What's for dinner? Five easy stir fry recipes that are ready in minutes

Quick, easy and always delicious, stir fries are the best way to use up tired vegetables and a speedy route to a healthy dinner

Chicken stir fry

recipe by:Derval O'Rourke

This speedy sweet chilli stir fry is the perfect way to use up tired, leftover vegetables

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 15 mins

Total Time

 25 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

• 500g chicken breast, sliced into strips

• salt

• pepper

• 3 tbsp sunflower oil

• ½ red pepper, roughly chopped

• ½ yellow pepper, roughly chopped

• ½ green pepper, roughly chopped

• 3 medium carrots, finely chopped

• 150g broccoli, cut into florets

• 1 bunch of spring onions, roughly chopped

• 1 tbsp fresh ginger, grated

• 1 garlic clove, crushed

• For the sauce:

• 2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

• 2 tbsp dark soy sauce

• 1 tbsp cornflour

• 200ml chicken stock

Method

1. To a small bowl, add 2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce along with the chicken strips and season well. In a large frying pan or wok, heat 1 tbsp of the oil then add the chicken and fry over a high heat until golden brown and just cooked through. Transfer to a plate.

2. To make the sauce, add the sweet chilli sauce, soy sauce, and cornflour to a small bowl and stir until smooth.

3. Blend in the stock and season well. Heat the remaining oil in the frying pan or wok. Add the vegetables and stir fry for three to four minutes.

4. Add the ginger, garlic and spring onions and stir fry for 3-4 minutes until just cooked. Add the chicken and sauce and toss together for two minutes.

5. Serve with rice or noodles and enjoy.

Sticky beef stir fry

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

For a no-fuss midweek meal, try this sweet and sticky beef dish with garlic undertones - serve with basmati rice

Servings

2

Preparation Time

 5 mins

Cooking Time

 15 mins

Total Time

 20 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• dash of sunflower oil

• 3 garlic cloves, finely sliced 

• 400g beef, sliced thinly 

• 1 onion, sliced 

• 1 green pepper, de-seeded and sliced 

• 1½ tbsp soy sauce 

• ½ tbsp honey 

• ½ tbsp pink peppercorns, crushed 

• basmati rice, to serve 

Method

1. Stir the soy sauce and honey together.

2. Heat a little oil until very hot in a wok or large saucepan. Quickly stir fry the garlic and beef for just a minute until the beef is brown on the outside and still a little rare on the inside. Pour the contents of the pan onto a plate and toss the beef in the crushed peppercorns so that it is coated. Set aside.

3. Throw the pepper and onions into the same wok and stir fry until they are beginning to soften. Add the soy and honey and continue to fry for about a minute.

4. Place the beef onto the rice and then spoon the vegetables and juice over the whole lot.

Minced lamb stir fry with tomatoes and coriander

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

Fresh, rich cherry tomatoes are at the centre of this garlicky dish, filled with tender lamb, soya flavours and a hint of chilli

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 10 mins

Cooking Time

 15 mins

Total Time

 25 mins

Course

 Main

Ingredients

• rice for four

• 400g minced lamb

• dash of rapeseed oil

• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 1 red chilli, de-seeded and finely chopped

• 2 thumb size pieces of ginger, finely chopped

• 4 tbsp soya sauce

• ½ tbsp honey

• zest of 2 limes, juice of 1 small one

• 3 spring onions, sliced

• 1 head of pak choy, leaves pulled apart and larger leaves sliced

• 8 cherry tomatoes, quartered

• bunch of coriander, stalks and leaves roughly chopped separately

Method

1. Put the rice on to boil in lightly salted water and drain when cooked.

2. Heat the oil in a large wok and fry the garlic, chilli and ginger for thirty seconds.

3. Add the lamb and and brown it all over. Add the soya sauce, honey and lime juice and zest. Taste and season.

4. Stir in the spring onions, pak choy, coriander stalks and tomatoes. The heat should wilt the pak choy almost straight away.

5. Serve with the rice and sprinkle the coriander leaves over the mince.

Honey and ginger stir fry

recipe by:Darina Allen

This delicious stir fry works well with chicken or tofu and really benefits from as much time marinating as possible

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 20 mins

Cooking Time

 10 mins

Total Time

 30 mins

Course

 Main

Cuisine

 Chinese

Ingredients

• 600g pork fillets, cut into 5mm slices

• 60 ml vegetable oil

• 2 spring onions, trimmed and cut into 10cm lengths

• 1 tbsp malt vinegar

• 1 tbsp light soy sauce

• 1 tbsp water

• 2 limes, halved

• 2 tbsp honey

• 2 tbsp light soy sauce

• 2 tbsp shao hsing wine or dry sherry

• 2 tbsp finely diced ginger

• 1 tbsp oyster sauce

• 2 tsp dark soy sauce

• 2 tsp five spice powder

• ½ tsp sesame oil

Method

1. Combine pork with marinade ingredients in a large bowl, and leave to marinate in the refrigerator for 20 minutes or overnight.

2. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a hot wok until the surface seems to shimmer slightly.

3. Add half the marinated pork and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Remove from wok with a slotted spoon and set aside. Heat remaining oil in the wok, add remaining pork and stir-fry for another 30 seconds.

4. Return reserved pork to the wok with spring onions, vinegar, soy sauce and water. Stir-fry for a further minute or until pork is just cooked through and lightly browned.

5. Arrange pork on a platter and serve with lime halves.
   Simple Chinese Cooking by Kylie Kwong is published by Penguin.

Beef noodle stir fry

recipe by:Darina Allen

Ready in minutes, make this spicy stir fry with rice or egg noodles a weeknight staple

Servings

4

Preparation Time

 5 mins

Cooking Time

 15 mins

Total Time

 20 mins

Course

 Main

Cuisine

 Chinese

Ingredients

• 225g rice noodles or egg noodles

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 2 red chillies, de-seeded and chopped

• 2 tbsp ginger, chopped

• 2 garlic cloves, crushed

• 1 green pepper, de-seeded and chopped finely

• 3 sirloin or rump steaks, sliced

• juice of 2 limes

• 3 tbsp soy sauce

• 1 tsp honey

Method

1. Cook the rice noodles. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a frying pan, and then add the chillies, ginger, garlic and green pepper. Stir-fry for four minutes.

2. Add the beef, lime juice and soy sauce.

3. Fry for a couple of minutes. Add the cooked rice noodles.

4. Mix well and add the honey. Have a taste and add some more soy sauce, if you think it needs it.
   From Tiffany Goodall's From Pasta to Pancakes: The Ultimate Student Cookbook, published by Quadrille Publishing