stir-fry

present singular third person stir-fries · participle present stir-frying · participle past stir-fried · past stir-fried · alternative stirfry · alternative stir fry

1. transitiveTo fry quickly in hot oil whilst constantly stirring, especially in a wok or similar pan.

   If you try to knock me, you'll get mocked / I'll stir-fry you in my wok

   1998, “Intergalactic”, performed by Beastie Boys

plural stir-fries · plural stir-frys · alternative stirfry · alternative stir fry

1. countableuncountableFood cooked in this manner.
2. countableuncountableAny of a class of dishes based on Chinese cuisine, typically comprising strips of meat, vegetable and/or noodles, stir-fried and served coated in a sticky sauce.

   16-oz. pkg. vegetable stir-fry mix […] Combine vegetable broth, water, stir-fry mix, soy sauce and sugar in a large saucepot; stir to mix.

   2004, Jyl Steinback, Supermarket Gourmet, Perigee Trade, →ISBN

   1 more example

   And so, the ‘western weeknight stir fry’ tends to aim for that sort of consistency — dutifully mixing together a ‘stir fry sauce’ laden with all of their seasoning, and a non-negligible amount of cornstarch.

   2025 August 12, Stephanie Li and Chris Thomas, “Improving the "Western Weeknight Stir Fry"”, in Chinese Cooking Demystified