This healthy stir fry sauce recipe is delicious! It’s loaded with flavor and so simple to make. Whip up a batch of this homemade sauce in advance for easy weeknight dinners! {Can be made gluten-free and vegan}
Healthy Stir Fry Sauce – So Easy!
I’ve been trying to find a good easy stir fry sauce recipe for years now. One that’s super flavorful, easy to whip together and can be made in advance for those busy weeks.
There are a ton of recipes out there, but I’ve never really found one that I love.
We’ve been working on perfecting our stir fry sauce recipe and I’m pretty sure that we finally nailed it.
This simple sauce is so full of flavor and pairs well with so many different vegetables and protein sources (try it in this Healthy Chicken Stir Fry or Shrimp Noodle Stir Fry)!
Read on to learn more about what goes into making the perfect healthy stir fry sauce.
Why We Love this Homemade Stir Fry Sauce Recipe
- Less processed than store-bought or takeout
- Easy to make
- Can be used in lots of different dishes
- Family-friendly
- Perfect for meal prep
Ingredient Notes
This recipe requires simple ingredients that you can commonly find at your grocery store. Aren’t those the best types of recipes?
Here are the ingredients that we used for the stir fry sauce:
- Soy sauce: Used for the base of the sauce to provide extra flavor. Use low-sodium soy sauce to limit sodium intake.
- Broth: Chicken stock provides extra liquid to the sauce while infusing some additional flavor. We typically use no salt added chicken broth, but you can also use vegetable of beef broth as well.
- Sesame oil: Adds a slight nutty flavor to the sauce. You can use regular or toasted sesame oil.
- Rice vinegar: Incorporates a slight tanginess and provides that classic Asian flavor. You can also sub in white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
- Honey: Infuses a bit of extra sweetness into the sauce.
- Natural peanut butter: Adds an extra dose of nutty flavor. I like to use natural peanut butter with no added salt or sugar.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic cloves work best, although pre-minced garlic will work in a pinch.
- Ginger: Use fresh for best results. You can store fresh ginger root in the freezer to preserve it for longer.
- Corn Starch: Helps to thicken the sauce once added to the pan with the other stir fry ingredients.
- Red pepper flakes: Provide a kick of heat. Add more or less depending on your taste preferences.
How to Make Homemade Stir Fry Sauce
This simple stir fry sauce can be whipped together in a matter of minutes. You can use it immediately or save it for later!
- In a mason jar or medium-sized bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients for the sauce until well combined.
- You can also toss all of the ingredients into a mini blender, like the Ninja (that’s what we use), to ensure that the sauce is smooth and blended.
- You can either store the sauce in the fridge for later use or add desired amount of sauce to your stir fry.
Keep scrolling to the recipe card below for the full printable recipe!
Recipe Tips:
- One thing to keep in mind is that it’s important that you allow your stir fry to cook in the sauce for at least 2-3 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken slightly. You need a few minutes to allow that cornstarch (or arrowroot) to do its thing!
- I like to make up a double or triple batch of this sauce and store half in the freezer (we love to use these Souper Cubes) for quick and easy meals!
Storage Guidelines
Refrigerator: You can keep this sauce in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week.
Just be sure to give it a good shake or stir before pouring it in with your stir fry as the ingredients will settle to the bottom. You want to make sure that all of the ingredients are evenly distributed throughout the sauce.
Freezer: You can freeze this sauce in a freezer safe airtight container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Allow it to defrost in the fridge before using.
Recipe FAQ
Teriyaki sauce is composed of four main ingredients generally including soy sauce, sake (or mirin), sugar and ginger. It can be used as a basic Asian seasoning or marinade.
Stir fry sauce can be made up of a range of ingredients depending on the recipe you’re following or the brand of sauce that you purchase. This particular sauce recipe has a strong peanut undertone and is made up of reduced sodium soy sauce, broth, natural peanut butter, toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar, honey, fresh ginger garlic cloves, cornstarch and pinch of red pepper flakes. Both types sauces are similar in the sense that they add lots of delicious flavor to a variety of meals.
If you want a thicker sauce, you can add additional cornstarch or flour.
To thicken with cornstarch: Mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of cold water for each cup of sauce.
To thicken with flour: Mix 2 tablespoons of flour with ¼ cup cold water for each cup of sauce.
Stir fry can definitely be a healthy balanced option since it generally consists of a wide variety of fibre and nutrient-rich vegetables and protein from sources such as chicken, beef, shrimp or tofu.
It tends to be even healthier when you make your own stir fry sauce from scratch since you can control exactly what’s going into it rather than relying on store-bought sauces which can be full of sodium, added sugar and preservatives.
That’s why this healthy homemade stir fry sauce can be a great option for your favourite stir fries since it can be easily adapted to meet your dietary needs.
I totally get it. Not everyone loves soy sauce. Sometimes I like using other substitutes too! If you’re looking for alternative options, you can sub in tamari sauce or coconut aminos. Both provide a similar taste, while also being a gluten-free option.
Vegetables that Work Well with Asian Stir Fry Sauce
You can really use any fresh veggies that you’re feeling, but some of my favourites are:
- Broccoli
- Sugar snap peas
- Snow peas
- Sliced bell peppers
- Shredded cabbage
- Sliced mushrooms
- Bok choy
- Bean sprouts
- Green beans
- Thinly sliced carrot
- Cauliflower rice
- Green onions
Protein Sources that Pair Well with Healthy Stir fry Sauce
Similar to the vegetables, this savory sauce is super versatile and goes well with your favorite stir-fried meat or other protein sources, including:
- Chicken breast
- Shrimp
- Beef
- Pork
- Tofu
- Chickpeas
- Cashews
- Peanuts
- Sesame seeds
Grains to Serve it With
Serve your delicious stir fry along with any of the following:
- Brown rice
- White rice
- Rice noodles
- Soba noodles
- Angel hair noodles
- Quinoa
Ingredient Substitutions
One thing that I love about this flavorful sauce is that you can switch out the ingredients to make it compliant with any dietary restrictions!
Instead of natural peanut butter:
Try almond butter, cashew butter or sun butter to make it nut-free!
Instead of chicken broth:
Use beef broth or vegetable broth to make it vegan.
Instead of honey:
Sub in maple syrup, brown sugar or agave nectar to make it vegan.
Instead of cornstarch:
Try arrowroot powder or tapioca starch as a thickener.
Don’t have rice vinegar?
Try rice wine vinegar or regular vinegar instead.
Don’t have fresh garlic or ginger?
Try subbing in dried ginger or garlic powder or ginger or garlic paste instead.
To make gluten-free:
Use coconut aminos.
So many ways to make this stir fry sauce happen!
Looking for other healthy recipes? Check these out:
- Healthy Orange Chicken
- Healthy Muffins
- No Bake Protein Bars
- Healthy Chicken Soup
- Turmeric Latte
- Pumpkin Soup with Canned Pumpkin
- Oatmeal Bars Recipe
- Healthy Crockpot Recipes
- How To Make Hot Wings
- Lettuce Wrap
- Spinach Egg Muffins
- Baby Smash Cake
Did you make this recipe? Scroll down to leave a star rating and review!
Best Healthy Homemade Stir Fry Sauce Recipe {Easy!}
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup reduced sodium soy sauce or use tamari sauce or Bragg’s liquid aminos
- 1/2 cup no salt-added chicken broth
- 1/4 cup natural peanut butter
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon honey can also sub in maple syrup
- 2-3 inches fresh ginger finely grated
- 3-4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Pinch of red pepper flakes
Instructions
- In a mason jar or bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients for the sauce until well combined. You can also blend in a mini blender if preferred.
- Add desired amount of sauce to stir fry. Allow stir fry to cook in sauce for at least 2-3 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken slightly.
Notes
- The total batch makes about 1 1/2 cups of sauce. The nutritional information is for about 1/4 cup of the sauce. This is a general estimate as it will depend on how large your stir fry is and how much sauce you add to each serving.
- I highly recommend making up a double or triple batch of this stir fry sauce and freezing the leftovers. That way, you can simply thaw it out and use the already prepared sauce for quick and easy meals throughout the week. I love using these Souper Cubes to freeze extra sauce. They make meal prepping so easy!
Nutrition
This recipe was originally posted in October 2019 and was updated June 2023 to include more helpful tips and photos.
Hi! This recipe mentions it is vegan, but chicken broth is definitely not vegan or vegetarian. It is also labeled gluten-free. Soy sauce has wheat and is not gluten-free. Hopefully, it can get updated with substitutions and better labeling! Thanks!
It says that it’s gluten-free and vegan-friendly because within the post I provide gluten-free alternatives such as coconut aminos instead of soy sauce and vegan alternatives such as vegetable broth instead of chicken broth and maple syrup (or other desired sweetener) instead of honey. The recipe can be easily adapted to be gluten-free or vegan, so that is why those labels are provided.
Easy and delicious. Heaps of sauce to coat our stir fry for a large family.
So happy you enjoyed the stir fry sauce! Definitely lots to go around!
This was my first attempt at stir-fry! I really enjoyed it! It’s easy enough to make after a long day at work. Thank you for the recipe.
Awesome and my pleasure! So glad you enjoyed your first homemade stir fry!
This sauce is delicious, so handy to keep in the fridge for when you need it!!!
So happy you’ve been enjoying it Jayne! I agree — it’s always good to have some on hand for a quick meal! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a rating and review :)
This is very flavorful. My family loves it!!!!
So happy you’ve all been enjoying it! Thanks for the kind review :)
Mmm I made this for my dinner tonight and added it to my stir fry and it is absolutely amazing! I used the vegan swaps and I am in love!!
So happy you loved the sauce!! I appreciate you swinging back to leave a review!
Made up a double batch of this. I love the peanut flavor and it works great with a simple beef stir fry, as well as chicken and veggie. Freezes great for quick meals in the week.
So happy you enjoyed the flavour! Can’t go wrong with PB! Such a great idea making up a double batch and freezing it! Thanks so much for leaving a review :)
Just wondering if I can leave the peanut butter out of the recipe, and not substitute with another butter, as you had mentioned in substitutions.
Having a daughter with a tree nut allergy, has made me steer away from adding peanuts, also.
A very tasty recipe.
I haven’t personally tried leaving out the nut butter altogether, but I think it would still be good with all of the other flavours in there! If you did want to find an alternative that’s nut free for this sauce, you could try Wowbutter or Sunbutter, both of which have a similar taste and texture to peanut butter, but are nut free options. Hope that helps and glad you’ve been enjoying the recipe!
Thanks for the recipe. I was looking for something healthy. It was real good. I didn’t have a couple of ingredients and had to substitute. Next time, I’ll have everything. I’m glad I found your web site. I can’t wait to find more recipes.
So glad you enjoyed the recipe and that it worked out well with the substitutions! That’s the great thing about this sauce is that it’s easily adaptable. I’m happy you found the site too and hope you find lots of other tasty recipes! :)
OMG… Was looking for a simple, tasty, healthy stirfry sauce to make, and this fit the bill! I used this sauce with a “clean your fridge” stirfry of mushrooms, broccoli, red peppers, and some leftover chicken breast. Absolutely divine. It’s like your favorite peanut noodles without all the added sugar and junk.
This has been added to my list of go-tos, for sure.
Thanks for the fab recipe!
Ohh that’s amazing! Gotta love those clean out the fridge stir fries! With all of those ingredients, I bet it was delicious! I’m so happy that this sauce worked for you and I appreciate you returning to provide some feedback!!
This was so good! Exactly what I was looking for & I had all the ingredients on hand! My husband had several servings! Always a good sign … 😂
Yes!! So happy you and your husband enjoyed it! Always good to have a batch of this sauce on hand! Definitely a good sign when you go for seconds ;)
A now staple at my house. Most of the ingredients you’ll no doubt have on hand if you enjoy cooking. Very flavorful and not too saucy. I find with many stirfrys including take out, the dish is drenched in sauce. Which takes away the opportunity to enjoy the crisp vegetables and tender meat. Note: It leans more on the peanut side. In regards to flavor and taste. I use natural peanut butter.
Add your favorite veggies and boom a tasty stir-fry! That I’m confident you’ll enjoy cooking and eating as much as I do.
Amazing!! So happy you enjoyed it! The sauce definitely has a distinct peanut flavour, but if you’re anything like me, PB is life lol. Thanks so much for sharing your feedback on the recipe!
Hi, is this 159 calories per serving or 159 calories in total? Thanks.
The total batch of sauce makes about 1 1/2 cups of sauce, so the nutritional information (159 calories) is calculated based on about 1/4 of the sauce, however you might choose to add more or less to each serving. This is a general estimate and the nutritional information will depend on how large your stir fry is (i.e. how much protein and veggies you add) and how much sauce you add to each plate when serving. I updated the recipe to include this information. Hope that helps!
Really delicious! I subbed some orange jelly for the honey
Oh yum! I bet that was delicious with the orange jelly! Thanks so much for stopping by to comment :)
How can you keep this for more than 4 days in the fridge. It has chicken broth in it or any broth besides veggie broth. You are suppose to use the broth in 4 days of opening it. It looks delicious and will try bc I love a good stir fry.
I think it depends on the broth that you purchase. The broth I used said to use it within 7-10 days of opening. I stored the sauce in the fridge for a week without any issue, but you can use it up before then if you prefer not to leave it in the fridge for that duration. Hope you enjoy the recipe if you try it out!
Can I freeze this? I like bulk cooking and meal prep, I wonder if the ingredients would be ok after frozen.
I haven’t tried freezing it myself but I’ve frozen other similar sauces and it works out well, so I can’t see why not. I totally agree about bulk cooking and meal prep. So much easier! Let me know how it goes if you decide to try it out!