This easy Vegan Stir Fry Sauce can be whipped up in under 5 minutes and is so much better than store-bought! A few simple ingredients are whisked together to create a flavorful, soy sauce-based sauce that is sweet, savory, and spicy. You're going to love this served over noodles or vegetables!
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This tasty all-purpose vegan stir fry sauce is perfect for your favorite stir fry recipes. It tastes great with tofu, tempeh, vegan chicken, or vegetables served over rice or noodles.
The main ingredients in this versatile sauce are pantry staples!
You only need a handful of ingredients to create a delicious stir fry sauce and dinner will be ready in no time. After a long day, you're going to thank yourself for having this vegan stir-fry sauce prepped and ready to go in the fridge.
Recipe Ingredients
This is the only vegan stir fry sauce recipe you will ever need! Making your own stir fry sauce at home is so simple and better than store-bought by far.
- Garlic & Ginger
- Low Sodium Soy Sauce:
- Maple Syrup
- Rice Vinegar
- Red Chili Flakes
Ingredient Notes
This simple vegan stir fry sauce is made by whisking together soy sauce, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, fresh garlic, fresh ginger, and maple syrup and simmering on a stovetop until thickened which takes less than 5 minutes!
- Garlic & Ginger: Fresh is best! Garlic and ginger had a wonderful flavor to our sauce that is not to be missed. They can be minced or finely grated.
- Water: I chose to use water instead of vegetable broth- if you choose to use vegetable broth, use low sodium or your sauce could end up way too salty!
- Low Sodium Soy Sauce: Low sodium is preferable. If you're gluten-free, use tamari.
- Maple Syrup: Maple syrup balanced out the flavors. You can use agave, brown sugar, or vegan honey but don't omit it!
- Rice Vinegar: Vinegar adds an acidic, tangy flavor that is very important! If you don't like vinegar, you can use lime juice.
- Toasted Sesame Oil: A little goes a long way!! Sesame oil is nutty and super flavorful.
- Red Chili Flakes: Adds some heat but not too much- add as little or as much as you'd like.
- Cornstarch: This is needed to thicken our sauce.
How to Make This Recipe
The full written ingredients and instructions can be found in the recipe card at the bottom of this post.
Mince the ginger and garlic.
Heat a small frying pan on medium heat and add a small splash of a neutral oil- fry the ginger and garlic until fragrant
Whisk together the water, low sodium soy sauce, maple syrup, rice vinegar, sesame oil, red chili flakes, and cornstarch until smooth and no cornstarch lumps remain.
Pour the sauce into the pan with the ginger and garlic and bring to a simmer. Simmer for a few minutes until thickened- this will take about 3-5 minutes.
Use immediately in a vegetable stir fry or allow to cool completely then store in an airtight jar for up to 1 week.
Tips & Tricks
Customize this homemade stir-fry sauce recipe to your preference! The beauty of this all-purpose sauce is that it’s hard to mess up.
If you’re out of an ingredient, don’t sweat it. It’s super forgiving. To make a balanced sauce, you’ll need soy sauce, an acidic ingredient, a sweet ingredient, and a thickening agent like cornstarch!
Substitutions
Make it gluten-free: Substitute the soy sauce with gluten-free tamari.
Make it soy-free: Substitute the soy sauce with coconut aminos.
Maple Syrup: You can use agave syrup or light brown sugar.
Ginger and Garlic: I think fresh ginger and garlic are tastier and more flavorful in this particular recipe but ground ginger and garlic powder will work in a pinch! Start with ½ teaspoon of both and add more if desired.
Rice Vinegar: If you don't have rice vinegar, you can use apple cider vinegar or substitute it with lime juice- the juice will add a citrus flavor but will still be delicious.
Additions
- Add Citrus: For a citrus flavor, add a squeeze of fresh lime, lemon juice, or even orange juice!
- Make it Spicy: Add more red chili flakes or add a teaspoon or two of sriracha or chili garlic sauce.
- Make it Creamy: Add a scoop of peanut butter to make a peanut sauce!
Serving Ideas
Use in a Stir Fry:
The best way to use this sauce is for a vegetable stir-fry! This is the best stir fry sauce and tastes fantastic over fresh vegetables, cooked vegetables, rice, noodles, tofu, and more!
I love using mixed bell peppers, broccoli, snow peas, thinly sliced carrots, sweet onion, and green beans for a veggie-heavy stir fry! You could also add tofu, tempeh, or vegan chicken and serve over white or brown rice or noodles.
More great stir fry vegetables include: snap peas red onion, cauliflower, baby corn, mushrooms, zucchini, and asparagus.
Use as a Dip:
This easy stir-fry sauce recipe is great for use as a sauce but can also be used as a dip. Make homemade dumplings or potstickers and dunk in this delicious, flavorful sauce. This would also work for vegan tempura, vegetable sushi, and more!
Storage
Store: Allow to cool completely and store in an airtight jar
Reheating: The stir fry sauce will thicken as it cools in the fridge but to reheat add to a frying pan on medium-low heat until warmed through, add a splash of water if needed.
Freeze: Allow to cool completely and freeze for up to 2 months. Thaw and reheat as instructed above.
Frequently Asked Questions
Simply swap the soy sauce for tamari. Low-sodium tamari is preferred.
You can use coconut aminos to make this soy-free.
This sauce will last for up to a week in the fridge when stored in an airtight container- allow to cool completely before storing.
More Sauce Recipes You’ll Love
Recipe
5-Minute Vegan Stir Fry Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 Garlic Cloves minced
- 1 Knob of Ginger minced
- ½ cup Water
- ⅓ cup Low Sodium Soy Sauce
- 3 tablespoons Maple Syrup or agave
- 2 tablespoons Rice Vinegar
- 1 teaspoon Toasted Sesame Oil
- ½ teaspoon Red Chili Flakes more to taste
- 2 teaspoons Cornstarch
Instructions
- Mince the ginger and garlic.
- Heat a small frying pan on medium heat and add a small splash of a neutral oil- fry the ginger and garlic until fragrant.
- Whisk together the water, low sodium soy sauce, maple syrup, rice vinegar, sesame oil, red chili flakes and cornstarch until smooth and no cornstarch lumps remain.
- Pour the sauce in to the pan with the ginger and garlic and bring to a simmer. Simmer for a few minutes until thicken- this will take about 3-5 minutes.
- Use immediately or allow to cool completely then store in an airtight jar for up to 1 week.
Sam says
This was a super easy, super delicious stir fry sauce! With the corn starch it thickened up really nicely and the flavor was just spot on. I’ll definitely make it again.
Liv says
Glad you enjoyed it, Sam! 🙂