If you’ve followed me for a while, you know how important vegetables are on our dinner table. In a traditional Chinese meal, vegetables are just as essential as the main dish. Now I have a 2.5-year-old running around, I often simplify dinner to a main dish, a vegetable side, and a soup. It gives us a balanced meal without spending too much time in the kitchen, and this mushroom and pepper stir fry is one of the recipes I make on repeat because it’s quick, simple, and always satisfying.
In China, this type of stir fry is often made with an assortment of mushrooms such as shimeji, maitake, button, and oyster mushrooms. Here in the US, I usually keep it simple and use white button mushrooms because they’re easy to find and budget-friendly. But if you have access to other varieties, feel free to mix and match.
To make the stir fry, I brown the mushrooms first until they’ve released and reabsorbed their moisture, which concentrates the flavor and prevents the sauce from becoming watery. Then I make a simple sauce with garlic, chicken stock, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and a touch of sugar to enhance the vegetables without masking their natural taste. The red pepper adds sweetness, color, and a nice crisp texture that complements the mushrooms perfectly.
I usually have everything prepped before I start cooking. Once my soup and main dish are done, I can finish this stir fry in about 5 minutes, so everything reaches the table hot and fresh.
Ingredients
I divide the ingredients into three groups:
Vegetables
Mushrooms are the main ingredient, and I often use white or brown button mushrooms, whichever looks fresher and cheaper. The red pepper adds texture and color, and you can use bell peppers or other colorful peppers if you prefer. After making beef chow mein, I often have half a pepper left in the fridge, and this is how I use the other half.
Sauce
Chicken stock is the base, and light soy sauce and oyster sauce adds umami and saltiness. The sugar balances out the salt and brings out the flavor of the vegetables. And the cornstarch thickens the sauce.
Oil and aromatics
I use a neutral oil with a high smoking point for my stir fries. Peanut oil is the best because it adds nuttiness to a dish. Avocado, canola, vegetable and grapeseed oil are good options as well. To keep the dish simple, I used a small amount of garlic to boost the flavor. Alternatively, feel free to replace it with a sliced scallion, a teaspoon of minced ginger, or a combo of all three for an even more fragrant dish.
How to make
1. Mix the sauce. Mix the chicken stock, oyster sauce, light soy sauce, sugar and cornstarch together to make a sauce.
2. Brown the mushrooms. I heat up oil in a wok until smoking, add the mushrooms and quickly stir to coat well with oil. Then I let the mushrooms brown without moving them much, and stir occasionally until the mushrooms are browned and all the liquid has been absorbed. Transfer the mushrooms to plate
3. Cook the aromatics. I add some more oil, garlic and pepper. Cook and stir for 1 minute or so until the pepper is just cooked and still crisp.
4. Bring everything together. Pour in the sauce and add back the cooked mushrooms. Stir everything together until the sauce has thickened and coats the ingredients evenly.
5. Serve. Serve the dish hot as a side dish.
My cooking tips
Cook the mushrooms until they’re well browned. At first, the mushrooms will release quite a bit of moisture. Keep cooking until the liquid has completely evaporated and the mushrooms start to brown around the edges. This concentrates the flavor and keeps the finished sauce from becoming watery.
Use high heat. A hot wok or skillet helps the mushrooms brown instead of steam and keeps the bell peppers crisp-tender.
Don’t overcook the peppers. I like to cook the peppers for just 1 minute so they stay bright and slightly crunchy. If you prefer softer peppers, cook them for another minute before adding the sauce.
Stir the sauce before adding it. The cornstarch will settle at the bottom of the bowl as it sits. Give the sauce a quick stir right before pouring it into the wok so it thickens evenly.
Prep everything before you start cooking. Once the wok is hot, the entire dish comes together in about 5 minutes. Having the vegetables sliced and the sauce mixed beforehand makes the cooking process smooth and stress-free.
How I love serving
I often serve mushroom and pepper stir fry as a side dish, accompanied with a protein heavy main dish, steamed rice and a soup. For a stress-free dinner, I pair it with Chinese beef stew with potato or Lion’s head meatballs, which I cook in a big batch on the weekend. Or something like air-fryer Chinese roast chicken that I can let it cook while preparing other dishes. A simple tomato and egg drop soup is always a good accompaniment. When I want something refreshing when the weather is hot, I’ll make Chinese coleslaw and skip the soup.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use other mushrooms?
Yes. Cremini, baby bella, shiitake, shimeji, maitake, king oyster, or a mix of mushrooms all work well. Keep in mind that different mushrooms release different amounts of moisture, so the cooking time may vary slightly.
Can I make this vegetarian?
Yes. Simply replace the chicken stock with vegetable stock, and use a vegetarian oyster sauce made from mushrooms.
Can I use other mushrooms?
Can I add more vegetables?
Absolutely. Snow peas, broccoli, asparagus, onions, or sliced carrots all pair nicely with the mushrooms. Just adjust the cooking time based on the vegetables you use.
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Mushroom and Pepper Stir Fry
Ingredients
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon light soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
Stir fry
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil oil
- 1/2 lb white button mushrooms , sliced
- 1 clove garlic , minced
- 1 red pepper , sliced
- 1 scallion green , sliced, for garnish (Optional)
Instructions
- Mix all the sauce ingredients together in a medium bowl and set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a wok over medium-high heat until smoking. Add the mushrooms. Stir to coat well with oil, keep cooking, stirring occasionally, until mushrooms have charred and no longer release any liquid, 3 minutes or so. Transfer to a plate.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil, garlic, and bell peppers. Stir and cook for 1 minute, or 2 minutes if you prefer a more tender pepper.
- Whisk the sauce again to dissolve the cornstarch completely, pour it into the wok. Add back the mushrooms. Cook and stir to coat well until the sauce thickens and coats the ingredients evenly. Turn off the heat, stir in scallion greens if using, and transfer everything to a serving plate. Serve hot as a side dish.
Notes
- To make the dish gluten-free: Use tamari to replace soy sauce, and use a gluten-free oyster sauce.
- To make the dish vegetarian: Use vegetable stock to replace chicken stock, and use a vegetarian oyster sauce.
Nutrition
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