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
Adding to the 1000+ well deserved positive comments. I rarely bother, but had to say that Charlie gave me the best stir fry I’ve ever made, bar none. I’m in the uk so the only substitute I made was potato starch for cornstarch as it’s easier to find and I had it in hand.
I also velveted the steak before cooking and the whole thing was phenomenal. I thought the 3T of sauce with 6T water wouldn’t make enough but I was wrong. 2 huge portions.
Thank you for transforming this dish.
Hi Nagi! Could I ask about the jars to store Charlie? Can I use an old bolognese sauce jar to store it, or does it need to be a mason jar?
Thanks
Hello gorgeous Nagi!
This may be an odd one… Really want to (and will) get into your “Charlie” sauce, but, wanting to increase my protein intake, was wondering if I could use pea protein powder in place of cornflour?? Do you have any thoughts on the use of this as a substitute?
Thanks, as always. Love to you, Dozer and your amazing Team.💖💖💖
Amazing sauce, absolutely the most 110% authentic sauce and so darn easy, I want stir fry every night.
As stated the mix lasts in the fridge for ages if you can stop using it.
It’s so good!!
Thank you Nagi, so grateful for this recipe! Your Charlie has become my staple, I store him in a plastic bottle with a convenient lip for pouring. For me this is less messy when using the sauce 🙂 It is brilliant and has been a game changer for my week day cooking. Thank you!
made this tonight with chicken (regular cornstarch velveting method, not nagi’s), zucchini, onion, bell pepper, baby corn, water chestnuts, broccoli, and snow peas. so so good.
Nagi I have been making this this and so so many of your
recipes for over
two years. This is my
favourite
of all. Bless xx
So handy to have in the refrigerator. So easy.
I love this and keep it in my fridge as a regular stir fry sauce. so easy when you don’t feel like putting a whole new recipe together!
I had to make a new batch last night and realised I had run out of Oyster Sauce so I subbed it with Hoisin Sauce. Delicious!
Thanks so much Nagi!
Hi
Could this sauce be used to coat pasta ?
When you use your Charlie sauce in another recipe, such as your firecracker beef and cabbage recipe in your new cookbook, do we add the water as indicated in the Charlie recipe, or are we just using the concentrated Charlie sauce right from the jar with the other ingredients in the other recipe?
This is amazing, thank you. So handy! I added extra pepper like you suggested. Very yummy.
I have made this and love it. I have always been a one trick pony with stir fries but I have never made such good, varied Asian meals (both with Charlie or your other methods) before your recipes came to my attention. Thanks Nagi!
TV
There is only two of us, so not using it up quickly. How do I know when I have to make a fresh batch? How long can it stay in the fridge?
You could use ice cube trays and freeze it in 1 tablespoon serves.
Just remove however many cubes you need g or the meal and defrost.
I do this with lots of foods for the two of us
Transform everyday ingredients into a fantastic feast. Thank you Nagi x
Tku
What a fantastic recipe! “Charlie” has become my go-to stir fry sauce; it never disappoints. I just have to remember to remove it from the fridge early enough (the cornstarch thing) 😄
love your recipes.How is Dozer he is a beautiful dog,hope he is doing well.
1/4 corn flour ?
Really ?
Yes, really. It’s called velveting and very common in Asian recipes.
Hi Nagi, thanks so much for sharing! I have been using this for years now. Didn’t you use half light half dark soy sauce originally though?