazing, giving it a different depth of flavor. I love it in everything – it obviously has a completely different taste from celery, but if you like it, try it.

4.18 from 28 votes (26 ratings without comment)

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