5-Minute Stir Fry Sauce
This make-ahead friendly stir fry sauce is the only one you'll ever need! It's such a versatile, all-purpose sauce that you can use in any stir fries. This recipe makes about 1 ½ cups of stir fry sauce.
Servings: 12 people
Calories: 13kcal
Ingredients
- ¾ cup low-sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth
- ½ cup water
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon dark soy sauce you only need a little
- 1 tablespoon Chinese shaoxing cooking wine or dry sherry
- ½ teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
- 2 teaspoons granulated sugar
- Ground black pepper to taste, or white pepper powder
- ¼ teaspoon sesame oil or to taste
Cornstarch slurry
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water room temperature
Instructions
- Whisk cornstarch slurry: In a mixing bowl, dissolve 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of water until fully mixed. Note: If making the sauce ahead, skip this step (the cornstarch should be added right before cooking).
- Add remaining ingredients together with the cornstarch slurry. Mix well to evenly combine. Adjust to taste as needed; see guidelines in the Notes section below.
- Now your stir fry sauce is ready for cooking! Use immediately. See notes below if making ahead.
Notes
- Cornstarch slurry: Always whisk the cornstarch with water to create a slurry before adding other ingredients. This prevents clumps from forming when mixed with larger amounts of liquid.
- Use light sauce primarily, to control saltiness. It’s generally less salty.
- Dark soy sauce: We only use like ½ teaspoon of this for color and extra depth.
- Give it a good stir right before using: Cornstarch naturally settles at the bottom of the container, so stir to mix again.
- Make ahead: If preparing in advance, omit the cornstarch slurry. Add the slurry only when you are ready to cook to ensure the sauce stays fresh longer in the fridge.
- Refrigeration: Store in a sealed container for up to 2 weeks in the fridge.
- Freezing: You can freeze the sauce in pre-portioned containers (like Souper Cubes).
- Using from frozen: There is no need to thaw; add the frozen sauce directly to a hot skillet and then stir in a fresh cornstarch slurry into the pan.
- Vegetarian or vegan: You can buy vegan oyster sauce from the popular brand Lee Kum Kee.
- Chinese shaoxing cooking wine: Dry sherry.
- Prefer not to use wine? Simply omit.
- Sweetness: Use either granulated or brown sugar to balance the salt. Add an extra teaspoon if the sauce tastes too salty.
- Adding heat: Mix in red pepper flakes or fresh chilies to give the sauce a spicy kick.
- Depth of flavor: Add an extra splash of shaoxing wine for more complexity.
- Saltier: A little bit more soy sauce, but don’t overdo it.
- Too salty: Add water or sugar.
- More flavor: Add cooking wine or dry sherry.
- More balanced: Add sugar.
Nutrition
Serving: 2tablespoons | Calories: 13kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0.2g | Saturated Fat: 0.04g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 0.01mg | Sodium: 289mg | Potassium: 22mg | Fiber: 0.04g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 0.002IU | Vitamin C: 0.004mg | Calcium: 3mg | Iron: 0.1mg