Quick Stir Fry

A fast dinner suited to your taste!

What is so great about a stir fry is that you can use whatever you have in the kitchen. Choose whichever protein you like, chicken, pork, or beef, even leave the meat out and add extra vegetables! Pairing this with a store bought jar of stir fry sauce elevates this dish to the next level and makes it taste better than take out!

A shortcut is a store bought jar of stir fry sauce

This is the beauty of this dish! A jar of pre made stir fry sauce elevates this stir fry to the next level and cuts prep time to basically nothing. I usually make my own sauces and rarely buy any pre made because I like to minimize artificial ingredients. With that said, you can find some great, clean stir fry sauces if you just take some time to read the ingredients. A good rule of thumb is to stay away from soy, added color, and any ingredients that you don’t recognize!! I am using a peanut-based sauce that I found at Whole Foods, and its packed with flavor.

Want to make your own stir fry sauce from scratch?

If you don’t want to buy stir fry sauce, no problem! My favorite stir fry sauce to whip up at home uses coconut aminos (instead of inflammatory soy sauce) coconut sugar, garlic, sesame oil and some hot sauce (I like Siete brand).

Which protein should I use?

I used a small 8 oz filet mignon, but feel free to use any protein you like. Or leave the meat out all together. Try: 2 organic cubed chicken breasts, 1/2 lb of organic ground pork, organic ground chicken, even some shrimp!

For the vegetables

I kept the vegetables simple for this stir fry, to minimize prep time. I used 3 green onions, and sliced them thickly, I wanted some crunch in my stir fry. If you are looking for other mix ins try: peas, water chestnuts, thinly sliced or grated carrots, or broccoli.

Gluten free noodles

Staying gluten free – I chose rice noodles (labeled as pad Thai noodles) found in the international isle. In a pinch you could even use spaghetti. If you wanted to leave the carbs out all together- try a head of shredded cabbage: don’t over cook it, and add it last so it will have a great crunch!

Print Recipe

Quick Stir Fry

Courses: Dinner Recipe Keys: Dairy Free Gluten Free Soy Free

Difficulty: Beginner Prep Time 5 min Cook Time 10 min Total Time 15 mins

Best Season: Suitable throughout the year

You Need

Servings

• ¹⁄₂ pound Protein (I used one small 8 oz steak)
• 2 cloves Garlic (Peeled, Sliced Thin)
• 2 Green Onions (Sliced 1/4" thick rounds)
• ¹⁄₃ cup Store Bought Stir Fry Sauce (Or make your own, see below)
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon Dried Red Pepper Flakes
• ¹⁄₄ teaspoon Black Pepper
• 4 ounces Rice Noodles

To Make Your Own Stir Fry Sauce

• ¹⁄₄ cup Coconut Aminos
• 2 teaspoons Coconut Sugar (White or brown sugar works)
• 1 clove Garlic (Smashed & Peeled)
• 1 teaspoon Sesame Oil
• ¹⁄₂ teaspoon Hot Sauce (I like Siete brand)

Method

1. • Cook noodles according to package directions (save a few spoonfuls of pasta water for later). I like to rinse them in cold water after cooking to help keep them from sticking and to halt the cooking process. You don't want to overcook the noodles, as they will cook a bit more when we add them to the sauce.
   • In a large skillet, heat avocado oil and add smashed garlic cloves, toss garlic in oil to flavor the oil.
   • Cook your protein in the garlic infused oil. Sear the meat: medium-high heat, add protein, cook until crispy on the outside and just shy of cooked through (it will finish when we add it back to the pan later) remove meat from pan, cover to keep warm.
   • Add white and light green parts of green onion to pan. Toss, over medium heat, 4 minutes. Add red pepper flakes, to taste, optional.
   • Add stir fry sauce, add noodles, mix.
   • Add protein, mix. 
   • Add a few spoonfuls of pasta water if needed to help combine everything (depending on how thick your stir fry sauce is). Let simmer for 1-2 minutes for noodles to absorb some of the sauce.
   • Remove from heat and add green parts of green onion. Season with black pepper.
   • Serve, and share with someone you love!

To Make Your Own Stir Fry Sauce

1. • Mix all ingredients in small bowl. 
   • Use in place of store bought stir fry sauce mentioned in method above.

Note

I use coconut aminos, a wonderful substitute for soy sauce. Coconut aminos is made from the sap of the coconut tree. It is dark in color, and very similar to soy sauce as far as its flavor and works well if you are trying to cut out soy sauce. Why might you want to cut out soy sauce? Soy impacts estrogen production, and some research suggests an increase in breast cancer risk from ingesting soy. Additionally, soy sauce is very high in sodium, and we can all benefit from cutting down on sodium. Decreasing your sodium intake is good for heart health and decreases inflammation and bloating! 

Keywords: stir fry, takeout at home, stir fry sauce, coconut aminos, peanut sauce, green onions, beef, chicken, pork, weeknight meal