Easy Stir Fry Sauce Recipe - Build Your Bite (2024)

FAQs

What is the sauce for the stir fry made of? ›

Whisk the soy sauce, vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, sugar and red pepper flakes if using in a medium bowl until combined. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Cornstarch! In his book How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, Mark Bittman recommends mixing 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch with the same amount of water, and tossing this into the stir fry just when it's almost done. It thickens in seconds, picking up the flavors of everything already in the dish and coating evenly.

The first is to cook your protein and your vegetable separately, and combine them only after both are fully cooked. A second rule of thumb for stir-frying: Choose one vegetable per stir-fry. Finally, always remember to add liquid only after everything is more or less finished cooking.

According to Food & Wine, ketchup is the ultimate way to take the flavor of homemade stir fry up a level, thanks to its sweet and sour flavor profile. It just might be the easiest cooking hack to elevate your home cooking to that of your favorite take-out.

Much like French food, which relies on a roux for a perfect bechamel sauce or beef bourguignon and involves butter cooked with flour, Chinese and Cantonese cuisines use cornstarch to thicken sauces. However, it's predominantly added at the end of the cooking process rather than at the start.

In stir-fries, cornstarch helps thinly sliced protein like beef or pork brown evenly without overcooking, while simultaneously turning the liquidy soy, rice wine vinegar, and mirin into a veg-coating sauce.

Egg yolks, arrowroot, tomato paste or butter can thicken sauce in place of flour or cornstarch.

Adding soy sauce too early can burn it. Remember, timing is key. Add soy sauce midway for that perfect cook.

What is the best oil for stir-frying? ›

So many different oils, the good news is you can stick with what you know – canola is great! The best oils for stir frys are the oils with the higher smoke points. These tend to be the “thinner” oils such as peanut, grapeseed or canola.

Tamari. You can swap soy sauce for tamari with an equal, 1:1 ratio. Tamari is known as soy's older, smoother sibling, with more depth of flavor, and less saltiness. Typically made without wheat (soy sauce can use wheat), tamari can be gluten-free, and is a common substitute for soy.

Most tender beef cuts, such as sirloin, tri-tip, ribeye, top loin (strip), tenderloin, shoulder center (Ranch Steak), shoulder top blade (Flat Iron) and shoulder petite tender, can be cut into strips for use in stir-fry recipes.

Oyster sauce is commonly used in Chinese food and adds a savory, salty, umami flavor. Both can be found in most grocery stores. If you like, you can add grated or minced ginger or garlic. Serve your homemade brown sauce with a beef, chicken, or pork stir-fry or chow mein dish.

Fry sauce is a condiment often served with French fries or tostones (twice-fried plantain slices) in many places in the world. It is usually a combination of one part tomato ketchup and two parts mayonnaise.

In this blog post, we'll explore some of the most popular types of Chinese sauces, including soy sauce, hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, and more. From sweet and tangy to rich and savory, Chinese sauces are a crucial component of many dishes, and can completely transform the taste of a meal.

Hoisin sauce – hoisin is a thick sauce made with a combination of sugar, miso, soy sauce, garlic and spices. This is my secret ingredient for making a quick and easy stir fry sauce with just 5 ingredients! It adds sweetness to this sauce and thickens it up.