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 there!!! Love your site and your website has become my new fav cookbook! Just wondering if you could recommend a wok? I need to upgrade and don’t want to use the non-stick variety. 🙏🏻🙏🏻
i love this recipe. sometimes i make it as is. other times i add chili sauce and/or a heaping tbsp peanut butter. ive been making this for a year now with vegetarian oyster sauce and thought i should come back and rave.
This stirfry sauce is great and there is enough for many more stirfrys! I love this website and have used many recipes and tips off here!
Doesn’t just last weeks but months. I made the sauce last summer. So long ago that it had disappeared into the rear of the shelf, at least 6 months. Made for a lovely, quick stir fry.
Love the base sauce. Great idea. Do you have a good banana flower salad recipe. I had a great salad in a Cambodia cooking lesson but we didn’t get whole recipes.
YUM!!! I don’t just yet Sur – pop a request on my recipe request page though! N x
H Nagi, amazing recipe and taste so yummy! Does the Chinese cooking wine actually contain alcohol, and if so, does it evaporate whilst cooking?
Hi Lori, yes the alcohol cooks out when the sauce cooks. N x
Nagi, I love this sauce! I have told everyone about it. What is the longest amount of time you can store it in the refrigerator? Will the flavors get stronger?
Hi Regina, I mention this in note 4 🙂 N x
Yes, I know you said it will stay for weeks. But I have found after 3 weeks or so it smells really pungent almost fermented maybe from the alcohol?
Greetings from Nova Scotia! I am in search of the Holy Grail of sauces that I simply cannot duplicate despite all the reputable blogs that offer it! I have had such great success with everything I’ve made from your site, Nagi I just know you’ll have the answer! It is quite simply known as “Chinese White Sauce”. Our favourite restaurant makes delicious Cantonese Chow Mein using this elusive white sauce. It is pale and not heavily flavoured by soy and yet there is a hit. I asked the owner and he shrugged and tapped the side of his head and said “no recipe, just in head” – can I detect fish sauce? I don’t know!!! I suspect he also uses the same sauce for his Shrimp in Lobster Sauce (that has no lobster in it) – again NOTHING on the internet is remotely like this seemingly simple sauce that is so addictive and something I am dying to try at home. Any ideas, Nagi? Thank you so much!
Hi MJ! Is it this? 🙂 https://thewoksoflife.com/chinese-white-sauce/#wprm-recipe-container-40380
That should read “hint” not hit.
I cooked with the Chinese stir fry sauce which I found to definitely have an authentic flavor exept for the amount of oyster sauce for me it is way to much 1/2 cup. In most cases I think recipes call for to much in this case, next time I will start with 1/8cup and ad to taste
Hi Philip – that’s because this is making a stir fry sauce in a large quantity to store – it’s not a single batch here. N x
Combined Charlie (used chicken stock as liquid, added garlic and grated ginger) with air-fried Chinese eggplant, served over rice. WIN!
Charlie has taken up permanent residence in my fridge! He is fabulous (and quite a nice roommate 😉). I do not use alcohol, so I have substituted balsamic vinegar in its place. I don’t know the difference in taste, but I love this. I add the sesame oil when I cook, rather than in Charlie.
Thank you! I have shared the link with several friends.
This is deliciously flavorful stir fry sauce! I love that the recipe makes a large amount that you can use for different stir fries over the course of a month (or more). Thank you!
Question: what might I add to make this an orange stirfry sauce? Juice and zest? Another recipe mentioned substituting orange marmalade. Or is it not really feasible? Thanks!
Hi Nagi. I made this sauce recipe last night. Wow, it is so nice! Now I can also make proper stir fry at home with very little effort!
This page is the Rosetta stone of essential Chinese cooking.
I make a stirfry sauce very similar to your Charlie, except I don’t use cornstarch, and I make it as required. I sub Xantham Gum
Oh wow!! This was amaaaaazing! I also velveted the chicken (something else you’ve taught me!). Nagi, you are the best!!!
This was by far THE BEST stir fry sauce! A base that I will keep in my fridge as a weekly go-to meal. Add a little sriracha if you want a kick, but I love it as is. Thank you!
Can wait to try. I need to learn to cook now that I moved to Mexico. Had to drive back to US just to get the ingredients. My question is whether you have a substitute for oyster sauce? I think I’ve seen Worcestershire as a replacement. Or, can I leave it out without ruining the recipe? Thanks
Hi Eric, you need the oyster sauce for this sauce unfortunately – the only substitute would be the vegetarian mushroom based oyster in its place. N x
Nagi, You are my best friend in the kitchen. After 40 years cooking and so many cookbooks, your site is the one thing I would hate to cook without.