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This delicious, Asian-inspired, Sweet and Citrus Soy Garlic Sauce is great to mix up ahead of time, then pop into the refrigerator until the night you want to cook. You’ll have dinner on the table in no time! 

A jar of sweet and citrus garlic sauce.

Sweet and Citrus Garlic Sauce lets you create a tasty dinner based on what you have on hand. Use any protein you want – chicken, pork, steak, shrimp, tofu – it all works. Choose whatever veggies you have and serve it over white rice, brown rice, rice noodles, or udon noodles. Any combination is delicious when cooked together in this sauce. 

With a surprising amount of produce on the ingredients list, fresh win for this dish. Squeeze an orange instead of using bottled juice. Grate an onion instead of using onion powder. And while you may not keep fresh ginger on hand, go buy some for this recipe! (Tip: Store leftover ginger root in the freezer.) 

Ingredients

See recipe card below for exact ingredients.

For the Sauce: 

Ingredients for citrus garlic sauce.
  • Orange – For sweetness, freshness, and citrus flavor.
  • Brown sugar – Light brown sugar works best here.
  • Soy sauce – Choose low sodium if possible to better control the salt in your dish.
  • Sesame oil – This packs big flavor, so don’t swap it out for another oil.
  • Rice vinegar – Another ingredient that can’t be swapped out for something else. Choose your favorite brand of rice vinegar.
  • Garlic – Use fresh garlic for the best flavor.
  • Ginger – Lots of fresh ginger gives this sauce lots of delicious flavor.
  • Onion – Use part of whatever onion you’re going to use in the stir fry itself. I like yellow or white onions for their onion flavor.

For the Stir Fry:

Ingredients for stir fry using citrus garlic sauce
  • Protein of choice – Choose whatever you prefer: chicken, steak, shrimp, extra firm tofu 
  • Onion – I like yellow or white onions in this dish for their stronger onion flavor.
  • Veggies – Choose any veggies you like in stir fry! Ideas: broccoli, carrots, pea pods, bell peppers, baby corn, water chestnuts, mushrooms.
  • Green onions – For additional texture and another layer of onion flavor.
  • Cornstarch – To make into a slurry to thicken your sauce so it better coats the veggies and protein.
  • Water – To mix with the cornstarch for the slurry.
  • Cooked rice, rice noodles or udon noodles – Whatever you prefer for serving your stir fry. These are my favorite options, but choose whatever you like.

How to Make Sweet and Citrus Garlic Sauce 

Mix up the Sauce

Juice the orange into a medium bowl. Add brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, minced garlic, grated ginger, and grated onion. Whisk everything together until well combined. 

A jar full of sauce.

Cook with the Sauce

Prepare your protein of choice – Thinly slice chicken or steak OR peel and devein shrimp OR pat tofu dry and cut into 1” cubes. Set aside.

Place a large skillet over medium heat. Pour the sauce into the pan. Bring to a bubble. 

Add onions, veggies, and protein. Cook for 4-6 minutes until veggies are crisp-tender and protein is cooked through. 

Adding meat and veggies to a pan of sauce.

Whisk together the cornstarch and water. Slowly mix into the sauce, stirring until incorporated. Cook for another 1-2 minutes until the sauce thickens. 

Cornstarch slurry being poured into a pan of meat and veggies.

Serve over cooked rice, rice noodles, or udon noodles. Enjoy! 

Bowl full of meat and veggies cooked in citrus garlic sauce
Jar full of citrus garlic sauce
5 from 1 vote

Sweet and Citrus Soy Garlic Sauce Recipe

Katy McAvoy
This delicious, Asian-inspired, Sweet and Citrus Garlic Sauce is great to mix up ahead of time, then pop into the refrigerator until the night you want to cook. 
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Tap +/- to adjust servings4
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Ingredients
 

For the Sauce: 

  • ½ large orange
  • ⅓ cup brown sugar
  • ⅓ cup soy sauce, low sodium
  • 2 tsp sesame oil
  • ¼ cup rice wine vinegar
  • 6-7 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
  • 2-3 Tbsp grated onion, about ½ a small onion

For Cooking:

  • 1 lb protein of choice – chicken, steak, shrimp, extra firm tofu
  • 1 small yellow or white onion, peeled and thinly sliced
  • 1 cup thinly sliced veggies – broccoli, carrots, pea pods, etc.
  • 3 green onions, sliced – white and green parts
  • 2 tsp cornstarch
  • 2 tsp water
  • Cooked rice or udon noodles

Instructions
 

Make the Sauce:

  • Juice the orange into a medium bowl. Add brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, minced garlic, grated ginger, and grated onion.
  • Whisk everything together until well combined. 

Cook with the Sauce: 

  • Prepare your protein of choice – Thinly slice chicken or steak OR peel and devein shrimp OR pat tofu dry and cut into 1” cubes. Set aside.
  • Place a large skillet over medium heat. Pour the sauce into the pan. Bring to a bubble. 
  • Add onions, veggies, and protein. Cook for 4-6 minutes until veggies are crisp-tender and protein is cooked through. 
  • Whisk together the cornstarch and water. Slowly pour the cornstarch mixture into the sauce, stirring until incorporated. Cook for another 1-2 minutes while the sauce thickens. 
  • Serve over cooked rice, rice noodles, or udon noodles. Enjoy!
Serving: 0.25cup sauce, Calories: 126kcal, Carbohydrates: 25g, Protein: 3g, Fat: 2g, Saturated Fat: 0.3g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g, Monounsaturated Fat: 1g, Sodium: 1088mg, Potassium: 152mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 21g, Vitamin A: 142IU, Vitamin C: 15mg, Calcium: 44mg, Iron: 1mg
Did you make this recipe?Please let us know by leaving a star rating and review!

Recipe Tips

Can I use ground ginger instead of fresh? 

Freshly grated ginger makes a big difference in flavor, so make the effort to buy fresh ginger. If all you have in the house is ground ginger, use 1 tsp in place of the fresh ginger. 

Be sure to thinly slice the meat.

This meal comes together quickly once you start cooking. If you’re using chicken, beef or pork for your protein, make sure you’ve thinly sliced the meat. Don’t cut it into cubes. You’re looking for thin strips of meat so it can cook quickly with the veggies. 

How can I meal prep with this recipe? 

During your weekend meal prep time, mix up the sauce, chop your veggies, and make the rice (if using). Store everything in separate containers in the refrigerator until the night you want to make this recipe. 

How else can I serve this sauce? 

This Citrus Garlic Sauce is great as a dip for potstickers or egg rolls. Heat the sauce in a small pan over medium heat and cook until the sauce reduces in volume by half. Cool to room temperature or chill before serving.  

Can I leave out the meat? 

Yes! Feel free to skip the meat in this recipe if you want a vegetarian dish. 

Easy Cocktail Pairings

For this Soy Garlic Sauce, a slightly sweet tropical drink is a great pairing. Try my Pineapple Martini, and Blue Lagoon Cocktail or Blue Lagoon Mocktail, or a Mojito Mocktail.

I love when you share my recipes!