How Do You Make Stir Fry Sauce From Scratch
Making stir fry sauce from scratch is as simple as adding the corn starch, sesame oil, and soy sauce to a jar.
Close the lid, and shake to combine and you are done!
If you do not have a mason jar, simply whisk the ingredients together in a bowl.
This sauce does not mess around.
It is bold, so flavorful, and a little bit goes a long way.
If you make the whole batch, it will be enough to flavor 6 8 generous servings of food.
The Best Stir Fry Sauce
Use this Stir Fry Sauce in your favorite stir fry recipes. This homemade stir fry sauce recipe is quick and easy to make. Its so much better than store-bought sauce or takeout!
Stir fry is one of my favorite easy meals. Stir fries are healthy and so versatile. You can easily switch up the protein and veggies to keep the flavors new and interesting!
I like to make my own stir fry sauce rather than buying it at the store because I can control the ingredients and flavors. Plus, its so simple to make, there really is no reason not to make your own. Its healthier and takes no more than ten minutes.
This easy recipe is perfect for using in chicken stir fry, beef stir fry, vegetable stir fry or shrimp stir fry. Or, use tofu or chickpeas for your protein to make a vegetarian meal. Serve your stir fry over brown rice, Instant Pot white rice or Instant Pot brown rice for a wholesome and tasty meal.
Best Tips For Cooking Your Stir Fry Vegetables
Use a big pan to fit all of your veggies nicely without overflowing
Stir fry vegetables just long enough to where they are cooked, but not mushy
Dont skimp on the garlic and onion, and be sure to use the stir fry sauce recipe listed for best flavor
Bring the magic of takeout to your kitchen with this easy and yummy stir fry recipe!
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What Do You Put In A Stir Fry
Just about anything you want! The basics of a stir fry are as follows:
- Protein beef, pork, chicken, shrimp, tofu, etc.
- Vegetables snow peas, mushrooms, carrots, bell peppers, onions, broccoli, water chestnuts, etc.
- Sauce broth, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, and oil. Play around with added flavor by adding garlic, ginger, green onions, etc.
Sesame Hoisin Eggplant Stir Fry
This eggplant stir-fry is loaded with flavor and easy to make! Made with tender eggplant and bell peppers in garlicky hoisin sauce, it pairs up perfectly with rice for a delicious veggie-packed meal.
I love eggplant and always look forward to this time of year when my garden starts producing it in abundance. But it’s easy to get stuck in an eggplant rut, where I’m pretty much making the same dishes again and again .
So this year I’m working on coming up with some new delicious uses for my eggplant. That’s how this eggplant stir-fry recipe was born.
Eggplant is a little different from other stir-fry veggies. In fact, eggplant doesn’t lend itself to stir frying! It needs a little bit of time sitting on a hot cooking surface in order to get tender. That’s why in this recipe we’ll actually be pan frying our eggplant before we add our other veggie and stir-frying everything together.
Don’t worry! It may sound complicated, but this dish is really easy to throw together, and it’s absolutely delicious.
- Bell pepper. I’m using a red bell pepper, but any color will work!
- Fresh basil. Thai basil or holy basil work great in this recipe if you can get your hands on them. If not, Italian basil is totally fine!
- Cooked rice. Use your favorite variety. I love this stir-fry with jasmine rice.
Tip: Want to add some protein to your eggplant stir fry? Try including this crispy fried tofu or some simple pan-fried tofu. Just add either one at the same time as your sauce.
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Tips For Making Sesame Beef Stir Fry
- Slice the flank steak when its still partially frozen. This lets you get the slices super thin, with minimal effort!
- Make sure to slice the steak against the grain. When you look at the flank steak, youll see thin white lines running across it. By slicing perpendicular to the lines, you make the steak super tender, instead of chewy and tough.
- Prepping ahead is key for a stir fry. Stir frys cook SO quickly, the best thing you can do to stay stress-free is to have all the veggies chopped and sauces whisked.
I hope you all give this skinny slow cooker loaded potato soup a try, Im sure youll love it! Hope to see you around The Chunky Chef and Smart Skinny Recipes too!
Looking for more stir fry recipes? Try these!
- 1Tbspgrated fresh ginger
- 2Tbspreduced sodium soy sauce
- 1Tbsprice vinegar
- 1/2tspChinese 5 spice
- 1/4tspblack pepper
- 1lbflank steak,thinly sliced
- 1cupsnow peas, sliced in half across
- 1/2cupsliced carrots
- 2Tbspreduced sodium soy sauce
- 1-2Tbsphoney or light brown sugar
- 1Tbsprice vinegar
- 1tspgrated fresh ginger
- 1/2tspred pepper flakes
- 2Tbspvegetable oil
Asian Takeout Style Side Dishes:
Fried Rice Super simple take out style homemade fried rice with carrots and peas. Serve this delicious side dish with your favorite Asian main courses. This recipe is super easy and whips up in only 25 minutes.
Easy Chow Mein Recipe Super delicious and easy Chinese chow mein inspired recipe made with cabbage, carrots, green onion and noodles tossed in an amazing chow mein sauce.
Creamy Asian Cucumber Salad Thinly sliced cucumber and red onion tossed in a delicious creamy peanut dressing. This is one of my all time favorite
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How To Make Sweet Ginger Sesame Sauce
The recipe card at the bottom of the page has the full list of ingredients with measurements and instructions.
In only a few minutes, this sauce can be ready to use in stir-fries, on pasta dishes, as a marinade, or even drizzled over salad.
Begin by toasting sesame seeds by placing them in a dry frying pan and heating on medium-high heat for just a few minutes. They will begin to turn a golden brown and start popping up out of the pan. Do not leave the pan unattended because it will burn quickly.
Once the seeds are lightly browned, remove them from the heat and pour them into a small mixing bowl.
Next, peel and grate fresh ginger root. Though ground ginger can be substituted in this recipe, I feel that fresh ginger is what really makes the taste pop.
Sometimes, I actually freeze whole unpeeled ginger pieces in a freezer bag to keep it on hand for dishes like this one. Its so nice to always have it ready to pull out and defrost quickly.
Mince up the garlic. Personally, I like to use a garlic press for this. I used to mince my garlic up with a knife or just use the store-bought jar variety. However, over time, I realized that using a press brings out the best and freshest flavor in recipes.
Add all the ingredients to the bowl with the toasted sesame seeds and whisk everything together well.
How To Make Stir Fry Sauce
This recipe is so easy, its as simple as combining all of the ingredients and mixing them together. I like to make stir fry sauce in a jar that has a tight-fitting lid. Then you can just shake the jar up to easily mix the ingredients together. You can also make the sauce in a small bowl and mix it using a whisk.
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Is Stir Fry Good For You
In many ways, yes! The tender crisp vegetables actually retain more nutrients by cooking quickly in a wok or skillet than they would if they were boiled. This particular stir fry uses two different kids of oils, but in relatively small amounts, which is much healthier than cooking in a large amount of oil .
Homemade Vegan Sesame Stir Fry
What is there to love about this dish? Everything! It is a delicious mixture of sweet, savory, and spicy, plus it uses simple ingredients that are budget-friendly and easy to find. It is perfect for those hectic weekdays when you need something quick yet filling! You will also love the combination of different textures – from the snappy snow peas, tender mushrooms, crunchy sesame seeds, and crisp-tender tofu pieces.
It is also quite customizable. You can adjust the spice level by adding, reducing, or omitting the red pepper flakes. You can also use any spices on hand or add your favorite veggies such as broccoli, carrots, bok choi, green peas, and bell peppers. It’s the perfect recipe to use leftover veggie cuts in your chiller, so they do not go to waste.
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How To Make Honey Sesame Chicken
- Start by sautéing some fresh green beans and yellow pepper strips in Land O Lakes® Butter with Olive Oil & Sea Salt in a hot skillet.
- Once the veggies are cooked, transfer them to a plate and start cooking up your chicken breast strips in a little more Land O Lakes® Butter with Olive Oil & Sea Salt and a touch of sesame oil.
- Remove the chicken from the skillet and pour in the sauce ingredients until it comes to a nice simmer.
- Thicken the sauce with a cornstarch slurry and then toss in the chicken and veggies.
Thats it! So super quick and easy, youll be wondering why you havent made this recipe sooner.
Best Veggies For Stir Fry
Its no secret that I love a good stir fry. My favorite thing about a stir fry is that you can essentially use whatever veggies you have on hand, making it a great recipe for cleaning out the produce drawer in your fridge.
For this recipe Im using fresh green beans and yellow pepper strips, but here are some more that would work great
- Any color bell pepper strips
PRO TIP: Start cooking the thickest/most dense veggies first , then add in the more delicate veggies once the thicker veggies have had time to become tender.
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How To Make Cabbage Stir Fry
First, remove the core from a green cabbage and thinly slice the cabbage until you measure 5 cups worth.
The core is tough, so we dont want to use that part of the cabbage in this recipe.
Try to slice it as thinly as possible for best texture.
Grate the carrots and finely mince the ginger and garlic.
Ginger and garlic are key for the perfect flavor when making any stir fry, so dont skip this step!
These are what give stir fry that next level flavor.
If you have ever wondered what makes an oriental dish taste like the real deal, it is this!
If you have never bought fresh ginger in the store, just look for it in your produce section.
It comes in long knobs which look like roots.
To prepare your ginger, just cut off the peeling with a knife, then slice and dice until the ginger is in very small minced pieces.
You can also use the back of a spoon to scrape off the peel, it takes a little bit longer, but often yields more ginger.
Pro tip: buy the pre bagged already peeled garlic cloves.
This saves a lot of prep work time!
Peel and dice up a yellow onion.
Once all of your vegetables are prepped, it is time to start cooking the stir fry.
In a large skillet or jumbo cooker combine the cabbage, ginger, garlic, carrots, onion, and 2 tablespoons of sesame oil.
I love cooking stir fry recipes in sesame oil as it adds even more flavor!
You do not need a wok to make this recipe, any large skillet type pan will work!
This will take around 15 20 minutes.
What Should I Put In My Stir Fry
The classic flavors of this sauce go with any kind of stir fry recipe.
Truly, the possibilities are endless!
Choose your protein , and choose whatever your favorite stir fry vegetables are.
You can use this sauce to make any kind of stir fry recipe.
I often make the sauce before I start cooking my stir fry, so that is ready to go when I need it.
You can either cook your ingredients in this sauce, or add it at the end of cook time.
If you are unsure of how much to use, I recommend cooking your ingredients first in sesame oil, then adding this sauce to taste in the last 3-5 minutes of cook time.
Start with a few tablespoons and add from there.
Again, this is a very concentrated 3 ingredient sauce, and a little bit will go a long way!
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How To Make Takeout Style Honey Sesame Chicken Stir Fry:
In a small bowl, whisk together honey sesame sauce ingredients and set aside for later.
Toss cubed chicken into a large mixing bowl and sprinkle in cornstarch. Toss to coat the chicken. In a small bowl, whisk egg. Pour egg over the chicken and gently mix chicken to coat.
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Once hot, carefully add chicken to the skillet. Gently spread chicken out into an even layer and let cook until bottom is golden. Dont panic, the chicken may look weird at this point but it will all come together.
Once the bottom of the chicken is golden, flip chicken over, gently breaking pieces apart. Cook for another 5-7 minutes on the other side until golden. Remove from skillet and transfer to a plate.
Add another half tablespoon of oil to the skillet and add broccoli, carrots and onions to the skillet and begin stir frying for about 5-7 minutes or until carrots and broccoli are tender.
Add chicken back to the skillet with veggies and turn heat up high. Stir fry for a few more minutes and slowly add the sauce while stirring frequently. Remove from heat.
Serve over steamed rice with fresh chopped green onions and sesame seeds.
More Stir Fry Recipes
I followed your recipe and it was delicious! You nailed it! I will make this again and again!!! Kathy
So easy and yummy! Now that our garden is ripe with a surplus of veggies, this recipe has become a weekly dish. Ive been telling everyone about it! Julie
Are you making this recipe? I want to see! Dont forget to tag me on instagram @buildyourbite and hashtag #buildyourbite with your recipe creations!
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How To Make Vegetable Stir Fry Noodles
In a large nonstick skillet or jumbo cooker , add in your mushrooms, green onion, bell pepper, carrots, ginger, and garlic.
Add 2 3 tablespoons of sesame oil, enough so that the veggies can cook without sticking.
I added two tablespoons to start, and one more part way through.
Cook the veggies over medium high heat for 20 25 minutes. Stir every few minutes to ensure that the vegetables cook evenly.
Once the veggies are almost soft , add in the sugar snap peas for the last 5 minutes.
Cooking the peas at the end lets them keep that sweet crunch without getting too soft.
When you throw your snap peas in, now is the time the ramen noodles should be going in the boiling water also .
Once the ramen noodles have cooked, drain them and add them to the vegetables.
Pour your 3 ingredient stir fry sauce over the top, then mix well until the ramen noodle stir fry is thoroughly coated in sauce.
This stir fry sauce is our favorite one and we use it all the time.
Just sesame oil, cornstarch, and soy sauce.
All you do is shake and combine!
I ate a huge plate of this and it was amazing and very filling.
Even my toddler loved the noodles!
The key to that perfect knock your socks off takeout taste is this:
- the homemade stir fry sauce
If you have these three things, and you can make any kind of stir fry ingredients taste incredible!
Easy ways to adapt this recipe:
Add your favorite protein of choice
Use brown rice ramen noodles to make this gluten free.
The Best Stir Fry Sauce Ingredients
To make this simple, flavorful sauce you will need just a few simple ingredients, hopefully things you already have in your kitchen. If you dont have these items, I highly recommend you pick some up and have them on hand for that moment when a stir fry craving hits!!
- Soy Sauce- absolutely the main ingredient in this recipe. Soy Sauce adds saltiness and so much flavor to any Asian dish
- Water- helps balance out the strong flavor of the Soy Sauce
- Rice Vinegar- just a bit of tang in this ingredient
- Corn Starch- used to thicken up the sauce so it will coat all of the meat and veggies
- Sesame Oil- a little bit goes a long way, but you will definitely miss it if you dont use this ingredient
- Chili Sauce- or Sriracha, adds a little kick of heat to this dish
- Brown Sugar- the perfect balance of sweet, spicy and salty
- Ground Ginger- I prefer to use fresh ginger root, but if you just have dried ginger, you ahead and substitute that
- Garlic Powder- extra flavor punch from the garlic
- Sesame Seeds- these are optional, but add some crunch and flavor to any dish
Simply stir together all of the sauce ingredients except the sesame seeds, you can sprinkle those on just before serving your dish. Pour the sauce into the pan with the cooked veggies and meat, bring to a simmer and stir until the sauce has thickened and everything is evenly coated in the stir fry sauce.
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