By:Nagi
1,083 Comments
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 friesand 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 together10 ingredient sauce mixes for every single dish…….What they actually use areready madesauces as a base, then add additional flavours for different dishes.
These all purpose stir fry sauces areclosely 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 arecommonly referred to as). Perfected and tweaked over years, I’ve been loyal to Charlie for a decade (and counting).
The brilliant thing about Charlieis 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. Thenyou simplyheat 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 onhow 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!)
Author: Nagi | RecipeTin Eats
Prep: 2 minutes mins
Total: 2 minutes mins
Noodles, Stir Fry
Asian, Chinese
4.94 from 272 votes
Servings1 1/2 cups
Tap or hover to scale
My secret weapon for mid week meals – an All Purposes Chinese Stir Fry Sauce, a versatile base that makes a wonderfully glossy sauce for any stir fry, including stir fried noodles. Affectionately named Charlie (read in post for why!), store him in the fridge and he'll be there when you need him. Just add water!
Makes 1 1/2 cups of sauce which is enough for around 12 servings.
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
Recipe Notes:
1. Light soy sauce is lighter in colour that the more common dark soy sauce, but it is actually saltier. The main reason for using light soy sauce in this recipe is so the colour is not as dark. Substitute with all-purpose soy sauce.
I use Lee Kum Kee and Pearl River brands for the light soy sauce.
2. Noodles type – If using dried rather than fresh noodles, add a few extra tablespoons of water. The reason for this is that dried noodles, even after cooking them (usually just by covering them in hot water in a bowl), absorb more liquids than fresh noodles. So you need more liquid to have a saucier finish.
3. Vegan –To make this sauce vegan, substitute the oyster sauce with hoisin sauce. This gives the sauce a slight Chinese Five Spice Powder flavour which is thoroughly authentic!
4. Storage – This will last for weeks and weeks, depending on the expiry date of the ingredients you use. There is nothing in this that will go “off”, so just check the expiry date of the ingredients you use in this, at use that as a guide. I usually use mine in about 4 weeks, but it will definitely last longer.
If you have it in the fridge for ages untouched, then you will need a butter knife or something to mix up the cornstarch that will settle and harden in the bottom of the jar.
5. Chinese Cooking Wine (Shaosing / Shaoxing wine) – this plays an important part in giving this sauce depth of flavour so it tastes like the sauce you get at Chinese restaurants. Without it, the sauce will lack “something”. It’s a cooking winesold at supermarkets in Australia in the Asian section but much cheaper at Asian stores – here are the bottles I use. It has a very long shelf life – years and years (and it’s used in 99% of the Chinese recipes on my site). Read more about Chinese cooking wine here.
Best substitute is dry sherry, followed by Mirin or Japanese cooking sake. If you use Mirin, leave out the sugar in the recipe.
However, for those who cannot have alcohol, apple juice or grape juice is the best substitute. Otherwise, chicken broth/stock, as a second fall back, with 2 teaspoons of white wine vinegar + 1/2 tsp sugar.
IMPORTANT: If you use a sub, then the shelf life of the sauce will be determined by the shelf life of what you use as the sub.
6. These quantities make stir fries that are nicely coated with sauce, but without pools of sauce. The stir fry is saucier than the noodles, so it soaks into the rice. With the noodles, the sauce clings to it really well so you don’t need pools of sauce. If you want more sauce, increase the amount of Stir Fry Sauce used with double the amount of water e.g. If you add 1 tbsp Stir Fry Sauce, add 2 tbsp water.
7. Nutrition per serving (1 1/2 tbsp used per serving for a stir fry)
Nutrition Information:
Serving: 18gCalories: 34cal (2%)Carbohydrates: 3.7g (1%)Protein: 0.6g (1%)Fat: 1.7g (3%)Polyunsaturated Fat: 1.7gSodium: 504mg (22%)Sugar: 0.9g (1%)
Keywords: stir fry sauce
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Hi, I'm Nagi!
I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative!
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1,083 Comments
MJ saysGreetings 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!
Reply
- Nagi says
Hi MJ! Is it this? 🙂 https://thewoksoflife.com/chinese-white-sauce/#wprm-recipe-container-40380
- MJ says
That should read “hint” not hit.
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- Philip Stinger says
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
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- Nagi says
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
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- Penandra says
Combined Charlie (used chicken stock as liquid, added garlic and grated ginger) with air-fried Chinese eggplant, served over rice. WIN!Reply
- Penandra says
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.
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- Shannon says
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!Reply
- Barbara Talmadge says
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!
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- Joni says
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!Reply
- Maurice Balk says
This page is the Rosetta stone of essential Chinese cooking.Reply
- Don says
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
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- Jay says
Oh wow!! This was amaaaaazing! I also velveted the chicken (something else you’ve taught me!). Nagi, you are the best!!!
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- Laura says
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!
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- Eric Mintz says
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
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- Nagi says
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
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- Sue says
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.Reply
- Roger says
It’s nice to find a widely applicable stir-fry sauce. I’m planning on making a list of vegetables, then experiment with cooking them Chinese style. I’ve decided not to work with a wok, but instead with a large stainless steel electric skillet. Which means I’ll be able more easily to share the self-made recipes that have turned out well. I don’t see becoming devoted to stir fries as a hobby. But cooking in this oriental way will, I think, let me whip up simple recipes for fun, and to be able easily to feed myself on the spur of the moment. I picture perusing sites to learn what vegetables go well together, and with what Chinese spices. Very best wishes, Roger (Paddock Lake Wisconsin.
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- Imogen Glover says
Hi Nagi,
What would you recommend as a substitute for white pepper? Only have black but not sure if that would be a good alternative? Thanks!Reply
- Sue from West Oz says
Made your sauce yesterday, tried it on my chicken,noodle stir fry last night- absolutely Devine Dahling! I’ve just made a jar of it for my friend/neighbour .
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- Karen says
I cooked your authentic chicken chow mein last night and it was amazing, I’ve just made a batch of your stir fry sauce, can’t wait to use this too. Thank you Nagi, for the incredible recipes
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- Tomji says
Nagi, you’ve done it again… you never fail to impress! This sauce is AMAZING, makes exceptional stir fry! My refrigerator will have Charlie as a permanent resident.Reply
- Carol Ryan says
This is just amazing the best I’ve ever had. I use a lot of stir fry sauces and this is by far the best yet
Ty Nagi xxxxxReply
- Martin says
I add a tsp of peanut butter to this for a satay feel/ taste and use it concurrently with dumplings and a veg stir fry. Great basic sauce.Reply
- Nagi says
Great idea Martin!!! N x
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