Stir-fries are a quick and easy way to cook vegetables and protein in a skillet or wok. The ingredients are stir-fried in a small amount of oil over high heat. While stir-fries can certainly be healthy, some versions end up higher in refined carbs from sauce ingredients. The total carb count depends on the specific ingredients used.
Carbs in stir-fry ingredients
A stir-fry is made up of three main components: protein, vegetables, and sauce. The carb content varies widely based on the specific foods used in each category.
Protein
Common protein options for stir-fries include:
- Chicken breast: 0 grams net carbs per 3 ounces
- Beef: 0 grams net carbs per 3 ounces
- Pork: 0 grams net carbs per 3 ounces
- Shrimp: 0 grams net carbs per 3 ounces
- Tofu: 2 grams net carbs per 3 ounces
In general, unbreaded animal proteins contain minimal or no carbs. Tofu has a small amount of carbohydrate.
Vegetables
Popular veggies for stir-frying include:
| Vegetable | Net carbs per 1 cup |
|---|---|
| Broccoli | 5 grams |
| Bell peppers | 5 grams |
| Snap peas | 4 grams |
| Green beans | 4 grams |
| Carrots | 6 grams |
| Mushrooms | 2 grams |
| Cabbage | 5 grams |
| Zucchini | 4 grams |
Non-starchy vegetables provide 3–6 grams of net carbs per cooked cup. Load up on these low carb veggies in a stir-fry.
Sauce
The sauce is where most of the carbs come in. Pay attention to ingredients like:
- Soy sauce: 1 gram per tablespoon
- Oyster sauce: 13 grams per tablespoon
- Hoisin sauce: 17 grams per tablespoon
- Sweet chili sauce: 13 grams per tablespoon
- Teriyaki sauce: 18 grams per tablespoon
Many stir-fry sauces contain sugar or starch thickeners like cornstarch, driving up the carb count. A sauce based on broth, vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, and ginger will be lowest in carbs.
Low carb stir-fry tips
Follow these tips for making a lower carb stir-fry:
Choose lean proteins
Select an unbreaded, boneless protein like chicken breast, flank steak, or extra firm tofu. These contain minimal carbs compared to starchy options like chicken with skin.
Load up on veggies
Fill your skillet with lots of low carb vegetables like zucchini, green beans, broccoli, cauliflower, and bell peppers. Vegetables provide nutrients and fill you up with minimal carbs.
Use a lower carb sauce
Many bottled Asian sauces are loaded with sugar. Opt for a homemade sauce based on broth, sesame oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger instead.
Serve over cauliflower rice
Skipping the white rice or noodles slashes the carbs substantially. Cauliflower rice or shirataki noodles make perfect low carb bases.
Watch portions
Even though stir-fry ingredients may be low carb, large portions can make the total carbs add up. Aim for 1 cup total finished stir-fry per serving.
Sample low carb stir-fries
Here are some ideas for building a delicious low carb stir-fry:
Chicken and broccoli
Sauté chicken breast strips with broccoli florets, carrots, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, and sesame oil. Serve over cauliflower rice.
Beef and snap peas
Stir-fry flank steak strips with snap peas, bell pepper strips, mushrooms, scallions, fish sauce, chili-garlic sauce, and basil. Serve over shirataki noodles.
Shrimp and zucchini
Cook shrimp with zucchini noodles, water chestnuts, baby corn, garlic, red pepper flakes, sesame oil, and rice vinegar. Serve in lettuce cups.
Tofu and green beans
Sauté cubed tofu with green beans, water chestnuts, onion, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and toasted sesame seeds. Serve over cauliflower rice.
Nutrition comparison
To demonstrate the carb difference, here’s a nutrition comparison of two stir-fry versions:
| Stir-fry dish | Total carbs |
|---|---|
| Chicken and veggies with white rice and sweet chili sauce | 75 grams |
| Chicken and veggies with cauliflower rice and ginger soy sauce | 15 grams |
The lower carb version saves 60 grams of carbs by using cauliflower rice and a homemade sauce. That’s a big difference!
The bottom line
Stir-fries can range widely in carb content depending on the specific ingredients used. Loading your wok with low carb vegetables and proteins while avoiding sugary bottled sauces and white rice keeps the carbs down. With smart substitutions and controlled portions, stir-fry can be a delicious lower carb option.