This is my secret weapon for seriously fast midweek meals: an Authentic Chinese All Purpose Stir Fry Sauce that takes minutes to make and can be stored in the fridge for weeks. Plenty of flavour just used plain but also fantastic with extra flavourings added, this Stir Fry Sauce is sensational used for both stir fries and stir fried noodles.
This is a reader-favourite recipe included by popular demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”!
My Swiss Army knife of Stir Fry Sauces!
Restaurant Secret: you know when you go to a packed Asian restaurant or take out during lunch hour and you’re handed a plate of fresh-out-of-the-wok stir fry 5 minutes after ordering? I hate to disappoint you, but the cooks standing over the flames aren’t throwing together 10 ingredient sauce mixes for every single dish…….What they actually use are ready made sauces as a base, then add additional flavours for different dishes.
These all purpose stir fry sauces are closely guarded secrets of restaurants – you won’t uncover them simply by googling, that’s for sure! Today I’m sharing mine. I call him Charlie (as in Charlie Brown….as in “Brown Sauce”, which stir fry sauces are commonly referred to as). Perfected and tweaked over years, I’ve been loyal to Charlie for a decade (and counting).
The brilliant thing about Charlie is that you make him just by combining the ingredients in a jar, them just store him in the fridge where he’ll happily reside for weeks – months even. Then you simply heat some oil in a wok, throw in whatever proteins, vegetables and noodles you want, then throw Charlie in with some water and he’ll magically transform into a thick, glossy sauce that lusciously coats your stir fry. He’s great plain, but so versatile too – add heat, herbs, fruity sweetness or some tang. I’ve provided some of my favourite variations in the recipe below.
In the recipe below, I’ve provided the basic “formula” for using Charlie and I’ve also written a separate post on how to Build Your Own Chinese Stir Fried Noodles.
Update: At the request of a number of readers, I’ve put together a post with 10 Classic Chinese Takeout Meals using this sauce – meals in a flash!
And it’s as easy as that!
I’d love to know what you think if you give “Charlie” a go! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
This recipe features in my debut cookbook Dinner. The book is mostly new recipes, but this is a reader favourite included by popular demand!
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Real Chinese All Purpose Stir Fry Sauce (Charlie!)
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup light soy sauce (Note 1)
- 1/2 cup oyster sauce
- 1/4 cup Chinese wine (or dry sherry) (Note 5)
- 1/4 cup cornstarch / cornflour
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp sesame oil , toasted
- 1 tsp ground white pepper (I sometimes use 1 tbsp, I like the spiciness!)
Instructions
- Combine ingredients in a jar and shake to combine. Store in fridge and shake before use.
Amount to Use (Note 6):
- Stir Fry: I use 3 tbsp Stir Fry Sauce + 6 tbsp water to make a stir frying for 2 people using around 5 cups of uncooked ingredients (proteins + vegetables).
- Noodles: I use 3 tbsp of the Stir Fry sauce + 5 – 6 tbsp water to make a noodle stir fry for 2 people using around 7 cups of the combined stir fry uncooked (vegetables – packed, proteins + noodles – if using).
- By weight (Noodles & Stir Fry): Around 3 tbsp Stir Fry Sauce per 1 lb / 500g of combined ingredients (proteins + vegetables + noodles if using) plus 1/3 cup water.
To Use:
- Heat 2 tbsp oil in wok over high heat.
- Add your choice of Base Flavourings – fry for 10 seconds or so to infuse oil.
- Add stir fry ingredients in order of time to cook (starting with ingredients that take longest to cook), leaving leafy greens, like the leaves of bok choy, until when you add the sauce (otherwise they will wilt and overcook).
- Add noodles (if using), sauce and water, your choice of Additional Flavourings and any leafy greens.
- Gently toss to combine and to let the sauce cook for around 1 minute. The sauce will become a thick, glossy sauce that coats your stir fry.
- Serve immediately with rice – or for a low carb, low cal option, try Cauliflower Rice!
Base Flavourings
- Garlic, minced or finely sliced
- Ginger, minced or finely sliced
- Fresh chillies, minced or finely sliced
Additional Flavouring Suggestions
- Sriracha, Chilli Bean Paste or other Spicy addition
- Sweet chilli sauce
- Substitute the water with pineapple or orange juice
- Rice vinegar – for a touch of tartness
- Fresh cilantro / coriander leaves, or thai basil – for freshness
- Garlic or ordinary chives, chopped
- Pinch of Chinese five spice powder
I love this and used it as a basis for other brown sauces! At our house we fabor a hot James Brown sauce and a gingery Foxxy Brown sauce.
I
That’s so great to hear Katherine! Thank you for taking the time to let me know! N x
Love this sauce. Used Tamari (reduced salt) instead of regular soy sauce and beef with lots of vegetables and it was absolutely delicious. Can’t wait to have the leftovers tomorrow!
That’s so great to hear Anna! Thank you for taking the time to let me know! N x
Hi Nagi, what can I use instead of oyster or fish sauce as a vegan? I don’t drink wine either 🙁
At my local Vietnamese market I found a vegetarian sauce to substitute for fish sauce using pineapple. It is spicy but works very well. The name is Nuoc Mam Chay Pha San ( contains pineapple sauce, sugar, chili, vinegar, salt and water). I have been very pleased with the results in recipes.
Hi Mewe, that makes it a bit tough unfortunately. You can try Hoisin for the oyster sauce, and see note 5 for the wine sub. 🙂
Your sauce is perfection. I have done a lot of stir fries. Over the years I have used all these ingredients in varying combinations and proportions. But your recipe is the best that I have found. I used the brands of soy sauce mentioned in your notes. My only adjustment was that I added a half tablespoon more sugar as I like everything a bit sweeter. I made a simple stir fry of pork loin which is cheap and plentiful here in the Midwest. For vegetables I used a sweet Vidalia onion and some capsicum. Topped with some red pepper flake. SO SIMPLE. SO GOOD. Love your site. Your use of language to explain techniques is as good as I have found on any cooking site. I am going to try your slow cooker marinara sauce. It looks like another winner to me.
So pleased to hear that William! Thanks for letting me know – N x ❤️
So good, finally have a stir fry sauce at home I love, yay!
What kind of Chinese cooking wine am I supposed to use?? Will I only find it in an Asian grocery store??
So glad you love this too Alexis! N x ❤️
Is there more than one type of Chinese wine? What brand do you use? Thanks. I’m very excited to make Charlie.
Hi Nagi,
I stumbled across your website a few weeks ago and have been so excited to try out Charlie. Needless to say, he did not disappoint. This sauce is wonderful and so are your other recipes! Thank you for this magical site, I can’t wait to cook my way through it.
Hi Nagi.
This is the best, most helpful article I’ve seen about Chinese food in awhile. You’ve got a new fan!
Quick question, where I am I can’t get Chinese wine or Sherry, can I switch it for normal red or white wine? And can I use paprika or black pepper to substitute white pepper?
Thanks Nagi!!
Hi Barbie! Unfortunately normal wine won’t suit, what about Mirin? If you can get Mirin, that can be used instead but leave out the sugar 🙂 N x
Hi Nagi,
We absolutely love this sauce!! My 5 bigger children (the 6th one is too small to eat yet) absolutely love it!! they demolish stir fry every time!!
I am going to try marinating my chicken in the sauce and making sausage rolls with it tonight, with the same stir fry veg just chopped smaller. Hopefully they turn out nicely.
Love hearing that Mel!! Thank you so much for taking the time to let me know – N x ❤️
Nagi!
My family just lives this recipe! I have been making it for over a year and always a success!
Darlene
I need a bit of help, please. My apologies if I am putting this question in the wrong area, but if I have done, would some kind soul send it to where it should be. My question is this.Can Oyster Sauce be eaten by some one with a severe allergy to fish, shellfish and marine crustaceans?
If not, is there an alternative?
Thanks to everyone on here. May your God bless you.
Norman
Hello Norman! No, it can’t be because Oyster Sauce is made with oyster extracts 🙂 Use Hoisin sauce instead!
That’s terrific to hear Darlene! I’m so pleased to hear that. N x ❤️
Hi Nagi
This sauce is so good and authentic I feel I have my own Chinese restaurant. HAVE you ever eaten at the slanted door in San francisco? Many of their dishes use a wonderful garlic sauce with a touch of sugar. If you have eaten there, could you comment on how close it is your Charlie sauce? Anyway, thank you so much for your Charlie sauce!
Cheers
I haven’t but I’ve heard about it!!!! I didn’t realise it was so famous, but I’ll have to put it on my list for my next trip!
Hi Nagi,
I love this sauce! Great stuff, and it tastes awesome!
It is funny, that I too was looking for a light, sweet garlic sauce as well, it seems you have already been asked about one.
This sauce will remain on my list from now on.
I’m so glad you enjoyed this Michael, thanks for letting me know! N x ❤️
Not sure if this will get to you but I came across your charlie sauce and changed a few things do to the fact that my wife has to be gluten free and corn free. Replaced soy sauce with a lighter tasting liquid Amino’s, replaced oyster sauce with a fish sauce, replaced corn starch with pistachio starch, and added the chicken stock instead of water. And she really enjoyed it. Thank you for pointing me in a direction on how I could make a sauce that would allow me to still eat some of my favorite foods and still be free of what my wife can’t eat. Oh and I use rice noodles instead of regular noodles.
Great to hear Jim! Especially pleased to hear your wife enjoyed it. Thank you very much for leaving a review – N x ❤️
Nagi. Am looking forward to making your sauce. Wife and I have tried for over 40 years to make one that didn’t taste like vinegar. Do you have a recipe to make PHO? Thanks Brock
Hi Brock! To be honest I made it once and it was expensive and took ages and I love my favourite Viet places so I rely on them for my PHO fix! 😂
Nagi, this sauce is INSANE! Thanks so much for the recipe? BTW, is the nutrition for this sauce somewhere?
I’m so glad you enjoyed this Kavin! I will add the nutrition 🙂
Nutrition? Lol! This is THE best general purpose sauce for this type of comfort food that I have come across to date. You are right, trade secret info not many are willing to share! Thanks for setting a way point for my own experimentation!
Food culture trumps “nutrition” values every which way, especially since this particular culture is one of the healthiest on planet Earf. Let go of “nutrition” hullabaloo and take time to enjoy the culture that created the cuisine hundreds of years ago. Life is too short to haggle over useless nutritional figures.
Thank you so much for the sauce launching pad!
😂 N x
Made this today Nagi and you’ve hit another one out of the park for 6 with it!
Seriously good and the kids loved it too. I made it completely straight up without additional flavours to see how it went. This was a great base and I can really see how you will be able to vary the flavour by additions. Next time I’m keen on adding some Chinese five spice with some duck or chook.
In the meantime I’ve got “Charlie” waiting in the fridge for next time!
Thanks once again,
Tim
I’m so pleased to hear you enjoyed this Tim!! Thanks for letting me know – N x
We made this last night and it was SO good! We used vegetarian mushroom-based oyster sauce, but everything else the same.
I wanted to address one thing though – it is not true that there is zero alcohol in the finished dish. It is a common misconception that alcohol cooks off or evaporates completely. For dishes simmered for 15 minutes, approx. 40% of the alcohol remains, as found in the 1992 study “Alcohol Retention in Food Preparation” (Augustin et. al)
Hi Danielle, you are correct there is a residual about of alcohol left. I do think the 1992 study is a bit out of date (I have read that previously) because it does not take into account cooking things over high heat like this with a wide surface area, which subsequent studies have found drastically increases the alcohol cooked out. Regardless, the amount in each recipe per serving is very small, so I consider it to be immaterial. And I’m GLAD YOU ENJOYED IT!! N x
Is there a substitute for the wine or can I just leave it out?
Hi Denise, please see note 5!
Hello Nagi,
I live in Ocala Florida. Can you suggest a Chinese wine that I can find here for you sauce.
HI Trish! Do you have an Asian store nearby? 🙂 N x
Hi Nagi. I just discovered your blog – my mouth is watering!
Question on rice wine – reason why I ask is I have tried very similar stir fry recipes but they all lacked a little something compared to restaurant taste. If I buy the Pagoda Chinese wine you showed the link to in your 10/2/17 comment, does that meet the “Chinese wine” ingredient for this recipe? Confusingly, the linked article says the pictured Pagoda wine is NOT cooking wine but rice wine made with sticky rice. So just wanted to make sure. Thanks.
Hi John! Where are you? I’ll give you a link for one in your country 🙂 N x
Hi Nagi, I am a newbie and I love your web. I am a good cook and love to cook. I made Charlie and added Hoisen and Oyster sauce to it and love it. I made a large jar of it and it in my frig. I made noodles stir fry veg and shrimp. Also I made it with rice and it was fab. You are great!! Do u have a recipe for shrimp with lobster sauce?
Hi Madeline! I haven’t but Ive just added it to my list – sounds DELISH!!!
I want u to know that my I pad messed up cause I wanted to. Makemy a five star and it only came out a four!!!!