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!
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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
Jo Hobson says
Hi, thanks for sharing your amazing knowledge! Unfortunately I can’t access the Charlie Brown Sauce. Each time I click the links it takes me to the same page. Any ideas on how else to access the sauce recipe as it sounds wonderful. Thanks, Jo
Nagi says
Hi Jo! This recipe is Charlie Brown Sauce! 😉 N xx
Linda says
Hi Nagi,
I want to print this recipe but the link just brings up a blank page. :-(. Could you check it out. I so love your recipes
Nagi says
Hi Linda! I checked it and it was fine. That can happen if the internet drops out, just need to reload the page. 🙂
Shabs says
Hi, This sauce recipe sounds amazing and want to try it but I need to avoid alcohol, even in small quantities. Wha’s a suitable non-alcoholic substitute please?
Thanks in advance
Nagi says
Hi! Please see note 5 🙂
Melissa Trundle says
Hi Nagi,
I’m not sure what happened to my question, but I figured I would try again. You mention Chinese Cooking Wine in Note 5 and Chinese wine in Note 7. Is there just one wine as listed in the ingredients or did I miss something?
Nagi says
Hi Melissa! I answered it below 🙂 N xx
Melissa says
Hi Nagi,
In note 5 and note 7 you talk about Chinese Cooking Wine and Chinese Wine. Are they one and the same or is there something I missed?
Nagi says
Hi Melissa! They are all the same thing – chinese wine, chinese cooking wine, also known as shaoshing wine, xaoshing wine!
Christine says
Hi could i use rice wine
Nagi says
Yep! Chinese cooking wine is a type of rice wine 🙂 N xx
Marilyn Lestina says
I am deathly allergic to oysters and anything with oyster parts or the sauce. What can I ;use in place of the oyster sauce in this recipe or can I just leave it out without ruining the sauce?
Patty Morgan says
Fish sauce would be good, too.
Nagi says
Hoisin is a great sub! 🙂
Martin says
This is a real winner again, Nagi 🙂 I already did three stir fries with it and all have been great. The best thing is that I just used the ingredients I had at home based on your guidelines.
You should make an article about the stir fry technique and how to choose and take care of wok. Hard to not get burnt sticky “something” on it first times and there is no deglazing like when you do braising.
So I tried to to clean it and did scratch the surface of the wok. Maybe it’s because it’s not the right one (seems like stainless steel coated by teflon) or I should just have left it alone to “season” it.
Thanks!
Nagi says
I’m so pleased to hear that Martin! My mother told me never to wash my wok with detergent, just hot water. So it always remains seasoned. My wok is just a cheap one from an Asian store! It was originally grey but the more I used it, the blacker it got. I find that when the sauce is added it “deglazes” any stuck bits, you don’t find that?
Grant says
There is a real easy way to get around the cornstarch “brick”. No matter what in the initial steps you do, any sauce with cornstarch if it sets long enough will settle out. When you get ready to cook with the sauce, get a bowl with very hot but not boiling water and set the jar of charlie sauce in it for awhile. After the jar has set for awhile in the water, the starch will soften up where it can be stirred easily or shaken up. Doing it this way also doesnt dilute flavor of sauce…..
Nagi says
Grant! Thank you so much for sharing that tip, I will give it a go! because I use or shake mine at least every week, I don’t have this problem but I will leave it in the fridge for a while to test this out!
bobi pixley says
***** Five Stars (For some reason your comment section wouldn’t let me rate your recipe)
I’ve been looking for an all purpose stir-fry sauce for a long time. I’ve tested quite a few and most weren’t quite there. This one is great! Because I’ve tested so many that were a waste of ingredients, I only made a 1/4 batch of this sauce. I’ll be making a full batch tomorrow! I poured some of the sauce into a pan and cooked it till thick. Then I tossed it with some microwave steamed broccoli (because it was frozen…) and and poured it over brown rice.
I like that your sauce doesn’t have garlic already added to it. I can add it fresh when I want it. I really like how you wrote the recipe to show how versatile it can be with the Base and Additional Flavor suggestions.
BTW using frozen vegetables cooked to a crisp tender stage makes this a serious fast and low fat meal!
Nagi says
I’m so pleased to hear that Bobi, thank you for letting me know! N xx
Skip says
Hi Nagi
This sauce has made Chinese cooking fun around our house. I’ve tried so many of your recipes and love them all. My go to spot is right here. The family always asks when I’m cooking Chinese or something Asian ” is this from our friend Nagi?” –
Nagi says
Awww I LOVE hearing that Skip! Thank you for trying my recipes, I’m so glad you are enjoying them! N xx
Andrea says
This is brilliant! And to make this ahead to have on hand? I do believe I will happily stir fry more often!
I love your blog so much. 🙂 The first recipe I ever encountered was your easy soft flatbread, and my kids clamor for it every time I grill it up. Now I always visit for more inspiration and delicious recipes!
Nagi says
Thank you for the kind words Andrea! I’m so glad you enjoy my recipes, thank you for reading! N xx
Clara Hu says
Do you have a recipe for Pad Thai? My son loves that dish.
Nagi says
I sure do! A real hardcore restaurant one and an easy home one, but both very authentic! https://www.recipetineats.com/shrimp-prawn-pad-thai-spice-i-am-restaurant-easy-homestyle/
Rawn says
Hi Nagi,
Tried this and it was really good!
By the way, how long is the shelf life if this sauce?
Again, thank you very much for sharing! 🙂
Nagi says
Hi Rawn! I’ve kept it for up to 8 weeks 🙂 It really just comes down to the shelf life of the ingredients you use and also ensuring you shake the jar to make sure the cornflour doesn’t harden at the base of the jar. I have only had that problem a couple of times but other readers are said that they’ve experience the problem if they leave the jar sitting the fridge, untouched, for ages. 🙂
Kat says
Hi Nagi,
I love Charlie. Thank you so much for the recipe!
I have to say though, I’ll get a hard brick of starch on the bottom of the jar within 24 hours, fridge or no fridge, and it’s always a pain… is there anything that would help dissolve it better? Maybe heating the starch with the soy sauce (and adding the other ingredients later)? Adding the starch later would sort of defeat the purpose of a readymade sauce…
Nagi says
Yikes, what a pain! I’ve only had 2 other readers out of the 400 messages here with this problem and I honestly don’t know why it could be. Yes it’s a pain! It happens to me if I leave it for a week+ without shaking the jar. All I can think is that it may have something to do with the freshness of the cornstarch (you know how it can get lumpy if it’s old or moisture gets into the jar?) or the oyster sauce was not as thick as it should be (which is key to getting that cornstarch dissolved and dispersed throughout the sauce and keeping it suspended so it doesn’t settle on the base of the jar). Oh, and my other tip is shaking it SUPER well, to get that cornflour really dispersed throughout. I’ll do some more testing to see if doing things like sifting the cornstarch helps (I literally just thought of that). Hope that helps!
Josephine Duckett says
Hi Nagi
I now have my own jar of Charlie, thank you, thank you, thank you it makes a stir fry even more quick and easy.
Jo
Nagi says
So glad you find Charlie useful Josephine!! I always have a jar of “him” in the fridge too! 🙂
Allison Robinson says
Hi Nagi, I want to make some more Charlie, but I ran out of Sherry. I have a bottle of Moscato sweet liquor wine that I don’t really like on it’s own, do you think it will be a good substitute for the Chinese rice wine? I’ve read that it’s quite acidic like the rice wine, but wasn’t sure. What do you think?
Thank you so much for reading our mail. You must be really busy.
Nagi says
Hmm! Moscato?? It’s quite sweet to my knowledge! Cooking wine is not as sweet. But thinking about it….I think it will work. Liquors of all type make amazing sauces and the Chinese wine in this is an accent flavour, not a main flavour. Definitely leave out the sugar though! I am quite confident it will taste great – albeit probably a bit sweeter!
Janet says
I’m not sure what is Chinese wine/ Chinese cooking wine. Can you give me a brand or something to tell what I should look for?
I have Googled it but confusing information for me.
Thank You
Janet
Nagi says
Hi Janet! Are you in Australia? This one from Woolies works just fine! https://www.woolworths.com.au/shop/browse/pantry-international-food/asian-food?name=pandaroo-ingredients-chinese-cooking-wine&productId=702357
Bill says
Hi Nagi,
Been using ” Charlie” for a few months now, love it with our stir fry’s. I find the corn starch ( brand new box) goes very hard after a couple of months, hard to loosen from the bottom of the jar. So what I do now is I mix all ingredients except the corn starch. When I prepare a meal, I mix 1 table spoon corn starch in 1/2 cup warm water and add my 3 table spoon of “Charlie”. Works well this way, no hard corn starch.
Nagi says
What a great tip Bill, thanks! I must admit I haven’t kept Charlie for more than around 6 – 8 weeks so I don’t experience that problem. I must add that tip, thanks! 🙂
Frannie says
Hi Nagi – I am allergic to oysters and all other shellfish. I know – what a bummer, right? Is there anything else that I for your advice :)could use instead of the oyster sauce to make ‘Charlie’? Thanks in advance!
Sam says
Hey Frannie!
Same poblem here. I use vegetarian “oyster” sauce instead! Been said that it taste the same by real oyster sauce users. 😉 Here’s a link:
http://www.messyvegetariancook.com/vegan-alternatives-to-fish-sauce-shrimp-paste-and-oyster-sauce-in-thai-cuisine/
Nagi says
My friend who runs a Chinese food blog (she’s Chinese living in the states!) created a vegetarian sauce 🙂 -> http://omnivorescookbook.com/homemade-vegetarian-oyster-sauce/
Nagi says
Hi Frannie! Yes what a bummer but love that you seem to have the right attitude towards it! I know someone who is just a downright grump about all her allergies – no fun! Hoisin sauce is a great substitute. You’ll get a slight five spice powder flavour in the sauce but other than that, the overall sauce flavour is very similar. However ,the best would be if you can get to an Asian store and get a sauce called (obscurely) “Sweet Bean Sauce” or sometimes just “Sweet Sauce”. It is a soy bean based sauce that is flavoured and is sweet, it’s very similar to oyster sauce but made from soy beans. Hope that helps! Oh – and you can see a pic of the jar here -> https://www.recipetineats.com/chinese-pork-mince-with-noodles/
Frannie says
Thanks so much for your reply, Nagi! I am headed to the Asian market today anyway, so I will add your suggestions to my list. And now I know why I sometimes have a reaction to some of my favorite Thai and Chinese foods. I had no idea that the use of oyster sauce was so prevalent.
I’m looking forward to making some of your top 10 recipes with Charlie – love your blog, it has been such a help to me with eating better, and now food allergy-free 🙂
Thanks again, and happy cooking!
Frannie
Steve says
Hello, I was wondering what type of sesame oil I should use? I have some Kadoya toasted sesame oil, but it’s really strong. Should I be using white sesame oil? Thanks for the great recipes!!!
Nagi says
Hi Steve! Yes toasted 🙂 Yes it is strong but don’t worry, the other flavours in this are stronger! If you want less sesame flavour there is no probs reducing the amount you use. 🙂