This is my secret weapon for seriously fast midweek meals: an Authentic Chinese All Purpose Stir Fry Sauce that takes minutes to make and can be stored in the fridge for weeks. Plenty of flavour just used plain but also fantastic with extra flavourings added, this Stir Fry Sauce is sensational used for both stir fries and stir fried noodles.
This is a reader-favourite recipe included by popular demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”!
My Swiss Army knife of Stir Fry Sauces!
Restaurant Secret: you know when you go to a packed Asian restaurant or take out during lunch hour and you’re handed a plate of fresh-out-of-the-wok stir fry 5 minutes after ordering? I hate to disappoint you, but the cooks standing over the flames aren’t throwing together 10 ingredient sauce mixes for every single dish…….What they actually use are ready made sauces as a base, then add additional flavours for different dishes.
These all purpose stir fry sauces are closely guarded secrets of restaurants – you won’t uncover them simply by googling, that’s for sure! Today I’m sharing mine. I call him Charlie (as in Charlie Brown….as in “Brown Sauce”, which stir fry sauces are commonly referred to as). Perfected and tweaked over years, I’ve been loyal to Charlie for a decade (and counting).
The brilliant thing about Charlie is that you make him just by combining the ingredients in a jar, them just store him in the fridge where he’ll happily reside for weeks – months even. Then you simply heat some oil in a wok, throw in whatever proteins, vegetables and noodles you want, then throw Charlie in with some water and he’ll magically transform into a thick, glossy sauce that lusciously coats your stir fry. He’s great plain, but so versatile too – add heat, herbs, fruity sweetness or some tang. I’ve provided some of my favourite variations in the recipe below.
In the recipe below, I’ve provided the basic “formula” for using Charlie and I’ve also written a separate post on how to Build Your Own Chinese Stir Fried Noodles.
Update: At the request of a number of readers, I’ve put together a post with 10 Classic Chinese Takeout Meals using this sauce – meals in a flash!
And it’s as easy as that!
I’d love to know what you think if you give “Charlie” a go! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
This recipe features in my debut cookbook Dinner. The book is mostly new recipes, but this is a reader favourite included by popular demand!
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Real Chinese All Purpose Stir Fry Sauce (Charlie!)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup light soy sauce (Note 1)
- 1/2 cup oyster sauce
- 1/4 cup Chinese wine (or dry sherry) (Note 5)
- 1/4 cup cornstarch / cornflour
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp sesame oil , toasted
- 1 tsp ground white pepper (I sometimes use 1 tbsp, I like the spiciness!)
Instructions
- Combine ingredients in a jar and shake to combine. Store in fridge and shake before use.
Amount to Use (Note 6):
- Stir Fry: I use 3 tbsp Stir Fry Sauce + 6 tbsp water to make a stir frying for 2 people using around 5 cups of uncooked ingredients (proteins + vegetables).
- Noodles: I use 3 tbsp of the Stir Fry sauce + 5 – 6 tbsp water to make a noodle stir fry for 2 people using around 7 cups of the combined stir fry uncooked (vegetables – packed, proteins + noodles – if using).
- By weight (Noodles & Stir Fry): Around 3 tbsp Stir Fry Sauce per 1 lb / 500g of combined ingredients (proteins + vegetables + noodles if using) plus 1/3 cup water.
To Use:
- Heat 2 tbsp oil in wok over high heat.
- Add your choice of Base Flavourings – fry for 10 seconds or so to infuse oil.
- Add stir fry ingredients in order of time to cook (starting with ingredients that take longest to cook), leaving leafy greens, like the leaves of bok choy, until when you add the sauce (otherwise they will wilt and overcook).
- Add noodles (if using), sauce and water, your choice of Additional Flavourings and any leafy greens.
- Gently toss to combine and to let the sauce cook for around 1 minute. The sauce will become a thick, glossy sauce that coats your stir fry.
- Serve immediately with rice – or for a low carb, low cal option, try Cauliflower Rice!
Base Flavourings
- Garlic, minced or finely sliced
- Ginger, minced or finely sliced
- Fresh chillies, minced or finely sliced
Additional Flavouring Suggestions
- Sriracha, Chilli Bean Paste or other Spicy addition
- Sweet chilli sauce
- Substitute the water with pineapple or orange juice
- Rice vinegar – for a touch of tartness
- Fresh cilantro / coriander leaves, or thai basil – for freshness
- Garlic or ordinary chives, chopped
- Pinch of Chinese five spice powder
Stephanie Flood says
I love love love this recipe, i hate to use packet sauces as they are always packed with sugars.
This recipe is so easy, practical and most importantly tasty!! This will be a staple in my fridge from now on.
Have to say I love the way you break down the recipe and give the reasoning behind your tips and tricks.
Thank you
Nagi says
That’s great to hear Stephanie!! N x
Bianca says
Hi There,
Love your sauce!! It was amazing, and your ‘Chinese Stir Fry Noodles – Build Your Own’ is also amazing and very easy to follow!
Just wondering if I could use dark soy in the sauce?
Nagi says
Thanks so much Bianca!! Dark soy isn’t suitable here 🙂 N x
Anne says
Love this recipe, when you cook the stir fry ,can you add a little black bean garlic sauce along with this sauce?
Nagi says
Sure could Anne! N x
Harrol Verges says
Were is the Sausage Roll recipe ????
Len Goulding says
Best stir Fry Sauce Iv’e ever made, a simple one and a beauty ! I use it with a sorts of stir fries.
Thank you Nagi.
Rasna Batra says
Absolutely love this sauce to make Indo Chinese dishes! Yes, that’s a thing! Indian spin on Chinese food!
Nagi says
Nice!!! Love hearing this Rasna! N x
Bessie says
Love this sauce! So easy to make and delicious, thank you!
Virginia says
Delicious!
Added some gochujang and used this to sauce up some udon + veggie + baked tofu. Very pleased with the results!
Tari Schaaf says
Is there a substitute for the oyster sauce? My husband is highly allergic to shell fish.
Hannah says
You could use Wan Ja Shan brand Vegetarian Oyster Sauce. Ingredients: Water, Sucrose, NON GMO Soybeans, Wheat, Salt, Starch, Yeast Extract, Sodium Benzoate (to preserve freshness), Shiitake Mushroom Powder.
Michelle says
Hi Nagi, is rice cooking wine the same as shaoxing wine, thanks, Michelle
Lynne says
For those contemplating adding garlic and/or ginger to their base stock: if you do, don’t use fresh. It will considerably diminsh the shelf life. Use the jarred kind; it’s been cooked in the canning process and is safer than fresh. Also, powdered ginger, like you use in baking, has a noticibly different flavor than fresh or jarred, I don’t know why.
Nagi says
Hi Lynne, I wouldn’t recommend adding jarred ginger or garlic here – they have an almost bitter flavour. I prefer to use fresh when cooking and using the sauce 🙂
Teresa Hickman says
If I use fresh garlic and or ginger will the sauce last at least 2 weeks?
Richard says
Oh. This is fantastic. We never (EVER!) use *any* other sauce now. Impossible to get wrong, and works every time.
Goes with almost any combination of meat, fish and veg, and tastes delicious. THANK YOU! x
Nagi says
YESSSS! I Love hearing this! N x
Hayley Randall says
Love l0ve love this!
Ive been making basically this recipe off the top of my head for years, makes so much sense to have the exact amounts and make a big batch so its perfect every time!
Wondering if you think it could be frozen (like ice cubes) and just add a couple of cubes each time, instead of having a massive jar in my fridge all the time?
Lynne says
How about leaving out the cornstarch, freezing the sauce, then adding the cornstarch at the time you cook — 1 tsp. per serving?
Nagi says
Hi Hayley, I’m so glad you love it! Unfortunately you can’t freeze sauces with cornflour in it – it changes the consistency. N x
Peta says
This is everything and more that you say it is and does. Made a beef and broccoli stir fry..using your suggestions but not following any particular recipe except for your “Charlie” sauce. It was fantastic. So much more flavourful than trying to figure out how many slurps of this sauce and how many glugs of that one. I now have so much more time and confidence to experiment with my stir fries as I am not trying to come up with a sauce to match. Having Charlie on my side makes whipping up a an asian meal a breeze. Thank you so much.
Nagi says
Wahoo, and that’s why we love it Peta! N x
Kim says
I’m so happy to have this on hand as a “go-to” sauce. Delicious!
Nagi, I’ve made many of your recipes and every single one is a keeper! I really appreciate your notes, as substitutions are sometimes necessary. Thanks so much!
Nagi says
You’re so welcome Kim!! I’m so glad you love it!! N x
DWH says
Unbelievable always reliable stir fry sauce!!!
Nagi says
Thanks so much!
Phoebe says
This created the best stir fry I’ve ever made!! Now all my Asian dishes will taste more authentic & delicious. Thank you Nagi!!
Katy says
I’ve found this makes a crazily tasting topping for stir fried tenderstem broccoli as a side…I wait to the last minute or two of stir frying and put about 3 teaspoons of Charlie on a single person serving of broccoli, keep it on the heat so it caramelises a bit for the last minute or so….yum!!
Sarah says
What can we use instead of sesame oil? Can we just leave it out all together? I don’t have any at home.
Nagi says
YUUUM!!!
Smiley says
This is such a great flavouring to add to stir fry veg.
Had nothing but compliments.
A bit hard not to add a few spoons into my mouth. Yum!
Nagi says
🙂 I’m so happy it was a hit Smiley!
Rebecca Edwards says
Charlie sauce / Veg stir fry.
One ingredient is Oyster Sauce.
I love Asian food. But find it difficult as I am recently (2yrs ago) had anaphylactic reaction to seafood.
So now always looking to cook at home and be safe.
So have you got a suggestion for an alternative for the Oysters sauce.
Nagi says
Yes! You can buy a vegetarian “oyster” sauce that’s mushroom based, it’s the best substitute! N x
Mike English says
In your recipes you use 1 cup 1/2 cup etc. what is the uk equivalent please.
Mike says
what is the equivalent tbsp to 1 cup uk size in your recipes
Nagi says
Hi Mike, the ml’s/grams are listed next to it as well for reference which are the same no matter where you are located 🙂