Only 5 minutes to whisk together, this easy and healthy Stir Fry Sauce is just 3 ingredients in its simplest form! It’s beyond easy to make and I have lots of variations to this basic sauce. So you’ll never be bored with your stir fries again. It’s gluten-free, dairy-free, paleo, and can be Whole30 as well. You will also find all my tips below for how to meal prep this ahead multiple different ways to make your dinnertime easier. This simple stir-fry sauce is the perfect healthy option, and so much better than takeout.
Imagine having a simple stir fry sauce that works for any stir fry you’d ever make? Well, this is it, and it’s so simple with just 3 ingredients. From there you can customize it for several different flavor variations you’ll find below.
This stir-fry sauce works for vegetarian or vegan stir-fries, chicken stir-fries, as well as for pork and beef. It’s definitely one of my main go-to recipes when I’m meal-prepping for the week. Having it already whipped up makes dinner even easier.
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Soy sauce – I use gluten-free tamari sauce or coconut aminos in my stir-fry sauces depending on my mood. Use whichever one is the right option for your diet. If you use coconut aminos, you may need to season your stir fry to taste with salt at the end because it’s not as salty as soy sauce. If you use soy sauce, I recommend looking for low sodium.
- Broth – use chicken broth for a chicken stir fry, beef broth for beef stir fry, and so on. You can also just use chicken broth for any kind of stir fry because it has plenty of flavor. I like to buy the low sodium so I can season my stir fry to taste.
- Starch – either cornstarch or tapioca starch works really well in this stir-fry sauce. It adds just a touch of thickness to the finished stir fry.
- Optional add-ons – rice vinegar, red pepper flakes, maple syrup, and toasted sesame oil are all really nice flavor options as well as the variations listed below.
- Garlic & Ginger – no stir fry is complete without this dynamic duo, but I don’t put it into the stir fry sauce itself. Instead, I like to prep and freeze the garlic and ginger separately. You’ll find more about this in the tips below.
The #1 reason to prep both the garlic & ginger and the stir fry sauce is to save you time during the busy week!
How to make this recipe step by step
Step 1: Start by whisking together the starch and a tablespoon or so of soy sauce – tamari – coconut aminos just until the starch is smooth and no lumps remain.
Step 2: From there simply mix in the rest of the soy sauce/coconut aminos of choice along with the broth, and any additions you’d like.
Step 3: Store this stir-fry sauce in the fridge for up to 1 week before using and stir it back together when you’re ready to use it.
5 Stir Fry Sauce Variations
- Lemon Ginger – 1 additional tablespoon ginger + Zest from 1 lemon + 2 tablespoons lemon juice + 1-2 tablespoons maple syrup (Add the extra ginger for this variation in the recipe step that adds the garlic and ginger to the pan.)
- Curry – add 1-2 teaspoons curry powder of choice or curry paste of choice
- Ethiopian Berbere – add 1-2 teaspoons Ethiopian Berbere spice mix to taste, (some mixes are spicy).
- Orange Chinese 5-spice – 1 teaspoon Chinese 5-spice powder + orange zest & juice of 1 orange.
- Sweet Chili – 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes along with 2-4 tablespoons of honey to taste.
FAQ’s
Stir fry sauce in the simplest form is just 3 ingredients, soy sauce, cornstarch, and broth. From there you can add all sorts of extra ingredients from red pepper flakes to toasted sesame oil or even Chinese 5 spice. Be sure to check out my 5 variations to mix up your next batch of stir fry.
Teriyaki sauce has a lot more sugar added along with other ingredients like mirin. Stir fry sauce in its simplest form is just soy sauce, cornstarch, and broth.
Yes just be sure the soy sauce option you use is gluten-free like tamari or coconut aminos.
Storing leftovers
- To store – place the finished sauce into an airtight container and refrigerate for up to 1 week.
- Freeze – place your finished sauce into a freezer-safe container, (don’t overfill, allow space for it to expand as it freezes). Freeze for up to 3 months, and defrost in the refrigerator before using.
Tips & Tricks + Meal Prep Options
- For meal prepping, I like to whisk together the stir-fry sauce and freeze it in freezer-safe mason jars. They sit nicely in the top baskets on my deep freezer. I also like to prep the garlic and ginger ahead to save time and freeze it separately.
- You can also mix the garlic and ginger into the stir-fry sauce to freeze together. This is the second-best option though. I don’t feel like the garlic and ginger cook properly when you add the stir-fry sauce in at the end.
- Be sure to try the 5 different flavor variations. We love them all, but we often come back to the Ethiopian Berbere and the Orange Chinese 5-Spice.
Dietary Options
- Gluten-free – be sure to use a gluten-free soy sauce option like Tamari or coconut aminos. If you try any of the variations, be sure the spices are also gluten-free.
- Whole30 – use coconut aminos in place of soy sauce or Tamari. And be sure to omit any sweetener if you try the variations.
- Vegan & vegetarian – be sure to use vegetable broth that is vegan/vegetarian, and maple syrup in place of honey in the variations.
More Stir Fry Recipe Inspiration
- Chicken Stir Fry
- Ground Beef Stir Fry (coming soon)
- Pot Sticker Stir Fry
- Whole30 Sweet and Sour Stir Fry
- Cashew Chicken Stir Fry
I really hope you enjoy this Stir Fry Sauce recipe! If you do get a chance to make this recipe, I’d love to hear from you in the comments.
Stir Fry Sauce
INGREDIENTS
- 1/2 cup soy sauce - Tamari or coconut aminos
- 1/2 cup broth - chicken, beef, or vegetable
- 2 tsp cornstarch - or tapioca for paleo
INSTRUCTIONS
- Whisk the starch together with just enough soy sauce, tamari, or coconut aminos to dissolve it.
- Then whisk in the rest of the soy sauce/tamari/or coconut aminos along with the broth.
- Choose any add-on's or flavor variations to mix in. Then use the stir fry sauce as directed in the notes for a stir fry. Or refrigerate for up to 1 week. Shake or stir the sauce back together before using it.
- If you make this sauce ahead of time for meal prep, consider prepping the garlic and ginger from the notes as well. You can mince 2 cloves of garlic and 2 tbsp ginger, then freeze in a small container until you're ready to use it.
NOTES
- Lemon Ginger – 1 additional tablespoon ginger + Zest from 1 lemon + 2 tablespoons lemon juice + 1-2 tablespoons maple syrup (Add the extra ginger for this variation in the recipe step that adds the garlic and ginger to the pan.)
- Curry – add 1-2 teaspoons curry powder of choice or curry paste of choice
- Ethiopian Berbere – add 1-2 teaspoons Ethiopian Berbere spice mix to taste, (some mixes are spicy).
- Orange Chinese 5-spice – 1 teaspoon Chinese 5-spice powder + orange zest & juice of 1 orange.
- Sweet Chili – 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes along with 2-4 tablespoons of honey to taste.