Stir Fry Vegetables

Ingredients & Substitutions

Here I explain the best ingredients for stir fried vegetables, what each one does in my recipe, and substitution options. For measurements, see the recipe card.

Stir Fry Veggies:

My rule of thumb is a variety of aromatics, harder veggies, and soft ones, along with a stir fry sauce. My go-to mix is onions, mushrooms, bell peppers, broccoli, and snow peas, a combo I often see at restaurants.

Feel free to experiment with different colors of onions, other types of chili peppers (such as poblanos), cauliflower, sugar snap peas, or varieties of mushrooms (I used cremini, but shiitake mushrooms are awesome in a veggie stir fry). Sometimes I wilt in leafy veggies at the very end, like spinach or bok choy. I’ve got more ideas in the variations section!

You’ll also need oil for stir frying vegetables. I prefer olive oil or avocado oil. If you want to add toasted sesame oil for flavor, I recommend doing that after removing from heat, as it’s not heat-safe.

Stir Fry Sauce:

I think simple sauces are best for stir fry veggies, because they let the produce shine. Here’s what you’ll need for the super simple one I made here. (I’ve got other sauce options in my variations below.)

• Coconut Aminos – This is my go-to soy sauce substitute, and I like that it adds subtle sweetness. You can use low-sodium soy sauce or tamari, but they are missing the sweet taste.
• Broth – You can use chicken broth (what I usually use), bone broth for extra richness, or vegetable broth if you need these vegetarian.
• Unsalted Butter – I use this for sauteing the garlic towards the end. Feel free to just use more olive oil instead.
• Garlic – Some vegetable stir fry recipes add this first, but I prefer to add it close to the end to allow high heat for the veggies without burning the garlic.
• Sea Salt & Black Pepper

How To Stir Fry Vegetables

I have step-by-step photos here to help you visualize the recipe. For full instructions with amounts and temperatures, see the recipe card.

1. Heat the pan. To ensure your oil is hot enough, add a drop of water to your wok. If it sizzles, it’s ready!
2. Cook the longer cooking veggies. Add the mushrooms and onions, and stir fry until both are soft.
3. Stir fry the remaining stir fry vegetables: broccoli, snow peas, and bell peppers. Season with salt and pepper, and stir fry until the veggies are crisp-tender.

4. Sauté the garlic. Create a well in the center, melt the butter, and add the minced garlic. Sauté until fragrant, then mix into the vegetables.
5. Make the sauce. Add the broth and coconut aminos. Stir fry briefly. Adjust salt and pepper to your taste if needed. Serve over rice or cauliflower rice.

Recipe Variations

• Change up the veggies – You can use almost any vegetables for stir fry! I recommend adding hard vegetables (like carrots, cauliflower, or water chestnuts) together with the onions. Other soft vegetables (like cabbage, asparagus, zucchini, or more interesting ones like Chinese eggplant) are best added together with the other soft veggies.
• Add ginger or fresh herbs – Feel free to saute a tablespoon of fresh grated ginger together with the garlic, or toss in any herbs you like in the last couple of minutes.
• Add heat – My husband always adds crushed red pepper flakes! A drizzle of sriracha works well, too.
• Sauce variations – If you prefer a thicker sauce, whisk 2 teaspoons of arrowroot powder (my favorite thickener) or cornstarch into the broth and coconut aminos before adding to the pan. You can also use other sauces in this veggie stir fry, such as the ones from my chicken stir fry or chicken broccoli stir fry, or even teriyaki sauce. Sometimes I drizzle peanut sauce on top after cooking.
• Add protein – Check out my recipes for chicken stir fry, beef stir fry, and shrimp stir fry to find your fave! You can also add leftover chicken breast or shredded chicken, sliced top sirloin, or baked shrimp into the stir fry vegetables at the end if you have them on hand.
• Stir fry frozen vegetables – To stir fry frozen veggies, the method is the same as fresh but the key is to cook straight from frozen — do not thaw them first! They do take a little longer and won’t be as crisp as fresh ones, but are still flavorful.

Serving Ideas

This vegetable stir fry goes with almost any Asian-style meal. Try it with:

• Asian chicken dishes – These stir fried veggies are perfect with my almond chicken or Thai basil chicken. You might prefer my Szechuan chicken if you want a kick, or teriyaki chicken or pineapple chicken for some sweetness.
• Meals in a bowl – I particularly like adding the vegetables to bowl meals, like my Korean beef bowl, egg roll in a bowl, or salmon bowl. You can use plain rice, cauliflower rice (pictured above), fried rice, or cauliflower fried rice (my fave) as the base.
• Honey garlic anything – They’re perfect with my sweet and savory honey garlic pork chops or honey garlic chicken.