An easy vegan Stir Fry Sauce recipe with fresh garlic and ginger! Use this tasty sauce for a quick and easy meal. Get creative with your favorite vegetable combinations or whatever's in season! (Vegan, gluten-free, oil-free.)
This flavorful stir-fry sauce is made from scratch in just 5 minutes!
It's super flavorful with fresh garlic and ginger, and also oil-free. Use it to create a stir fry with your favorite veggies or whatever's in season.
Stir fries are also a great "clean out the fridge" meal. It's a tasty way to use up what you have and reduce food waste.
Plus making sauces at home allows you to control the ingredients and customize the flavors just the way you like! It's fresher and often more budget-friendly than buying pre-made sauces at the store. Let's get started!
Ingredients for Stir Fry Sauce
For this recipe, you'll whisk together in a small bowl:
- Vegetable broth: You can substitute water if needed, but it'll be less flavorful.
- Tamari: Or you can use soy sauce, but I use tamari for gluten-free. (Liquid aminos could also work.) We use a decent amount in this recipe, so be sure to use low sodium if desired.
- Pure maple syrup: Just a little bit of this natural sweetener helps to balance the flavors. Feel free to omit this if you'd prefer no sweetness however.
- Rice vinegar: I use unseasoned rice vinegar which doesn't include added sugar and salt.
- Fresh garlic cloves: You'll need two cloves garlic, but you can use even more if you really enjoy the flavor.
- Fresh ginger: I use a micro-plane grater to freshly grate my ginger.
- Cornstarch: This is used to help thicken the sauce. Or you can substitute arrowroot which is a great thickener as well.
Stir Fry by Season
Stir fry is a fun dish to change up based on the season. Check out some of my favorites below, or mix and match with what's available.
Spring: Asparagus, broccoli, snow peas, green onion, mushrooms, cabbage, carrot, sugar snap peas, and leeks.
Summer: Zucchini, yellow summer squash, bell pepper, green beans, celery, peas, and eggplant.
Fall: Bell pepper, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrot, mushroom, and onion.
Winter: Broccoli, cauliflower, onions, bok choy, cabbage, fennel, carrot, sugar snap peas, and Brussels sprouts.
Adding extra protein? Plant-based proteins like tofu, tempeh, or vegan chicken are great with this sauce as well. Cook your protein first, then toss it in a pan with the sauce for a few minutes to thicken and coat it.
Customizing
Flavors: Add hoisin sauce, chopped chives or green onions, lime juice, or sesame seeds.
Make it spicy: Add red pepper flakes or sriracha to taste if you like a little heat.
Adding oil: If you include oil in your diet, toasted sesame oil is also a flavorful addition. Simply whisk in a teaspoon or more.
Serving: I like pairing saucy stir fries with cooked brown rice or ramen noodles!
Storing
Make ahead: This homemade stir fry sauce can be made ahead of time and stored in a sealed mason jar or airtight container in the refrigerator for about 4-5 days.
For more inspiration, also browse all vegan sauce and seasoning recipes.
Vegan Stir Fry Sauce (Easy!)
Ingredients
- 2/3 cup vegetable broth
- 1/4 cup tamari (or soy sauce)
- 1 Tbsp. pure maple syrup
- 2 tsp. rice vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1-2 tsp. ginger (freshly grated)
- 1 Tbsp. cornstarch or arrowroot (more for thicker sauce)
Optional add-ins:
- 1 Tbsp. hoisin sauce
- 1-2 Tbsp. chives or green onions
- 1-2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
- 1 tsp. sesame seeds
Instructions
- Add all ingredients to a bowl and whisk to combine. (Or add to a jar, seal lid, and shake.)
- Using in stir-fry: Cook veggies (or protein of choice) until crisp-tender. Re-stir the sauce and pour it into the pan with veggies. Toss to combine and simmer over medium-high heat for a few minutes until the sauce is thickened. Serve your stir-fry over cooked rice or noodles if desired.
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving (Estimate)
Sodium content: This is omitted as I cannot provide an accurate number. I encourage you to calculate your own to provide a much more precise reading based on the exact ingredients, brands, and amounts you're using.
If you're enjoying this oil-free vegan stir fry sauce recipe, also check out:
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Jennifer says
Wow! This has got to be the easiest sauce ever! Made a simple soy curl stir fry with bell 3, onion, broccoli and spinach, and this sauce was absolutely perfect!! We served it over millet, and the sauce went well with the nutty flavour of the millet, too. Thanks for sharing such a simple, delicious, and versatile recipe!!
Kaitlin says
What a great stir fry combination, Jennifer! And serving it over millet - yum! So glad this sauce worked out for you and thanks for sharing your helpful & inspiring feedback!