You need just 3 ingredients to make the BEST homemade stir fry sauce recipe.
Make tasty takeout at home in your own kitchen!
You can make easy stir fry sauce in less than two minutes!
I have been on a several years long journey of exploration into how to make delicious stir fry recipes at home.
The key to the best ever stir fry is in the stir fry sauce.
Don’t get me wrong, I love takeout (like everyone else), but it bugged me to no end that I could not figure out how to make my own stir fry recipes as equally delicious as the sauce that makes takeout stir fry sauce so addictive.
I had all but given up when a year ago at Christmas, a family member made us authentic stir fry and I was OBSESSED.
This stir fry sauce recipe was born out of years of searching for something delicious.
I had tried endless store bought teriyaki sauces and stir fry sauces, none of which ever tasted good enough.
Every time I would be excited to find another one to try, only to wish I had just ordered takeout instead.
Store bought sauces were always missing that extra punch of flavor.
I knew there had to be a way to make a simple and easy stir fry sauce recipe that 1) wasn’t time consuming and 2) didn’t require any crazy out there ingredients.
I wanted a recipe that was foolproof, and easy enough to make frequently.
Here is the recipe that I finally came up with, after much trial and error.
Ingredients to make homemade stir fry sauce:
- Soy Sauce
- Sesame Oil
- Cornstarch (to thicken)
THAT IS IT. Life. Freaking. Changing. (Ingredients and amounts are at the bottom of this post in a handy printable recipe card!)
I have one recommendation, and that is to always use this in conjunction with fresh garlic and fresh ginger.
Do not skip this.
These are not a part of the sauce, but they are part of the stir fry you will make.
I have found this to be the best way to bring out all of those flavors and I highly recommend doing this.
If you skip this step and tell me that the recipe is bland, it is because you did not add the garlic and ginger!
Otherwise, the possibilities are endless! Any veggie or protein, you name it.
Just add what sounds good, throw in fresh ginger and garlic, then pour in this sauce and you’re golden.
Proteins that would work with this stir fry sauce:
- chicken
- beef
- tofu
- chickpeas
I am a vegetarian, but whether you are a meat eater, a vegan, or a vegetarian, this stir fry sauce is adaptable to fit your needs!
How do you thicken stir fry sauce?
Cornstarch acts as an easy thickener in this stir fry sauce recipe.
Cornstarch is a great way to thicken sauces when you want a quick recipe.
There is no need to cook out a raw flour flavor like you would when cooking with a roux.
I have tested this easy stir fry sauce time and time again and it is always incredibly delicious.
The best part is that you can make it in 60 seconds!
Just add your soy sauce, sesame oil, and cornstarch to a mason jar and shake to combine.
I’m a rather impatient cook, and the easier the better when I am trying to get dinner on the table in a hurry!
I love that I can make this sauce so very quickly and throw it in the skillet.
I have made several homemade stir fry sauce recipes and now I only use this one.
You just can’t beat adding 3 ingredients to a jar, shaking it, and pouring it in.
I mean, it’s almost TOO easy.
The possibilities are endless.
What are the best vegetables to put in stir fry?
There are so many choices that I wrote a post just dedicated to this topic!
You can read it here: What are the best vegetables to put in stir fry?
Stir Fry Recipes
Here are some tried and true favorites using this stir fry sauce.
Don’t forget to tag me on instagram @buildyourbite and hashtag #buildyourbite so I can see your recipe creations!
Click HERE to pin this 3 ingredient homemade stir fry sauce recipe
Best Stir Fry Sauce Recipe:
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Ingredients
Instructions
Recommended Products
Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6 Serving Size:
1
Amount Per Serving:Calories: 88 Total Fat: 9g Saturated Fat: 1g Trans Fat: 0g Unsaturated Fat: 7g Cholesterol: 0mg Sodium: 292mg Carbohydrates: 1g Fiber: 0g Sugar: 0g Protein: 0g
Lea says
Can you keep this in the fridge?
Joy Shull says
I haven’t personally, but I think you could leave it in the fridge and add it once you’re cooking the stir fry. I usually just throw it together right before it goes in the pan.
Rob says
This was so good! My wife and I make it all the time now.
Jenn says
THANK YOU! SO EXCITED TO TRY THIS TONIGHT!
J says
THANK YOU! so easy and so good!
Donna says
What are the amounts for this stir fry sauce?
Joy Shull says
Hi Donna,
See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for the amounts.
Brandi Hull says
I didn’t find how much you put in for the 3 ingredients stir fry sauce
Joy Shull says
Hi Brandi,
The ingredients and amounts are at the bottom of the post in a printable recipe card. Enjoy!
Kayla says
I don’t have cornstarch on hand. Could I use flour?
Joy Shull says
Hi Kayla,
Flour will not work the same way as cornstarch does. It takes a lot longer to cook and for the taste of the flour to go away.
Amy orlauski says
You had mentioned that you had searched all kinds of soy sauces and stuff for the perfect stir fry. Is there a particular brand of soy sauce or sesame oil that you use for this recipe?
Joy Shull says
Hi Amy,
I meant that I had tried all kinds of premade stir fry sauces, often marketed as “teriyaki sauce” or “garlic stir fry sauce.” Any brand of soy sauce or sesame oil will work, it’s just the already made sauces that are not as good. Hope that helps!
Linsey says
Jesus take the wheel on this one Soooo good!!!!! I added some honey just for a little sweet kick
Joy Shull says
So glad you enjoyed the recipe, honey sounds like a delicious addition!!
Debby says
Hi Joy,
I can’t see the amounts to use for the stir fry sauce, one of your replies says to look at the bottom of the post. I have looked several times and I still can’t see it.
Joy Shull says
Hi Debby,
The recipe card with instructions is right above the comment section 🙂 It also has a print button should you want to print the recipe. Enjoy!
GRENATE says
Have you tried this wth glass noodles in the stir fry
Joy Shull says
I have not tried it, but maybe someone has and can chime in!
Dorothy says
Do you use regular or toasted sesame oil?
Joy Shull says
I use regular, but either one should work fine!
Karen J says
I made this last night and it was delicious! Thank you for the recipe.
Joy Shull says
So glad you enjoyed it!
Marc Caroselli says
Tasted great! Any recommendations to make it it spicy? Thai like
Joy Shull says
You could try adding red pepper flakes maybe?
Susan says
If I don’t use all of the sauce for a small batch of stir fry, how long can I keep it in the refrigerator?
Joy Shull says
I haven’t tested it, but you should be ok to leave it in the fridge for 5 – 7 days I would think.
SourChipmunk says
I would think you could leave it indefinitely, just like soy sauce. The sesame oil might thicken a bit chilled, and it won’t hurt the corn starch at all. Don’t add the garlic or ginger until ready to use.
Cody Hatcher says
Sounds delicious! And boy how simple . I saw where someone asked if they could use flour instead of cornstarch. And u said not a good idea . Well I have some corn Mill. Would that be ok to use?
Joy Shull says
Hi Cody,
The recipe has not been tested with anything but cornstarch, so I cannot recommend substitutions unfortunately. Cornstarch is pretty unique, so I recommend not trying to sub it for another thickener. Hope you enjoy the recipe!
Lindsey says
Love this! . . . Entertaining my latest obsession of zoodles and squoodles, I used Bragg’s Aminos for soy sauce, drained the oil from the top of my peanut butter (because I did not have sesame oil on hand), used arrow root for a corn starch substitute and added a squirt of sriracha. Yummykins
Kari Martin says
Yeah! I finally found a good stir fry sauce! Tastes excellent! I’m saving this recipe for every time! Thank you! I recommend this any day!
Joy Shull says
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed the recipe!!
Heather says
My husband made the sauce ahead and put it in the fridge. I just shook it up before pouring it on. No problem. I think you could even make it further in advance or to have on hand. if you make stir fry a lot. It worked really well with some cut up chicken and frozen stir fry vegetables. I cooked the chicken in sesame oil and dashed on powdered garlic and powdered ginger while cooking. I don’t keep fresh ginger or garlic on hand. It was still pretty good. Added the vegetables and then poured the sauce on to finish heating through. I would add the sauce at the same time as the frozen vegetables next time. This is a lot better than the packets or jars of pre-made sauce. Make sure you cook it long enough to thicken and coat everything and stir well before serving. Otherwise the second helping is a lot saltier than the first.
Lynda says
How much garlic and ginger do you put in?
Joy Shull says
I typically use at least 1/4 cup of each. Every recipe varies, and it will depend on how many veggies you use. I would say 1/4 cup minced of each is a good starting place. Sometimes I will add more garlic, as I love it!
LE Stone says
thanks for helping me…. i too was frustrated about this…i would add one more ingredient though…honey!
Michael Padilla says
This is a bachelor’s dream. I got on google and searched for “a simple stir fry sauce” and this was one of the choices. I love stir fries and this is perfect. You did not say anything about the amounts of chicken and vegetables or using oil to stir fry the vegetables, so I assumed you would use oil to cook the veggies so I used a tablespoon of ‘canola oil and added the garlic and ginger to the cooking oil and everything turned out well
Joy Shull says
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe Michael!
Kelly says
Do you use light or dark soy sauce? Thanks
Joy Shull says
I used dark soy sauce!
Nick says
Do I add the ginger and garlic in the mason jar or do I
fry it beforehand?
Joy Shull says
You cook it with your other stir fry ingredients!
Misty says
I made this with about 1/2 the sesame oil because it’s so strong. Also instead of corn starch I used a tsp of this Mandarin Ginger dry rub. It was fantastic! Thank you!
Jane says
Would arrowroot powder or potato starch work instead of cornstarch? I’m corn free.
Joy Shull says
You could definitely use arrowroot powder! Just look up conversion charts from cornstarch, but I would think it would be a pretty close ratio.
Sherry Bergmark says
This is essentially what I do anyway, but I add these ingredients individually to the existing sesame oil in the stir-fry when the veggies are done. Mixing in the side seems like a better plan!
It seemed very salty to my husband & I. And we like salt but it was too strong. It may be the brand I used; next time I’ll half the soy sauce and substitute broth for the ither half. Or use low sodium soy. I taught myself to stir-fry watching a chef at a lunch buffet create options as people ordered their ingredients. It took mere minutes with so many variations. Who wouldn’t want to do this for dinner on a weeknight?
Deborah Kemp says
I put in a splash of sweet soy sauce , after the measure . was yummy> I added the Garlic and the Ginger to the sauce mix and it worked out ok. Was at high heat when it hit the pan 😉
Beatrice says
Ohhh yummy. Had veg stir fry – no sauce. Found this recipe & happened to have all the ingredients. Just eyeballed amounts – toasted sesame oil, fresh ginger & garlic added to sauce before cooking . Made in mins while veg cooking & ohhh yummy. Thank you so much
Jenny Harrison says
I’m making this for company tonight with “Polish” sausages. I hope that’s a good flavour combo – also various fresh veggies and jasmine rice. I do hope it’s good. I’ve not made it before.
Mansi says
Can I use olive oil instead of sesame oil ?
Joy Shull says
No, the flavor of the sesame oil is important to the stir fry sauce taste 🙂
Hannah says
This recipe is lifesaver! Regarding the use of flour instead of cornstarch, I mixed a tablespoon of flour in about 1 tablespoon of water prior to adding the soy sauce and sesame oil and it seemed to thicken reasonably well. I also added a few squirts of honey and it was delicious!
Joy Shull says
So glad you made it work for you, thanks for the update about the flour!
Venice says
This sauce was soooooo freaking good and I loved how easy it was!!
Joy Shull says
Yay! So glad you loved the recipe!
Nadyne says
I can not find the recipe, please help.
Joy Shull says
The recipe is in a printable recipe card at the bottom of the post, right above the comments section.
Marie says
Hello! Made this recipe and it was delicious! We thank you and appreciate it very much 🙂 we enjoyed it! 😀
Would you please let us know the ratio when using meat? I read somewhere online that said usually for salt/seasoning to meat ratio, it’s 1 tablespoon per pound of meat. Would you recommend this same ratio or just eyeball the amount of sauce to use according to the amount of meat? Thank you so much again, your efforts and hard work have not gone unnoticed:)
Joy Shull says
Hi Marie,
I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe! I do not eat meat, so unfortunately I can’t give you an exact guide. It is going to vary based on the type and saltiness of the meat. I would just eyeball it and add a little bit, then keep adding until desired taste/thickness is achieved!
Allison says
More specifically what are the amounts of garlic and ginger
Joy Shull says
It will vary based on your recipe and how much ingredients are in it. For example, this recipe uses 1/4 cup ginger and 12 cloves of garlic: https://buildyourbite.com/stir-fry-vegetables/.
Carol says
For those of us who are staying away from starches, us arrowroot powder instead of the cornstarch.
Bob says
Very good just through it together worked out great thanks
Deanna says
So I am wanting to add 1 1/2 pound of jumbo shrimp, do I marinate sauce in shrimp and add to vegies. Or stir fry vegies first then add shrimp ?
Making for dinner tonight
Joy Shull says
I would cook the veggies first, add the shrimp and cook, then add the sauce for 3 – 5 minutes to thicken at the end. Just don’t cook the veggies too long at first so that they don’t get mushy.
SAMMIE says
CAN THIS BE MADE WITHOUT CORNSTARCH?
Jill Hicks says
How much ginger and garlic?
Joy Shull says
It’s going to depend on what ingredients you are using. I typically use at least 1/4 cup each, but you may use less. I would say at least 1/8 cup each minimum.
Michael says
I made this tonight but went way wrong.
So I used the ingredients listed and – being from the UK – changed the cups to ML measurements.
But the whole thing was horribly salty due to the soy sauce?
What I have I done wrong?
Joy Shull says
I’m sorry it didn’t work out! It could be a conversion issue. Another thought is if you used too much sauce to stir fry ratio. This is a very strong concentrated sauce, and a little bit goes a long way.
Rupal says
Can you use regular soy sauce or does it have to be gluten free?
Joy Shull says
Any soy sauce will work!
Shae says
This really, truly is the best and easiest stir fry sauce I’ve ever tried. I followed the recipe, but I did not have fresh ginger or fresh garlic, so I had to use the pastes of both that I had on hand. Still delicious, and I’ll never have to buy over priced stir fry sauce again. Thank you!!!
Joy Shull says
I am so glad you loved it, thanks for sharing Shae!
Laylay says
I love to cook and have been focusing on finding healthy recipes to feed my whole family, from the toddler, to the tween, to the husband. I wanted to make a stir fry with veggies and chicken breast, but I needed a good sauce. I tried this and was amazed by how simple and delicious it was – the whole family approved, which is a miracle. I’m guilty of not leaving feedback when I try a recipe online, but this one was so easy to make (I actually had all the ingredients on hand) and so spot on – not too salty or overpowering like some sauces I have tried in the past. I am saving this recipe and I will use it in so many different ways in the future. Thank you for sharing!
Joy Shull says
Thanks so much for taking time to leave your review, I love hearing when readers love the recipe! Glad it was a hit 🙂
Judy says
Allergic to sesame. What can be used instead?
Joy Shull says
Unfortunately, sesame oil is very important to the taste of the recipe, so I am not sure. If anyone has tried it without sesame oil comment here!
james bee says
new to all of this stir fry cooking and probably asking a dumb question. when you say 1/3 cup + 3 tablespoons . 1/3 cup is 5.33 tablespoons so are you saying 8.33 tablespoons or am i completely off course..
Joy Shull says
You are right! I just write it out as 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons as it is easier to measure that way! I just add both 1/3 cup and two tablespoons.