Turn leftover cooked protein into a completely different dinner with this easy 15-minute stir-fry. Use chicken, beef, pork or shrimp along with frozen stir-fry vegetables and a quick homemade sauce for a flexible weeknight dinner that comes together fast.
Here is the step by step:
Step 1, add the onions and sauté:
Step 2, dump in the frozen stir fry mix (I’ve seen different size bags, but I like to use a bag that is about 20 oz.):
Step 3: Dump in the chopped cooked protein:
Step 4, add a can of water chestnuts if you want some crunch:
Step 5: Add the sauce (make sure to check the ingredients listed below…it’s easy to customize based on your protein)
Leftover Protein Stir Fry
Ingredients
For the Stir Fry
- Oil for sautéing
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 bag frozen stir-fry vegetables
- Cooked protein cut into bite-sized pieces (chicken, steak, pork or shrimp)
- 1 can water chestnuts drained, optional
- Cooked rice or rice ramen noodles for serving
For the Sauce
- ½ cup chicken broth or beef broth (depending on the protein you're using)
- ⅓ cup liquid aminos or soy sauce
- Honey a splash
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Small pinch salt
- Cracked black pepper to taste
- Rice wine vinegar a splash
Instructions
- Heat a little oil in a large skillet or pan over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté until it begins to soften.
- Add the frozen stir-fry vegetables and cook until heated through.
- Add the already-cooked protein and continue cooking until the meat is hot.
- Stir in the drained water chestnuts, if using.
- In a glass measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together the broth, liquid aminos or soy sauce, honey, ginger, garlic powder, cornstarch, salt, black pepper and rice wine vinegar.
- Pour the sauce over the hot meat and vegetables. Toss everything together and cook briefly until the sauce thickens and coats the stir-fry.
- Serve immediately over cooked rice or rice ramen noodles.
Notes:
I like to use the 20 oz. frozen stir fry bags for this recipe, but if you want to make a smaller quantity, just cut the recipe in half. You can also double the sauce recipe if you like a ‘saucy’ stir fry.