26 Stir-Fry Recipes to Make for a Quick, Delicious Dinner at Home (2024)

When you need a quick, delicious dinner, try our stir-fry recipes. They use a fantastic assortment of vegetables—and a wide range of proteins, including shrimp, pork,beef, chicken, andturkey. They come together fast: All take less than an hour, and some go from pantry to plate in just 15 minutes. That means that on busy weeknights, you can have a delicious dinner for four on the table stat. Save even more prep time bycooking rice ahead—because what's a stir-fry without this staple grain?

A stir fry is a great way to add more vegetables to your plate; they're cut small and cooked fast. It's also a chance to enjoy different flavors, like fresh ginger and garlic, toasted sesame oil, chili sauce, and oyster sauce. Whether you use a wok or a skillet, these stir-fry recipes will become weeknight dinner favorites that you make again and again.

17 Shrimp Dinner Ideas for Delicious Weeknight Meals

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Cashew Shrimp

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We're starting fast: This entrée will be on the table in 20 minutes. Roasted cashews and celery bring crunch, while oyster sauce, garlic, and ginger add big flavor to sautéed shrimp.

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02of 26

Spicy Pork-and-Pineapple Stir-Fry

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One tablespoon of Sriracha brings fiery flavor to this stir-fry recipe that also features a nutritious combination of red bell pepper, green beans, and pineapple.

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Ginger-Peanut Turkey Stir-Fry

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Lean ground turkey is sautéed, then mixed with tart lime juice, light brown sugar, salty fish sauce, creamy peanut butter, and chili-garlic sauce in this irresistible stir-fry recipe.

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Spicy Basil Chicken Stir-Fry

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Boneless, skinless chicken thighs are dressed up with oyster sauce, soy sauce, and a little bit of sugar in this quick dinner. The heat comes from minced serrano chiles, which are sautéed with the chicken, along with garlic and shallots.

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Broiled Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry with Water Chestnuts

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Most stir-fry recipes call for sautéing meat or vegetables, but this recipe calls for broiling all of the ingredients—skirt steak and broccoli florets in a savory sauce—on a sheet pan in the oven for just about 10 minutes.

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Egg "Noodle," Broccolini, and Mushroom Stir-Fry

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These aren't your usual egg noodles—they're actually a thin layer of whisked eggs cooked in a skillet, then sliced into thin strips. Toss with sautéed broccolini, shiitake mushrooms, and scallions for a vegetarian stir-fry meal.

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Lemon Chicken Stir-Fry with Green Beans

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Bright and light, this quick dinner calls for boneless, skinless chicken breasts tossed with cornstarch, which are sautéed until crispy and cooked through. Chicken broth, lemon zest, sugar, and sesame oil build flavor in the final few minutes of cooking.

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Watercress Stir-Fry

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Looking for a simple stir-fry side dish? Here, two bunches of watercress leaves are sautéed with aromatic minced fresh ginger and garlic. Right before serving, it's all tossed with sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds.

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Gingery Pork-and-Broccoli Stir-Fry

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Fresh ginger, garlic cloves, chili paste, lime juice, and brown sugar flavor this bold entrée. Like many stir-fry recipes, it has a long list of ingredients, but once you've prepped them, the recipe is quick and easy to prepare.

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Shrimp-and-Basil Glass-Noodle Stir-Fry

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Sticky glass noodles bring a visually appealing, translucent quality to this eye-catching stir-fry dish that will captivate hungry eaters with its assortment of shrimp, sugar snap peas, shiitake mushrooms, and scrambled eggs.

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Moo Shu Pork Stir-Fry

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A combination of pork tenderloin and shiitake mushrooms add plenty of might to this family-friendly stir-fry recipe. The meat is sautéed with an umami-packed mixture of soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and rice vinegar.

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Stir-Fried Carrots with Coconut

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This sweet and spicy stir-fry side dish comes together in just 20 minutes. Combine olive oil, urad dal (black lentils), brown mustard seeds, and dried red hot chiles in a wok until you start to smell the fragrant aroma, then add sliced carrot rounds and fresh ginger. Top with fresh grated coconut and cilantro.

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Pork Stir-Fry with Soy Sauce and Sherry

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Fuel your family with this delicious 40-minute stir-fry dinner made with lean pork tenderloin, broccolini, julienned carrots, and scallions.

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Stir-Fried Sweet-and-Sour Shrimp

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Juicy pineapple, ginger, and apricot jam build the base for this colorful stir-fry shrimp recipe that's easy on the eyes and delicious.

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Stir-Fried Beef with Garlic and Rosemary

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Sirloin steak is stir-fried with garlic and rosemary, then finished with a sauce made with butter and balsamic vinegar that offers an earthy, intense aroma in this unusual recipe. Serve over sliced polenta rather than the usual rice.

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Beef Stroganoff Stir-Fry

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A modern take on the old-fashioned beef recipe, this version omits the sour cream in order to highlight the flavor of smoked paprika, cremini mushrooms, and skirt steak.

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Red Curry Chicken Stir-Fry

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This 15-minute stir-fry recipe features boneless, skinless chicken thighs, snow peas, pineapple, red curry paste, fish sauce, and fresh basil.

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Steak and Asparagus Stir-Fry

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Take steak in a whole new direction by stir-frying it with asparagus, fresh ginger, Thai chile peppers, and scallions in this 20-minute recipe.

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Broccoli and Pork Stir-Fry

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The zest and juice from an orange bring brightness to this rich and savory stir-fry recipe.

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Orange Beef Stir-Fry

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Bottom-round steak is cut into strips and quickly marinated in a combination of freshly squeezed orange juice, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and light brown sugar in this 35-minute meal.

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Shrimp Stir-Fry with Vermouth

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Vermouth is a sweet, fortified wine. Here, it's mixed with soy sauce, light brown sugar, and chili sauce for a shrimp stir-fry recipe that we can't get enough of.

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Pad See Ew

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This skirt steak, broccoli, and noodle stir-fry dish gets some serious heat from three Thai bird chiles, which are thinly sliced, pickled, and served on top.

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Spicy Shrimp and Brussels Sprout Stir-Fry

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Packed with color and texture, this 20-minute dinner showcases Brussels sprouts, bean sprouts, scallions, and shrimp.

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Beef, Snap Pea, and Asparagus Stir-Fry

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One of the things we love about stir-fry is how the vegetables are crispy on the outside but tender inside. Here, sliced New York strip steak is stir-fried with asparagus, snap peas, garlic, and fresh ginger in a cast-iron skillet (you could use a wok!).

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Spicy Shrimp-and-Broccoli Stir-Fry

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Here's a streamlined stir-fry recipe made with five ingredients, including store-bought chili-garlic sauce.

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Cauliflower Rice Stir-Fry

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This vegetable-packed dish starts with cauliflower rice (we have instructions for making your own, or you can use store bought). The cauliflower is steamed with vegetable broth to become the perfect grain substitute in this simple stir-fry of broccoli, carrot, red bell pepper, and red onion.

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26 Stir-Fry Recipes to Make for a Quick, Delicious Dinner at Home (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret ingredient in stir-fry? ›

According to Food & Wine, ketchup is the ultimate way to take the flavor of homemade stir fry up a level, thanks to its sweet and sour flavor profile. It just might be the easiest cooking hack to elevate your home cooking to that of your favorite take-out.

How to make stir-fry taste amazing? ›

Aromatic ingredients like garlic, ginger, green onions, chilies and spices. These ingredients are typically added to the oil first to infuse it with flavor. You won't need much; a few teaspoons to a tablespoon of total aromatic ingredients per person adds a serious amount of flavor.

What are the best ingredients for stir-fry? ›

Stir-fry vegetables
  • Broccoli.
  • Bok choy.
  • Black bean.
  • Green beans.
  • Mushrooms.
  • Peppers.
  • Sugar snap peas.
  • Beansprouts.
Feb 23, 2024

What are the three rules of stir frying? ›

The first is to cook your protein and your vegetable separately, and combine them only after both are fully cooked. A second rule of thumb for stir-frying: Choose one vegetable per stir-fry. Finally, always remember to add liquid only after everything is more or less finished cooking.

What is the liquid used in stir-fry? ›

In addition to soy sauces, cooking wines are used regularly in stir-fries. Liao jiu is a generic term for cooking wine made from grain, usually rice.

What not to put in stir fry? ›

Because stir-frying uses a very high heat, you want a cooking oil that has a high smoke point. Vegetable, canola or peanut oil are my trustee go-tos, and all have a neutral taste, so won't affect flavour. Do not – I repeat, DO NOT – use butter!

What are the seven common ingredients in a stir fry? ›

The main ingredients to a stir-fry are: Proteins – chicken, beef, pork, seafood, tofu, tempeh, seitan. Aromatics – garlic, green onions, shallots, ginger.

What thickens stir fry? ›

Cornstarch! In his book How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, Mark Bittman recommends mixing 1-2 tablespoons of cornstarch with the same amount of water, and tossing this into the stir fry just when it's almost done. It thickens in seconds, picking up the flavors of everything already in the dish and coating evenly.

What goes first in stir fry? ›

Stir-fry onions first, then add hard vegetables such as carrot and broccoli. Quick-cooking vegetables, such as snow peas, leafy greens and bean sprouts, should be added towards the end of cooking. If using vegies that have a combination of both textures, such as gai laan, add the stems first and the leaves later.

What seasonings go in stir fry? ›

For Sauce:
  1. 2–3 Tbsp. soy sauce (to taste)
  2. 1 Tbsp. brown sugar (more if you want a sweeter stir fry)
  3. 1 Tbsp. rice vinegar.
  4. 2 cloves garlic, minced.
  5. 1/2 tsp. sesame oil.
  6. 1 tsp. sriracha (optional – add more/less to taste)
  7. freshly ground black pepper, toasted sesame seeds, and/or chili flakes (optional)

Why is my stir fry tasteless? ›

Seasoning too early

So this is a process where you should season close to the end. If you do not want your stir-fry to be bland, you can also enhance the flavor by adding wok sauce or utilizing ingredients like fresh chilies, Sriracha sauce, fresh lime juice, garlic, ginger, and lemongrass.

What is the key to making a successful stir-fry? ›

The key to stir-frying is to constantly stir. Your veggies must have enough room to move around in the wok. A -crowded wok will lead to veggies that are soggy instead of crunchy. If your wok is getting too full, cook your meat and then veggies in batches.

What is traditional stir-fry? ›

Stir frying (Chinese: 炒; pinyin: chǎo; Wade–Giles: ch'ao3; Cantonese Yale: cháau) is a cooking technique in which ingredients are fried in a small amount of very hot oil while being stirred or tossed in a wok. The technique originated in China and in recent centuries has spread into other parts of Asia and the West.

What are the crunchy things in stir-fry? ›

What are those crunchy things in your stir-fry? They're water chestnuts, and they're surprisingly good for you! You probably already know a few things about water chestnuts. They're white and crunchy, and you'll find them in a ton of Asian-style stir fry dishes.

What gives stir-fry flavor? ›

5. Add flavour.
  • Herbs: basil, oregano, cilantro.
  • Spices: cumin, coriander, cardamom.
  • Reduced sodium or no sodium added broth.
  • Fresh lemongrass, garlic or ginger.
  • 100% fruit juice.
  • Citrus zest.
  • Lower sodium soy sauces (<600 mg sodium per tablespoon)
Sep 16, 2019

How do Chinese food restaurants get their chicken so tender? ›

How do Chinese Restaurants tenderise chicken?
  1. marinating in a cornstarch/cornflour sludge then deep frying or blanching in water before proceeding to cook in the stir fry.
  2. egg whites – sometimes the above method is also done using egg whites.
  3. chemical tenderiser.
  4. simple baking soda / bi carbonate method.
Feb 23, 2019

What is the secret ingredient in Chinese food? ›

Lu sauce is the 'secret sauce" of Chinese cuisine : Goats and Soda It's called Lu sauce. It dates back 1,500 years (at least) and for chef Peter in Beijing, it's new as the brew of soy sauce, ginger, garlic he cooks up each night — with a special touch from his mom.

What is the secret ingredient in stir-fry beef? ›

Velvet the beef: The velveting technique involves tenderizing, marinating, and a quick searing of the meat. To tenderize: Sprinkle with baking soda (the secret Chinese meat tenderizer). To marinate (a quick marinade): Add basic beef marinade and mix to coat evenly. Let marinate for 15 minutes or up to overnight.

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