Easy Stir
Fry
By Kids
Cooking Activities
A
flexible, easy stir fry recipe that lets kids choose
their favorite vegetables and protein. This recipe
teaches knife safety, marinating, and quick stovetop
cooking—perfect for classrooms, cooking clubs, or
busy family dinners.
- Category:
Dinner
- Stovetop
- Skill Level:
Beginner
Prep: 20 minutes | Cook:
10 minutes | Yield: 4
servings
Ingredients
Vegetables
- Carrots, thinly
sliced
- Zucchini, sliced or
diced
- Mushrooms, sliced
- Peppers, sliced
- Green peas
Optional Protein
- Chicken strips
- Beef strips
- Pork strips
- Shrimp (do not
marinate)
Easy Stir Fry Marinade / Sauce
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon
Worcestershire sauce
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 teaspoons ginger
- 1 garlic clove,
minced
Instructions
- Wash and cut
vegetables into thin strips or small pieces. Set
aside.
- If using meat
(not shrimp), mix marinade ingredients together
and pour over meat in a zip-top bag. Marinate
several hours in the refrigerator.
- Heat a large
pan or wok over medium-high heat. Add marinated
meat and cook several minutes until nearly done.
- Add vegetables
to the pan and stir-fry until tender-crisp.
- If not using
meat, add the marinade directly to vegetables
while cooking to create a stir fry sauce.
- Serve hot over
cooked rice.
Kid-Friendly Tips
- Kids can help wash vegetables and mix the
marinade.
- Teach cutting vegetables into similar sizes
for even cooking.
- Let adults handle the hot pan and stirring.
Notes
Shrimp cooks quickly—add it
last and cook just until pink. For a
classroom-friendly version, use low-sodium soy
sauce and pre-cut vegetables.