The BEST Stir Fry Sauce
This stir fry sauce recipe is easy, healthy, & ready in no time! Smother this homemade sauce over your favorite stir-fried meat & veggies- the BEST!
Allow me to introduce you to the BEST stir fry sauce ever! Yes, it is very necessary that BEST is in all caps. I love a great stir fry packed with veggies and meat, but let’s be honest, the most important part is an amazing, Asian-inspired sauce!
This recipe will blow your mind. It’s homemade, easy, and ready in under 10 minutes! Did I mention it’s better than takeout?!
Table of Contents
Watch The Recipe Video
Note: You can also watch this recipe video on YouTube.
What Makes This Recipe Great
Now, this sauce may not look like much, but its lack of beauty is more than made up in flavor. Delicious Asian flavors like soy sauce, garlic, ginger, sesame seed oil, and rice vinegar are all whisked together into a versatile, easy-to-make sauce.
It can be adjusted to be vegan or gluten-free without losing any flavor. Just add all the ingredients to a pint-sized mason jar, close the lid tightly, and shake!
This is really the only stir fry sauce you’ll ever need. It’s quick, and the kind of recipe you’ll want to make again and again! It’s great with chicken, beef, pork, shrimp, and just about every combination of stir-fried vegetables. I just can’t get enough!
Ingredient Notes
Soy Sauce: I like to use low sodium soy sauce to make this recipe healthier. If you need it to be gluten-free, swap the soy sauce for Tamari (you seriously can’t tell the difference!).
Chicken Stock (or Broth): I use Kettle + Fire organic chicken bone broth (my favorite! Use code TASTESLOVELY for 20% off!) for this recipe, but if you’re vegan, use vegetable broth. It’s a totally easy substitution that still tastes just as good!
Corn Starch: Many people prefer corn starch because it’s what they have on hand, but a healthier swap for corn starch is either Tapioca Flour or Arrowroot powder. These have fewer carbs and are excellent thickeners!
Honey: Instead of brown sugar, I use a healthier swap like honey. If you want a vegan alternative, simply swap the honey for agave nectar.
Sesame Seed Oil & Rice Vinegar: These are both pretty easy to find! Check your favorite local grocery store if you don’t have any on hand!
Ginger: You can use grated ginger, minced ginger, ginger paste, or even ground ginger (many readers have had success with this!) for this recipe.
Garlic Cloves: Use either finely grated or minced garlic.
Recipe Step by Step
- Simply whisk all ingredients together. Alternatively, you can put all the ingredients in your mason jar (or another container with a tight lid), close the lid, and shake until combined!
Expert Tips
- You can adjust the amount you make according to how many servings of stir fry you need.
- This recipe makes 1-1/4 cups of sauce, which is the perfect amount for a chicken stir fry that serves 4 people with 1lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed, 1 head of broccoli, 2 red bell peppers, 1 yellow onion, 1 zucchini, all chopped, and served with 2 cups cooked white rice.
- If you want your sauce to serve 8 people, simply double the recipe!
Note:
- When you add this sauce to your stir-fried veggies and protein, make sure to add the sauce last. Allow it to cook for 3 full minutes with the stir fry to give the corn starch or alternative thickening agent time to thicken.
(scroll to the bottom to see the customizable, printable recipe!)
Stir Fry Sauce Variations
With just a few swaps, you can easily make this sauce fit your dietary needs and it will still taste AMAZING!
Vegan: Use vegetable broth and agave nectar!
Spicy: Add red pepper flakes (to taste).
Keto: Swap corn starch for tapioca flour or arrowroot, and monk fruit sweetener, or click here for my Keto Stir Fry Sauce recipe!
Gluten-Free: Use tamari instead of soy sauce.
Vegetarian: Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth!
Recipe FAQs
Yes! I’ve listed several swaps to make this stir fry sauce recipe healthier and lifestyle-friendly. It’s super versatile and tastes amazing in all the different ways you make it!
Keep refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week, though you will probably eat it sooner!
If you have leftover sauce, you can freeze it! Freeze in any freezer-safe container for at least 6 months. Thaw, then use in your stir fry.
This recipe makes 1-1/4 cups of sauce, which is the perfect amount for a stir fry that serves 4 people. However, If you are serving more people, you can increase the number of servings when you print the recipe below!
While you can make a few swaps to make this recipe keto, I’ve already created an even healthier version of this oh-so-popular recipe. Check out this Keto Whole30 stir fry sauce recipe!
The BEST Stir Fry Sauce
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1/2 cup Kettle + Fire chicken stock bone broth
- 2 tablespoons fresh chopped ginger
- 2 cloves of garlic, grated or finely minced
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon sesame seed oil
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
Instructions
- Make The Stir Fry Sauce
- In a mason jar (or small bowl), combine all the ingredients. If using a mason jar, I love adding on the lid and shaking to combine. If using a bowl, whisk to combine. Whisk all ingredients together.
- Makes 1-1/4 cups. You can use immediately, or keep refrigerated in an airtight container for 1 week.
- How To Make A Stir Fry
- Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add in 2 tablespoons oil, then 1 pound protein of your choice. (Works with chopped or ground chicken, sliced or ground beef, peeled + deveined shrimp, chopped or ground pork, tofu, etc) Cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the protein is cooked through. Transfer the protein to a plate.
- To the same skillet, add in another 2 tablespoons oil and 4 cups of chopped vegetables of your choice. (broccoli, green beans, bell pepper, asparagus, onion, mushrooms, zucchini, etc). Cook 5-7 minutes until the veggies are crisp tender.
- Add back in the protein, and pour over all 1-1/4 cups of the sauce. Allow to come to a bubble, which will activate the thickener.
- Remove from the heat and serve warm over cooked rice, cauliflower rice or noodles.
537 Comments on “The BEST Stir Fry Sauce”
Throw a tablespoon or more of sambal olek in here and it’s beyond incredible. Thanks for the recipe!
Awesome! So glad you liked it!
Really quick and easy to whip up and absolutely the BEST standard sauce I’ve ever made ❤️❤️
Thank you, Jennifer! So so glad you liked it!
Perfect as always. I know I’ve commented before, but I can’t help it. Every time I make this I swear it’s more delicious than the last time. You should be an award winner with this sauce!!!!
This TOTALLY made my day! You are so sweet. Glad you like it and keep coming back to comment again! Means the world to me!
I made this for my family tonight, and served it over riced cauliflower. I’ve been following a very limited diet recently, and mostly cook something for the family and then eat what is on my plan on my own. It’s nice to find recipes that we can enjoy together. Thank you!
Hi Sharron! I am so glad you are able to find my recipes versatile and good for the whole family! Honored that you’re here!
Its so much funny and tasty, saw the results first time and got ferrade but taste was delicious
I love this! Thank you!
Delish. whole family loved it.
You are so sweet, Fredda! It’s the BEST when the whole family agrees on a meal, right?!
I don’t know if I’ve commented before (and I’m too lazy to read through all the previous comments), but the title of this recipe is absolutely perfect. This is the BEST stir fry sauce. I use it all the time, and it’s always perfect. This makes my stir fry the BEST stir fry. Thank you for sharing
Hi Celie! This totally made my day! I am so glad you love it and honored that you’re here!
I followed this recipe exactly, and I think it has a ton of potential! However, I used even a little smaller than a 2-inch piece of ginger and it was way too overpowering. I’m going to try making it again with like 1/4 the amount of ginger and see if it helps!
I hope you enjoy it next time with less ginger Heather!
This recipe is amazing! It tastes like the sauce on some chinese chow meins! I didnt have soy suace so used double veg stock, didnt have rice vinegar so used normal vinegar and didnt have ginger so just used powered ginger! And added a little cayenne pepper for a little kick, it was perfect!
I love that you were able to adapt the recipe based on what you had on hand Gillian. That is fantastic!
Delicious and easy! Made double and used it up over a couple of days. Just had to shake up the mason jar before adding it to the veggies.
What a fantastic idea to double the batch and use it over a few days with stir fried veggies. Yum! Thanks so much for sharing that tip!
Actually mad the recipe and followed recipe but doesn’t taste good at all
Well shoot! Sorry you didn’t enjoy it Tamara.
This sauce really is the best! I’ve used it three times now for stir-fry night; I impressed the heck out of my amazing-at-cooking mother-in-law-to-be tonight. I recommend the following veggies: Baby corn, water chestnuts, green onions, broccoli, carrot shreds, spinach and cilantro. For the meat, I used beef skirt. Oh…and I used slivered almonds, too. MMMMM <3 Thanks for the recipe!
I love that you have made it several times and even impressed your mother-in-law Shell. That is just the best! Your serving suggestion sounds delicious!
Hi
Can sauce be frozen?
I have never frozen it but I think you could Laura. I would portion it out into serving sizes and freeze in an airtight container for up to three months.
Way too salt for us and nothing special. – SORRY!
Sorry you didn’t enjoy it Daina!
Love this stir fry sauce. I use a little more ginger and Sesame oil. I Have also used it without the cornstarch to marinade Salmon. Yummy
I love that you add more ginger and sesame oil Fredda. Sounds delicious. It does pair beautifully with salmon, too.
This was so easy and actually so good! Very flavorful. I cut down on the soy sauce to about half, and added some more water instead, but it was still just very delicious!
I am so glad that it was easy to make and flavorful Jenny. Thank you so much for your feedback, it really means a lot to me.
I just made your sauce and must say it the best one I have tried. Easy and delicious. Thanks!
I love that it is the best one you have tried Sue. So glad it was easy to make and delicious.
I love it. Thanks for sharing such a great post!
So glad you enjoyed it!
Super simple, quick & easy sauce to make. Always have these ingredients on hand so it was a joy to find this recipe! Really tasty & we really love it so it gets made often 😁👍🏻🥢
I love to hear that it was quick and easy to make and turned out tasty Helena! I too always have the ingredients on hand and make it all the time.
I was excited about this sauce, had all the right ingredients, quick and simple, but it was waaaay too salty…made my nice stir fried vegetables inedible,I used salt reduced tamari instead of soy. I would recommend anyone making this to use at least one half of the soy sauce called for.
So sorry it was too salty for you.:(