Fast-Cooking Stir-Fries

This spicy Szechuan-style dish is boldly flavored with earthy cumin and Szechuan peppercorns that make your mouth tingle pleasantly. If you're not a lamb fan, you can use beef sirloin instead. Toasting the cumin seeds and peppercorns draws out their essential oils and makes their aroma and flavor more intense.

Fresh orange juice perks up this speedy stir-fry, becoming a sticky, glossy sauce for the colorful vegetables. A quick coat in cornstarch helps the tofu develop a supercrisp crust without needing to fry in lots of oil. It's a good idea to have every element at the ready by the stove before you start to cook, as the stir-fry will come together very quickly. You can use bell peppers or any vegetable you have on hand, such as broccoli florets, thinly sliced carrots, or sliced snap peas.

Ginger and sambal oelek, a chile-garlic paste that’s now at most supermarkets in the international aisle, made this recipe a favorite by providing bold flavor in no time. Have all ingredients ready at the stove so they can go in at just the right moment.

Make your own version of this takeout classic in a flash, no special equipment required.

A great stir-fry uses only 2 or 3 vegetables in the base, insuring all elements shine through as well as leaving enough room in the pan for a good sear.

Red bell peppers are the star vegetable in this stir-fry, a crisp, sweet counterpoint to the serrano chile heat. Use any vegetables you like, but keep it simple; one or two vegetables, plus the basil and chicken, are all you need.

Inspired by the classic Vietnamese dish Cha Ca La Vong, these wraps are a fun way to serve up stir-fry. Swap black cod for tilapia if you prefer a heartier fish.

This dish is mildly spicy; to make it extra kid-friendly, omit the chiles from the sweet and sour sauce.

Our meatless stir-fry gives you that delicious seared, slightly smoky taste that you enjoy in a good Chinese restaurant, but are the results from your own wok.

Streamline your stir-frying process by prepping all ingredients before you start cooking. For a whole-grain base, use brown rice.