Easy Stir Fry Sauce
If you’re looking for a homemade stir fry sauce then you are going to love this easy recipe. It’s made with just a few flavorful ingredients, and it can turn any ingredients into a delicious stir fry. Need sauce now because you forgot to buy a bottle? This recipe can be made right away, or prepped ahead to save time during the week.
Why I love this easy stir fry sauce
Stir fry has been a go-to meal for us since long before we went dairy free, and for the longest time, I would make up the sauce as I went – little soy sauce, a little garlic. Eventually, I nailed down a specific recipe that I keep coming back to, and this is it. It makes for a quick and healthy dinner, and you can customize with whatever proteins and veggies you want.
If you like this recipe, I know you’ll love my honey teriyaki sauce and pepper steak stir fry that uses a variation of this sauce, but with added ginger and sesame. And, don’t forget to try my baked pineapple chicken, which is basically a sheet pan stir fry. Any of these can be served with our favorite garlic rice or coconut rice.
Ingredients & substitutions
- Soy sauce – For this recipe, you will want to use reduced sodium soy sauce. If you don’t, you’ll end up with a bit of a salty mess (see the comments section for examples).
- Chicken broth – I normally use reduced-sodium soy sauce for this recipe. If have regular or chicken stock, it should be fine, but make sure you aren’t using regular soy sauce if that’s the case.
- Cornstarch – This thickens the sauce, and if definitely need it. I haven’t tried substitutes like arrowroot or other alternatives, so I’m not sure how they would turn out.
- Olive oil – Any oil can be used here. We normally have olive oil or canola oil, but any neutral oil should work.
- Brown sugar – If you don’t want to use brown sugar, you could substitute another sweetener like honey or agave nectar. Since it’s small amount, equal parts shouldn’t make a difference. Feel free to adjust to your liking.
- Sesame oil – This is option, but I highly recommend it.
Making changes to a recipe can result in recipe failure. Any substitutions listed below are simple changes that I believe will work in this recipe, but results are not guaranteed.
The following is a detailed overview of the recipe steps with added tips and tricks for recipe success. For a simplified and printable version, including ingredient amounts and more formal instructions, see the recipe card below.
How to make this stir fry sauce recipe
Mix the ingredients. In a small bowl, whisk the sauce ingredients until they’re smooth. Get rid of all the lumps now or there will be no saving it later.
Simmer the sauce. You can either do this in a saucepan (make ahead) or in the pan with your partially cooked stir fry. Over medium-high heat, the sauce will begin to thicken within 5 minutes. Make sure the stir frequently to prevent it from clumping or burning.
If you’re making the sauce ahead of time, transfer it to an air-tight container (I usually use a mason jar) and store it in the fridge for up to a week. Or freeze for up to a month.
Frequently asked questions
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Ingredients
- 1/2 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 1/2 cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 1 – 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
Instructions
To make ahead:
- Whisk stir fry sauce ingredients in a small bowl until smooth.
- Heat a saucepan to medium-high.
- Add sauce and heat until thickened, whisking as needed, about 5 minutes.
- Transfer to a storage container and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
To use immediately:
- Whisk sauce ingredients in a small bowl until smooth.
- Add to your favorite stir fry recipe as needed. Allow sauce to cook with your stir fry until thickened.
