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We love a good “catch-all” recipe here at Budget Bytes, and a simple vegetable stir fry is the perfect example of that. Whether you’re using up leftover vegetables from your freezer or using a bag of frozen stir fry veggies, a quick and easy vegetable stir fry is an easy solution for dinner. In addition to the very simple version below, I’ve got plenty of ideas for add-ins and flavor modifications in case you want to switch it up!
“This was the best stir fry sauce I’ve ever made! Usually toasted sesame oil is too strong of a flavor in sauces for me, but I think the ingredients really balance eachother out and meld well here. I also appreciate that you gave instructions on how to customize this via what order to add vegetables to the pan.”
Erin
Quick and Easy Veggie Stir Fry
I’ve made a very basic brown stir fry sauce here, but there are so many options for customizing the sauce to fit your taste buds. As with most of my recipes, I made sure to give you a solid, budget-friendly base that you can easily build on depending on what sounds good that night or what you’ve got to use up. My biggest piece of advice? Stir fries move FAST, so having your sauce mixed and your vegetables chopped before the pan gets hot makes the whole process much easier. Once you get the hang of cooking the vegetables in stages (as I show below), you can swap in whatever produce you have on hand and still end up with a colorful veggie stir fry that stays crisp-tender instead of turning soggy!
Recipe Success Tips
- It’s important to get a variety of colors and textures when you make a vegetable stir fry. I chose to use onions, mushrooms, red bell pepper, broccoli, and carrots to provide that variety, but some other vegetables that are great in stir fry are green beans, zucchini, baby corn, water chestnuts, bean sprouts, and cabbage.
- Use a big wok or skillet and high heat. If your pan is too small, there won’t be enough surface area for the steam to evaporate, and the vegetables will get soupy. Likewise, if the heat isn’t high enough, the steam will not evaporate fast enough, and the vegetables will also get soft.
- Don’t overcook the vegetables. You want the vegetables to just be tender-crisp and vibrantly colored. You can always cook them a little longer once the sauce is added at the end, but if you cook them too long in the first steps you’ll end up with limp vegetables that are a drab color.
- Make it spicy. Add a tablespoon or so of sriracha, chili garlic sauce, or gochujang to the sauce.
- Make it extra rich. I’d stir in a couple tablespoons of oyster sauce when making the stir fry sauce to add a slight richness.
- Add a sweet and tangy flavor. Mix in a few tablespoons of hoisin sauce if you’ve got it to hand!
- Give it a tropical twist. You can use pineapple juice instead of water for a fruitier flavor. I’d use a little less brown sugar to taste if you make this change, as pineapple juice is already quite sweet.
Easy Vegetable Stir Fry
Cost $9.06 recipe / $2.27 serving
Ingredients
Stir Fry Sauce
- ¼ cup soy sauce ($0.24*)
- ¼ cup water ($0.00)
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar ($0.08)
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil ($0.10**)
- 2 garlic cloves (minced, $0.16)
- 1 tsp fresh ginger (grated, $0.10)
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch ($0.03)
Vegetables***
- ¾ lb. broccoli ($1.34)
- 2 carrots ($0.33)
- 8 oz. mushrooms ($1.69)
- 8 oz. sugar snap peas ($2.99)
- 1 small onion ($0.28)
- 1 red bell pepper ($1.50)
- 2 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.16)
- 1 tsp sesame seeds ($0.06)
Video
Instructions
- Make the stir fry sauce first. Combine the soy sauce, water, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and cornstarch in a small bowl. Set the sauce aside.
- Chop the vegetables into similar-sized pieces. It's up to you whether you slice, dice, or cut into any other shape you prefer.
- Add the cooking oil to a very large skillet or wok. Heat over medium-high. When the pan and oil are very hot (but not smoking), add the hardest vegetables first: carrots and broccoli. Cook and stir for about a minute, or just until the broccoli begins to turn bright green.
- Next, add the mushrooms and sugar snap peas. Continue to cook and stir for a minute or two more, or just until the mushrooms begin to soften.
- Finally, add the softest vegetables, bell pepper and onion. Continue to cook and stir just until the onion begins to soften.
- Give the stir fry sauce another brief stir, then pour it over the vegetables. Continue to cook and stir until the sauce begins to simmer, at which point it will thicken and turn glossy. Remove the vegetables from the heat, or continue to cook until they are to your desired doneness.
- Top the stir fry with sesame seeds and serve!
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Notes
Nutrition Information
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!How to Make Vegetable Stir Fry – Step by Step Photos
Make the stir fry sauce: I like to prep the sauce first so the flavors have a little time to blend and it’s ready to go when you need it. Vegetable stir fry is a fast process, so you’ve got to be ready! Combine 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup water, 2 Tbsp brown sugar, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 tsp grated fresh ginger, 1 tsp toasted sesame oil, and 1 Tbsp cornstarch in a bowl. Whisk until combined, then set aside.
Prep the veggies: For my stir fry mix, I used 1 small yellow onion, ½ lb. broccoli, 2 carrots, 8oz. mushrooms, and 8oz. sugar snap peas. You can use any mix of vegetables you’d like, just try to get a good variety of colors and textures. You’ll want about 8 cups once chopped.
Chop the vegetables into similar sized pieces. Since carrots take so long to soften, it was okay to cut them much smaller than the rest.
Cook the hardest veggies first: Add 2 Tbsp cooking oil to a very large skillet or wok. Heat over medium-high until the pan is very hot. Once hot, add the hardest vegetables first (or the vegetables that take the longest to soften), in this case, it was carrots and broccoli. Stir briskly for about one minute, or just until you start to see the color of the broccoli turn bright green. They will continue to cook as you add more vegetables.
Add the next batch: Next, add the vegetables that soften semi-quickly, in this case, the mushrooms and sugar snap peas. Again, stir briskly and cook only for about 1-2 minutes, or just until you see the mushrooms begin to soften. They will continue to cook further as you add more vegetables.
Add the remaining veggies: Lastly, add your softest vegetables, in this case, the onion and bell pepper. Stir and cook just for one minute more, or just until the onions begin to soften. They will continue to cook and soften after you add the sauce.
Stir in the sauce: Give the stir fry sauce a quick stir to recombine, then pour the sauce over the vegetables in the skillet. Stir and cook until the sauce begins to simmer, at which point it will thicken and turn glossy. Remove the skillet from the heat, or continue to cook until the vegetables are cooked to your liking.
Serve: Top the stir fry with sesame seeds and enjoy!
Other Stir Fry Add-ins
In addition to vegetables, you can add all sorts of other ingredients! I’d cook any raw meat in the skillet first, remove it, then add it in at the end with the sauce to warm through. You should also cook any noodles before mixing them in! Try some of these easy add-ins to bulk up your meal:
- Pan cooked chicken, beef, or pork (slices or ground meat will work)
- Shrimp
- Air fried tofu
- Noodles (wheat, egg, udon etc )
- Scrambled egg
- Canned black beans, white beans, or chickpeas (drained and rinsed)
- Peanuts or cashews
Serving Suggestions
This vegetable stir fry is super easy to build into a full meal. Serve it with coconut rice for a lightly sweet and savory combo or toss together my garlic noodles for a takeout style dinner. And if I’m not keeping it veggie, I’ll sometimes make pork gyoza when I have the time! It’s also great with steamed jasmine rice, plain white rice, cauliflower rice, or rice noodles.
Storage & Reheating
I definitely prefer this vegetable stir fry served fresh, so I usually only make as much as I need at one time. I recommend making a smaller batch if you don’t need all 4 servings. But as I’m always all about reducing food waste, any leftovers can be stored in the fridge for up to 3-4 days and reheated in the microwave or in a skillet with a little oil. Just keep in mind the veggies will soften more after reheating.
Try These Other VEGETARIAN Recipes!
- This One Pot Veggie Pasta is a flexible, budget-friendly pasta night that’s meant for swapping in whatever produce you’ve got!
- My guide on How to Make the Ultimate Veggie Sandwich shows you how to build a vegetarian sandwich that’s fresh, filling, and loaded with texture in every bite.
- This Vegan Lasagna is the kind of cozy casserole I make when I want something hearty and satisfying, just without the meat or dairy.
Another wonderful recipe! The sauce is so easy to make and delicious! I used a bag of frozen stir fry veggies and added chicken. Thanks so much for the recipe!
I make this all the time. It’s really good. I often add whole wheat noodles. I sometimes add extra (1.25) sauce for 1 serving (since the veggies & noodles soak up the sauce). I always use low sodium sauce sauce. I have a degree in nutrition and worked as a nutritionist, so I am picky. This is good! I use the Costco, organic, stir fry, frozen veggies.
girl are you for real?? SO yummy and so easy! i may have to make it… forever? i added baby bok choy at the end and may try pairing with tofu next. delish!
make this all the time
so easy
so good
This stuff is GOOD!!!!!
The sauce is so simple and so tasty! I brought home all the leftovers from a veggie tray at work and this was a great way to use them – carrots, snap peas, broccoli, cauliflower, bell pepper! Yum.
Great sauce, I added softened rice noodles at the end with some cashews. Absolutely delicious!
Love this recipe! Often add cooked udon noodles at the end, or sometimes gyoza. One of our favourites
This recipe is a winner. I am unapologetically an avid meat eater, but I made this as is and was absolutely amazed at how wonderful it is. It is now a favorite go to. Thanks 👍
Made this with thin slices of beef! YUM!
Enjoy the stir fry, the sauce didn’t thicken, don’t know what I did wrong.
Definitely make for dinner again
This is my favorite recipe on this website! I usually use carrots, celery, broccoli, red pepper and black beans, and then add both sesame and pumpkin seeds at the end.
This is my favorite recipe on this website! I usually use carrots, celery, broccoli and red pepper, and then add both sesame and pumpkin seeds at the end.
Really enjoyed this! I used mushrooms, carrots and zucchini in the stir fry. Loved the sauce!
This is a new favorite in my house. I’ve made it 3 times in the last couple weeks. I paired it with cashew chicken and sesame noodles.