If you have followed any of my recipes you know that I love Asian food. Korean food holds a special place in my heart. Marrying Korean flavors with North American Recipes is just a win win in my book! Here, we have a Korean Stir Fry to satisfy your asian cravings!
Do you love Asian flavors? Love saving time? Love vegetables? This is a recipe for you! This is your must try dish. Sure.. you could take out Asian food. But why not make more for your dollar at home and get the freshness of Umami flavor and veggies? The family will be requesting this!
Why I Love this Korean Stir Fry
- The taste is amazing.
- Different way to eat veggies with a blast of flavors.
- Fancy but really easy.
- Built around the vegetable!
When it comes to dinner on weekday nights, it's a toss-up of speed verses flavor. Can't we have both? Well, in my opinion, this recipe offers the best of both worlds! From start to finish it takes about 30-40 minutes. It has the look of something you would get at your local Asian take-out, but the best part is it tastes better! Using ingredients like Gochujang and Smoked Soy Sauce may seem a little out there, but these days they are available in most grocery stores. An even bigger plus..they have long shelf/fridge lives. This means, you can whip up this tasty Korean beef stir-fry on a regular basis. 😉
Where is the meat?!
This recipe is a true vegetarian dish, but if you want protein you can easily add in beef or chicken. I LOVE adding chicken thighs or shredded beef to Asian dishes. They soak up the flavors perfectly! I took Korean ingredients and flavors and add some Japanese or Chinese concepts into this dish with the real star of this dish being that Smoked Soy Sauce from Wangshin.
What is Gochujang? Why 'Smoked' Soy Sauce?
Simple answer is this, Smoked Soy sauce is just as it suggests.. it's smoked low and slow adding a smokey flavor to the soy sauce that's AMAZING. Gochujang is a Korean Soybean paste (a little spicy) packed with tons of umami flavor. Its counterpart, miso paste, is similar but slightly different of course. One is a Japanese ingredient, and the other is a Korean ingredient. Korean flavors do tend to have more spice in their cuisine.
Now let's get to the recipe and all the ingredients needed as well as some cooking items and utensils for this dish.
Helpful Items for Making an Easy Korean Stir Fry
- Flint and Flame Knives - I use these daily and have had them for over 2 years. I've yet to sharpen them! Definitely great quality knives. Code CHEFTIM40 to get 40% this knife or their entire website
- Wire Whisk - Oxo brand whisk that's easy to clean and gets the mixing done!
- Smoked Soy Sauce - Wangshin makes the best smoked flavor I've found to date! You won't regret trying it.
- Wok - Hexclad 14" Hybrid Wok with Lid. It's the BEST Wok I've found.
- Gochujang Paste - Also found in most grocery stores now, but easily found on Amazon.
- Bench Scraper - No joke.. everytime I cook I use this. You'll surprise yourself with how much you'll end up using it!
- Ginger Paste - Easier than fighting with real ginger but still has all the great taste!
- Kimchi Sprinkles - We discovered these at a chef's convention and we've been adding them to every asian dish lately. Worth the try!
Ingredients you'll need for your Korean Stir Fry
For Stir Fry
- 3 tablespoon Avocado Oil (or other neutral flavored oil)
- 1 Large Carrot, sliced into sticks or strips
- 1 Red Onion, chopped
- 2 Bell Peppers, sliced
- 1 Large or 2 Small Zucchini, sliced into half moons
- ½ lb Mushrooms (I used baby portabellas)
- ½ Head Napa Cabbage, chopped
- 1 tablespoon Ginger
- 1 tablespoon Garlic
- 1 tablespoon Kimchi Sprinkle (optional ingredient) linked above if you want to try it
- 2 teaspoon Gochugaru (it's a Korean Chili Powder) you can sub regular if you prefer
- 1 ½ teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon Pepper
- 1 tablespoon Sesame Seeds
For the Sauce
- 1 ½ tablespoon Gochujang
- 3 tablespoon Smoked Soy Sauce
- 3 tablespoon Soy Sauce
- 1 teaspoon Liquid Sweetener (Or use 2 tablespoon sugar - I wanted this sugar free)
- 2 teaspoon Corn Starch
Instructions for a Vegetarian Korean Stir Fry
Step 1 : Gather all the ingredients and set them out on the counter. It's helpful to have bowls ready for chopped ingredients.
Step 2 : Slice carrots, bell peppers, onion, mushrooms and cabbage. Cut zucchini into half moons.
Step 3 : Making the Stir Fry sauce. Add in gochujang first to a small bowl. Stir in the smoked soy sauce. Then, add in your regular soy sauce and corn starch, and then set it aside.
Step 4 : With Wok on medium heat, add in 1½ tablespoon Avocado Oil. Once heated, add in your carrots. When slightly softened, add in your onion and bell peppers and cook for 5 minutes. Add in the remaining vegetables (zucchini, mushrooms, and cabbage). Cook that down until softened, but not mushy.
Step 5 : Form a well in the center of Wok and add the left-over avocado oil to the center. Add in garlic and ginger and cook for 90 seconds, then mix together with everything in the Wok. Mix in kimchi sprinkle, chili powder, salt and pepper.
Step 6 : Add in the sauce - drizzle in your stir fry sauce (Smoked Soy Sauce mixture) and cook for another two minutes to completely incorporate together.
Step 7 : Simply plate and top with sesame seeds. Enjoy!
What are the "must haves" on your family menus? Let me know your families favorite recipes in the comments! I love gathering ideas from fellow cooks!
Recipe
Korean Stir Fry
Ingredients
For the stir fry:
- 3 tablespoon Avocado Oil or other neutral flavored oil
- 1 Large Carrot sliced into sticks or strips
- 1 Red Onion chopped
- 2 Bell Peppers sliced
- 1 Large or 2 Small Zucchini sliced into half moons
- ½ lb Mushrooms I used baby portabellas
- ½ Head Napa Cabbage chopped
- 1 tablespoon Ginger
- 1 tablespoon Garlic
- 1 tablespoon Kimchi Sprinkle optional ingredient linked above if you want to try it
- 2 teaspoon Gochugaru it's a Korean Chili Powder you can sub regular if you prefer
- 1 ½ teaspoon Sea Salt
- 1 ½ teaspoon Pepper
- 1 tablespoon Sesame Seeds
For the sauce:
- 1 ½ tablespoon Gochujang
- 3 tablespoon Smoked Soy Sauce
- 3 tablespoon Soy Sauce
- 1 teaspoon Liquid Sweetener Or use 2 tablespoon sugar - I wanted this sugar free
- 2 teaspoon Corn Starch
Instructions
- Gather all the ingredients and set them out on the counter. It's helpful to have bowls ready for chopped ingredients.
- Slice carrots, bell peppers, onion, mushrooms and cabbage. Cut zucchini into half moons.
- Making the Stir Fry sauce. Add in gochujang first to a small bowl. Stir in the smoked soy sauce. Then, add in your regular soy sauce and corn starch, and then set it aside.
- With Wok on medium heat, add in 1½ tablespoon Avocado Oil. Once heated, add in your carrots. When slightly softened, add in your onion and bell peppers and cook for 5 minutes. Add in the remaining vegetables (zucchini, mushrooms, and cabbage). Cook that down until softened, but not mushy.
- Form a well in the center of Wok and add the left-over avocado oil to the center. Add in garlic and ginger and cook for 90 seconds, then mix together with everything in the Wok. Mix in kimchi sprinkle, chili powder, salt and pepper.
- Add in the sauce - drizzle in your stir fry sauce (Smoked Soy Sauce mixture) and cook for another two minutes to completely incorporate together.
- Simply plate and top with sesame seeds. Enjoy!
Nutrition
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Chef Tim Clowers says
If you love BBQ and Asian flavors then this recipe checks all the boxes!