What are the best vegetables to put in stir fry?

What are the best vegetables to put in stir fry? Here is your guide to which vegetables are best for making stir fry at home.

golden oak shitake mushrooms, sugar snap peas, green bell pepper, carrots, green onions, and fresh garlic and ginger in a skillet
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Best Stir fry sauce

Now that we have mastered how to make stir fry sauce, and how to thicken stir fry sauce, it’s time to talk about the best vegetables to use in a stir fry.

Both the vegetables used and the texture are both key to making a delicious stir fry.

If you have an abundance of fresh produce, a stir fry recipe is a great way to use up all of your extra vegetables!

a skillet with stir fry veggies - snap peas, broccoli, red bell pepper, green onion, and sliced mushrooms

What are the best vegetables to put in stir fry?

First of all, we will start with your must have base for every single stir fry

  • fresh ginger, minced or finely diced
  • fresh garlic cloves, minced or finely diced
garlic onion and ginger

This is SO important to the overall taste of your stir fry, so I’m going to talk about this first.

Please do not skip this step!

ramen noodles with sugar snap peas, carrots, and bell pepper

I typically will use between 1/4 cup and 1/3 cup of finely diced ginger in every stir fry recipe I make.

If you have never bought fresh ginger in the store, just look for it in your produce section.

It comes in long knobs which look like roots.

To prepare your ginger, just cut off the peeling with a knife, then slice and dice until the ginger is in very small minced pieces.

For garlic, I will use anywhere from 10 – 20 cloves, also finely diced/minced.

stir fry vegetables

Pro tip: buy the pre bagged already peeled garlic.

I did the math once and it’s actually a steal + a time saver to just buy the bags of pre peeled garlic.

In my house we go through a lot of garlic, so it is well worth it to me and I save so much time and frustration peeling!

I am a garlic lover, so the more the better in my opinion.

It’s important to note that while you will taste the garlic, it will most definitely not be overpowering, so don’t be worried!

cabbage ramen noodles in a skillet

Think of it more as a flavor base that will help your recipe flavors really go to the next level.

Green onions also go great with fresh garlic and ginger.

Whenever I remember, I’ll grab a bunch of green onions and add the whole bundle chopped up to my stir fry.

They are so delicious! You can also use any other type of onion in your stir fry.

Veggie stir fry  with broccoli, bell pepper, mushroom, snap peas, onion, garlic, and ginger

Tips for making a delicious stir fry recipe

Garlic and ginger are essential to making your stir fry flavor, as well as your stir fry sauce, pop.

Trust me on this, in case I have not said it enough already, do. not. skip. this. 

They give it that authentic oriental flavor and a big depth of flavor.

ramen noodles stir fry

You will be surprised how much the addition of fresh garlic and ginger can add!

Combined with my 3 ingredient stir fry sauce recipe, the results are so much deliciousness you may never want takeout again!

I’m drooling just thinking about how delicious a stir fry would be right now.

chickpea water chestnut baby corn broccoli stir fry

It gives your stir fry that “wow” factor and using these two things with my stir fry sauce was when I finally felt like I had nailed the flavor of making takeout quality at home.

Now when I crave takeout, I crave my own recipes!

bell pepper green onion and broccoli

Do not, I repeat do not skip this step!

Ok, so let’s talk vegetables. I’ll list my favorite stir fry vegetables below.

There are so many choices for what vegetables to use in a stir fry.

Something for every palate!

Stir fry vegetables

Classic stir fry vegetables list

  • Mushrooms
  • Carrots
  • Sugar snap peas
  • Broccoli
  • White or yellow onion
  • Bell peppers, any color
  • Green onion
  • Water chestnuts
  • Baby corn
broccoli stir fried florets

You can also use: 

  • bok choy
  • cabbage
  • asparagus
  • zucchini
  • mung bean sprouts
  • spicy peppers
stir fried vegetables in a skillet

There you have it! I will use anywhere from 5 – 10 cups of fresh vegetables when I make a stir fry recipe.

golden oak shitake sliced mushrooms

Really, you can’t go wrong with stir fry.

From crunchy to soft, sweet to spicy, vegetables add so much to your stir fry.

stir fried broccoli florets

There are so many flavor options, and you can mix and match based on what is in season or what is on sale!

I love using tons of fresh veggies.

They will cook down a lot, so the more the merrier.

Pick and choose what you have on hand, the possibilities are endless!

Stir fry veggies

What vegetables do you stir fry first?

It’s important to note here that if you are cooking a protein in your stir fry, cook it first.

If you put vegetables in before the protein is cooked, they will end up cooking way too long and end up mushy.

Vegetables that take a little longer to stir fry

  • carrots
  • onions (excluding green onions)
  • some leafy greens
  • broccoli
stir fried broccoli

Vegetables that cook quickly in a stir fry

  • mushrooms
  • garlic
  • ginger
  • peppers
  • snap peas

Every vegetable cooks differently, so it’s important to keep in mind the texture before cooking.

sliced portobello mushrooms

For me, I like my stir fry vegetables to have some bite to them still and not be overly soft.

Texture is really important to a stir fry!

The general rule is just enough time to cook and let the flavors marry, without cooking too long and allowing the texture to get soft.

Chinese broccoli with garlic sauce recipe

How do you stir fry vegetables?

First, add oil to your pan and heat it up

Add vegetables by cook times, and stir fry until mostly cooked

Add stir fry sauce and cook until thick, around 3 – 5 minutes

Remove from heat and serve over rice.

Stir fry vegetables recipe in a skillet

Stir fry recipes to try

Here are a few of my favorite stir fry recipes!

3 Ingredient Stir Fry Sauce Recipe

Yes, the same one I have been talking about in this post!

After creating this recipe, I honestly cannot recommend another sauce again.

The simplicity and flavor of this stir fry sauce has changed the way that I cook!

stir fry sauce in a mason jar

Cabbage Stir Fry

cabbage stir fry noodles

Ramen Noodle Stir Fry

Ramen noodle stir fry

Asian Mushroom Ramen Noodles

asian mushroom ramen noodles in a large skillet

Stir Fry Vegetables

If you are looking for a great all purpose vegetable stir fry recipe with tons of veggies, this is it!

Featuring a rainbow of color and flavor. I love this one!

veggie stir fry over white rice

Teriyaki Sauce

teriyaki sauce in a jar

Broccoli with Garlic Sauce

Takeout style broccoli with garlic sauce.

I created this to mimic my favorite takeout garlic broccoli and it does not disappoint!

Chinese broccoli with garlic sauce over white rice

Tofu Stir Fry Noodles

stir fry noodles with tofu in a large skillet

Broccoli Stir Fry

broccoli stir fry over rice

Honey Ginger Tofu Stir Fry

Tofu veggie stir fry in a sweet and salty honey ginger stir fry sauce.

Or, if you want, just substitute the sauce for my easy 3 ingredient stir fry sauce. Either way will work!

honey ginger tofu stir fry in a bowl

Vegan Chickpea Stir Fry Bowl

Use chickpeas to make this stir fry bowl ready in minutes!

Vegan, gluten free, and full of delicious flavor.

vegan chickpea stir fry in a bowl over brown rice

Broccoli Tofu Stir Fry

A classic combination of tofu and broccoli.

Garlic, ginger, and green onion take this recipe to the next level! Perfect for a meatless dinner.

Broccoil tofu stir fry over white rice

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7 Comments

  1. Heat the wok until it starts to lightly smoke.

    THEN add the oil and start cooking.

    I use a Chinese wok made from very thin cast iron. It is very light and heats up in about a minute.

    I also use a 12,000 BTU burner. High heat produces the best results and cuts down on the cooking time.

    1. Where can you buy that wok? Do you use it to cook any other type of meal? How long do you cook your vegetables? Do you cook them separate and take them off while cooking each other vegetable? Thank you I have had issues with overcooking.

  2. That was absolutely Devine everyone loved it followed your recipe and OMG delicious thank you so much for sharing. I will certainly make it a habit.

  3. I will definitely be looking into some of these recipes! Just a small tip for the ginger. For those who find it difficult to peel it with a knife you can use the edges of a spoon. Just flip it over and press it against the skin and scrape. It’s so easy and you’ll wonder why you never thought of it to begin with! Plus you have less wastage of that precious ginger goodness.

  4. Sounds and looks yummy. Haven’t made it in years, but I like to use chicken and or pork sometimes beef.. What stir fry sauce do you recommend if you were to buy it in a jar? Thanx Adele