I love a good stir fry and they are a great way to use up odds and ends of meat, vegetable and noodles. And let’s face it, they are a quick and easy dinner solution. Simply cook up some rice or throw in some noodles and it’s a family-pleasing meal.
I rarely start with a recipe – just a pile of odds and ends. So it occurred to me recently that what I really needed was a stir-fry sauce “cheat sheet” – a handy reference for the combination of sauce ingredients I need to make different kinds of stir fry to combine with my collection of ingredients.
So I created one!
Here I’ve collected 15 great stir-fry sauce recipes that can be printed to keep handy in the kitchen (or bookmarked, if you prefer).
15 Basic Stir-Fry Sauce Recipes
Instructions for all of these recipes … just combine the ingredients in a small bowl, stir well to combine, then add to your stir fry. Don’t miss the tips at the bottom of the recipe list, as well.
Lemon Stir-Fry Sauce – Great with seafood stir fries, such as shrimp and/or scallops, as well as chicken.
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 tsp. lemon zest
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/4 cup sugar
Lemon Stir-Fry Sauce II – nice with chicken and seafood.
2/3 cup chicken broth
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
1 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 -3 tablespoons lemon juice (to taste)
Optional: red pepper flakes
Soy Sesame Stir-Fry Sauce – good all-round Asian sauce, suitable for all proteins.
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup soy sauce
4 tsp. rice wine vinegar
4 tsp. toasted sesame oil
2 tsp. hot red pepper flakes
2 tsp. sugar
Basic Stir-Fry Sauce – good all-round sauce.
2/3 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/3 cup rice wine or rice vinegar
3 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced ginger
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
Sweet and Sour Stir-Fry Sauce – great with chicken and pork.
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup cider or rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. hot red pepper flakes
Sweet and Sour Stir-Fry Sauce II – great with chicken, pork, beef and shrimp.
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp. rice vinegar or cider vinegar
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
Sweet and Sour Stir-Fry Sauce III – great with chicken, pork, beef and shrimp.
1/2 cup white sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup pineapple juice (or addition 1/4 cup water)
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
2 Tbsp. cornstarch
Hot and Sour Stir-Fry Sauce – good all-round sauce.
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup red or white wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
4 tsp. granulated sugar
1 tsp. chile paste (sambal oleek)
Thai Stir-Fry Sauce – great with chicken or shrimp.
2/3 cup coconut milk
1 Tbsp. fish sauce
3 1/2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
1 1/2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/3 to 1/2 tsp. dried crushed chili
2 1/2 tsp. brown sugar
Peanut Stir-Fry Sauce – perfect for noodles or chicken.
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
4 tsp. granulated sugar (less if not using natural peanut butter)
4 tsp. natural peanut butter
2 Tbsp. water
2 teaspoons Asian chili garlic paste
Combine all ingredients and heat in microwave for 20-30 seconds.
Orange Stir-Fry Sauce – nice with chicken and pork.
3/4 orange juice
1 Tbsp. Cornstarch
2 Tbsp. Hoisin sauce
1 Tbsp. Oyster sauce
1 Tbsp. Rice vinegar
2 tsp. brown sugar
1 tsp. Finely grated orange zest
Orange Stir-Fry Sauce II – nice with chicken and pork.
1/2 cup orange juice
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup soy sauce
4 tsp. brown sugar
1 green onion, finely chopped
Spicy Orange Stir-Fry Sauce – great with chicken!
3/4 cup orange juice
3 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 Tbsp. cornstarch
2 tsp. finely grated orange peel
1/2 tsp. minced ginger
1 tsp. sesame oil
Large pinch of dried crushed red pepper, or to taste
Orange Sesame Szechuan Stir-Fry Sauce – nice with chicken.
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 Tbsp. rice vinegar or rice wine
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. grated orange zest
1 tsp. sesame seeds
1/2 tsp. sesame oil
1 fresh red chili, finely chopped or 1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes (or 1/2 tsp. sambal oleek)
Spicy Szechuan Stir-Fry Sauce – great all-round spicy stir fry sauce.
3-4 Tbsp. sodium-reduced soy sauce
2 Tbsp. rice wine or rice vinegar
2 tsp. cornstarch
1 tsp.sesame oil
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 Tbsp. sugar
1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 Tbsp. green onion, minced
1 Tbsp. fresh minced ginger
1 Tbsp. minced garlic
1 tsp. chili paste (sambal oleek or chili paste sauce with garlic)
Tips:
- Some of these sauces already have cornstarch added but if they don’t, you can use this to thicken any sauce that you think is too thin. Simply combine 1 Tbsp. cornstarch with 3 Tbsp. water and stir until the cornstarch is dissolved. Add a bit, stir and cook until sauce thickens. Add more as necessary.
- Consider using low-sodium chicken broth and soy sauce to avoid an overly-salty finished dish.
- Each of these sauces makes 1/2 – 1 cup of stir fry sauce. You may not need it all, depending on the amount of meat, noodles and/or vegetables you are stir frying. Add as necessary to make it as saucy as you like and thicken with the thickener above, if desired. Of course, you can also double the sauce if you’re making a lot of stir fry.
- Some of these sauces already contain things like minced garlic, ginger, onion or chilis (or other heat) but if they don’t, be sure to consider adding some into your stir fry.
- Everyone’s tastes are different so you will likely want to tweak the sauces to your tastes. If you print out the list, you can simply make notes as you go to develop your perfect sauce.
I loved these sauces. Took one of the simple one and added a small amount of peanut butter to give it a nuttier flavor.
i am trying these recipes tonight…do i just put it all together or do i put the ingredients in one at a time?????
Hi Christina, Might be too late, but you just mix them up in a bowl first, then add to your stir fry.
thank you just finished chopping the vegis. thank you
do i put the cornstarch in the same bowl or separately in a jar?
Perfect! Exactly the kind of “cheat-sheet” I was looking for. Thanks for posting!
Oh I was reading it incorrectly. My mistake! Thanks!
I was looking at your sweet and sour sauce III and I notice it calls for vinegar twice? Is that a typo or how it’s meant to be? Just wanted to clarify before I tried it. Thanks!!
Hi Susan, Just checked and I am only seeing vinegar once. Did you mean another sauce?
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Keeping this list of stir fry sauces bookmarked and handy. Thank you.
I’m trying this right now
Hi Tracy, Sorry I didn’t get your comments in time. I’ve tried this before in the past and honestly, it makes a pretty weak broth. It’s better than plain water, but not by a lot. A canned or boxed broth will always be better if you have some.
This is exactly what I was looking for!! Thanks so much for sharing…you rock!
Yummy! I have grown to LOVE Asian Cuisine so much more…maybe it’s because I AM Asian! Specifically Cambodian…so I have learned the ways of cooking traditional Khmer dishes and have learned to love the smelly and non-smelly foods I cook =)
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Thank you. I’m always looking for new stir fry ideas.
I do not have cornstarch on hand, can I use regular flour to thicken or omit it altogether? I am looking at the Sweet and Sour Stir-Fry Sauce III
Hi Jamie. You can use flour, mixed with warm water. It will thicken, but sauce may be cloudy (won’t affect taste though – just appearance).
So glad to have found this site. I am wondering if the sauces can be prepared ahead (with all ingredients) and kept in the fridge and if so, how long do you feel they would keep in the fridge? BTW, do you have more recipes to share?
Thanks very much these are great :)
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Firstly, I’d like to say thank you for sharing these sauce recipes….the are so good! I was wondering though, do you use dark or light sauce for these sauces?
Thanks again :)
Hi Kate. I always use Kikoman Sodium reduced Soy Sauce and then add additional salt only if necessary.
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Wow! This is such a great compilation…thank you for putting it up! I will definitely bookmark and come back for this.
I just did the basic stir fry sauce, leaving out the chicken broth, and it turned out great! I thought I might need to add a little water to it, but since I had a ton of vegetables cooking, they’d accumulated a little water naturally.
Thanks Kristin. Glad you enjoyed it!
For vegetarians, whats the best replacement for chicken broth? And are some of these recipes better on vegetable and tofu stir-fry than others?
Hi David, I would use a vegetable broth. There are some good ones available at most groceries these days. I think any of the sauces would be good with tofu. I don’t eat it a lot, but I understand it will take up the flavour of the sauce, so look for a sauce recipe that has flavours you like.
Great list! Made the sweet and sour, tweaked it- a little more sweet than sour! Pinning this so I can try the rest. Thanks!
Thanks Laura. All of these are perfect for tweaking to your tastes. I print it out and keep notes on it, then tuck it in a drawer so it’s handy.
Can I boil my stir fry meat to make a broth for stir fry
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I made the Sweet and Sour Stir-Fry Sauce III and it was FANTASTIC!!! It will be a staple in our home. Thank you!
Thanks Maria. So glad you enjoyed it!
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Thank you! I was cooking and the recipe said “stir fry sauces” and I was like and how do I make THAT? You saved dinner! :-)
So glad (that seems an odd thing to put in a recipe!)
Hi Jen
Thanks for all the great ideas, I’m a lazy cook & now need to cook better healthy dishes & my family want more veg , so stir fries will be great , quick & easy for me, YAY :)
You’re very welcome, Carolyn. Enjoy!
Very very tasty sauces so glad I found this page
awesome! thanks for all the recipes! so glad you have 15 of them! will try one tonight!
Hi, A silly question I know but chicken broth, is that the same as say an oxo cube?
Yes, it’s the same as oxo plus water (same amount of water as amount of chicken broth listed)
Thank you for answering my question so quickly!, also can the sauce be frozen?
Yes, they should freeze just fine!
Fantastic ! Thanks for awesome recipes. ..
It says there are 62 comments, but it only shows 5. these sauces don’t have to be boiled or cooked?
Hi Tom, First, the comments are paginated. There is a box at the bottom of the comments to navigate to earlier ones. As for cooking or boiling, it is assumed that you will be adding the sauces to the hot pan where you are cooking your stir fry, where they will cook.
Thanks :-)
I am cooking a veggie stirfry dish. I will also be adding tofu and rice noodles to my dish. Which sauce do you think will be best to use for my dish? Thanks a bundle!
Hi Diana. It’s really just a matter of taste. Pretty much any sauce will go with veggies and noodles. Just depends what kind of flavours you’re in the mood for.
Ok, really dumb question, but exactly how many ml is a cup ?
250 ml. in a cup.
i must say these all look like good sauces but i found the basic stir fry sauce is very rich….am i doing something wrong???
Hi Sue, I’d try tweaking it a bit. Reduce the sesame oil a bit and maybe increase the chicken stock a bit.
Thank you for these recipes. I’m a short cut cook & these sauces are so perfect.
Just what I was looking for! Thank you!
I have just started a diet and know that these recipes are going to help alot. Could you please email me the recipes.
Hi Nancy, There is a button to “Email” at the bottom of this post.
Have just started 5:2 diet & found your stir fry recipes. Will be having one tonight! Am going to use them on my non fast days as they are always a crowd pleaser & so filling. I also feel a bit smug when I eat such tasty food & know it’s so good for the health & hips. Thanks Jennifer!
I know what you mean. A stir-fry is one of those few things that are both tasty and healthy. Enjoy!
would be great if you guys could e-mail me these recipes!
There is an option to email at the bottom of each post, or you can also sign up to receive new posts via email in the sidebar, as well.
Quick and easy eating … way to go! My brother in law, the late Chef Tell, would have loved your style. He once used McDonald’s ketchup on a salad on TV, because he took an irreverent approach to food: he played with it for flavors that enticed the palate.
Thanks!
Came across this site while looking for a quick dinner solution tonight. I tried the basic stir fry sauce and it was great! I am definitely going to be trying out all of these sauces. Thanks Jennifer!
Thanks and enjoy!
I’m on the hunt for quick and healthy stir fry dinners I can make after a long day at work or after an evening gym session. I was worried that we’d get bored of stir fry quickly, but I can’t wait to try all of these sauces t change it up! Thank you!
Is the Asian chili garlic paste really spicy. I can handle all kinds of garlic but not chili powder so much
Yes, it packs a punch. I usually start with a wee bit and add until comfortable.
Hi, great range of recipes. Corn starch – is this just corn flour? And chicken broth – is this the same as chicken stock? Could be made from a stock cube??
Thank you
Hi and thanks. Yes, corn starch is corn flour and you could use a stock cube or stock concentrate in place of broth.
I tried the basic sauce to tonight and was surprised how yummy it was thank you
I forgot to mention that I threw in fresh chopped cilantro, as well!
Thank you for this! I needed a simple sauce recipe that would only require basic ingredients I already have on hand and your post gave me several options to choose from:) I made the peanut sauce and it was great! I added fresh ginger, garlic, onion, mushrooms and green pepper to the chicken and served it over rice. For a mild version, I used half the amount of chili sauce (didn’t have the ‘Asian chili garlic paste’) required. As you suggested, I’ll try low-sodium soya sauce next time. Can’t wait to try the others!
Glad you enjoyed it. It’s worth seeking out the Asian chili garlic sauce. It’s a great add in for a lot of dishes and easy to find these days in the Asian section of most grocery stores.
Hi Jen im retired now and have a good growing garden lots of different spices i can use to make good stirfry sauces my question is if i spend some time in the kitchen making your sauces will i be able to freeze them for use at a later date thank you JOE
I have to be honest, Joe. I have never attempted to freeze any of these sauces. Not to say it wouldn`t work. I just don`t know for sure it would work. I would certainly do a quick test before I went all in. I have frozen herbs and had good success with most of them (all except basil).
Thanks for this very handy post, love your site by the way.
Thanks so much, Ben.
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Just tried the basic stir fry sauce, used low sodium chicken Beth and soya sauce. Still a little salty! But it’s very good and super easy cant wait to try the rest!
Glad you liked it, Vanessa. It is a bit on the salty side. There’s no added salt, so it’s really just the salt in the broth and soy sauce (even low-sodium). Maybe cutting back the soy just a bit would scale the salt back a bit. Hope you get a chance to try some more!
Hi ! For the basic stir-fry ..should I be adding all the ingredients together first ..ie cornstarch and all.. and then mixing it into the pan as i stir-fry???
Hi Chev, I usually mix up the sauce in advance, including the cornstarch which dissolves in the liquid. Stir fry your meat, then vegetables in some hot oil. I add the sauce last and let it cook until the cornstarch thickens the sauce (cornstarch has to get to about 180° before it starts to thicken). Once it’s thick enough for your liking, it’s done!
Can I boil my stir fry meat and use it for broth?
Are there options for sugar free sauces. I have diabetes and avoid sugar at all costs. I’m also working to steer clear of sugar substitutes as well. Thanks. They all sound wonderful! Especially the spicy ones!
Hi Christina, I would just start with omitting the sugar in these recipes and see how they are.
Love all the ideas for stirfry sauce
Thanks for these! I’m trying to get more veggies into my family, so these will help me mix it up and trick them into eating better…bwah hah ha. ;) I just tried the orange stir fry (although I didn’t have enough OJ and so had to fill it in with lemon)– really good! I added a bot of srirachi to mine (just because I like spice) and served it over noodles– really good!
I love stir-fries to sneak in veggies, too! Glad you enjoyed the sauce. Sriracha is always a good addition!
Thanks so much for putting this list together! I have so much garden produce that I love making stirfrys with it but to buy the sauces are just so pricy! Can’t wait to try a few! :)
You’re welcome. Enjoy!
These recipes were exactly what I was looking for! I’ve tried the basic soy stir fry and the orange stir fry – to great acclaim! Especially good when there’s lefover cooked chicken, one less thing to cook. Looking forward to trying the others.
Glad you enjoyed them, Pam. Thanks!
I have shockingly never made a stir fry, but love them so much. I need to make one soon, what great ideas
Thanks. I find a stir-fry the perfect fridge cleaner. When I get to that point where I just have odds and ends, it’s a stir fry night :)
Thanks Hannele and let me know how you make out with your stir-fry.
I’m a stir fry noob, and was wondering about the order of operations – when would you add the sauce to the stirfry? After browning the meat, or cooking the veggies?
Yes, I generally mix up the sauce before I start. Heat oil in pan until hot, then stir fry meat, then veggies. I add the sauce last and cook until hot and thickened.
Thanks! I also want to say, I love this blog – everything looks so delicious and inspiring!
TRIED THE BASIC STIR FRY SAUCE I STILL FOUND IT A LITTLE SALTY EVEN THOUGH I USED LOW SODIUM PRODUCTS. I WONDER IF I CAN USE LESS SOY SAUCE AND ADD A BIT OF WATER TO SUBSTITUTE WHAT I DON’T USE . WHAT DO U THINK
I think you could. You could also try a bit of low-sodium chicken broth for a bit more flavour.
Love the stir fry sauce…very basic and very easy…
Do you have soy garlic? Thanks.
Thanks. I’ll see if I can find a soy garlic for you.
This is a really nice list of surprisingly simple sauce recipes! thanks for the awesome inspiration, I am totally going to write these down in my recipe book. Thanks for the awesome post!
Thanks Molly, I was surprised too at how really simple they can be.
Let me know how you like the Spicy Orange, Jill!
Tried the spicy Szechuan recipe and everyone in the family loved it. We love spicy food and when my daughter ate a bite, assuming it was the usual old recipe I’ve made, she smiled and said “oh it’s spicy, I love it”. The only thing that confused me was that cornstarch and soy sauce are listed twice. I just added a little bit more of each and tasted it, instead of putting it in twice. Very good!
Sorry about that Janet but glad your family enjoyed it. I’ve edited the recipe to remove the confusion. Thanks for pointing that out.
Stir fry sauce overload!! Love it. Can’t wait to try some of these out. Great idea to compile them all in one place. :)
Thanks Erin. I just found myself winging it one too many times :) I printed this off and keep it handy in the kitchen.
Always looking for some quick and simple recipes to make and I always struggle making a stir fry tasty so really pleased I came across these. Thank you for sharing, think I’m going to try the Spicy Orange Stir-Fry Sauce this weekend.
Thanks Jill. Let me know how you like the Spicy Orange!
Gave this one a go using fresh squeezed organic orange juice and velvet chicken, broccoli, squash, sugar snap peas and onion over brown rice. Have to say it was one of my best SFs yet. Will be trying more of these yummy recipes. Thanks for the collection, Now bookmarked.
That sounds delicious, Chuck. Might have to borrow that for dinner tonight :)