Stir-fries are the perfect weeknight dish. Once you’ve mastered the fundamental technique, they’re quick and easy to make. Most simple stir fry recipes have the same core composition, making them highly adaptable to your preferences—as well as substitution-friendly. Stir-fries are ideal for one of those “clean out the fridge” nights when you have a variety of ingredients to use up.
Stir-fries also make cooking more accessible because they usually provide a nutritionally balanced, comprehensive, filling dinner in one dish. Noodles or rice, meat (or a plant-based protein), cooking oil, and veggies are frequently included in a stir fry, which aligns perfectly with general expert recommendations on how to create a filling and delightful dinner.
Top 8 Best Stir Fry Recipes
Everything Bagel Pesto Stir Fry
This innovative recipe replaces the typical stir fry sauce with a creamy, herby pesto (homemade or store-bought) and crunchy, salty, everything bagel seasoning. It also just takes 10 minutes to prepare.
This is one of those foods that I debated whether or not to post. Is it a recipe, on the one hand? However, after the first bite, I honestly thought to myself, “This is one of the best things I’ve made in a long time.” It could be because I (and I’m thinking everyone else) am in desperate need of something soothing and straightforward right now. This dish provided a great deal of satisfaction. It may have been the chewy udon or the handmade pesto. However, I’m pretty confident it was the everything bagel spice.
Easy Weeknight Bacon and Egg Stir Fry
This is breakfast for dinner done in a stir fry. You may make the eggs any way you like them—scrambled, fried, or poached are all excellent options.
I would indeed be living my best life if I could eat whatever I wanted without consequence. The in-depth serious chats Mike and I have are frequently about food. So, if you could only eat one thing for the rest of your life, what would you eat? Mike always has well-thought-out responses, whereas I’m usually torn between 30 various options. Then I’m even more perplexed because I start thinking about waffles and how many different waffle varieties there are, and it’s an infinite circle of food-obsessed thoughts.
Keto-Friendly Low Carb Chicken Shirataki Noodle Stir Fry
This delectable chicken stir fry will add to your collection of go-to chicken recipes. Shirataki noodles are thin, translucent Japanese noodles created from the fiber found in konjac yams. Step aside, zoodles.
I’m a big fan of the ketogenic diet. I thought I would die (because #carblife), but I’ve been doing well! It’s been almost two weeks now, and while I did experience the dreaded keto flu and some strange leg cramps, everything else has gone swimmingly. I’m almost unstoppable. I like it because it forces me to eat actual food that I’ve prepared myself rather than relying on store-bought snacks and junk food.
Stir Fry Noodles
Stir-fries are entirely adjustable for ingredient substitutions, which this versatile and customizable recipe takes advantage of. You may turn it into a stir-fry with chicken, pig, beef, or tofu.
Make these Stir Fry Noodles the next time making dinner feels like a chore. What we have here is a Class-A Weeknight Wonder: whole-grain noodles tossed with a lot of vegetables (whatever ones you have on hand) and your protein of choice (we used chicken) in a quick stir fry sauce.
Zucchini Stir Fry
Try sliced zucchini and lightly marinated chicken breast in a stir fry that’s more soft than crunchy. Both are bathed in a tangy, gingery sauce and condiment concoction that includes soy sauce and apple cider vinegar.
My Newest favorite fast, healthy meal is Zucchini Stir Fry! It’s done in 25 minutes, adapts to any protein you throw at it, and while it’s perfect for making the most of summer’s most abundant fruit, it’s a dish we’ll enjoy all year:
Egg Roll in a Bowl
All of your favorite egg rolls taste in a stir fry! You can save time by buying packets of broccoli slaw and grated carrots, but bring out the food processor if you want to do your veggie prep.
With this quick Egg Roll in a Bowl, takeout gets a healthy twist. It’s an unstoppably delectable 30-minute dish made with ground turkey or chicken and broccoli slaw that’s excellent for lunch, supper, or a late-night snack.
Tofu Stir Fry
This basic stir fry recipe is a great place to start if you add additional tofu recipes to your repertoire. For the crispiest results, use extra-firm tofu and push out as much moisture as possible.
Today I’m sharing one of my favorite types of dishes! Tofu Stir Fry is a clean-out-the-fridge, even-if-you-can’t-cook-you-can-cook-this, easy, healthful dinner! You can use any vegetables you like, the “sauce” is simply two ingredients, and the whole thing comes together in about 30 minutes.
This simple tofu stir fry came about due to one of those typical Erin moves when I tell myself I’m cooking “just for fun!” and don’t bother about measuring or blogging the recipe.
Sesame Shallot Soy Curl Stir Fry
Soy curls, chewy-tender strips made from whole soybeans that mimic chicken and pack a significant protein punch, are used in this recipe. They’re an excellent substitute for tempeh or tofu in high-protein vegetarian dishes.
This Sesame Shallot Soy Curl Stir Fry is a delicious weeknight meal! Chewy, marinated chicken with soy curls and broccolini in an Asian sesame stir-fry sauce that’s sweet, salty, and sticky! Gluten-free recipe with no nuts!
This Sesame Shallot Soy Curl Stir Fry is a delicious evening dish that tastes just like takeout. Soy curls marinated in a sweet-salty-spicy marinade, then stir-fried with shallots and garlic in sesame oil. For that authentic flavor, Chinese broccoli and Thai basil are added along the way, and the rest of the marinade is used to make a delectable stir-fry sauce. Serve with rice, broccoli rice, zoodles, or noodles to complete this simple soy curl stir fry!
What Is The Difference Between Stir-Frying And Sautéing?
When it comes to temperature, cooking fat, and technique, there are a few fundamental variations between sautés and stir-fries.
Sautéing is usually done at medium-high heat, which allows you to use oils and fats with a lower smoking point (like butter), according to Le. However, for stir-fries, you’ll want a high-smoke-point frying oil.
Another distinction is the amount of active cooking required—basically, how much you move the food around. For example, you may stir a vegetable to sauté a few times or flip a fish fillet once. “However, with stir-frying, the food is always moving until it is cooked,” says the author.
What’s The Best Way To Prepare A Stir-Fry?
You’re ready to go pro now that we’ve covered the fundamentals. The finer points of a stir fry made authentically, expertly, and delightfully are crucial. Here are a few pointers to keep in mind the next time you fire up the wok.
First and foremost, prepare everything. “Stir-fries cook quickly, and you don’t want to be frantically mixing up a sauce or looking for a spatula while your protein or vegetables are overcooking,” Lee advises. “Everything will go very easily if you prep everything, including the sauce, on tiny bowls or plates directly near the stove once you start cooking.”
Preheat your skillet. “Wait for your cooking utensil to heat up before adding the oil,” Lee advises, “then add your ingredients right away.” This will aid in achieving the desired browning and preventing sticking.
Purchase a wok. “The high and deeply sloped sides will give you greater confidence to move your food around,” Lee explains of the classic stir fry cooking vessel’s form. Choose carbon steel or cast iron over other materials. (Le advises against using non-stick pans because the coating isn’t usually designed to withstand such high temperatures.)
Make sure the pan isn’t too full. According to Le, stir-fries work best when a lesser amount of food is cooked in a giant wok or skillet. When the components have lots of areas to fry rather than steam, they will cook more evenly (another reason that cooking the ingredients in stages is a good idea).
Conclusion
The fact that stir-fries are excellent is, of course, the most crucial factor. You’ve got a good mix of textures and flavors (crunchy vegetables, chewy noodles, and tender meat) (mainly from the sauce, which can hit notes that are savory, salty, tangy, and sweet). On the other hand, stir-fries are by definition created from scratch and meant to be eaten hot off the pan.
Stir-fry the onions, then add the hard veggies like carrots and broccoli. Snow peas, leafy greens, and bean sprouts are quick-cooking vegetables that should be introduced near the end of the cooking process. If utilizing vegetables with a mix of textures, start with the stems and finish with the leaves.
