Despite its name, my All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce isn’t just for stir-fries. Try it, and you’ll see that it’s amazing on EVERYTHING.
I’ll admit, though, that I came up with this recipe for our second cookbook, Ready or Not!, after struggling to find an easy, consistent way to whip up quick weeknight stir-fries. Having grown up in my mom’s kitchen, I’m well aware that Asian stir-fries are among the fastest and easiest meals one can prepare in a pinch. But while my mom can sense by sight and feel how to season her stir-fries, I’m not my mother. As a mere mortal, I had to come up with a pre-mixed stir-fry sauce to make spur-of-the-moment cooking as easy as possible.
It took weeks of testing and tweaking before I came up with this delicious concoction: A perfect liquid blend of savory, sweet, and tangy that instantly flavors up your stir-fries.
Best of all, this sauce can be made lickety-split.
How to use All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce
But that’s not all! It turns out that my All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce is amazingly versatile, too: It works as a crazy-good salad dressing (did you see how I used it for my Paleo Hiyashi Chūka?), a marinade for meats and veggies, a braising liquid for all sorts of Instant Pot stews, and even a dipping sauce for skewers, roasted vegetables, or my famous Wonton Meatballs! (Need more ideas, check out this post on How To Use All-Purpose Stir-Fry.)
For a while, I debated whether to post this recipe on my blog—after all, it’s one of my super-secret cookbook recipes, and one of my hands-down favorites in my new book. But hey: IT’S THE SEASON FOR GIVING, right? I decided to share this recipe as a holiday gift, and as an early kick-off present to support your New Year’s resolutions! Plus, I figure you’ll still want more nomtastic recipes like this one, right? If so, don’t forget to grab my cookbook, Ready or Not!
Time to make All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce!
Makes 2 cups
Ingredients:
- 1 cup coconut aminos
- ½ cup fresh orange juice
- ¼ cup Red Boat fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons ginger powder
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil (optional)
Equipment:
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Pint-sized mason jar
- Painter’s tape + Sharpie (for labelling purposes)
Method:
Combine all of the ingredients in a small jar.
Cover it tightly with a lid, and shake well to incorporate before using.
This sauce keeps in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Don’t forget to shake well again before using it!
As I mentioned, All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce can be used to liven up just about any meal of protein and veggies, including some of my best recipes in Ready or Not!, like Paper-Wrapped Chicken and Asparagus Beef. But even if you don’t have a copy of our new cookbook (yet!), you can follow me on Instagram to see how I use this incredible flavor booster to whip up all types of quick and easy dishes.
Oh, and one more thing: This January, to support those of you on a Paleo or Whole30 reset, I’ll be posting recipe inspirations EVERY SINGLE DAY OF THE MONTH, and if you keep your eyes peeled, you just might see some new ways to use this All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce!
Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2021).
PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD
All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 cup coconut aminos
- ½ cup fresh orange juice
- ¼ cup Red Boat fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons garlic powder
- 2 teaspoons ginger powder
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil optional
Instructions
- Combine all of the ingredients in a small jar. Cover it tightly with a lid, and shake well to incorporate before using.
- This sauce keeps in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Don’t forget to shake well again before using it!
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Made this exactly as written minus the sesame oil because I completely forgot to grab it at the store, thought we had it! Delicious recipe, used it with sliced London broil and lots of veggies as stir fry.
Hi Michelle,
Your Stir-Fry sauce has been a delicious lifesaver since you first posted it, but now my husband is unable to tolerate acidic fruits like oranges, limes, lemons & pineapple. What can I substitute for the orange juice? Would apple juice or pear juice work?
Thank you so much for your wonderful recipes! Keep them coming!
I think either would be a great substitute! Not quite the same but still good!
I replaced the orange juice with apple juice and my husband experienced no problems! I used the sauce for the IP Chinese Beef Stew and the Tsukune recipes. Both dishes turned out delicious! Thanks again!
Hi Michelle,
Greeting from Canada.
Kudos on your marvelous cooking blog! I’d love to make this recipe but I’m restricted to an approximately 8 % sodium content. Your Red Boat fish sauce has a whopping 60 % sodium per tablespoon and you have 1/4 cup in your sauce recipe. Can you please tell me how I can drastically cut down the salt in the recipe?
Many thanks,
Louise
Hi Louise! Unfortunately, I’m not sure of the best way to recreate this recipe without fish sauce or coconut aminos (the main sources of sodium). A good source of low sodium recipes is this blog: https://www.sodiumgirl.com
I tried this recipe and it’s really good. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to try the recipe.
OMG soooo salty. We did not care for this at all.. Usually love your recipes but will not be making this again. Followed the recipe exactly.
I’m sorry you didn’t like this recipe!
Best Stir-fry Sauce EVER!! I can’t even explain how amazing it is!! We’re in love. I used to make stir fry often but couldn’t find a sauce I liked that wasn’t full of sugars.
Just another reason why I almost exclusively use Michelle’s cookbooks! Buy them all !
Thank you Diane!
I cannot use orange (or any other kind of fruit except lemon/lime) juice, nor the fish sauce. What can I substitute? Thank you.
I haven’t tried one. You may need to play around with the amount of coconut aminos or add a keto-sweetener to balance the tartness.
Amazeballs!!
I love this sauce! For me, it is the perfect balance of savory and sweet. It is a great building block to have on hand and it works particularly well with Michelle ‘s sheetpan stirfry recipes. It is also a good base for an Asian inspired salad dressing. I prefer it with pineapple juice but orange is good too.