Looking for stir fry sauce recipes? My Ultimate Stir Fry Sauce Recipe Cheat Sheet has 40 basic stir fry sauce recipes! Bookmark or print to have handy the next time you need a fast and easy sauce for your stir fries.
When it comes to stir fries, if you're like me, you don't always start with a recipe. Instead, you probably start with a bunch of odds and ends of meat and/or vegetables that you decide to cook up in to one dish. What you really need then, is a quick and easy stir fry sauce recipe to go with it. Right?!
So I've brought together 40 Stir Fry Sauce Recipes right here for you, that you can bookmark or print to have handy for those times when you need a stir fry sauce. Scroll down to find the recipes and my best stir fry tips:
The 40 Stir Fry Sauce Recipes
So here's a list and link the types of stir fry sauce recipes you'll find below. The number indicates the number of different recipes included in each category. Or scroll down to see them all. For printing, here's a handy dandy 40 Basic Stir Fry Sauce Recipes in PDF format to print, save or bookmark.
Quick Links: Jump to Individual Stir Fry Sauce Types
Basic Stir Fry Sauce (2)
Easy Stir Fry Sauce (2)
General Tso's Inspired Stir Fry Sauce (4)
Kung Pao Stir Fry Sauce (2)
Sesame Stir Fry Sauce (2)
Sweet and Sour Stir Fry Sauce (6)
Korean Style Stir Fry Sauce (3)
Beef Stir Fry Sauce (5)
Thai Style Stir Fry Sauce (3)
Teriyaki Stir Fry Sauce (5)
Lemon Stir Fry Sauce (2)
Orange Stir Fry Sauce (2)
Szechuan Stir Fry Sauce (2)
Basic Stir Fry Sauce Recipes
Basic Stir Fry Sauce Recipe 1:
1/2 cup chicken stock
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tsp sesame oil
1/4 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
Sauce Thickening Mixture (see head notes)
Basic Stir Fry Sauce Recipe 2:
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 Tbsp honey
1 tsp oil
1 tsp rice vinegar
Sauce Thickening Mixture (see head notes)
Suggested Aromatics: fresh minced garlic, fresh minced ginger
Suggested Garnish: fresh green onion chopped, sesame seeds
Suggested Protein: chicken, shrimp, salmon, pork, beef, noodles
Easy Stir Fry Sauce Recipes
Easy Stir Fry Sauce 1:
2/3 cup water or chicken broth
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp white or rice vinegar
2 tsp sugar
Sauce Thickening Mixture (see head notes)
Easy Stir Fry Sauce 2:
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp sesame oil
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup soy sauce
Sauce Thickening Mixture (see head notes)
Suggested Aromatics: fresh minced ginger, fresh minced garlic
Suggested Garnish: fresh green onion, sesame seeds,
Suggested Protein: chicken, pork, beef, noodles
General Tso's Stir Fry Sauce Recipes
General Tso's Inspired Stir Fry Sauce 1:
1/2 - 3/4 cup white sugar adjust sugar to your taste
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/2 cup hot chicken broth
1 - 2 Tbsp Asian Chilli Garlic Sauce (adjust amount to your taste)
Sauce Thickening Mixture (see head notes)
General Tso's Inspired Stir Fry Sauce 2:
1/2 cup white sugar
3 Tbsp chicken broth
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
Sauce Thickening Mixture (see head notes)
General Tso's Inspired Stir Fry Sauce 3:
1/2 cup chicken stock
3 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 tsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
3 Tbsp white granulated sugar
Sauce Thickening Mixture (see head notes)
General Tso's Inspired Stir Fry Sauce 4:
4 tsp sesame oil
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup white sugar
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1/4 cup oyster sauce
1/4 cup ketchup
Sauce Thickening Mixture (see head notes)
Suggested Aromatics: minced garlic, minced fresh ginger, dried red chilies or red chilli flakes, orange zest
Suggested Garnish: fresh green onion, chopped
Suggested Protein: chicken, tofu
Kung Pao Stir Fry Sauce Recipes
Kung Pao Style Stir Fry Sauce 1:
2 Tbsp white wine or white wine vinegar
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp sesame oil
Hot chilli paste or sauce, to taste
1 tsp white vinegar
2 tsp brown sugar
Sauce Thickening Mixture (see head notes)
Kung Pao Style Stir Fry Sauce 2:
1 Tbsp Chinese black vinegar or balsamic vinegar
1 tsp soy sauce
1 tsp hoisin sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
2 tsp sugar
Sauce Thickening Mixture (see head notes)
Suggested Aromatics: dried red chilies or red pepper flakes, minced garlic, minced ginger
Suggested Garnish: green onion, chopped peanuts
Suggested Protein: chicken, tofu
Sesame Stir Fry Sauce Recipes
Sesame Stir Fry Sauce 1:
1 cup chicken broth
1 cup white sugar
2 Tbsp white vinegar
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp chile paste
Sauce Thickening Mixture (see head notes)
Sesame Stir Fry Sauce 2:
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp water
1/2 Tbsp toasted or regular sesame oil
1 1/2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp rice vinegar
Sauce Thickening Mixture (see head notes)
Suggested Aromatics: minced fresh ginger, minced fresh garlic
Suggested Garnish: sesame seeds
Suggested Protein: chicken, tofu
Sweet and Sour Stir Fry Sauce Recipes
Sweet and Sour Stir Fry Sauce 1:
1 cup water
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup white sugar
1/3 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup ketchup
1/2 tsp soy sauce
Sauce Thickening Mixture (see head notes)
Sweet and Sour Stir Fry Sauce 2:
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup ketchup
2-3 Tbsp brown sugar
Sauce Thickening Mixture (see head notes)
Sweet and Sour Stir Fry Sauce 3:
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup ketchup
1 Tbsp soy sauce
Sauce Thickening Mixture (see head notes)
Sweet and Sour Stir Fry Sauce 4:
1/2 cup rice vinegar
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1/2 tsp soy sauce
Sauce Thickening Mixture (see head notes)
Sweet and Sour Stir Fry Sauce 5 (No Ketchup):
1/4 cup water or half water/half pineapple juice
2 1/2 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 1/2 Tbsp white sugar
1 Tbsp tomato puree 1 1/2 tsp. tomato paste
1 tsp soy sauce
Sauce Thickening Mixture (see head notes)
Sweet and Sour Stir Fry Sauce 6 (No Ketchup):
1/4 cup low sodium soy sauce
Juice drained from 8oz. can of pineapple
2 Tbsp white vinegar
2 Tbsp brown sugar
Sauce Thickening Mixture (see head notes)
Suggested Additions: bell pepper strips, pineapple chunks
Suggested Aromatics: minced fresh ginger, minced fresh garlic
Suggested Garnish: green onion, chopped
Suggested Protein: chicken, pork, tofu, shrimp
Korean Style Stir Fry Sauce Recipes
Spicy Korean Style Stir Fry Sauce 1:
1/3 cup gochujang Korean chili paste
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp toasted or regular sesame oil
1 Tbsp white sugar
1 Tbsp rice wine or rice wine vinegar
2 tsp gochugaru Korean dried chili pepper flakes
Korean Style Stir Fry Sauce 2:
3 Tbsp mirin
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 tsp toasted or regular sesame oil
Sauce Thickening Mixture (see head notes)
Spicy Korean Style Stir Fry Sauce 3:
2 Tbsp . gochugaru Korean red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp Gochujang Korean hot pepper paste
1 Tbsp white sugar
1 Tbsp corn syrup or honey
2 Tbsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp mirin
2 Tbsp sesame oil
1 cup chicken broth
Sauce Thickening Mixture (see head notes)
Suggested Additions: bean sprouts, baby spinach, chopped cilantro, chopped jalapeno
Suggested Aromatics: fresh minced ginger, fresh minced garlic
Suggested Garnish: sesame seeds
Suggested Protein: chicken, pork, beef, tofu
Beef Stir Fry Sauce Recipes
Beef stir fry sauce 1:
1/3 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp brown sugar
Sauce Thickening Mixture (see head notes)
Beef stir fry sauce 2:
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup medium-dry Sherry or Whiskey
1/4 cup chicken or beef broth or water
1 Tbsp white sugar
2 Tbsp . sesame oil
Sauce Thickening Mixture (see head notes)
Beef stir fry sauce 3:
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp dry sherry
2 tsp sesame oil
3 Tbsp hoisin sauce
Sauce Thickening Mixture (see head notes)
Beef stir fry sauce 4:
1/3 cup soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp brown sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp sesame oil
Sauce Thickening Mixture (see head notes)
Beef stir fry sauce 5:
2/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup mirin
1 Tbsp toasted or regular sesame oil
2-3 Tbsp brown sugar
1-2 Tbsp sambal oelek
Sauce Thickening Mixture (see head notes)
Suggested Aromatics: fresh minced garlic, fresh minced ginger
Suggested Garnish: fresh green onion, chopped, sesame seeds
Suggested Protein: beef
Thai Style Stir Fry Sauce Recipes
Thai Style Stir Fry Sauce 1 (Peanut):
2 Tbsp peanut butter
2 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp brown sugar
Thai Style Stir Fry Sauce 2:
4 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp oyster sauce
2 tsp white vinegar
2 tsp sugar, white or brown
2 Tbsp water
Sauce Thickening Mixture (see head notes)
Thai Style Stir Fry Sauce 3:
1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1/4 cup fish sauce
2 Tbsp soy sauce
2 Tbsp brown sugar
Sauce Thickening Mixture (see head notes)
Suggested Aromatics: fresh minced garlic, fresh minced ginger, red pepper flakes
Suggested Additions: Sliced or diced thai red chili peppers
Suggested Garnish: fresh green onion, chopped, sesame seeds, chopped peanuts, chopped cilantro, chopped Thai basil
Suggested Protein: chicken, pork, beef, noodles
Teriyaki Style Stir Fry Sauce Recipes
Teriyaki Stir Fry Sauce 1:
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup mirin sweet rice wine
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tbsp sake
Sauce Thickening Mixture (see head notes)
Teriyaki stir fry sauce 2:
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 Tbsp ketchup
1 Tbsp white vinegar
Sauce Thickening Mixture (see head notes)
Teriyaki stir fry sauce 3:
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp honey
1 tsp toasted or regular sesame oil
Sauce Thickening Mixture (see head notes)
Teriyaki stir fry sauce 4:
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar packed
2 Tbsp honey
Sauce Thickening Mixture (see head notes)
Teriyaki stir fry sauce 5:
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
Sauce Thickening Mixture (see head notes)
Suggested Aromatics: fresh minced garlic, fresh minced ginger
Suggested Garnish: fresh green onion, chopped, sesame seeds
Suggested Protein: chicken, shrimp, salmon, pork, beef, noodles
Szechuan Style Stir Fry Sauce Recipes
Szechuan Stir Fry Sauce 1:
2 Tbsp dry sherry
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 1/2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp asian chili garlic sauce
1 tsp sugar
Sauce Thickening Mixture (see head notes)
Szechuan Stir Fry Sauce 2:
2 tsp sesame oil
1/2 cup chicken broth
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp rice vinegar
2 tsp sambal oelek
Sauce Thickening Mixture (see head notes)
Suggested Aromatics: minced fresh garlic, minced fresh ginger, red pepper flakes
Suggested Garnish: fresh green onion, chopped, sesame seeds
Suggested Protein: chicken, beef, pork, noodles, tofu
Lemon Stir Fry Sauce Recipes
Lemon Stir Fry Sauce 1:
1/2 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
Zest of 1 lemon
2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp white or brown sugar
Sauce Thickening Mixture (see head notes)
Lemon Stir Fry Sauce 2:
2/3 cup chicken broth
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp soy sauce
2 -3 Tbsp lemon juice
Sauce Thickening Mixture (see head notes)
Suggested Aromatics: minced fresh ginger, minced fresh ginger,
Suggested Garnish: fresh green onion, chopped
Suggested Protein: chicken, salmon, shrimp
Orange Stir Fry Sauce Recipes
Orange Stir Fry Sauce 1:
1/2 cup orange juice
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp grated orange zest
1/2 cup chicken broth
Sauce Thickening Mixture (see head notes)
Orange Stir Fry Sauce 2:
1/2 cup water or chicken broth
Zest from 1/2 orange
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
4 Tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp sesame oil
2 Tbsp honey or brown sugar
Sauce Thickening Mixture (see head notes)
Suggested Aromatics: minced fresh garlic, minced fresh ginger, red pepper flakes
Suggested Garnish: fresh green onion, chopped
Suggested Protein: chicken, salmon, shrimp
My 10 Best Tips for a Perfect Stir Fry
- 1) Cooking order matters. Uncooked meat should be cooked first. I typically cook it to almost done, then remove it to a plate while I cook the vegetables. I then add the meat back in after the vegetables are cooked. Different vegetables cook for different lengths of time. Carrots are the ones that are the most typical stir fry addition that need extra cooking time. Add them first, followed by softer vegetables (peppers, onion etc)., followed by aromatics (ginger, garlic etc) and finally greens (that just need wilting)
- 2) Don't overcrowd your wok or vegetables will sweat/steam instead of fry. If you have a lot to cook, cook in batches and remove to a plate, then bring it all together at the end.
- 3) Watch the sodium - both broth and soy sauce can be loaded with it, so consider using low-sodium version of one or both, then adding salt at the end and only if necessary.
- 4) Don't forget the little things - garlic, ginger, sesame seeds, green onions, nuts (peanuts/cashews) are all great additions to your stir fry for flavouring or garnish.
- 5) Don't forget the noodles (or rice) - stir fries don't have to be meat and veg. There are so many varieties of noodles and rice these days. Experiment and find some great combinations. Grains are another great option.
- 6) Don't forget the citrus - a squeeze of lemon or orange juice to a sauce will really brighten the flavours!
- 7) Keep it hot! In most cases, your wok should be heated over no less than medium-high heat, so things cook quickly. Keep your food moving by stirring, to prevent scorching.
- 8) Cut your vegetables with the length of cooking time in mind. For example, to cook carrots more quickly, cut them as small as possible (matchstick shape works great). Broccoli is another vegetable that takes longer to cook in a stir fry. Either cut in to smaller pieces or blanch/microwave a bit first before adding to the stir fry.Things that cook quickly can be kept larger.
- 9) Be sure to use a cooking oil with a high smoke point. A lot of people are experimenting with coconut oil, but it has a fairly low smoke point. A good quality extra virgin olive oil is a better choice. Or look for avocado oil, which is a healthier oil with the highest smoke point of them all!
- 10) Use your sauce as a marinade! In many cases, you can marinade your meat in your sauce first. Be sure to cover and refrigerate. Drain and reserve the marinade from meat before cooking meat, then add the reserved marinade to your hot skillet and cook the sauce thoroughly.
Stocking a Stir-Fry Ready Pantry
Here are my recommended pantry items, to always be stir fry ready!
Fresh garlic
Fresh ginger (you can keep it in the freezer and easily grate it as needed!)
Asian Chilli Garlic Sauce
Sambal Oelek
Soy Sauce (a variety is nice - light, dark, low-sodium and regular. Tamari is a great gluten free alternative for soy sauce)
Sesame Oil (you can also add toasted sesame oil if you want to expand your pantry)
Hoisin Sauce
Oyster Sauce
Fish Sauce (vegetarian and vegan ones are even available now!)
White Vinegar
Coconut Milk
Cornstarch (or Arrowroot Powder, for a gluten free option), for thickening sauces
Chicken stock (I always have some on hand. I love the Better than Bouillon™ stock concentrate, so I can mix up as needed in small quantities)
Velveting your meat
Ever wonder how Asian restaurants achieve such tender meat? They use a process called Velveting to prepare their meat. It's an extra step, but definitely produces wonderful results.
The process of Velveting involves marinating your meat pieces for 30 minutes in a basic velveting marinade of:
Basic Velveting Marinade (double, as necessary):
1 Tbsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. Chinese rice wine, dry sherry or white vinegar
2 tsp. cold water
2 tsp. cornstarch
Combine all these ingredients well with your meat. Cover and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes, cook the meat for 1 minute in boiling water or oil. (*I prefer the water method). Remove to a plate and set aside to add to your stir fry or do ahead and refrigerate. Be sure to add the velveted and pre-cooked meat near the end of your stir fry, just long enough to warm it, so it doesn't over-cook.
Pin It For Handy Reference!
Larry says
Jennifer - YOU da GAL!!! Retired guy here, and the cook (to ensure that we don't eat out of cans & boxes!). Lots of planning ahead. Asian (Korean, Chinese, Thai . . . ) is a favorite of mine, so I whip up different sauces, sans recipes, for what suits whatever I'm cooking (wok stir fry, noodle bowls, etc.). Do I use Shaoxing wine or not? Bit of mirin? Chili oil? Your post is a GOLDMINE! Thank you, thank you, thank you! I shall probably refer to it often.
Jennifer says
So glad to hear, Larry :) Thanks and happy cooking!
Babs says
Looking forward to trying some of theses sauces. I have never cooked Asian Style before and I was wondering if you slice your meat before velveting it? I am guessing so but didn’t see that step!
Jennifer says
Hi Babs and yes, you'll want to cut them into pieces before velveting. Enjoy!
Gabriel says
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.
Jennifer says
Thanks Gabriel! Enjoy :)
SeaAngel2 says
I just tried the Thai1 with peanut butter and it is amazing!! I can't wait to try some of the others:-) I quite often do a stir fry because it is healthy and uses up the veggies and/or left over meat. Thank you for these great sauces!!
Jennifer says
So glad to hear! Thanks so much :)
Vanessa Styles says
Seems like a silly question but with velveting your meat, how do you boil it afterwards?
Jennifer says
Hi Vanessa, you would just pop into boiling water then drain, just like you would cook pasta.
Sara says
So informative! Thank you for posting
Jennifer says
Thanks Sara :)
marc lyn felstead says
Hi when you say "cup" what size measurement !
Jennifer says
Hi Marc, I'm referring to the Imperial measure cup, so 8 fluid oz. or about 230ml. Hope that helps :)
Iva says
For us who just discovered wok (just bought it and making first ones in my life) this is a treasury!! Here I found SO MANY answers... Plus, I always ask myself (in Chinese restaurants) how they get that thick sauce.. So, is it of that corn starch? I have a question: can I put beef gelatin or psyllium (as healthier) instead? Have you ever tried? Thank you a lot, cheers from Croatia! :-)
Jennifer says
Thanks Iva, as for the corn starch, while it is not healthy, it is not un-healthy either. Sort of just a nothing and you use so little of it (a couple of teaspoons) in relation to all the goodness in the wok, that I think corn starch is really the best option. Arrowroot powder is a good option for gluten/corn avoiders.
Tony Child says
Being a single person & not wanting to waste anything, can the sauces be frozen to be used at a later time
Jennifer says
Hi Tony and yes, they can absolutely be frozen :)
Kiley says
Hi Jennifer, thank you for this!!! Question please:
I want to try velveting the meat, as you recommend, but does that mean we use our chosen sauce to marinate instead of the basic velveting marinate?
Jennifer says
Hi Kiley, no, you would use the velveting marinade and then use that chicken with the sauce of your choice. Hope that helps :)
Chris Y. says
Thank you for sharing all of this wonderful information. Velveting some beef as I type this. Perhaps I missed it, but how much meat is assumed when making the marinade for velveteen meat? Tonight I assumed the directions were for 1 pound, so I tripled it.
Thanks again,
Chris
Jennifer says
Hi Chris, It should be enough liquid to moisten all the meat, so you would increase as needed.
Katarina says
This is awesome! Thank you very much for every single information in this article. I've already tried two sauces and both are super delicious. Now, I think that I am stir fry sauce master (at least in our kitchen :D). Thank you so so much!
Jennifer says
Thanks Katarina and so glad you are finding this helpful :)
Kathy McCurry says
Jennifer, Thank you, thank you, thank you! This is a great compendium of sauces and I'm looking forward to trying them all. And, I can't believe you gave away the "Ancient Chinese Secret" of velveting the meat! That alone (okay, and their hot and sour soup) is a key criteria for how I determine if a Chinese restaurant is worth returning to. But, how they achieve that tenderness has always been a mystery. Lastly, thank you for putting the recipes in a PDF downloadable.
And, you live in such a beautiful area (although I suspect the winters are brutal). My dad's wife and her whole family have a wonderful place on Lake Muskoka where and have gathered there for summers for more than 30 years. It's such a treat to visit.
Jennifer says
Thanks Kathy! And you know, the winters here are definitely "winter", but once you get used to them, there's something cozy and peaceful about Muskoka in the winter :) It's equally as beautiful, I think, at least from the inside looking out!
Tricia @ Saving room for dessert says
Oh my gosh - this is absolutely perfect! What a wonderful post Jennifer. I have a stir fry on my upcoming list of posts - so now I need to rethink the sauce! Love all your beautiful ideas. Yum!
Jennifer says
Thanks so much, Tricia :) I love all the different ways to make a stir fry!
Irene (former Ontarian, now PEI) says
Fantastic info - and all in one place!
Had some leftover beef that was made into a stir fry. No udon noodles in the pantry so used rice noodles. Used your sauce from 15-Minute Spicy and Vegetable Stir Fry.
Now have more options!
Jennifer says
Thanks Irene and I bet beef was nice with that sauce!
sue | theviewfromgreatisland says
Bravo! This is a tour de force and sooo useful. I've always found authentic stir fry to be daunting. I am especially interested in the 'velveted' meat, I can't wait to try!
Jennifer says
Thanks Sue :) I love the velveting and try to do it as often as I can when I have a bit of extra time. It's really worth it!
Cheryl says
This is an amazing list! Thank you!!
Jennifer says
Thanks Cheryl! Enjoy :)
Carolyn says
Jennifer,
I can't wait to try some of these. I was wondering if rice vinegar and rice wine vinegar are the same? I notice you have both listed. Thank you--this is just the thing I was looking for.
Jennifer says
Hi Carolyn and thanks! And yes, rice vinegar and rice wine vinegar are just different ways to say the same thing. The only difference is how they've chosen to label it.
Catherine says
Thank you for this! You are so generous and a blessing. Now I can "whip-up" even better!
Jennifer says
Thanks Catherine :) I find this list super handy for my dinners on the fly!