How to Make Stir Fry Sauce
Pour all of the ingredients (minus corn starch) into a bowl., Mix your ingredients (minus corn starch) thoroughly., Add corn starch to thicken as necessary., Alternatively, mix in a jar., Add sauce during the stir fry process.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Pour all of the ingredients (minus corn starch) into a bowl.
Most stir fry sauces are remarkably easy to make — it's usually just a matter of mixing the ingredients together and adding the mixture to your dish! We've provided a few sample recipes above.
For stir fry beginners, it doesn't get much easier than the "Basic" sauce at the top of the list.
Not only is it easy to make, but also mild and pleasing to the taste.
To begin, pour all of your ingredients except cornstarch into a bowl that's big enough to accommodate them. -
Step 2: Mix your ingredients (minus corn starch) thoroughly.
Using a spoon, an electric mixer, or another mixing utensil, give your liquid sauce ingredients and sugar a quick stirring until they make a mixture that's uniform in color and texture.
If you're using the "Basic" recipe above, make sure the sugar in the recipe is dissolved before proceeding or it may give the dish uneven "sweet spots" when it's added.
If you're having a hard time getting the sugar to dissolve, try heating the sauce up somewhat — as a rule of basic chemistry, liquids dissolve substances like sugar more easily when they're warm.However, you won't want to heat the sauce to the point that it's very hot or boiling — this can caramelize the sugar, giving the sauce a "sticky" texture and an odd taste. , Finally, add your corn starch and stir to combine.
You have some freedom with this step — corn starch is a thickening agent, so the more you add, the thicker your sauce will become.The ideal thickness of your sauce is usually a matter of personal taste.
The 1/2 teaspoon recommended in the recipe above should give a fairly liquid sauce, but anything from zero corn starch to twice the recommended portion is acceptable.
Note that this thickening rule applies to the rest of the recipes in this article as well.
Though it may not be explicitly mentioned below, adding additional corn starch to any of the following recipes will make a thicker sauce, while removing corn starch from the recipe will make a thinner sauce. , If you don't have any stirring utensils handy or you want to prep your sauce for storage in the fridge, consider mixing it in a jar.
With this method, all you need to do is add your sauce ingredients to a jar, close the lid tight, and shake to combine.
Make sure the lid is secure — a big mess is in store if it pops off!.
Other containers work just as well as jars as long as they can achieve an airtight seal.
For instance, plastic fridge containers (like Tupperware, etc.) work great in a pinch. , Once your sauce is done, stir fry your meat, vegetables, tofu, etc. as you normally would by heating a pan to high heat, adding oil, and then tossing your ingredients in.
Once your stir fry ingredients have achieved a good sear and are more or less finished cooking, pour your sauce in.
Your sauce should quickly heat.
Within about 30 seconds to a minute, remove the pan from heat and serve! Another good option is to use your sauce for dipping.
In this case, keep it cool and separate from the other ingredients in its own bowl.
This is a good choice if, for instance, once of your guests is allergic to some of the ingredients in your sauce. -
Step 3: Add corn starch to thicken as necessary.
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Step 4: Alternatively
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Step 5: mix in a jar.
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Step 6: Add sauce during the stir fry process.
Detailed Guide
Most stir fry sauces are remarkably easy to make — it's usually just a matter of mixing the ingredients together and adding the mixture to your dish! We've provided a few sample recipes above.
For stir fry beginners, it doesn't get much easier than the "Basic" sauce at the top of the list.
Not only is it easy to make, but also mild and pleasing to the taste.
To begin, pour all of your ingredients except cornstarch into a bowl that's big enough to accommodate them.
Using a spoon, an electric mixer, or another mixing utensil, give your liquid sauce ingredients and sugar a quick stirring until they make a mixture that's uniform in color and texture.
If you're using the "Basic" recipe above, make sure the sugar in the recipe is dissolved before proceeding or it may give the dish uneven "sweet spots" when it's added.
If you're having a hard time getting the sugar to dissolve, try heating the sauce up somewhat — as a rule of basic chemistry, liquids dissolve substances like sugar more easily when they're warm.However, you won't want to heat the sauce to the point that it's very hot or boiling — this can caramelize the sugar, giving the sauce a "sticky" texture and an odd taste. , Finally, add your corn starch and stir to combine.
You have some freedom with this step — corn starch is a thickening agent, so the more you add, the thicker your sauce will become.The ideal thickness of your sauce is usually a matter of personal taste.
The 1/2 teaspoon recommended in the recipe above should give a fairly liquid sauce, but anything from zero corn starch to twice the recommended portion is acceptable.
Note that this thickening rule applies to the rest of the recipes in this article as well.
Though it may not be explicitly mentioned below, adding additional corn starch to any of the following recipes will make a thicker sauce, while removing corn starch from the recipe will make a thinner sauce. , If you don't have any stirring utensils handy or you want to prep your sauce for storage in the fridge, consider mixing it in a jar.
With this method, all you need to do is add your sauce ingredients to a jar, close the lid tight, and shake to combine.
Make sure the lid is secure — a big mess is in store if it pops off!.
Other containers work just as well as jars as long as they can achieve an airtight seal.
For instance, plastic fridge containers (like Tupperware, etc.) work great in a pinch. , Once your sauce is done, stir fry your meat, vegetables, tofu, etc. as you normally would by heating a pan to high heat, adding oil, and then tossing your ingredients in.
Once your stir fry ingredients have achieved a good sear and are more or less finished cooking, pour your sauce in.
Your sauce should quickly heat.
Within about 30 seconds to a minute, remove the pan from heat and serve! Another good option is to use your sauce for dipping.
In this case, keep it cool and separate from the other ingredients in its own bowl.
This is a good choice if, for instance, once of your guests is allergic to some of the ingredients in your sauce.
About the Author
Madison Perry
Writer and educator with a focus on practical hobbies knowledge.
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