I’m always happy knowing I’ve got a jar of this ginger stir fry sauce in my fridge. It makes everything taste better! We’ve already used it for this chicken and broccoli stir fry and this incredible veggie stir fry. We’ve been disappointed whenever we’ve tried store-bought stir fry sauces, which is why I love this homemade sauce so much. It’s packed with flavor and truly makes the best stir fries. As written, this sauce is vegan, and it is gluten-free when you use certified gluten-free ingredients.
Key Ingredients
Chicken or Vegetable Stock: This is the base of our sauce. I use chicken and vegetable stock interchangeably, as both work really well. Soy Sauce (both light and dark): Using both light and dark soy sauce gives our homemade stir-fry sauce an unbelievable flavor. While using just one or the other is tempting, I highly recommend using both if you can find them. Light soy sauce is saltier, thinner, and more transparent than dark soy sauce, which is less salty and thicker. Shaoxing wine, Dry sherry, or Mirin: I prefer Shaoxing wine, a Chinese rice wine often used in Chinese cuisine. It’s the most authentic choice in this stir fry sauce recipe, so I highly recommend adding it to your pantry if you can find it. It adds a lovely complexity and balance to the sauce. If you don’t have access to it, dry sherry or mirin are two alternatives. You can use the cooking wine versions of each in this recipe. Rice vinegar is also an option, although the sauce will taste slightly different, so a little extra sugar might be required. Toasted Sesame Oil: With its nutty, rich flavor, toasted sesame oil might be my favorite ingredient in this recipe. I absolutely love it. Sugar: It’s essential to balance the saltiness of the soy sauce. Plain white sugar is fine. Maple syrup and honey also work but will add a bit of extra flavor. White Pepper: Unlike black pepper, white pepper adds a floral, earthy spice to dishes. I don’t call for it very often, but I love white pepper in this recipe. If you don’t have white pepper, you can use black pepper. I keep a jar of white pepper in my spice cabinet for this incredible sauce. Fresh Garlic and Fresh Ginger: This stir fry sauce uses a lot of garlic and ginger. When you think it looks like too much, don’t hesitate! Using heaps of fresh minced ginger and garlic adds so much flavor to the sauce and your stir fry.
To make your homemade stir fry sauce, you’ll add everything to a saucepan and heat until the sugar dissolves. That’s it. You can use the sauce straight away or keep it in the fridge for up to 5 days for your next stir fry. Simple!
How to Use this Stir Fry Sauce
Cook stir fry ingredients (meats or veggies) until mostly done, then pour in the sauce. Cook for 30 seconds to a minute so that it heats up. Then, if you’d like to thicken the sauce and help it stick to the stir fry ingredients (similar to how a Chinese restaurant would serve it), you will need to use cornstarch. In a small bowl, stir 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 3 tablespoons cold water. When the sauce is simmering in the pan, slowly pour in the cornstarch mixture and cook, stirring well, until the sauce thickens and coats the stir fry. Watch me do this in this chicken and broccoli stir fry video. 3 tablespoons minced fresh ginger (thumb-size piece of ginger) 1 cup chicken or vegetable stock 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce 2 tablespoons light soy sauce 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine, substitute dry sherry or mirin, see tips 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil 2 tablespoons sugar 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
