Our never-fail homemade Stir Fry Sauce Recipe can be thrown together in minutes, using ingredients we always have on hand. Stir fry sauce instantly elevates veggies and protein and makes them taste absolutely delicious!
Why this is the BEST Stir Fry Sauce Recipe
A while back we did an Instagram story featuring Natalie cooking up a stir-fry. So many people asked for the recipe that we thought we would share our go-to stir fry sauce recipe.
Good stir fry sauce is such an essential for family feeding. You can throw in just about any kind of vegetable and protein that you have around and then serve it over rice or noodles. Stir fry is a quick meal, and everyone loves it! (And must we say – it can be really healthy too!!) It’s also a great way to use up leftover produce at the end of the week.
We tried multiple different recipes before landing on this one and making adjustments until it was just right. We wanted an interesting, kid-friendly flavor that wasn’t too sweet. It also had to be easy and use pantry ingredients. This recipe ticks all of those boxes!
Ingredients for Stir Fry Sauce:
- Soy Sauce– we always use low-sodium soy sauce.
- Chicken (or Vegetable) Broth– we usually use chicken broth (Better than Bouillon is our go-to) but vegetable broth works great too.
- Honey– we have tried different sweeteners, and honey is our favorite! You could use brown sugar if you prefer, but the honey flavor is not detectable in the final sauce.
- Vinegar– we usually use apple cider vinegar, but rice wine vinegar or even distilled vinegar will work also.
- Minced Garlic– fresh is best! We have used garlic powder, and it works but the flavor is much better with fresh.
- Fresh Ginger– again, ginger powder will work. But we like to keep a knob of fresh ginger in the freezer. Simply grate the frozen ginger directly into the pan whenever you need it and throw it back in the freezer! The flavor is so much better and brighter.
- Cornstarch– used as a thickener.
How to Make Stir Fry Sauce:
To make the sauce on its own:
- Whisk all of the ingredients together in a small saucepan. Simmer over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, stirring continually, until the sauce is thickened.
- Serve over cooked protein and veggies or use as a dipping sauce.
To use the sauce in your stir fry:
- Cook your desired protein in about 1-2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until nice and browned. Add your mixed vegetables. Continue cooking until the protein is cooked through and the veggies are crisp tender.
- Meanwhile, whisk together the sauce in a small bowl or liquid measuring cup. Pour over the protein and veggies in the skillet and simmer for about 5 minutes or until the sauce has thickened.
- Serve over rice or noodles.
We told you it was easy!! As a rule of thumb, I use about 5 cups of fresh veggies and 1 pound of protein with this stir fry sauce recipe. It leaves enough sauce to pour over rice, but not too much.
What Vegetables should I use for Stir Fry?
Almost any veggies will work! But these are some of our favorites:
- Bell Peppers
- Sugar Snap Peas
- Snow Peas
- Broccoli
- Mushrooms
- Carrots
- White or Yellow Onions
- Zucchini
- Cabbage
- Asparagus
TIP: If you’re in a particular rush, just throw in a bag of frozen stir-fry veggies! Something is better than nothing, right?
More Asian-Inspired Dinner Ideas:
- Crockpot Orange Chicken
- Veggie-Packed Chicken Teriyaki Noodle Bowls
- Easy Pancit Noodles and Veggies
- Peanut Sesame Noodles
Homemade Stir Fry Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1/3 cup soy sauce, low sodium
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger
Instructions
- Whisk all of the ingredients together in a small bowl of liquid measuring cup.
- Pour sauce over cooked protein and crisp-tender veggies. Simmer over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, until the sauce is thickened.
- Or, pour the sauce ingredients into a small saucepan and cook over medium-high heat for 5 minutes or until thickened.