Make this Asian inspired quick and healthy Zucchini Stir Fry in under 15 minutes. It is a great side dish that goes well with any meal.
Try my Oven Roasted Zucchini and Zucchini Bread Recipe, if you like this vegetable.
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About This Recipe
Zucchini stir fry is a delicious side dish that comes together in under 15 minutes using pantry staples. This Asian-inspired dish can be made vegan as I did, or you can add meat protein of your choices like chicken, pork, beef, and shrimp.
This Asian Style Stir Fry Zucchini is delicious but it also has a lot of health benefits too, which gives you one more reason to include it in your everyday meals.
Apart from serving it as a side dish, you can also use it for filling your wraps or sandwiches.
This dish is,
- Healthy
- Vegan
- Gluten-Free
- Easy to make
- Quick
- A 15-minute affair
- A perfect side dish for Asian meals
Benefits of Zucchini
- It is high in antioxidants.
- Just like cucumber, it is high in water content, which is good for hydration and digestion.
- Helps in controlling blood sugar levels.
- A great ingredient to include in your diet for weight loss.
- Also improves heart health.
Ingredients
To make this simple Stir Fry, you need very few ingredients.
Zucchini – Get fresh zucchini that is firm. Do not peel the zucchini, as the peel helps to hold the vegetable once it gets cooked.
Dry Red Chilies – This adds the right amount of spiciness to zucchini stir fry. If you want it to be extra spicy, you can even add some red chili flakes in the stir fry.
You can increase or decrease the amount of red chilies as per your taste and preference.
Sesame Oil – For the best and authentic flavor, use sesame oil.
Sauce – I have used soy sauce and hot sauce. If you like to experiment more, you can even add other Asian sauces and make this according to your taste and preference. Soy sauce adds a nice umami flavor to this dish.
Other Ingredients – You will also need onions, garlic, salt, pepper, and toasted sesame seeds for this stir fry. These ingredients when comes together enhances the taste of this simple and easy stir fry even more.
You can add a little sugar to balance the taste. If you want to make a saucy stir fry, add 1 tbsp cornstarch dissolved in ¼ cup water at the end of the cooking and cook until the sauce thickens (2-3 minutes).
How to make Zucchini Stir Fry?
Start by preparing the zucchini. Wash the zucchini and wipe it with a kitchen towel. Cut it into 1-inch cubes. You can also slice the zucchini into ¼ inch thick slices. Make sure to cut it into even size pieces for even cooking. Do not peel the zucchini.
Now keep all the other ingredients near the cooking area. Zucchini stir fry cooks very fast. You have to be swift once you start adding the ingredients to the pan. You don’t want to overcook the zucchini as it gets mushy in no time.
Add 2 tbsp sesame oil in a large broad pan. If sesame oil is not available, use any other oil of your choice.
Once the oil is hot, add 2 tsp minced garlic and 2-3 whole dry red chilies and fry on high heat for 5 seconds. If you like your stir fry spicy, you can break the chili into 2 parts. Or add some red chili flakes.
Add ½ cup thinly sliced onions and fry for 10-15 seconds.
Add 2 cubed zucchini and saute for 3-4 minutes on high heat.
Now add 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp hot sauce, salt, and pepper to taste and cook for another minute. If you want it saucy, add 1 tbsp cornstarch dissolved in ¼ cup water at this stage and cook until the sauce thickens (2-3 minutes).
Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and serve hot.
Frequently Asked Questions
I do not peel zucchini when I make recipes using it.
It is good not to peel it, as the peel helps to hold the zucchini together so that it doesn’t become mushy while cooking.
In addition, the peel also holds a lot of nutrition, so keep it on!
Yes, you can make the same stir fry by adding other vegetables such as mushrooms, bell peppers, eggplant, broccoli, pumpkin, carrot, sugar snap peas, tofu, or even stir fry the zucchini noodles in the same sauce.
Shrimps, beef, pork, and chicken can be added along with cubed zucchini to make a non-veg version of the same.
To make sure the meat is tender, cut it into thin slices against the grain. Freezing the meat helps to cut it into thin even slices easily.
Soak the sliced meat in some soy sauce and vinegar for 15 minutes before sauteeing.
If adding shrimp to this stir fry, make sure to not overcook it otherwise they turn chewy.
Another trick to make the meat tender is to coat the slices with some baking soda and keep them aside for 10 minutes. Now wash well to remove the soda, pat dry using a kitchen towel, and use in the stir fry.
Cook the meat until cooked through before adding the zucchini to the pan.
Sesame oil gives a very authentic Asian taste to this zucchini stir fry, but if it is not available, do not worry, you can even use vegetable oil or olive oil instead.
Pro Tips By Neha
Stir fry means adding ingredients one after another and cooking on high heat. So make sure you prep for all the ingredients beforehand and keep them near the cooking area.
Choose firm zucchini, avoid the soft ones.
Zucchini should be cut properly, it should neither be too thick or too thin and the pieces should be even in size.
Do not overcook the zucchini, its needs to have that slight crunch.
Do not peel the zucchini, the skin is important to hold the zucchini while cooking.
Red chilies add smokiness and heat in the stir fry. You can adjust the amount as per your taste.
Soy sauce already has a lot of salt. So keep a check on any extra salt that you add.
Replace soy sauce with tamari or coconut aminos for a gluten-free version.
To make the Italian version of this stir fry, use extra virgin olive oil instead of sesame oil. Add some red wine vinaigrette and dried mixed herbs and saute.
Serving Suggestions
This vegan and gluten-free stir-fried zucchini can be served over a bed of rice or quinoa for a simple meal.
You can also serve it along with spicy noodle dishes such as Chilli Garlic Noodles, Schezwan Noodles, or Peanut Sesame Noodles.
I like to serve it as a side dish with my Asian meals.
Fill it in your wraps or sandwiches.
Storage Suggestions
This stir fry will last for about 2 -3 days in the refrigerator when stored properly in an airtight container.
While serving, reheat the stir-fried zucchini in a pan or in the microwave. If you feel it has become a little dry, sprinkle a little water on top while reheating.
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Recipe Card
Zucchini Stir Fry Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 teaspoon minced garlic
- 2-3 whole dry red chilies
- ½ cup thinly sliced onion
- 2 whole zucchini (cubed)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- salt (to taste)
- black pepper powder (to taste)
- 1 teaspoon roasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Start by preparing the zucchini. Wash the zucchini and wipe it with a kitchen towel. Cut it into 1-inch cubes. You can also slice the zucchini into ¼ inch thick slices. Make sure to cut it into even size pieces for even cooking. Do not peel the zucchini.
- Now keep all the other ingredients near the cooking area. This stir fry cooks very fast. You have to be swift once you start adding the ingredients to the pan. You don’t want to overcook the zucchini as it gets mushy in no time.
- Add 2 tbsp sesame oil in a large broad pan. If sesame oil is not available, use any other oil of your choice.
- Once the oil is hot, add 2 tsp minced garlic and 2-3 whole dry red chilies and fry on high heat for 5 seconds. If you like your stir fry spicy, you can break the chili into 2 parts. Or add some red chili flakes.
- Add ½ cup thinly sliced onions and fry for 10-15 seconds.
- Add 2 cubed zucchini and saute for 3-4 minutes on high heat.
- Now add 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp hot sauce, salt, and pepper to taste and cook for another minute. If you want it saucy, add 1 tbsp cornstarch dissolved in ¼ cup water at this stage and cook until the sauce thickens (2-3 minutes).
- Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and serve hot.
Did you make this recipe? Let me know!