Stir Fry Sauce Recipe
Skip the bottled sauces and make this easy homemade stir fry sauce from scratch using pantry staples like soy sauce, honey, garlic, ginger, and rice vinegar. This simple Asian-inspired stir fry sauce comes together in minutes, thickens perfectly, and has the ideal balance of salty, sweet, and savory flavors. Perfect for quick weeknight cooking and meal prep.
Stephanie’s Recipe Rundown
Why You’ll Love It: I created this stir fry sauce on a night when I didn’t have any store-bought sauce on hand — and honestly, I haven’t gone back since. It’s made with simple pantry staples, comes together in minutes, and tastes fresher and more balanced than anything from a bottle. Time Needed: 5 minutes prep + 5 minutes to simmer and thicken Skill Level: Beginner — if you can whisk, you can make this Flavor & Texture: Savory and slightly sweet with warm garlic and ginger notes. The sauce thickens beautifully into a glossy, cling-to-everything texture without being heavy. Would I Make This Again? Absolutely. This has become my go-to stir fry sauce whenever I’m cooking and realize I’m out of the bottled stuff.xoxo Stephanie
The other night I decided to make my Homemade Lo Mein Noodles with Steak for dinner because I thought it was had all of the ingredients needed on hand. However, when I opened the fridge to pull out the container of store-bought stir fry sauce, I couldn’t find it anywhere.
A few weeks ago, my sweet daughter decided to take it upon herself and “clean out our fridge”…aka, she was tired of there being so many containers and jars of “stuff” that we never use or was past expiration (oops! … good thing I have a daughter to keep up on stuff like this!).
Well, I’m guessing the stir fry sauce was one of the items that went bye-bye!
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I didn’t have another plan for dinner, so I had to resort to the good ol’ internet to find a homemade recipe for stir fry sauce. I looked at a couple and then combined and added what I felt was necessary to make the stir fry sauce taste the way I prefer it to….and that’s how this recipe was born!
Stir Fry Sauce Ingredients
The list of ingredients is pretty short, and mainly pantry staple items, except the sesame oil and rice vinegar. But once you have these on hand, they last for a long time in the refrigerator.
How to Make Homemade Stir Fry Sauce
This recipe really couldn’t be easier. I started by pouring all of the liquid ingredients into a Pyrex liquid measuring cup and gave it a quick stir.
I grabbed my microplane and grated the garlic and ginger nice and fine — it’s the easiest way to get lots of flavor without any chunks. Next, I added them to the sauce and gave everything a quick whisk to combine.
I then sprinkled in a pinch of red pepper flakes (yes — the kind from the pizza place 😄) and added the cornstarch.
Using a whisk, I mixed everything until the sauce was smooth and fully combined with no lumps. I let it sit in the measuring cup for a few minutes, then poured it straight into my vegetables and steak for our lo mein dinner.
I let everything sit for a few minutes in the mixing glass and then added it to my vegetables and steak for the lo main dinner.
Printable Recipe Card
Easy Homemade Stir Fry Sauce
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 c soy sauce
- 1/2 c chicken stock
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 tsp rice wine vinegar
- 3 tbs honey
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1/2 tsp ginger minced
- 1 tbs cornstarch
- pinch of red pepper flakes
Instructions
- In a glass measuring cup or small bowl, add all of the liquid ingredients and stir to combine.
- Using a microplane, finely grate the garlic and ginger.
- Add the grated garlic and ginger to the sauce mixture.
- Sprinkle in the red pepper flakes and cornstarch.
- Whisk until the sauce is smooth and fully combined with no lumps.
- Let the sauce sit for 2–3 minutes to allow the cornstarch to hydrate.
- Use immediately in your stir fry, adding it to the pan during the final minutes of cooking so it can thicken.
Nutrition
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Stephanie—home cook, DIY addict, seasonal decor fanatic, and proud chicken wrangler living in a Victorian house that’s always a project. Whether I’m cooking with garden-fresh ingredients, herding mischievous chickens, or tackling another DIY, I’m here to share the fun (and chaos).
