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    Home » Sauces, Dressings and Dips

    The Best Vegan Stir-fry Sauce

    Published: Dec 23, 2022 by Meesha · This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe
    Spooning stir-fry sauce from a jar with text overlay.

    Make your own vegan stir-fry sauce at home in 5 minutes! This sauce is savory, thick, and incredibly bold in flavor. It will elevate any stir-fry dishes! 

    Spooning some stir-fry sauce from a jar using a teaspoon.

    This all-purpose, flavorful stir-fry sauce will be your next staple for your meal prep. This simple recipe is straightforward to make and only calls for everyday pantry staples that you probably already have. 

    Jump to:
    • 💚Why you will love this recipe 
    • 🧂What you will need 
    • 📃Ingredient notes and substitutions 
    • 🔪How to make 
    • ✔️Helpful tips 
    • 🥕How to make a simple stir fry 
    • 🍜Other ways to use stir-fry sauce 
    • ❄️Storage suggestions 
    • ❔Commonly asked questions
    • 🍽️More vegan condiments and dressings
    • 📖 Recipe

    💚Why you will love this recipe 

    • Sticky, thick, and packed with flavors 
    • Incredibly versatile and will work in any stir-fry recipe 
    • The perfect meal prep recipe - stores well and is freezable 
    • Healthy, lower in fats and calories than store-bought stir-fry sauces 

    🧂What you will need 

    Ingredients needed for stir-fry sauce like broth, soy sauce, sugar, ginger, garlic, cornstarch, and other seasonings.

    📃Ingredient notes and substitutions 

    • Vegetable broth - I recommend choosing a low-sodium broth to keep this sauce lower in sodium. You can also use broth powder or cubes instead, but do dissolve them in ¾ cup of hot water before using. 
    • Soy sauce - Can be substituted with tamari or shoyu. To keep this recipe gluten-free, opt for gluten-free soy sauce. 
    • Brown sugar - You can substitute it with other sweeteners like maple syrup, cane sugar, or coconut sugar. 
    • Red pepper flakes - An optional ingredient. Omit to keep this sauce spice-free. 

    🔪How to make 

    Mix vegetable broth, soy sauce, cornstarch, sesame oil, sugar, and red pepper flakes in a mason jar or bowl. 

    Holding a jar containing uncooked stir-fry sauce.

    Heat ½ tablespoon of oil in a non-stick pan, and saute garlic and ginger until fragrant. 

    Add in the wet mixture. Bring the sauce to a boil, and lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until the sauce is thick and glossy. 

    Cooked garlic and ginger in a pan on a white teacloth with 2 sauce dishes beside.
    A pan of stir-fry sauce with a wooden stirrer beside on a white teacloth.

    Let it cool to room temperature. Use vegan stir-fry sauce immediately, or transfer it to a mason jar for storage.  

    ✔️Helpful tips 

    • Feel free to adjust the amount of seasonings used according to personal preference. You can add more soy sauce or saltiness, maple syrup for sweetness, etc. 
    • If you prefer your sauce to be super thick, add an additional ½ tablespoon of cornstarch. 
    • This amount of stir-fry sauce can make around 6-8 servings of stir-fry. Try adding a smaller amount first and adding more to taste if needed. 

    🥕How to make a simple stir fry 

    Here is a general overview of the steps involved in making a basic stir-fry.

    • Protein - Heat around ½ tablespoon oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet or wok. Sear protein source of choice (tempeh, tofu, vegan chicken breast) until lightly browned. Set aside. 
    • Sturdy veggies - Heat another ½ tablespoon of oil in a pan, and add studier veggies like broccoli, cauliflower, or carrot. Cook for a few minutes until they are partially cooked. 
    • Tender veggies - Now, you can add softer veg like mushrooms, baby corn, or snap peas. Cook until your vegetables are tender. 
    • Add your protein back to the pan along with this stir-fry sauce. Toss until everything is well mixed. Your stir-fry is ready to be served. 
    Pouring stir-fry sauce into a pan of cooked vegetables.

    🍜Other ways to use stir-fry sauce 

    Other than using this sauce to make stir-fries, here are some different creative ways to utilize it: 

    • As a marinade - This recipe works great as a marinade for tofu, tempeh, or seitan cubes.
    • Dipping sauce - You could serve it alongside tofu egg rolls, vegan lumpia, or vegetable kimbap. 
    • Dressing for salads and nourish bowls 
    • Other dishes - You can also use this vegan stir-fry sauce to make fried rice or noodle dishes. Try substituting the teriyaki sauce in the teriyaki soba noodles with this sauce. 

    ❄️Storage suggestions 

    Fridge - Keep leftover stir-fry sauce in a mason jar, which will last for a week. 

    Freezer - I recommend portioning the sauce out using ice-cube trays before freezing. Once the cubes are frozen, you can then transfer them to a zip-top bag. They can be frozen for up to 3 months. Do thaw them before using them. 

    ❔Commonly asked questions

    Is this recipe gluten-free?

    This stir-fry sauce is gluten-free as long as certified gluten-free soy sauce or tamari is being used.

    Can I make the sauce without cornstarch?

    This vegan stir-fry sauce can be made without cornstarch, but the result will be a sauce that is thin and watery. Hence, I would not recommend leaving out the cornstarch. If you do not have it on hand, feel free to substitute it with potato starch or twice the amount of tapioca starch.

    How can I make this sauce low sodium?

    This stir-fry sauce can be easily modified to be lower in sodium by using low-sodium vegetable broth and low-sodium soy sauce.

    Is it spicy?

    This vegan stir-fry sauce is lightly spicy due to the addition of red pepper flakes. You can easily make this recipe spice-free by omitting the red pepper flakes. On the other hand, if you love heat, feel free to increase the amount of red pepper flakes used, or add a spicy condiment like sriracha or hot sauce.

    A jar of stir-fry sauce topped with sesame seeds with a teaspoon and garlic cloves beside.

    🍽️More vegan condiments and dressings

    • Simple Vegan Marinara Sauce
    • Creamy Chickpea Pasta Sauce
    • Quick Vegan Italian Dressing
    • Easy Thai Basil Pesto

    If you did make this recipe, do leave a rating and comment down below, we love hearing from you! Subscribe to My Plantiful Cooking to get new recipes delivered straight to your inbox! Follow us on Instagram, Facebook and Pinterest to get the latest updates. 😉

    📖 Recipe

    Spooning out some stir-fry sauce from a jar with a teacloth in the background.

    Vegan Stir-fry Sauce

    Meesha
    Make your own vegan stir-fry sauce at home in 5 minutes! This sauce is savory, thick, and incredibly bold in flavor. It will elevate any stir-fry dishes!
    5 from 1 vote
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 2 mins
    Cook Time 3 mins
    Total Time 5 mins
    Course Condiment
    Cuisine American, Chinese
    Servings 6 servings
    Calories 31 kcal

    Ingredients
      

    • ¾ cup vegetable broth
    • ¼ cup soy sauce or tamari/shoyu (use gluten-free if needed)
    • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
    • 1 tablespoon sugar (any granulated sweetener will work)
    • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
    • 1 teaspoon chili flakes optional
    • 3 cloves garlic minced
    • 2 teaspoons minced ginger
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Instructions
     

    • Mix vegetable broth, soy sauce, cornstarch, sugar, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes in a mason jar or bowl.
      ¾ cup vegetable broth, ¼ cup soy sauce, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 1 tablespoon sugar, 1 teaspoon sesame oil, 1 teaspoon chili flakes
    • Heat ½ tablespoon of oil in a non-stick skillet, and saute garlic and ginger until fragrant.
      3 cloves garlic, 2 teaspoons minced ginger
    • Add in the wet mixture. Bring the sauce to a boil, and lower the heat to a gentle simmer. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until sauce is thick and glossy.
    • Let it cool to room temperature. Use vegan stir-fry sauce immediately, or transfer it to a mason jar for storage.

    Notes

    Helpful tips
    • Feel free to adjust the amount of seasonings used according to personal preference. You can add more soy sauce or saltiness, maple syrup for sweetness, etc. 
    • If you prefer your sauce to be super thick, add an additional ½ tablespoon of cornstarch. 
    • This amount of stir-fry sauce can make around 6-8 servings of stir-fry. Try adding a smaller amount first and adding more to taste if needed. 
     
    Storing - Keep leftover stir-fry sauce in a mason jar before refrigerating. It will last for 1 week. 
    It is freezable too. I recommend portioning the sauce out using ice-cube trays before freezing. Once the cubes are frozen, you can then transfer them to a zip-top bag. They can be frozen for up to 3 months. Do thaw them before using them. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 31kcalCarbohydrates: 5gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSodium: 600mgSugar: 2.4g

    Nutrition info calculated is just a rough estimate and is provided as a courtesy. Bear in mind that value will vary based on variables like specific brand or type of product used. To obtain the most accurate representation, it is highly recommended that you calculate it on your own with the actual amount and type of ingredient used.

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