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I love stir fries. They’re versatile, quick, and they remind me of being home with my parents. So it makes sense that I default to stir fries any time I want something easy but comforting! This Sambal Pepper Chicken stir fry is no exception. It uses simple ingredients and comes together in under 30 minutes from prep to finish! I’ll also give some pointers on how to master your stir fry – regardless of what protein & vegetables you use! Let’s get into it.
What You’ll Need
Small bowl – To mix your stir fry sauce.
Large bowl – To hold and quickly marinate your chicken thighs.
Large wok or frying pan, and spatula – A non-stick pan is best!
About the Ingredients & FODMAP Content
The Stir Fry Sauce
Gluten Free Tamari – Tamari is a low FODMAP staple, and increases the depth of flavor in this dish. According to the Monash University app, it contains no detectable FODMAPs. If you’re Paleo, swap this out for more Coconut Aminos. The flavor will be sweeter, but definitely comparable!
Sambal Oelek – This can be found at most normal grocery stores. Stay away from the variations with garlic. I use the one by Huy Fong Foods. It has a rooster on the front and does NOT contain garlic!
Coconut Aminos – Coconut aminos is commonly used to substitute soy sauce or tamari. I like to use it in stir fries in lieu of added sugar because of its natural sweetness. It is low FODMAP in 5g (1 teaspoon) servings. If also using tamari, that puts a serving of this dish under the FODMAP threshold.
Garlic-Infused Olive Oil – My favorite FODMAP-friendly garlic-infused olive oil is from Garlic Gold, which I purchase in bulk off of Amazon. If you are using another store-bought garlic oil, be sure it doesn’t contain “garlic oil,” “garlic essential oil,” “garlic essence,” “garlic flavoring,” “natural roasted garlic flavor,” or anything similar. Not all garlic oils are safe! More on that in this article on FODMAP Everyday.
Stir Fry Ingredients
Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs – I love using chicken thighs because it is forgiving if overcooked, unlike chicken breast. Definitely feel free to swap this out for white meat if that’s your preference!
Bell Peppers – Any color will do! I use a mix of green and red. About 1/4 (2.65 oz.) of a red bell pepper is low FODMAP, and about 1/2 (1.83 oz.) a cup of green bell pepper is low FODMAP. If you’re on the elimination phase of the low FODMAP diet, it will be safest to use 1 red bell pepper. Or feel free to swap this out with another vegetable entirely, like broccoli or green beans! The “Pepper” in “Sambal Pepper Chicken” is easily replaceable. 🙂
Ginger – Fresh ginger works best here. The brightness of this flavor really freshens up the dish.
Tomato Paste – This gives the dish a certain richness and depth.
Green Onion – Love this in all my savory dishes for flavor! Be sure to use the green tips only to keep it low FODMAP. There are no detectable FODMAPs in this portion.
Tips for Success
Let your meat brown – Once the meat hits the pan, I spread it out to maximize the surface area that is exposed to heat. Letting it sit and allowing the meat to brown brings out a richer flavor. It’s common to see the advice to continuously stir a stir fry (makes sense), but most kitchen stoves (especially if you don’t have a gas burner) don’t heat pans to as high a temperature as commercial stoves. So letting that heat build makes a huge difference!
Make sure your pan is large enough – If a pan is overcrowded, it will STEAM and you will get a liquid mess at the bottom of your pan when you actually want the sauces to thicken and get sticky. Having a large-enough pan definitely helps with this.
If all else fails, use a tapioca starch slurry – If your stir fry does end up being liquid-y, a tapioca starch slurry can save you! Mix 1 teaspoon of tapioca starch with 2 tablespoons of water in a small bowl, and add it to your stir fry at the end. This will thicken the sauce.
If you try my Sambal Pepper Chicken, let me know how you like it in the comments below! Or shoot me a message and/or tag me on Instagram @thefodmapfactor. I love it when you guys try my creations, and I’d love to know if you enjoy them as much as I do! 🙂
Looking for other Asian flavors? Try my Beef Sambal Noodles. Feeling something a little bit less viscous? Try my Thai Green Curry! Feeling a little snacky or looking for an appetizer? Try my Scallion Pancakes. 🙂
Sambal Pepper Chicken – Low FODMAP, Paleo-Friendly, Dairy Free
Equipment
- Small bowl
- Large Bowl
- Large Frying Pan or Wok
Ingredients
Stir Fry Sauce
- 1½ tablespoons gluten free tamari sub coconut aminos for Paleo
- 1½ tablespoons Sambal Oelek
- 1 tablespoon coconut aminos
- 1 tablespoon garlic-infused olive oil
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs trimmed & cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1-2 bell peppers cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 inch ginger minced or grated
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 1 cup chopped green onion green portion only
- garlic-infused olive oil for stir frying
Instructions
- In a small bowl before prepping your vegetables, mix together stir fry sauce ingredients. Pour and mix half of the stir fry sauce into a large bowl with trimmed & cut chicken thighs to marinate prior to cooking. Prepare remainder of vegetables.
- In a large wok or large frying pan on high heat, heat garlic oil. Once hot, add chicken and spread it out on the pan. Leave untouched for 2-3 minutes to allow chicken to brown. Give the chicken a stir and flip chicken pieces to brown on the other side for another 1-2 minutes.
- Add bell peppers and ginger and stir fry all ingredients together for a minute. Now add the remaining stir fry sauce, and stir fry for another few minutes until the sauce starts to thicken.
- Add green onion and tomato paste, and stir for another minute, just until the tomato paste is evenly distributed. The chicken & ingredients should be saucy and slightly sticky, and the chicken should be done by this time. Feel free to stir fry a little longer if not.
- Best served with rice, but noodles also work well!
Notes
- If using store-bought garlic-infused oil that is not certified FODMAP-friendly, make sure to use a brand that doesn’t list “garlic oil,” “garlic essential oil,” “garlic essence,” “garlic flavoring,” “natural roasted garlic flavor,” or anything similar in the ingredients list. There’s no way to know whether these ingredients are low FODMAP. More on that in this article on FODMAP Everyday.