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. Plus, it’s gluten-free, soy-free, Whole30-compatible, and tastes authentically delicious!
The one sauce to rule them all!
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 ever-growing collection of recipes that use it and 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 cookbooks Ready or Not! and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! Both feature delicious recipes that utilize All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce!
Ingredients
- Coconut aminos: The combination of coconut aminos and fish sauce is my preferred soy sauce substitute!
- Fresh orange juice: I love the smidge of sweetness and tang that orange juice adds to this sauce. If you don’t like orange juice, pineapple juice also works. If you want to leave it out, you’ll need to taste and adjust the amount of rice vinegar or add some sweetener to balance out the acidity.
- Red Boat fish sauce: Fish sauce is essential for this sauce! If you are allergic to fish, you can make my vegan fish sauce.
- Rice vinegar
- Garlic powder: Don’t use fresh garlic in this sauce because it will make it go bad faster. Plus, you can always add fresh garlic to the dish you are cooking with the sauce!
- Ginger powder: Don’t use fresh ginger in this sauce because it contains an enzyme that can make raw protein mushy and it will make the sauce go bad faster.
- Toasted sesame oil (optional)
How to make All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce
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 a week in the fridge or frozen. 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. Through the years, I’ve used this indispensable sauce in a bunch of recipes on this blog and in my yellow and green cookbooks. This incredible flavor booster is always in my fridge so I can easily whip up all types of quick and easy dishes!
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I’m allergic to orange juice?
No problem! My All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce can be made with pineapple juice if you can’t do orange juice. (Shh! Don’t tell anyone, but some of my readers actually prefer it with pineapple juice!)
How do I make this sauce with no fruit juice at all?
You can totally leave it out, but you’ll need to adjust the amount of rice vinegar to balance the flavors. Alternatively, you can sub out the rice vinegar for aged balsamic vinegar to add a bit of sweetness.
Is All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce Whole30-compatible?
Yes! Just remember to read your labels carefully for non-compatible ingredients (e.g. sweetener, etc.), especially on the fish sauce and rice vinegar.
Do I REALLY have to add fish sauce?
Yes! Fish sauce adds an indescribable deliciousness (a.k.a. umami) to the sauce! (You’ve already listened to my podcast dedicated to umami, right?) Look—if you have a fish allergy, FINE—you can leave out the fish sauce and add more coconut aminos and some salt to compensate, but it won’t taste quite the same, I’m afraid. Alternatively, I have a No-Fish Sauce recipe on page 28 of our green cookbook, Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go!, and you can use it in place of the fish sauce in this recipe.
How do I thicken the sauce?
You can make an arrowroot slurry by whisking ½ cup All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce with 1 to 2 teaspoons of arrowroot powder. The sauce should thicken as soon as you bring it to a simmer. If you like a thicker sauce, add more arrowroot powder.
How long does All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce last in the fridge? Can I freeze it?
It’ll last in a tightly sealed container in the fridge for at least a week. And yes, you can definitely freeze the sauce for up to several months. I normally freeze the All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce in ice cube molds so I can pop out a cube when I need it. Don’t worry if your frozen All-Purpose Stir-Fry sauce isn’t completely solid and kind of slushy, the high solute content of the sauce may keep it from doing so.
What’s the best container to store the sauce?
I like to use a pint-size (16 ounce) glass mason jar or larger to make store this sauce. I also label the jar with painter’s tape and write the date I made the sauce.
Can you keep creating more recipes using All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce?
Yes! I use it all the time in inventive ways and as a shortcut to deliciousness and have lots of recipes that use itin my yellow and green cookbooks, Ready or Not! and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! I also have an ever-growing of recipes that use All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce listed here.
Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes 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 2022).
PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD
All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce
4.71 from 93 votes
Cook Time5 minutes mins
Total Time5 minutes mins
Servings 16 servings
Author Michelle Tam
SavePinPrint
Despite its name, my All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce isn’t just for stir-fries. You can use this Whole30 sauce as a marinade, dressing, and to make stews!
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
Label your jars withPainter’s tape + Sharpieand that way you’ll know what’s inside and when you you should use it by!
Nutrition
Calories: 25kcal | Carbohydrates: 4g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 1g | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Like this? Leave a comment below!
All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce Building Blocks Egg-Free Low Carb Nightshade-Free Nut-Free (not including coconut) Recipes Whole30
About Michelle Tam
Hello! My name is Michelle Tam, and I love to eat. I think about food all the time. It borders on obsession. I’ve always loved the sights and smells of the kitchen. My mother was (and is) an excellent cook, and as a kid, I was her little shadow as she prepared supper each night. From her, I gained a deep, abiding love for magically transforming pantry items into mouth-watering family meals.
Read More About Me
