SaurabhA stir-fry dish is a delicious, easy, well-balanced meal you can make in no time.
Just prepare all the ingredients like meat, vegetables, and spices and cook everything in a wok over high heat. For the final touch add the stir fry sauce to finish the dish.
Stir fry is usually made with proteins like pork, chicken, beef, seafood, tempeh, tofu, chickpeas, and seitan, and different types of vegetables like onions, bell peppers, carrots, spinach, cabbage, green beans, celery, tomatoes, zucchini, broccoli, and mushrooms.
You can also add aromatics like shallots, green onions, ginger, and garlic and herbs such as basil, cilantro, and oregano to stir-fry dishes to enhance their flavors.
Stir-fry is a delicious dish that is usually served over noodles or cooked rice. However, the star of the dish that takes it to the next is the stir-fry sauce.
Stir-fry sauce is the most important ingredient in every stir-fried dish which is responsible for its wonderful flavor. You can make it at home or buy it in the store.
Depending on the ingredients of your stir-fry dish you can use stir-fry sauces made with quality ingredients because they have the most authentic and classic flavors.
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Read on to find out how to use these sauces in your stir-fry dishes to get the best flavor.
Best Store-Bought Stir Fry Sauces
Many different types of stir-fry sauces pair well with all types of protein like pork, beef, chicken, and seafood, but they also work well in vegetable stir-fries.
Here are some of the best store-bought stir-fry sauces.
1. Kikkoman Classic Stir-Fry Sauce
Kikkoman classic stir-fry sauce is naturally brewed sauce made of soy sauce, oyster sauce, sherry, garlic, and Asian seasonings.
This sauce has well-balanced flavors and doesn’t have artificial additives. Kikkoman classic stir-fry sauce is pre-thickened so you will get a stir-fry with a thick consistency without adding any additional thickeners.
It pairs well with beef, but it can be also used in chicken, veggies, and seafood stir-fries.
2. Lee Kum Kee Panda Orange Chicken Sauce
Lee Kum kee panda orange chicken is a perfect sauce for a chicken stir-fry dish. It is made with soy sauce, sugar, milk, orange juice concentrate, and spices.
You can use this sauce to give a sweet, tangy flavor and thickness to your chicken stir-fry. Lee Kum kee panda orange chicken doesn’t contain trans fats and artificial flavors and is free of high fructose corn syrup.
It is easy to store and use because it is packed in 6 individual packets.
If you want to make a chicken stir-fry that will taste and look great use this unique sauce which is the best on the market for chicken stir-fry.
3. Minor’s General Tso Sauce
Minor’s general Tso is a versatile sauce that pairs well with different types of protein. You can use it in pork, beef, chicken, seafood, or veggie stir-fries. However, you can also use it in dips, stews, salads, and wraps.
Minor’s general Tso sauce is made of soy sauce, molasses, red wine vinegar, ginger, and crushed red peppers. It has a sweet, spicy flavor and is a great addition to your stir fry dishes.
It is pre-thickened so you don’t have to cook it longer to thicken up or add any additional thickener to get the desired consistency.
You can use this sauce which is one of the best sauces on the market to provide a unique flavor to your stir–fry. Or use it as a dipping sauce. The choice is yours!
4. Mr. Spice Ginger Sauce
Mr. Spice Ginger is a healthier alternative to other stir-fry sauces. It is a versatile, organic, salt, fat, and gluten-free sauce you can use for different types of stir-fries.
Mr. Spice Ginger has evaporated cane juice, garlic powder, ginger, rice vinegar, onion powder, blackstrap molasses, lemon juice, pineapple juice, unrefined sesame oil, a rice starch, herbs, and spices.
If you don’t like salty stir-fry sauces Mr. Spice Ginger is the right sauce for you. You can use it in almost all stir-fry dishes no matter if they are made with some type of protein or veggie because Mr. Spice Ginger sauce is a great addition to every stir-fried dish.
It is also MSG, GMO, wheat, and dairy-free.
5. Mr. Yoshida’s Original Gourmet Sauce
Mr. Yoshida‘s original gourmet sauce is a versatile sauce and a signature product of the brand.
You can use it as a marinade and sauce for different proteins like chicken, pork, beef, and fish but it also pairs well with vegetables. It is a mixture of sweet-savory flavors with hints of garlic, soy sauce, and other seasonings.
It has a thick consistency therefore it can be also used as a barbeque sauce to give a beautiful sweet-savory flavor to your barbequed dishes.
Without added artificial preservatives or MSG, Mr. Yoshida‘s original gourmet sauce will give a great Asian flavor to your dishes.
It has a rich and strong flavor so you will only need a small amount to get the desired flavor.
6. Whole Food Market 365 Stir-Fry Sauce
The popular Whole Food Market 365 stir-fry sauce is a delicious organic sauce made with organic ingredients such as tamari sauce, sesame oil, cornstarch, cane sugar, garlic puree, ginger powder, white vinegar, mirin vine, and other seasonings.
It works well with all types of stir-fries, but it is best in beef, chicken, salmon, and tofu stir-fries. This sauce is a great addition that will give a beautiful flavor and consistency to stir-fry dishes.
It doesn’t contain high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated fats, and bleached or bromated flour.
7. Minor’s Teriyaki
Minor’s teriyaki is a very versatile sauce used in stir-fry dishes, salad dressings, marinades, glazes, and dips. It is made with soy sauce, brown sugar, sherry, sesame oil, molasses, and spices.
Minor’s teriyaki sauce has a slightly thinner consistency, but it thickens up while it cooks. It goes well with chicken, tofu, beef, and seafood. You can use it in your dishes to give them a nice and well-balanced flavor.
8. San-J Gluten Free Szechuan Cooking Sauce
San-J Gluten Free Szechuan Cooking Sauce is made with tamari soy sauce, garlic, ginger, plum juice concentrate, sake, apple cider vinegar, sesame oil, canola oil, and spices.
It has well-balanced spicy, umami flavors and pairs well with all types of stir-fries, but it is also used in marinades, soups, and many other dishes.
This sauce is gluten-free and doesn’t have artificial, flavors, colors, or preservatives. You can use it to give a spicy, umami flavor to your stir-fry dishes and enhance their flavor.
9. Otajoy Yakisoba
Otajoy Yakisoba is a great Japanese sauce for stir-fry noodles. It is made with soy sauce, tomato paste, vinegar, raisin juice, apple puree, date juice, garlic puree, carrot puree, and other ingredients.
It has a perfect combination of sweet and savory umami flavors that will make your stir-fry taste great. Otajoy Yakisoba sauce makes a great addition to noodles, vegetables, pork, chicken, beef, and shrimp. It doesn’t contain preservatives, artificial flavors, and colors.
10. Soy Vay Veri Veri Teriyaki Marinade & Stir Fry Sauce
Soy Vay Veri Veri Teriyaki Marinade & Stir Fry Sauce is great for vegetable stir-fry, but it can be also used in marinades, dips, baking, and grilling.
It is made with soy sauce, ginger puree, onions, sugar, garlic, sesame seeds (which give a beautiful nutty flavor to the sauce), and other ingredients.
Soy Vay Veri Veri Teriyaki Marinade & Stir Fry Sauce contains only high-quality ingredients and doesn’t contain any preservatives. Besides vegetable stir-fry, you can use it with meat, fish, and tofu to enhance their flavor.
What Sauce Do I Buy For Stir Fry?
If you want to have a good and flavorful stir-fry dish you need a good stir-fry sauce that will enhance its flavor and make it taste even better.
Things you should consider when buying a stir-fry sauce include the compatibility of the flavor of stir-fry sauce with the flavors of the ingredients you are using in the stir-fry dish, the quality of the ingredients used in the sauce, consistency, and nutrition.
There are many stir fry sauces with different flavors like sweet, salty, spicy, or tangy, so you have to choose the one that will pair with the flavors in your stir fry dish.
Always buy a stir-fry sauce that contains natural ingredients and doesn’t contain artificial additives that are bad for your health.
Consistency also matters. If the sauce is too thick it will not look and taste good because it will clump. While if it is too thin it will be runny and will not coat the ingredients in the stir fry dish.
Store-bought stir fry sauces usually contain high levels of salt, sugar, fructose corn syrup, and preservatives, and are also high in calories which is bad for your health, so always buy stir fry sauces with low levels of these ingredients, preservatives, and calories.
When Should You Add the Stir Fry Sauce?
You should add the stir fry sauce at the end of the cooking, and simmer for a few minutes until it coats the other foods in the dish and thickens.
You can also use the stir-fry sauce to marinate the meat, tofu, or fish before cooking to get the best flavors.
Best Store-Bought Stir Fry Noodles
Stir fry dishes require longer and thicker noodles that will be able to stay their shape even after all the tossing in the wok.
Some of the best store-bought stir fry noodles include soba noodles, egg noodles, rice noodles, Japanese udon noodles, spaghetti, Fettuccine, and Linguine.
Soba Noodles
These Japanese noodles consist of buckwheat flour and a smaller amount of wheat flour. They have a chewy, dense texture and nutty flavor and are usually used in stir-fries, soups, and salads.
Egg Noodles
These noodles consist of wheat flour and eggs and are cut in long or short ribbon shapes. Some of the best egg noodles for stir fry are the Chinese noodles lo mein and chow mein.
Lo mein is first cooked and then added to the other ingredients in the dish and tossed together.
While chow mein are only soaked in hot water to become softer and then they are stir-fried with the other ingredients in the stir-fry.
Rice Noodles
These noodles consist of rice flour and water. They don’t have any specific flavor. However, they are absorbing the flavors from the other ingredients in the dish.
Add the rice noodles at the end of the cooking process because they cook pretty fast and can be easily overcooked.
Japanese Udon Noodles
Udon noodles usually consist of wheat flour and come in different sizes and shapes. They are thick and chewy noodles that you can use fresh, frozen, or dried in your stir-fry dishes.
Spaghetti, Fettuccine, or Linguine
You can also use pasta for stir-fry dishes. Just cook them al-dente, drain and add to your stir fry alongside the stir-fry sauce. Your delicious stir-fry is ready to serve.
Best Store-Bought Stir Fry Sauce For Chicken
The best store-bought stir fry sauce for chicken is Lee Kum kee panda orange chicken sauce. It will give a sweet, tangy flavor and thickness to your chicken stir-fry.
Lee Kum kee panda orange chicken sauce doesn’t have trans fats and artificial flavors. It is also free of high fructose corn syrup.
Related Questions
Is Stir Fry Sauce The Same As Teriyaki Sauce?
Stir fry sauce is not the same as Teriyaki sauce.
Teriyaki sauce consists of soy sauce, sake, mirin, and sugar but you can also find variations with added ginger, garlic, and honey for better flavor. You can use this sauce as a marinade or glaze for meat, seafood, and veggies, in stir-fries, barbeque, and as a dipping sauce.
How Do You Make Store-Bought Stir Fry Sauce Better?
You can make store-bought stir-fry sauce better if you add some herbs and spices like oregano, thyme, basil, cilantro, cardamom, cumin, coriander, or red pepper flakes if you like your sauce to be spicy.
You can also add garlic, ginger, or lemongrass to your sauce to enhance its flavor, but first, make sure that it doesn’t already have these seasonings. Also, don’t add large quantities of seasonings because they can easily overpower the other flavors in the stir fry.
What Does Kikkoman Stir Fry Sauce Taste Like?
Kikkoman stir fry sauce has a rich, well-balanced umami flavor and thick texture. It is a versatile sauce and a great addition to beef, chicken, vegetables, and seafood stir-fries.
What’s Your Pick?
We hope that we helped you to choose the right stir-fry sauce for your stir-fry dish.
You can choose some of these brands of stir-fry sauces suggested above and prepare a flavorful dish.
There are many different stir-fry sauces on the market for all types of stir-fry dishes. All you have to do is to choose your favorite.
Share your favorite stir fry sauce in the comments down below!
1 comment
Love all your substitute recommendations. My favorite stir fry sauce is Hoisin sauce. First heard of it in a recipe for P. F. Chang’s lettuce wrap and have loved it ever since.