By Grocery List Plus Editorial Staff | Published on June 14, 2026
Serves 4
46 cal · 10 min
Vietnamese Stir-fry Sauce
Recipe GLPRc9caacbfeca4f3
A simple and aromatic Vietnamese stir-fry sauce made with chicken stock, fish sauce, and sugar. This versatile sauce brings authentic Southeast Asian flavor to any stir-fried dish. The balance of umami from the fish sauce and subtle sweetness from the sugar creates a base that complements vegetables, proteins, and noodles perfectly. Ready in just 10 minutes, it's an essential condiment for Vietnamese-inspired cooking.
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Ingredients
1 1/2 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce
1 tablespoon sugar
Directions
Pour the chicken stock into a small saucepan and place it over medium heat.
Once the stock begins to warm, add the fish sauce and stir well to combine.
Add the sugar and continue stirring until it dissolves completely into the liquid, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Allow the sauce to simmer gently for 3 to 4 minutes to meld the flavors, then remove from heat.
Taste and adjust seasonings if needed. The sauce should have a balanced savory and slightly sweet profile. Use immediately as a stir-fry sauce or allow to cool before storing.
Comments
Fish sauce is the only potential friction point, but it's stocked at Harris Teeter, Food Lion, and Kroger in the Asian aisle, so no special trip required for a Charlotte cook. The three ingredients cost under two dollars total, making this negligible per serving when divided across vegetables, rice, and protein. The stated ten minutes is honest—it's literally just whisking together three shelf-stable pantry items with no prep work. This is a weeknight workhorse that reheats beautifully and handles batch cooking for meal prep, though it's a sauce rather than a complete dish.
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