Homemade Freezer Stir Fry Recipe

I love quick weeknight meals. To make everything easier, I make a whole bunch at once and then pull it out of the freezer when I’m too busy to prep a big meal. This freezer stir fry recipe is one of my favorites – it freezes so well, and is super healthy! Plus the kids love it.

It’s even better with my homemade stir fry sauce. 

What I love about this recipe is that I can make it with any veggies I want. It’s perfect for using up some things that might go bad, accommodating picky eaters, or taking advantage of whatever’s on sale or in season. 

If you’re not already on the homemade frozen dinners bandwagon now’s your chance. Frozen stir fry is one of the easiest to make!

This one also is great for all family sizes. You can easily separate it into bigger or smaller portions depending on how much everyone eats. 

It’s also one of the few freezer meals that doesn’t require forethought.

That’s right – you can pull it out right before cooking and run under warm water in a pinch. Or thaw the chicken in the microwave. Dinner crisis averted!

1 point for you – take out, 0.

Although I do recommend taking the chicken and marinade out to thaw ahead of time. 

Even though this is technically a chicken stir fry freezer meal recipe, you can actually make this with anything. I’ve used chicken, pork, and beef. Or go full vegetarian!

So good.

Serve it over rice, or eat this amazing stir fry on its own.

Ingredients

This recipe is super simple! All you need is 4 cups of fresh vegetables (your choice), 2 large chicken breasts, and 1 batch of marinade. 

If you use my homemade marinade (and I highly recommend it!), you’ll also need soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, sesame seeds, ginger root, garlic, chicken or vegetable broth, and cornstarch. For a bit of heat, hot sauce can be added, but it’s optional.

How to Make Freezer Stir Fry

First, wash and prepare your vegetables by chopping them into bite-sized pieces.

Blanch the veggies in a pot of generously salted water.

Once they’re done cooking, remove the blanched vegetables from the water with a slotted spoon or fine strainer.

Spread out the veggies on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper and let them cool completely.

Once they’re cool, place the vegetable trays in the freezer for 2-3 hours or until they’re frozen solid.

Remove them from the freezer and break up the frozen veggies with your hands. Place in a gallon-sized freezer-safe bag.

If you haven’t already, prepare the marinade by whisking together soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, sesame seeds, peeled and minced ginger root, minced garlic, hot sauce (optional), chicken or vegetable broth, and cornstarch.

Chop up the chicken breasts (or meat of your choice) into bite-sized pieces.

Place the meat, along with 3-4 tablespoons of marinade, in a sandwich-sized bag. Seal the bag up and place it inside your gallon size bag with the frozen veggies.

Pour the remaining marinade in a sandwich-sized bag and place it in the gallon-sized bag with chicken and veggies. Remove as much air as you can and seal the bag. Put the bag back in the freezer until you’re ready to cook your stir fry.

To cook your freezer stir fry:

Remove the frozen chicken and the marinade from the bag and allow them to thaw completely. 

In a wok or large skillet, heat up a bit of oil. Then stir fry the meat for a few minutes until it’s cooked through.

Add in the frozen veggies and the marinade, and cook on high, stirring frequently. Heat until the vegetables are heated through and the meat is no longer pink in the center, about 3-5 minutes.

Serve on its own or with a side of rice.

How long can you freeze stir fry ingredients in the freezer?

As long as you follow the freezing directions in this recipe and use a good quality, sealed contained (or freezer bag) you can freeze stir fry ingredients for up to 3 months.

If you’re using a deep freeze, you could safely freeze it for longer, but it’s not going to be as fresh. Make sure you date anything that goes into the freezer and rotate regularly so the oldest stuff gets eaten first. 

Should I cook first, then freeze? Or freeze in uncooked state and cook up on cooking day?

I prefer my food cooked fresh, so I freeze everything uncooked and then cook before eating. The directions in this recipe are for prepping and freezing uncooked stir fry. 

That being said, you totally can cook it all up and then freeze too. Separate your pre-cooked stir fry into portions and add in rice. That way you have your very own homemade frozen meals ready to go! These are great when you have insatiable teens in the house, or for quick lunch ideas.

Pro Notes/Tips

If you’re in a hurry, you can defrost your meat and sauce by running them under warm water. Meat can also be thawed in the microwave – just put it on a microwave-safe plate first!

You can use any vegetables you want but Asian-style ones like carrots, peppers, broccoli, onions, beans, and snap peas are always a hit. 

Instead of regular oil, you can fry your stir fry in sesame oil for a more authentic taste.

You can also pre-cook and freeze the rice. Follow your rice package cooking instructions, and let it cool. Then freeze rice in freezer bags. When you’re ready to eat, microwave the rice to warm it up, or add it to your skillet with the rest of the stir fry ingredients. 

Love Stir Fry? Try These Recipes Next!

If you’re on an Asian food kick, why not make Teriyaki Beef and Broccoli your next meal? You might also love this Loaded Miso Soup recipe! Stir fry-style foods can also be super healthy, especially served on lettuce like these Sesame Chicken Lettuce Wraps and Freezer Meal Asian Lettuce Chicken Wraps. If those don’t work, you can always change things up with this Red Coconut Curry Chicken Recipe. 

Did you make some amazing stir fry? I’d love to see how it turned out – tag me in your picture on Instagram @happymoneysaver and use the hashtag #happymoneysaver!