Stir fries are one of my favorite dinners: they’re quick, easy, and so versatile. So I’m excited to share these mix and match healthy stir fry recipes with you!
Mix and match recipes involve a few key components that you can switch around based on what you have on hand. In the case of stir fry, you can mix and match vegetables, proteins, and sauces to your heart’s content.
Mix + Match Healthy Stir Fry Recipes
Stir fries are the perfect easy weeknight meal.
They only require one pan, they’re easy to get on the table in a matter of minutes, and all the ingredients are super flexible!
Plus, stir fries have the perfect formula for a balanced meal: vegetables and protein stir fried together with a flavorful sauce, served over a whole grain like brown rice or noodles. The combination is satisfying, yummy, and so incredibly easy – my kind of recipe!
So how do you go about mixing and matching stir fries? Here’s my method!
Step 1: Choose a stir fry protein.
There’s no wrong place to start when it comes to stir fries, but I like to start with proteins.
I usually choose between shrimp, diced chicken breast, sliced beef, and cubed tofu based on what I’m craving, what we have to use up in the freezer, or what’s on sale!
A quick note on beef: you’ll want to opt for a lean, tender cut like top round (which cooks quickly), rather than one with lots of connective tissue and fat marbled in (which only gets tender when cooked slowly, like in a stew).
You can always chat with a butcher at the meat counter and ask which cut they’d recommend for slicing thin and stir frying!
Step 2: Gather veggies.
Stir fries are great for using up veggies from your fridge!
Just about any veggie works, fresh or frozen, and there’s no limit to the number of veggies you can toss in.
Some of my favorites include bell peppers, mushrooms, onions, snap peas, broccoli, and edamame (which are soybeans, so they could easily double as a protein source! I include them with veggies because they cook up similarly in a stir fry).
Step 3: Choose a stir fry sauce.
The sauce is probably my favorite part of a stir fry.
It adds so much flavor and really lets you change the whole meal by mixing and matching just this one component!
I have four basic stir fry sauces that I rotate between, and they’re all equally easy to make.
Just combine all the ingredients in a mason jar or bowl and shake or stir to combine!
These are my go-to stir fry sauce recipes:
Sriracha Stir Fry Sauce:
1 teaspoon sriracha (or more if you like it extra spicy!) + 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce + 2 tablespoons rice vinegar + 1 tablespoon honey + 1 clove crushed/grated garlic + 1 teaspoon minced/grated ginger
Peanut Stir Fry Sauce
3 tablespoons peanut butter + 3 tablespoons soy sauce + 3 tablespoons rice vinegar + 1 tablespoon honey + 2 teaspoons minced/grated ginger
Teriyaki Sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce + 2 tablespoons rice vinegar + 3 tablespoons orange juice + 2 tablespoons honey + 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
Ginger Soy Stir Fry Sauce
1 tablespoon minced/grated ginger + 2 tablespoons soy sauce + 3 tablespoons rice vinegar + 2 tablespoons honey + 1 tablespoon sesame seeds + 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
Step 4: Get cooking!
The method is the same for any combination of protein, veggies, and sauce!
First, cook your protein.
I like to do this first so that you can get nice caramelized edges on your protein and don’t have to worry about tossing raw chicken into cooked veggies later on.
Heat a large pan or wok over high heat with a drizzle of sesame oil.
Add protein (sliced or cubed if necessary) and cook while stirring occasionally – this usually takes 3-4 minutes for shrimp and thinly sliced steak, and 5-7 minutes for cubed chicken and tofu.
Once the protein is cooked through, remove it from the pan and set it aside.
Next, cook the veggies.
Add another quick drizzle of sesame oil to the pan if necessary, then add all the veggies.
I like to par-cook heartier veggies like broccoli florets and sliced carrots by microwaving them with a splash of water for a minute or two, then toss them in with the rest of the veggies I’m using, or you can just cook these first in the pan for a little longer – up to you.
Cook the veggies until tender (or just tender – depending how soft you like them) while stirring occasionally – this usually takes 5-7 minutes, depending on how crisp or tender you like your veggies.
Finally, add the sauce and protein back into the pan.
Cook for a minute or two, until the sauce thickens and glazes everything.
If you want to mix brown rice or brown rice noodles into the mixture now, go for it.
Otherwise, just serve the protein and veggies on top of a bed of whole grains, and you’ve got a complete meal!
The combinations are endless, but here are some of my favorite healthy stir fry recipes:
Tofu Stir Fry with Sriracha Sauce, Carrots, Peppers, Edamame, and Snap Peas over Brown Rice Noodles
Beef Stir Fry with Ginger Soy Sauce, Broccoli, Mushrooms, and Onions over Brown Rice
Shrimp Stir Fry with Peanut Sauce, Broccoli, Mushrooms, Peppers, Onions, Mushrooms, and Brown Rice Noodles with Peanuts
Chicken Stir Fry with Teriyaki Sauce, Carrots, Peppers, and Snap Peas over Brown Rice with Cashews
Do you love mix & match recipes, too?
Check out my other mix + match style recipe posts:
- Overnight Oatmeal 6 Ways (vegan, gluten free with GF oats)
- Avocado Toast 12 Ways (vegan options, gluten free on GF bread)
- Lettuce Wraps 3 Ways (gluten free)
- Grain Salad Bowls (vegan and gluten free options)
- Healthy Sandwiches (vegan options, gluten free on GF bread)
- Healthy Smoothies (vegan options, gluten free)
- Sheet Pan Dinners (vegan and gluten free options)
- Stuffed Peppers (vegan and gluten free options)
What’s your favorite stir fry combination?
I’ve been on a kick with peanut sauce lately, but I’m always a fan of sauces packed with fresh ginger!
