Easy, delicious and made from items you likely have in your freezer or pantry, this Teriyaki Broccoli Chickpea Stir Fry is going to be a new healthy dinner recipe staple.

A bowl of broccoli chickpea stir fry with a side of rice and topped with black sesame seeds. A fork, resting on the edge of the bowl, is spearing a floret of broccoli.

Teriyaki Broccoli Chickpea Stir Fry

Captain’s log, stardate 41153.7. We are on day 5 of our social distancing expedition and I haven’t seen anyone other than my mate and offspring in over 120 hours. We are starting to wonder if there are still other lifeforms on this planet …

Okay, clearly I am being dramatic. But we are indeed on day 5 of keeping our distance from basically all the other humans…including those at the grocery stores (thanks 2020). Which means, I’ve been staring at my freezer and pantry, wondering what the heck I am going to make for dinner.

You too? Yeah, I have been hearing that a lot lately.

Truthfully, meal planning seemed a bit futile when it became apparent that we might be needing to go out and about considerably less. When I hit the store to stock up, I was more concerned with getting staples that were either shelf stable or freezer friendly. So, going into this “situation” I didn’t have a freaking clue what I would be making out of everything I got.

You too? Yeah, I have been hearing that a lot lately.

a bowl of Teriyaki sauce right after it has been mixed

Luckily, I am a creative lady in the kitchen and can pretty much figure out how to make a meal out of just about anything. But that is kind of why you are here…

This Teriyaki Broccoli Chickpea Stir Fry is not only FAST, yummy as hell, veggie-loaded…but made with the inspiration and contents of my pantry and freezer. Meaning, this is going to be a GREAT healthy dinner recipe to keep in your back pocket for after this global craziness and plug in on one of those busy weeknights we all kinda miss right now.

Broccoli Chickpea Stir Fry mixed in a cast iron skillet before sauce is added.

Suggested Adaptations when making Teriyaki Broccoli Chickpea Stir Fry

  • Replace the chickpeas with chicken or shrimp. If you have some chicken or shrimp hanging out in your fridge or freezer that needs to be used up or you just prefer, you can switch out the chickpeas in this recipe with 1 pound of raw chicken or shrimp. Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces and cook in a little extra oil until cooked through, then add the broccoli and continue the recipe as directed. For shrimp, cook alone until the shrimp is starting to turn pink. Add broccoli and continue recipe as directed. Shrimp cook much faster than chicken, but also be sure they’re cooked through before serving.
  • Replace the honey/maple syrup with brown sugar.
  • Add extra frozen vegetables. Things like frozen peppers or peas would be a lovely addition to this dish.

How to serve this Chickpea Stir Fry to kids

Serve it deconstructed !

If you are serving to a child warming up to the idea of stir fry or sauces, consider deconstructing this Teriyaki Broccoli Chickpea Stir Fry for them before adding the homemade teriyaki sauce to the whole shebang.

A deconstructed meal basically means taking the components of a recipe that is all mixed together (like a stir fry or casserole) and separating out the ingredients when serving. This can help children who feel overwhelmed by a whole-bowl-of-new to feel less stress or help children who are selective eaters be able to pick and choose which elements of a meal they want to eat (and leave the others) without them rejecting the whole meal because foods they love are stirred in with foods they are warming up to.

See below for a visual example of this Teriyaki Broccoli Chickpea Stir Fry served deconstructed!

Broccoli chickpea stir fry deconstructed on a child's sectioned off plate as an example on how to serve it to young children.
kids dish from Kiddobloom

Looking for other easy and healthy veggie-loaded dinner recipes?

Along with this awesome Teriyaki Broccoli Chickpea Stir Fry, here are a few more easy and healthy dinner recipes that I adore:

Teriyaki Broccoli Chickpea Stir Fry mixed together in a cast iron and topped with sesame seeds
5 from 19 votes

Teriyaki Broccoli Chickpea Stir Fry

Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: American
Course: Main Course
Easy, delicious and made from items you likely have in your freezer or pantry, this Teriyaki Broccoli Chickpea Stir Fry is going to be a new healthy dinner recipe staple.

Ingredients
 

For teriyaki sauce

  • 1/4 cup coconut aminos, can sub soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp honey or maple syrup
  • 1/2 tsp ground ginger
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch, can sub arrowroot powder

For stir fry

  • 16 ounces broccoli florets, about 4-5 cups
  • 2 cans cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed, about 3 cups
  • 2 tsp sesame oil
  • salt , to taste
  • sesame seeds, garnish (optional)

Instructions
 

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together ingredients for the teriyaki sauce. Set aside.
  • Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add broccoli florets, cover and cook about 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally. Use a wooden spoon to break apart chunks of frozen broccoli.
  • Add chickpeas to the skillet and cook an additional 4-5 minutes, or until broccoli is tender. Season with salt, if desired.
  • Remove from heat and pour the teriyaki sauce over the stir fry. Stir a few times to coat all of the stir fry in sauce.
  • Serve warm over rice or quinoa. Top with sesame seeds if desired.
Serving: 1.5cup, Calories: 122kcal, Carbohydrates: 23g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 2g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 379mg, Potassium: 367mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 12g, Vitamin A: 706IU, Vitamin C: 102mg, Calcium: 56mg, Iron: 1mg