- Prep5 min
- Cook10 min
Vegemite chicken stir fry: chicken mince, green beans and a bunch of Thai basil, with a spoonful of Vegemite in the sauce. Yes, really. It does the salty, savoury work, and there’s no toast involved.
About 15 minutes, one pan, and the rice just soaks in boiling water, so there’s no rice pot to watch. Easier still: buy the beans pre-trimmed and use jarred garlic. Dinner for four, with very little chopping.
Can I manage this today?
- Spoon rating: 🥄🥄 Low-Spoon
- Hands-on time: about 15 minutes, with the rice soaking alongside
- Main effort: about 10 minutes of stir-frying the mince
- Chopping: a little. Trim and halve the beans, crush the garlic, and chop the chilli if you’re using fresh
- Standing and attention: about 10 minutes at the stove, stirring most of the time
- Washing up: one pan or wok, one small bowl, one heatproof container for the rice, one board
Quick spoon check
- No-spoons version: not this one. Raw mince and a hot pan put it at low-spoon.
- Low-spoon version: pre-trimmed beans, jarred garlic and jarred ginger. Same pan, much less chopping.
- As written: the full method in the recipe card below.
Kerry’s notes
Vegemite in a stir fry sounds like a dare. It isn’t. It’s a salty, savoury seasoning that sits happily next to the soy or tamari, with a spoonful of honey substitute for a little sweetness. Leigh has strong views on honey substitutes. She wrote a whole guide, so I’ll stay out of it.
Buy the beans pre-trimmed if you can. Jarred garlic is fine. Dinner doesn’t care who crushed the clove.
Toast is optional. If you want some anyway, there’s Keto Bread in 90 Seconds.
This one’s Ninja Approved. Marty would’ve had half the pan before I found the bowls.
The macros are on the card. If you want to know what they actually do, Macros Made Simple is Leigh’s guide, and she’ll happily go through it at length. I’ll be at the stove.
What’s that ingredient?
Qetoe low carb rice. A dry, rice-shaped product made from konjac flour and rice flour. Here it stands in for rice: you soak it in boiling water while the chicken cooks. Find it online at Low Carb Emporium, about $5 for an 80 g pack. Keep it in the pantry and check the pack for the best-before. Easiest swap: frozen cauliflower rice or regular rice (the carbs change). For what that means, see Leigh’s guides above.
Thai basil. A sturdy herb with a slightly aniseed edge that holds up when it’s stirred through hot food at the end. Look in the fresh herb section at the supermarket or at an Asian grocer. It’s cheapest in summer. Keep the stems in a glass of water on the bench. Easiest swap: regular basil, which is milder.
Rice wine vinegar. A mild, slightly sweet vinegar. Look in the Asian aisle. It keeps in the pantry. Easiest swap: white wine vinegar, which is a touch sharper.
Keto honey substitute. A pourable sweetener used here for a little sweetness. Find it at Low Carb Emporium. Keep it in the pantry. Easiest swap: honey, which adds carbs.
Why this recipe works
- The mince cooks in minutes, with no browning in batches.
- You whisk the sauce in one bowl first, so the pan part is just add and stir.
- The beans add crunch for the price of a trim and a halve.
- The basil goes in last, so there’s no timing to manage.
Ingredients at a glance
- Chicken mince: the base. Cooks fast and takes on the sauce.
- Green beans: crunch. Trimmed and halved.
- Garlic, ginger and chilli: the aromatics. Jarred garlic and ginger work.
- Vegemite: the salty, savoury backbone of the sauce.
- Honey substitute: a little sweetness to balance the salt.
- Rice wine vinegar: a mild tang.
- Soy sauce or tamari: more salt and savoury.
- Thai basil: a fresh finish, stirred through at the end.
- Qetoe low carb rice: soaks in boiling water and stands in for rice.
No Spoon Swaps
Supermarket shortcuts count. There’s more on that in Convenience ingredients are accessibility tools.
- Pre-trimmed green beans: skips the trimming. You pay a bit extra for the convenience.
- Jarred garlic: fresh garlic gives you a slightly stronger flavour, but jarred saves chopping and works perfectly well here.
- Jarred or tube ginger: skips peeling and mincing. The flavour is a little milder than fresh.
- Cauliflower rice instead of Qetoe rice: one less thing to soak. The texture is different.
Substitutions and allergens
- Soy sauce or tamari: either works. Use tamari if you need to avoid wheat.
- Qetoe rice: frozen cauliflower rice or regular rice. The carbs on the card are worked out with Qetoe.
- Thai basil: regular basil, which is milder.
- Rice wine vinegar: white wine vinegar, which is a touch sharper.
- Honey substitute: honey, which adds carbs.
Allergen notes
- Soy: soy sauce and tamari both contain soy.
- Gluten: Vegemite and regular soy sauce list gluten-containing cereals on the label. Check every label if you need to avoid gluten.
- Check the honey substitute and Vegemite labels for their full allergen lists.
Equipment and easier alternatives
- Set-up: line up the sauce bowl, the soaking rice and the basil leaves beside the stove before you start, so you’re not hunting for anything once the mince is in.
- Standing: about 10 minutes at the stove. A perching stool next to it can help.
Storage, freezing and reheating
- Fridge: keep the cooked stir fry in a sealed container for up to 3 days.
- Freezer: you can freeze the chicken. Konjac rice doesn’t freeze well, so freeze the chicken on its own and soak fresh rice while you reheat.
- Reheating: microwave for 2 minutes, stir, then microwave for 1 more minute, until steaming hot all the way through.
Frequently asked questions
Is Vegemite chicken stir fry gluten free?
Not as written. Vegemite and regular soy sauce list gluten-containing cereals on the label. Swap in tamari and check every label if you need to avoid gluten.
What does the Vegemite do in a stir fry?
It seasons the sauce with a salty, savoury depth. The card starts you at 3 teaspoons for four serves.
Can I use regular basil instead of Thai basil?
Yes. It’s milder, so use the same amount and stir it through at the end.
How do I cook the Qetoe rice?
Put it in a heatproof container, cover it with boiling water, cover the container and leave it to soak while you cook the rest of the dish. Drain any liquid before serving.
Can I make this ahead?
Yes. The cooked stir fry keeps in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. You can freeze the chicken, but konjac rice doesn’t freeze well, so soak fresh rice when you reheat.
Vegemite Chicken Stir Fry (Toast's Night Off)
Equipment
- Large frying pan or wok
- Kettle
- Heatproof container with a lid
- Small bowl
- Whisk or fork
- Chopping board and knife
Ingredients
Rice
- 1 packet Qetoe low carb rice (80 g)
- boiling water enough to cover the rice
Sauce
- 1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari
- 1½ tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp keto honey substitute (Natures Hollow)
- 3 tsp Vegemite
Stir fry
- 500 g chicken mince
- 100 g green beans
- 2 garlic cloves
- 1 tbsp ginger minced
- 1 fresh chilli finely chopped (or ½ tsp chilli powder). Adjust to your heat
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 bunch Thai basil
Instructions
Rice
- Boil the kettle.
- Put the rice in a heatproof container and pour over enough boiling water to cover it.
- Cover the container and leave it to soak while you cook the rest of the dish.
Prepare
- Trim the green beans.
- Cut each bean in half.
- Pick the basil leaves off the stems and discard the stems.
- Prepare the chilli: finely chop 1 fresh chilli, removing the seeds for less heat, or measure ½ tsp chilli powder.
- Crush or finely chop the garlic.
Sauce
- In a small bowl, add 1 tbsp soy sauce or tamari, 1½ tbsp rice wine vinegar, 1 tbsp honey substitute and 3 tsp Vegemite.
- Whisk until the Vegemite is dissolved and the sauce is smooth.
Cook
- Heat a large frying pan or wok over medium-high heat.
- Add the oil and the chicken mince.
- Stir-fry for 5 minutes, breaking up the mince with a spoon, until it starts to colour.
- Add the garlic, ginger, chilli and beans.
- Stir-fry for 2–3 minutes.
- Pour in the sauce and stir it through.
- Cook for 2 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through with no pink left (75°C inside).
- Stir through the Thai basil leaves.
Serve
- Drain any remaining liquid from the rice.
- Divide the rice and chicken between 4 bowls.
Notes
Nutrition
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A final spoon-saving note
Save this one for a low-spoon night. Buy the beans pre-trimmed, grab the jarred garlic and get the rice soaking first. Ten minutes at the stove and dinner’s sorted. Give it a go.
