What To Serve With Stir Fry – Our Favorite Delicious Ideas
If you love a good stir fry then we have a few ideas for some delicious side dishes that will take your meal to the next level.
What to serve with stir fry? Fried food is usually a great pairing with stir fry. Our favorite delicious side dish ideas include spring rolls, fried egg, noodles, crackers, soup, dumplings, fried rice, chicken skewers, sautéed vegetables, French fries, and butter/garlic rice.
Read below to learn more about stir fry and the perfect side dish ideas that you can easily try at home!
Stir Fry 101
Stir fry is a famous cooking technique that originates from China.
It involves cooking food with a small amount of very hot oil in a large seasoned wok.
The technique itself has been around for centuries and has helped create many iconic dishes.
Stir fry usually includes the use of rice, noodles, and veggies – all starchy ingredients that can pair well with a list of yummy sides.
Most people try to avoid cooking stir fry at home because of its perceived level of difficulty, however, it is one of the easiest ways to cook a yummy and relatively healthy dish at home — plus some easy and delicious side recipes, of course!
All you need is a good quality wok, a high smoke point oil (peanut or vegetable), and an assortment of your favorite veggies and protein. You can even use a store-bought sauce for additional flavor.
As for the side dishes, you can pair this Chinese dish with a range of regional and even international cuisines!
Pro Tip: If you are preparing stir fry at home for a special dinner, then we suggest that you think outside of the box to come up with delicious combinations.
Check out this stir fry 101 video from Chinese Cooking Demystified on YouTube for a quick tutorial:
Best Sides for Stir Fry
Here are some of the best side dishes to with serve stir fry!
Spring Rolls
Spring rolls are an excellent and popular side dish for stir fry.
While its dry texture may not appeal to everyone, we think that its crispiness and subtle flakiness pair extremely well with any type of stir fry, especially noodles!
You can get creative with the filling too!
Experiment with different and contrasting flavors to get the most out of it — try adding pieces of egg to sautéed and seasoned veggies, and roll the mixture up in thin rice or flour wraps.
Fry the rolls in peanut oil to get the most out of their flavor. We recommend going with smaller-sized spring rolls on the side for a neat presentation!
Fried Egg
Fried eggs are the perfect pairing for stir fry and can add a whole lot of texture!
While most people prefer to add a couple of fried eggs on top of a stir fry, you can also separately have it on the side.
Fried eggs can be seasoned with salt and pepper, but we recommend adding finely chopped chives and a bit of crushed red chili flakes for added color and heat.
Fried Rice
Fried rice can be prepared in many different ways.
If you want it to complement a serving of stir fry, then we recommend going with a combo of shrimp and vegetable fried rice.
You can choose any type of rice, but we suggest that you go with aromatic and non-sticky rice for the best experience – but if you want to keep it traditional then you can also prepare sticky rice with a side of soy sauce dip too!
Want more flavor? Then add in an egg to make egg and shrimp fried rice!
Crackers
Crackers may not be as satiating but they sure provide a lot of texture and flavor!
The best thing about this side dish is that there are hundreds of cracker varieties to choose from — and almost all of them go well with stir fry!
Get savory rice crackers that are seasoned with shrimp or chicken for the best experience. The crackers can also be paired with other side dishes mentioned in this list, especially soup!
Hot And Sour Soup
Is there anything better than a delicious stir fry and a bowl of hot and sour soup on the side? We think not!
Hot and sour soup is a blank canvas that can be customized in several different ways.
Our favorite is a mix of hot and sour soup with shredded chicken and small pieces of shrimp. Add a few veggies into the mix and you will have yourself an extremely delicious and satisfying meal!
You can also try other types of soup with stir fry – for example, a simple chicken soup with boiled egg can also make for a great side dish!
Noodles
Noodles are just as versatile and addicting as stir fry, which is why they make for one of the best side dishes for stir fry.
You can virtually try any type of noodle recipe as a side, but we recommend that you keep it simple and start with a combination of lightly seasoned wheat noodles tossed in toasted sesame oil.
Trust us — it may not seem like much, but the texture of the noodles will work brilliantly with the overall flavor and texture of the stir fry!
Honey Garlic Chicken Skewers
If you are looking to prepare a feast, then why not pair the stir fry with a delicious and convenient side of honey garlic chicken skewers?
Trust us, they are easier to make than they sound and are extremely delicious!
This side dish is a good way to add presentation points and value to your dinner. It can beautifully compliment any type of stir fry and you can get creative with what goes on the skewer too!
Grill or fry deliciously tender boneless chicken (breast or thigh) and put them on wooden skewers with tomatoes, bell pepper, and onions. We guarantee that this will be an instant hit and will get you a lot of compliments too!
Butter/Garlic Rice
Garlic rice or a simple serving of butter-infused rice is a simple and delicious way of uplifting your serving of stir fry!
It’s extremely easy to make and you can play around with the flavors (just like with fried rice) to get the most out of this simple yet effective side.
Add a dab of peri-peri sauce or garnish with seasoned boneless chicken for an extremely tasty experience.
If you want to stick with the essentials, then a simple garnish of garlic powder will also work well and will also complement the umami flavors in the stir fry.
Dumplings
Don’t know where to start? Then a serving of dumplings may just be what you need to complete your serving of stir fry.
Dumplings are addictive and offer an extremely balanced texture that can pair well with the crunchiness in the stir fry.
We recommend going with a filling of beef or chicken for the best flavor. If you want to go even further, then a combination of spring rolls and dumplings would make for an unforgettable meal!
Sautéed Vegetables
Don’t want to go overboard? Keep your meals nutritionally balanced with a serving of lightly sautéed or steamed vegetables.
Carrots, asparagus, and cabbage are all great at adding texture and flavor to your stir fry.
Simply steam or sauté them, then garnish with a bit of salt and pepper. That’s it! You can also grill the vegetables for a smoky flavor that would add a layer of complexity to the entire dish.
French Fries
Don’t have time to prepare any of the sides we have mentioned? Then keep it super simple and go for a side of deliciously crispy fries.
This is a no-frill side dish that is bound to attract every type of foodie.
We recommend going with flash-frozen fries for the best experience as it can be difficult and time-consuming to prepare fries from scratch at home.
You could also go with a serving of wedges if you don’t want to avoid deep-fried food. Season the wedges with garlic powder, salt, and pepper for the best flavor!
Another tip for elevating a stir fry is to serve it over buttery mashed potatoes — trust us, you are going to knock it out of the park with this one!
Related Questions
Stir fry can be served with a range of simple or complex side dishes — all you need is to tap your imagination and think in terms of the textures and flavors of the stir fry to come up with new complementing side dish ideas!
Now that you know what to serve stir fry with, here are some related questions.
Can you serve stir fry with salad?
Dry or plain salads may not be the best combination for a stir fry, but if you want salad with your stir-fry then we recommend that you prepare a creamy salad.
We recommend an Asian-inspired salad dressing if you want to really complement your stir fry — we love this salad dressing. Add in pineapples, apples, or other flavorful fruit to keep things interesting!
Can mac and cheese be a good side dish for chicken stir fry?
Surprisingly, yes! The creamy, soft, and chewy texture of mac and cheese will pair extremely well with chicken stir fry. Make sure that your recipe includes a combination of sharp cheddar, eggs, evaporated milk, and butter.
