A wok that is hot. A handful of vegetables. Done in five minutes. Stir-frying is perhaps the fastest cooking technique there is, and that is exactly the point: the short, fierce heat makes vegetables crisp, colourful and full of flavour.

Stir-frying (or wok cooking) is tossing food in small, equal pieces very quickly over high heat in a wok or wide pan. Because everything goes so fast, the preparation is the most important part of the technique.

What is stir-frying?

When stir-frying you keep the food constantly moving in a very hot pan with little oil. That way every piece keeps touching the hot surface for a moment and they cook quickly and evenly.

You need:

a wok or a wide, heavy frying pan;
an oil that can handle high heat, such as groundnut or sunflower oil;
a spatula or wok spatula;
all ingredients ready, cut and within reach.

Why is preparation so important?

During stir-frying there is no time left to cut or look for something. What isn’t ready burns or turns too soft while you search. That is why you work with mise en place: everything cut, weighed and within reach before the heat goes on.

First get everything ready, only then turn on the heat.

How to stir-fry well

Step 1 – Cut everything small and even

Small, equal pieces cook at the same time. Think of julienne or thin slices. Larger than a bite is too big.

Step 2 – Line up the ingredients in order

Line them up in the order in which they go into the pan: first what needs longer, such as carrot, then quick-cooking things. Also prepare the sauce and mix cornflour, soy sauce or ketjap in a bowl beforehand.

Step 3 – Heat the wok until it is hot

Put the wok on the highest heat and wait until it smokes lightly. Only then add the oil and let it run around the sides for a moment.

Step 4 – Fry in batches and keep everything moving

Fry meat separately first and take it out of the wok. Then stir-fry the vegetables in the right order. Keep tossing and stirring. If you overfill the wok, the temperature drops and everything steams.

Step 5 – Add the sauce at the end

Put the meat back in the wok and pour in the sauce during the last minute. Toss everything until the sauce thickens and shines.

Step 6 – Serve immediately

Stir-fries turn limp when they wait. Serve straight away with rice or noodles.

The secret is in the order

Not everything is done at the same time. What needs longer goes into the wok first. Quick-cooking ingredients only come at the end.

Ingredient	When	Guide time
Garlic and ginger	first, briefly	15 to 30 seconds
Chicken or beef in strips	separately and first	3 to 4 minutes
Carrot	early	2 to 3 minutes
Broccoli and green beans	after the carrot	2 to 4 minutes
Pepper and onion	in the middle	2 minutes
Leafy greens (pak choi)	late	1 minute
Bean sprouts	last	30 seconds

These are guide times. Smaller pieces are done sooner. Vegetables should still be crisp after frying.

Stir-frying, sautéing or pan-frying?

With stir-frying the heat is highest and everything moves constantly. With sautéing it is a bit calmer and it is about shaking the pan. With pan-frying you leave the food lying to build a crust.

Stir-frying without a wok

You don’t necessarily need a wok. A wide, heavy frying pan also works, especially on an electric hob or induction. Use it hot, but fry in even smaller batches, because a flat pan loses heat faster.

Preparing meat and fish

Cut meat across the grain into thin strips. That is easier if the meat has been in the freezer for about 20 minutes. Mix it with a teaspoon of cornflour, a splash of soy sauce and some oil. That gives a soft, juicy texture and a shine to the sauce. Prawns and fish are fried briefly and carefully.

Sauces for the wok

A simple basic sauce consists of:

2 tablespoons soy sauce;
1 tablespoon oyster sauce or ketjap;
1 teaspoon sesame oil;
1 teaspoon cornflour, mixed with 3 tablespoons of water;
finely chopped garlic and ginger.

Mix the sauce in a bowl beforehand. Add it at the end, so it thickens without the vegetables turning limp.

Rice and noodles on the side

Cooked rice from the day before is ideal for fried rice, because it is drier and doesn’t clump. Noodles are boiled briefly, rinsed and stir-fried in the last minute. Do cool cooked rice quickly, within one to two hours, keep it in the fridge and use it within a day: rice that stays warm or at room temperature for long can let bacteria grow that make a toxin you cannot heat away.

The most common mistakes

The wok isn’t hot enough

The food steams instead of frying.

Solution: wait until the wok smokes lightly before adding the oil.

You have too much in the wok at once

The temperature drops and everything turns limp.

Solution: fry in batches.

You cut while frying

There is no time, so something burns.

Solution: cut everything before you begin.

You add everything at once

Some things are too soft, others still raw.

Solution: add in order of cooking time.

You pour in too much sauce

Everything starts boiling in the sauce and turns limp.

Solution: use little sauce and add it only in the last minute.

Practise with a simple vegetable stir-fry

Cut a carrot, a pepper and a handful of broccoli small and even.
Chop garlic and ginger fine and mix a splash of soy sauce with some water and cornflour.
Heat the wok until it smokes lightly and add a little oil.
Fry the carrot first for 2 minutes, add the broccoli, then the pepper.
Add the garlic and ginger, pour in the sauce and toss for 1 minute.
Serve immediately.

You taste straight away how crisp vegetables can be when everything is right.

A stir-fry in ten steps

Cut chicken or beef into thin strips and mix with cornflour, soy sauce and a little oil.
Cut carrot, pepper, broccoli and onion into small, even pieces.
Chop 2 cloves of garlic and a piece of ginger fine.
Mix the sauce in a bowl: soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil and cornflour with water.
Line everything up next to the hob in order.
Heat the wok until it smokes lightly and add oil.
Fry the meat for 2 to 3 minutes and take it out of the wok. Chicken must be cooked through in the core at the end, 75 °C: cut a strip open if necessary to check.
Fry the vegetables in the right order, 3 to 5 minutes in total.
Add the meat, the garlic and ginger and the sauce and toss for 1 minute.
Serve immediately with rice or noodles.

Vegetables per season

Season	Good stir-fry vegetables
Spring	asparagus, radish, spring onion, mangetout
Summer	courgette, pepper, green beans, sweetcorn
Autumn	pak choi, mushrooms, carrot, broccoli
Winter	chicory, cabbage, carrot, leek

The vegetables of the season are the tastiest and the most economical.

Looking after a wok

A carbon steel wok must first be seasoned. Heat it empty until it turns bluish, let it cool, wipe it with a thin layer of oil and heat it again until it smokes. That creates a natural non-stick layer that gets better with use.

Wash the wok after use with warm water and a soft brush, without washing-up liquid if possible, dry it immediately and wipe it with a little oil against rust.

Frequently asked questions about stir-frying

Do I need a wok?

No. A wide, heavy frying pan also works, but fry in smaller batches.

Which oil do I use?

A neutral oil with a high smoke point, such as groundnut or sunflower oil. Add sesame oil only at the end for flavour.

Why do my vegetables turn limp?

The wok isn’t hot enough, there is too much in it or the vegetables are wet. Fry in batches and pat wet vegetables dry.

Can I stir-fry frozen vegetables?

Yes, but they release a lot of moisture. Fry them directly over high heat in small batches, so the moisture evaporates quickly.

What is wok hei?

That is the smoky flavour created in a very hot wok by fast browning. You only get it with a very hot pan and small batches.

Stir-frying at a glance

Stir-frying is tossing quickly over high heat.
First get everything ready: mise en place.
Cut everything small and even.
Heat the wok until it smokes lightly.
Add in order of cooking time.
Fry in batches, not too full.
Add the sauce at the end and serve immediately.

Remember this

Stir-frying is fast, but it isn’t about hurry. It is about preparation and order. Whoever has everything ready can make a dish in a few minutes in which the vegetables are crisp, bright and full of flavour.