A stir-fry is one of the quickest dinners there is — once the chopping is done, it cooks in under ten minutes. The secret to a crisp, glossy stir-fry rather than a soggy, steamed one is heat, space and timing.
Prep everything first
Stir-frying is fast, so there’s no time to chop halfway through. Slice your protein and veg, mix the sauce and line everything up next to the hob before you turn it on.
Get the pan really hot
Use a wok or your largest frying pan, heated until it’s almost smoking, with a neutral oil such as sunflower or groundnut. Olive oil and butter burn at this heat.
Cook in batches, in the right order
- Protein first. Cook it until browned, then lift it out onto a plate.
- Hard veg next: carrots, broccoli, peppers and baby corn.
- Soft veg last: beansprouts, pak choi, spring onions and mangetout.
- Everything back in with the sauce for the final minute.
Don’t overcrowd the pan. Too much food drops the temperature and everything steams in its own juices. Cook in two batches if you need to.
The all-purpose sauce
Mix these in a cup before you start:
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp honey or brown sugar
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar (or lime juice)
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp cornflour mixed with 3 tbsp water — this makes the sauce glossy and helps it cling
- Grated garlic and ginger
Four combinations
- Chicken, broccoli and cashews with the sauce above.
- Beef, peppers and spring onions with black pepper and a little oyster sauce.
- Crispy tofu, pak choi and mushrooms with extra ginger and chilli.
- Prawns, mangetout and noodles with lime and sweet chilli.
Tips
- Toss sliced chicken in a teaspoon of cornflour and a splash of soy before cooking. It stays juicy and tender.
- For fried rice, use cold, cooked rice from the fridge. Freshly cooked rice turns mushy. (Follow our rice storage tips in the food safety guide.)
- Cook noodles separately, rinse them, and add them at the end with the sauce.