Though it’s true you can pretty much throw any protein, veggies, and noodles into a pan with some sauce and call it dinner, sometimes it’s nice to have some inspiration for just which stir-fry combos are the absolute best. That’s where we come in. If you’re looking for inspiration for flavors, cooking methods, or even just permission to go wild (hello dumpling stir-fry), these 40 stir-fry recipes are for you.
Truly, the sky's the limit when it comes to what permutations you can come up with for a stir-fry, and we’ve had many a night where we just dug through our fridge and threw whatever we could find in one. In fact, we try to have protein, like shrimp, chicken, and tofu, and veggies, like broccoli, bell peppers, and carrots, around so we’re always ready to toss one together. Add some pasta like rice noodles, ramen, or soba noodles, and you’ll have an easy, filling meal on the table in no time.
That said, sometimes we do want something a little more thought out and involved, so we turn to the greats like pad Thai, cashew chicken, beef & broccoli, and pad see ew for recipes that’ll never let us down. Our recipes for them do involve some potentially harder to find ingredients like rice wine vinegar or oyster sauce, but trust us—the end results are SO worth it.
Want even more ideas? Check out our favorite Chinese-inspired recipes, are top Thai recipes, and our favorite Asian noodle recipes too.
Beef & Broccoli
In terms of popularity, this is right up there with orange chicken, and for very good reason: The combination of tender, seared beef and broccoli tossed in a garlicky, velvety sauce is practically impossible to resist.
Get the Beef & Broccoli recipe.
Tofu Stir-Fry
For best results, use extra-firm tofu that has been frozen so it can absorb flavors more readily, and simmer the tofu in salted water briefly to make it hardier and less likely to crumble when jostled in the pan; otherwise, the sky's the limit, so add your favorite veggies.
Get the Tofu Stir-Fry recipe.
Pad Thai
Your days of too-sweet sauce, gummy noodles, or overcooked protein are over. With just a few special ingredients, you can make this subtly sweet, tangy, nutty, and salty Thai dish, right at home, exactly how you like it.
Get the Pad Thai recipe.
Cashew Chicken
If you love kung pao chicken, but want something a little less spicy, cashew chicken is for you. It has a sweeter sauce tossed with roasted cashews, rather than peanuts, and goes nicely with veg like water chestnuts, celery, and bell peppers.
Get the Cashew Chicken recipe.
Shrimp & Snow Pea Stir Fry
This easy shrimp recipe can be pulled off with only 5 ingredients! But DON’T let that stop the imagination from flowing if you want to change it up with more or different veg or protein.
Get the Shrimp & Snow Pea Stir Fry recipe.
Pad See Ew
Pad see ew is on everyone’s top 10 Thai dishes list, and it's easy to understand why. The combination of thinly sliced, wok-seared beef, Chinese broccoli, and the signature wide, chewy rice noodles make this Southeast Asian specialty an instant favorite.
Get the Pad See Ew recipe.
Hunan Chicken
We love a spicy dinner and Hunan chicken is no exception. If you want yours less spicy, lessen the amount of chilis and sambal oelek.
Get the Hunan Chicken recipe.
Copycat Panda Express Chow Mein
The exact origins of chow mein are not entirely clear, but historians suspect this dish was born in northern China millennia ago. Thousands of years later, it’s been popularized by a beloved chain with a cute panda mascot. Thanks to this copycat, now you can make it at home!
Sichuan-Style "Fish-Fragrant" Eggplant
Despite the name, there is no trace of fish in this delicious dish. Originating from the Sichuan province in China, 魚香 (yu xiang) describes a flavor profile featuring pickled chilis, fermented bean paste, green onions, garlic, ginger, and punchy spice blend that can used to season vegetables, like this eggplant too.
Black Pepper Chicken
Our trick to the most juicy tender chicken here? Velveting is the process of marinating protein in a cornstarch slurry before frying or boiling to keep it moist and tender. The bit of downtime while the chicken marinates is great for dicing veggies and making this delicious stir-fry sauce.
Get the Black Pepper Chicken recipe.
Fried Rice
This fried rice is the perfect base to customize with whatever you please. Add in your fave proteins—shrimp, pork, or chicken are classic choices—and don't sleep on unconventional ingredients. Use our kimchi fried rice, our Thai fried rice, or our pineapple fried rice as inspiration, then feel free to get creative.
Get the Fried Rice recipe.
Kung Pao Chicken
Kung pao chicken is near the top of our all-time favorite Americanized Chinese foods. Slightly spicy, a bit sweet, packed with peanuts and tender nubs of chicken, it's perfect to eat over rice or out of the fridge at midnight.
Get the Kung Pao Chicken recipe.
Shrimp Kung Pao Noodles
Move over kung pao chicken—if you're looking for a simple, fast, and delicious dinner, then look no further than this shrimp version. The noodles are super-saucy and have the perfect amount of spice, thanks to sriracha and sweet chili sauce.
Get the Shrimp Kung Pao Noodles recipe.
Chicken Yakisoba
In Yakisoba, the noodles are made of wheat and resemble something similar to what you'd see in a lo mein. We went with chicken for this recipe, but feel free to throw in whatever you want.
Get the Chicken Yakisoba recipe.
Sweet & Sour Cashew Stir-Fry
It's a busy night, you don't have much in your fridge, but you still want to make a quick dinner? It's stir-fry time. You can make this vegan version with whatever's hanging around in your fridge.
Get the Sweet & Sour Cashew Stir-Fry recipe.
Mongolian Beef Ramen
Mongolian beef is a popular American-Chinese takeout dish made with thin slices of flank steak, accompanied by veggies, spiked with ginger, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, and scallions. Tossed with another nostalgic favorite, ramen noodles, this is instant comfort in a skillet.
Get the Mongolian Beef Ramen recipe.
Low-Carb Beef & Broccoli Noodles
We love clever ways to use up parts of ingredients that most of us tend to toss. In this easy stir-fry, broccoli stems become noodles! If you have a spiralizer or mandoline with a julienne blade, now's the time to use it.
Mapo Tofu
Disclaimer: “authentic” mapo tofu is hard to perfect without a flaming hot wok above a fire and some hard-to-find ingredients. Never fear, we've made some concessions, and this one is still delicious. Just make sure to serve it with rice to help sop up all that yummy sauce!
Get the Mapo Tofu recipe.
Kung Pao Spaghetti
Our best copycat of California Pizza Kitchen's kung pao chicken spaghetti is saucy and extremely easy to make, with a slight spicy kick.
Get the Kung Pao Spaghetti recipe.
Sesame-Ginger Beef
The snap from green beans in complemented by the tender beef and they're both enrobed in a umami-packed sauce filled with sesame, ginger and soy. Just make sure you serve it over rice so you have something to soak up that sauce.
Get the Sesame-Ginger Beef recipe.
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