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
Hi Nagi..
I recently became a fan of Asian cooking and am building a solid pantry of Japanese ingredients.. I am convinced that the sauce is the flavor key to success in this type cooking..
I found you through a search for an “all purpose stir fry sauce”.. I can build several different Japanese sauces but,
this brown sauce recipe is exactly what I am looking for as, occasionally, I like to do a quick stir fry for my wife and myself, instead of a full recipe meal.. Having this sitting in the fridge is perfect for my needs..
We are in our 70’s and love Asian meal for a number of reasons.. :O)
Hi Ross! I am so glad you found this 🙂 It really is a great staple to have in the fridge! You know, I recently discovered it makes a good soup base too. I just add it to chicken broth / water (equal amounts), bring it to a boil and add dried noodles + veggies. Delish!
Ooh! An easy Asian soup base or broth is just what I’m looking for. Excellent! Thanks for all the great information and explanations you provide on your site – very helpful and interesting.
No worries Jen! Glad you found this useful! 🙂
I just LOVE this recipe and the fantastic details about the base seasonings, etc. This has to be the most informative recipe site I have found! You put such time and effort into it. I have been cooking for a very long time, always just loved making Chinese stir fry, but after a move and losing my recipe for stir fry was sort of winging it. I used fresh chicken breast, baby bok choy, some carrots, green onions, broccoli and the garlic/ginger base. Since I like it a bit spicy but not painful, when I stir fried the veggies I added 2 whole Chinese red pepper pods, no seeds, and took them out after a few minutes. These recipes are filling and so great….. not any more expensive than if you bought any other groceries for dinner! I use Jasmine rice to serve with it and my chop sticks are getting a great workout! Thanks for taking the time to share all of this with us…..:)
Hi Jill, thank you so much for your lovely message! I am glad you enjoyed the recipe and that you find useful information too 🙂 Mmmm, your stir fry sounds lovely! Fully loaded 🙂 I am usually much more boring!
I like the reciepy but I didn’t understand how to make charlie, what exactly as ingredients I need to use can You please direct me on that step by step? I thank You.
Hello Prisca! The ingredients and steps to make Charlie are in the recipe down towards the bottom of the post. Did you see that?? I hope I wrote it clearly!
Somehow I missed this recipe before. I am so going to make this sauce and keep it in my fridge! My husband looked at that page of 10 stir frys you made with it and said, “I’m going to make them ALL!” 🙂
You let your husband into the kitchen….?? 😉
thanks for the recipe sounds great could you use stock say chicken in place of the water
Hi Colin! Yes, you can absolutely use chicken stock instead of water – it will add more flavour to the stir fry!
My 10 year old daughter made this yesterday and we cooked a chicken stir fry with hokkien noodles tonight with it. Added some coconut cream and toasted sesame seeds which the kids loved. I have been looking for a go-to stir fry sauce for a very long time and think I have finally found THE one! I have been cooking your recipes for a few weeks now and Nagi is now a household name!!!
Oh wow Felicity, thank you so much for this wonderful message! Honestly, it is feedback like this that makes me be so picky about what I share, and to test, test and retest recipes before I post them. I am so impressed that your 10 year old daughter made this!! VERY sophisticated recipe for a 10 yo to make!! Thank you again for your message!! 🙂
Hi Nagi
I made this sauce and although I love the taste the cornstarch settled to the bottom of the jar within the first day and was like cement. I couldn’t pry it out!
Hi Linda – I’m glad you liked the taste! Re: cornstarch turning into cement….I can honestly say I have been making this for years and never ever had that problem. I am wondering if there was something odd with the cornstarch – maybe if it was drier than it should be then it would suck in so much moisture it “freezes” up….I just don’t know. I’m sorry! I can honestly say I’ve never experienced this problem before. 🙂
I think adding more water will unfreeze the corn starch
I hope it does! I can honestly say I haven’t had that problem before so not sure what advice to give! 🙂
Hi Nagi,
Can you clarify how to use the stir fry sauce with the water part? I am a little lost.
Amount to Use:
I use 2 tbsp of the Stir Fry sauce
(+ 4 tbsp/ ¼ cup water per serving – ) I am little confused about this measurement, is this the 1/4 cup of water plus 4 tsbsp of ?
around 3 – 4 cups of the combined stir fry (vegetables – packed, proteins + noodles – if using).
Thanks Mary
Hi Mary! Sorry for the confusion – I provided tbsp and cup measure because 1/4 cup = 4 tbsp! So you use 2 tbsp of the Stir Fry Sauce + 1/4 cup of water. Then 3 to 4 cups of stir fry ingredients. 🙂
Thank you for the recipe! I want to try it but can’t have alcohol. I have an alcohol free mirin flavored seasoning I use for Japanese sauces in place of mirin…can I use this instead of the Chinese wine? If not, do you have any other suggestions? Thank you!
Hi Susan! Yes, I think mirin is the best alcohol free substitution but omit the sugar because otherwise it will be too sweet 🙂 Love to hear what you think!
This is delicious. I used vegetarian “oyster” sauce. I completely forgot to add the base flavourings, but it still turned out delicious. My boyfriend already planned the variations we want to try next time.
That’s wonderful Natasha! I’m so glad you liked it. And I’m interested to know there is a vegetarian oyster sauce! I must hunt some down, I have a friend who is allergic to seafood so it will be useful to have! Thank you for sharing your feedback! 🙂
I have just mixed the sauce and licked the spoon it tastes really good cannot wait to use it tonight in a chicken stir fry, do you have a receipe for a good chilli stir fry sauce for chilli chicken?
Hi Steve! I had another reader asking for a chili stir fry sauce too so I’m going to share one!! 🙂 Coming soon!
This looks great! I have young ones though, and I was wondering if the white pepper flavor would be too much for them? A tablespoon sounds like a lot.
I made it with less than the amount of white pepper called for and it was quite spicy. Absolutely delicious but spicy. My 5 year old says she will try it again as long as I use less white pepper next time so it didn’t “scar” her. It really was delicious (I can’t say that enough.) And it’s a great way to get her to eat vegetables. 😉
Thanks so much for sharing this recipe and the 10 classic stir fry recipes. I am so excited to finally find a recipe for Asian food worth making that isn’t entirely based on ginger and garlic.
This is going in my weekly meal plan because it is so versatile. Thank you!!!!!
That’s wonderful Kelly! I am sorry you thought it was spicy, I honestly can barely taste the pepper in it at all because it is diluted down so much when used. Did you add water when you put it in your stir fry? I am glad you enjoyed it though! And I am SO glad you 5 year old isn’t too scarred from the spiciness!! I find kids really love this sauce through noodle stir fries. There is something about noodles that kids love! I cut the noodles up into dessert spoon lengths to make it easy for them to eat with a spoon or fork 🙂
Hi Erin! You can’t taste the heat at all from the pepper. 1 tbsp does sound like alot but a bit of sauce gets dispersed through alot of stir fry so the amount of pepper in each dish is very little! This sauce isn’t spicy at all so young ones will be absolutely fine with it! 🙂
Also, this sauce is a concentrate so it gets diluted with water. The white pepper adds to the complexity of the total flavor of the sauce, but it doesn’t stand out on its own.
Thanks Colleen, yes you are absolutely right! 🙂
How long will this keep in the fridge?
Hi Denise, up to a month definitely, I am sure it will keep for longer as long as the expiry date of your ingredients is ok. There is nothing in this sauce that is “perishable” or will grow bacteria. Just be sure not to add any fresh ingredients in it, like garlic or chilli, because that is what causes the sauce to go off within a week 🙂
Nagi, am making this today, with vegetables – cleaning out the fridge. I will post on my blog hopefully soon. Wish me luck!
Oooh!! Can’t wait to see your variation on this! It really is so versatile, you’ll like it 🙂
Hi Nagi, I am excited that i found your blog. I have been looking for the Chinese stir fry sauce for a very long time and finally found yours winning my taste buds. Many many thanks!
But i do not find Chinese wine in chennai (India) (though have requested one from Singapore friend) meanwhile any substitute suggestion..would rice wine vinegar or sherry vinegar help?
I made the sauce without this ingredient..that itself tasted well.
Would it be possible to share Schezwan sauce?
Best,
Maha
Hi Maha! Thank you for your wonderful feedback! Rice wine vinegar is too sour as a substitute, I’m afraid. A dry sherry is the best substitute – make sure to get a DRY one not a SWEET one. Sherry is very cheap in Australia, you can get a large bottle for $5. Not sure if you can get it in India though! And I will certainly look into a Schezwan sauce! 🙂
I LOVE THIS SAUCE!!! Thank you! I’ve missed having my favorite dishes since developing a gluten allergy, and now I have finally found a great sauce that I can make with gluten free soy, and keep on hand for when I’m in the mood for a stir fry.
That’s wonderful Charisse! I am so glad you like it! I pretty much always have a jar of this in the fridge 🙂
what kind of Chinese wine in stir fry recipe? Rice wine or what? Also I see where gin has a similar flavor so could I use that in the stir fry sauce recipe.
Hi Jim! Chinese wine is called Shaoxing wine and it is made of rice. It is a cooking wine, so you will find it in large supermarkets and Asian grocery stores, not liquor stores 🙂 It is really cheap – in Australia, I can get large bottles for $1 at Asian stores! And they last forever. Unfortunately gin is not a suitable substitute! The alcohol content is much higher and it has a very different flavour 🙂 A dry (not sweet) sherry is the best substitute. Hope that helps!
Love your blog! Your recipes look amazing, I plan to try them out asap. My boyfriend is allergic to sesame, any substitute for sesame oil that wouldn’t compromise the flavor of this recipe?
Hi Marissa! Thanks for your kind words!! There is no substitute for sesame oil in terms of flavour (unfortunately!) but you can simply replace it with vegetable, canola or any other neutral flavoured oil to get the right consistency for the sauce. 🙂 The sesame flavour is very subtle so you won’t miss it. Also, many Chinese stir fries do not have sesame in it anyway!
I just made this stir fry sauce, and it… was…. fantastic! I had some Chinese egg noodles sitting around, chopped up some green onions, add some crushed red pepper and added the stir fry sauce. The sauce had great flavor, coated each individual noodle perfectly, and super quick and easy to make! Seriously, what’s not to love! This is my new go-to stir fry sauce from now on!
Hip hip hurrah! I am so glad you liked this, I respect your opinion! Now I really feel like this has been validated 🙂 Thanks Kathleen!!
I so love this Nagi… I pinned it because I could use a good classic stirfry sauce 🙂
Thanks Mila!!
is there any way to get around using the cooking wine/alcohol in this recipe for those of us who do not use it? I would love to try this recipe …after the tweak
Hi Shirin! I have read that apple or grape juice is the best non alcoholic substitute but it won’t be quite the same. But those juices are of similar acidity and sweetness but they don’t have the complexity that the alcohol gives cooking wine and sherry. I have not tried it though but my expectation is that the sauce will still be tasty. Even just omitting the cooking wine completely without substituting with apple or grape juice is still fine to use, just replace with water so you get the right consistency. I would love to hear what you think if you do try apple or grape juice though! I will update the recipe with any thoughts you have. Thanks!