Stir-Fry Sauce
Published Dec. 6, 2023
- Total Time
- 10 minutes
- Prep Time
- 5 minutes
- Cook Time
- 5 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
- 1tablespoon cornstarch
- ½cup low-sodium soy sauce
- ⅓cup cup low-sodium chicken or vegetable stock
- 2garlic cloves, grated (about 2 teaspoons)
- 1(1-inch) piece ginger, peeled and grated
- 2 to 3tablespoons granulated or brown sugar, or honey
- 1tablespoon rice vinegar, plus more as needed
- 1teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 to 2teaspoons oyster sauce (optional)
- 2teaspoons Shaoxing wine, or dry sherry (optional)
- Pinch of crushed red pepper (optional)
Nutritional analysis per serving (2 servings)
194 calories; 4 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 2 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 29 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 14 grams sugars; 10 grams protein; 2598 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch with 1 tablespoon cold water until smooth. Add the soy sauce, chicken stock, garlic, ginger, sugar, vinegar, sesame oil, and oyster sauce and Shaoxing wine, if using. Whisk everything until well combined. Taste, and adjust to balance the salty, sweet and sour flavors. Add crushed red pepper, if you like. Transfer to a jar with a lid, cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week; shake or stir before using. Stir-fry sauce will also keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Private Notes
Comments
Must use low-sodium ingredients! I did not have low sodium soy sauce or low sodium chicken stock so I used regular and this sauce was extremely salty to the point of barely being able to eat it. I might try it again using low sodium ingredients as directed in the recipe, but would probably reduce the amount of soy and increase the amount of chicken stock.
Years ago (1970’s) I received a book simply called “The Wok”. In it the author explained the preparation of stir fry sauce. The idea was basically balancing the four “flavors” (this was before anyone ever talked about umami). Salt, sweet, sour, and bitter. Usually it comprised soy sauce, vinegar, sugar (I preferred fructose syrup or agave because it didn’t require 5 minutes of stirring to dissolve), and dry wine (extra dry sherry for instance), plus corn starch for thickening. The amounts were 4:1 bitter to salt, and the sour and sugar amounts to balance the flavors so any one of them doesn’t stand out to much. This formula always produced a good sauce for me. And importantly, toasted sesame oil is not meant to be cooked with. It’s meant as a fragrance to be added immediately after the cooking is done. If you cook with it, you lose most of its wonderful fragrance. It doesn’t take much either. A few drops is all (depending on how much food is in the dish).
I added a quarter teaspoon of five spice powder and a few grinds of white pepper, and holy cow did this sauce taste good with the mei fun.
Delicious! Went with 3 Tbsp brown sugar, did include the sherry. Sauteed red onion and carrots with a little canola oil, then added sugar snap peas, petite peas, diced leftover pork chops and all the sauce. Served over brown rice. Delicious for lunch the next day, too!
This is very different from other stir fry sauces-- more complex and better. I made one error though and used fish sauce as I didn't have oyster sauce. Don't do it! I didn't realize they have very different flavor profiles. So it was probably fishier than it's supposed to be, but still really delicious.
Easy to make and tasty. My husband and 6-year old approved.