Why you’ll love this Chinese Sauce Recipe
This sauce is a great all-purpose stir-fry sauce to complement your weeknight stir-fry dinner. Why you’ll love this stir-fry sauce:
- As you grate those aromatic ginger and garlic, you’ll understand how much flavor goes into this sauce.
- Rice vinegar brightens the flavors, brown sugar balances the saltiness and toasted sesame seed oil makes it simply irresistible!!!
- It has a wonderful well-rounded flavor, perfect for any meat and vegetable combination.
No more store-bought stir fry sauce ever again! Because homemade Chinese stir fry sauce is so much better, yet it’s easy to prepare!
Chinese Stir Fry Sauce Recipe Ingredients
This easy Chinese stir fry sauce recipe calls for simple ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen.
Let’s talk about the details of what you can substitute and what you absolutely have to have:
- Soy sauce – Use regular Japanese soy sauce, like Kikkoman. It’s the foundation of stir-fry sauce.
- Brown sugar – Sugar is important in this stir fry sauce as it offsets the saltiness of soy sauce. In a pinch, substitute white sugar.
- Rice vinegar – A little bit of acid brightens the flavors, so it’s important to add vinegar. Rice vinegar is milder vinegar, and if you don’t have it, substitute apple cider vinegar.
- Garlic – A must have ingredient for amazing stir fry sauce. Fresh garlic is good, but garlic paste works fine too.
- Ginger – Fresh ginger, or ginger paste is essential in this sauce. Without its complex and aromatic flavors, this sauce is just not the same.
- Sesame oil – While you can omit this aromatic oil, you’ll definitely miss out on the light nuttiness of this oil.
- Cornstarch – It thickens the sauce as it cooks, so it’s important component to the sauce.
How to make Chinese Stir Fry Sauce
It’s ridiculously quick and easy to make this stir-fry sauce!!!! Less than ten minutes, and you’ll be done!
- Step 1. Prepare all the ingredients.
- Step 2. Then place everything in a large jar and shake well!
Tips for Asian Stir Fry Sauce
A Microplane zester makes grating ginger and garlic so much easier!!
Chinese Brown Sauce Recipe FAQ
This recipe makes enough sauce for stir-frying about 4 cups of any combination of vegetables and/or seafood, chicken or beef.
Feel free to double up the recipe, if you want to freeze it in batches.
If you prefer a thicker stir fry sauce, feel free to add in more cornstarch. Add a teaspoon of cornstarch to a tablespoon water mixture until you reach your desired consistency. TIP: Don’t add the additional cornstarch too quickly as it takes 3-5 minutes once heated for the cornstarch to do its magic and to reach its consistency.
Storing Brown Stir Fry Sauce
How long can you store Chinese stir fry sauce?
The stir fry sauce is done in 10 minutes. But if time is not on your side, then you can meal prep it over the weekend.
Store homemade stir fry sauce in an airtight container the fridge for no longer than 2 weeks.
When ready to use, shake well. You’ll notice white sediment on the bottom, it’s totally normal! It’s just cornstarch.
Can I freeze stir fry sauce?
Yes, definitely. This sauce can be prepared and then placed in a freezer-friendly container with a tight-fitting lid, or a freezer bag. Store the sauce for no longer than 3 months.
When you’re ready to use it, thaw it and then add it to your stir fry. So easy!
Ways to use Asian Stir Fry Sauce
Now that you have mastered this sauce go and pair it with my Chinese Chicken Stir Fry that has added tips on cooking your vegetables and some nice protein options. It also makes a perfect easy Beef & Broccoli Stir Fry!
More Favorites from Busy Cooks
Chinese Stir Fry Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 garlic cloves grated
- 2- inch ginger grated
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- ½ cup of water
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Instructions
- In 12oz mason jar, combined all the ingredients. Cover and shake well until well combined.
Video
Nutrition
* Disclaimer: All nutrition information are estimates only. Read full nutrition disclosure.
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Reader's Reviews
Very nice stir fry sauce, made it to complement my vegetable white rice dinner, good flavor. (6/22/2022)
So happy you tried and loved it, Barbra!!
Hello,
Thank you for this amazing recipe. I was wondering how to make the sauce a bit more spicier? please let me know. Thank you.
Hi, Rita. Glad you like the sauce. To make this sauce spicy, I’d simply add your favorite spicy sauce, like Sriracha.
None of the sauce recipes I find on line have the taste of the sauces used on he East Coast.I was told the sauces in PA and DE are Cantonese. Any ideas would be most welcomed I am especially fond of things like pork lo mien.. Thank you.
Hi, Mary. Thanks for reaching out. I’m not Chinese, so I can’t give a proper advice on this. But here’re two of my favorite Chinese recipe blogs that might be a better help: The Woks of Life and Omnivore’s Cookbook. They’re both a fantastic resource of Chinese cuisine.