Made with stir-fried shrimp, a medley of fresh veggies, and a ridiculously delicious stir fry sauce, this shrimp stir fry is a quick and easy favorite recipe.
When dinner needs to be fast, I love turning to recipes for stir-fries. From Chicken and Asparagus Stir Fry to Stir-Fried Chicken and Bok Choy, to this Shrimp Stir Fry.
Stir Fries cook up extremely fast, are loaded with protein, and don't sacrifice flavor, making them perfect for busy weeknights.
And this recipe for Shrimp Stir Fry is one of my favorites. Loaded with crisp-tender vegetables, tender shrimp, and a savory, garlic sauce stir-fry sauce, this is one recipe that is sure to be put on repeat at the house.
why you'll love this recipe
- Ready in 15 minutes. That is faster than you can find a takeout menu!
- Customizable. Don't like bell peppers or broccoli? Try sugar snap peas or zucchini. You get to pick the vegetables YOU like (or have on hand) to make this shrimp stir fry suitable for your family.
- Healthier Recipe. Not only is this recipe lower in fat, calories, and sodium than takeout, this stir fry is filled with lean protein and vegetables.
Notes on Ingredients
- Shrimp: Use shrimp that is fresh or fully defrosted, peeled, and deveined. This recipe calls for large shrimp, but if you have smaller shrimp on hand, simply cook for less time.
- Vegetables: I love using a combination of sweet yellow or red peppers, green onions, and broccoli. Feel free to use cabbage, bok choy, snow peas, mushrooms, water chestnuts, zucchini, and/or yellow onions, in addition to or in place of the vegetables the recipe calls for.
- Ginger Root: For a flavorful, slightly spicy kick, use grated peeled ginger root, rather than dried ginger.
- Oil: It is important to use cooking oil with a high smoke point like canola or vegetable oil.
- Stir Fry Sauce: This shrimp stir fry sauce is a little bit sweet, a little bit spicy, and balanced with soy and vinegar.
- Soy Sauce: Use low-sodium soy sauce to keep the sodium level to a minimum. Feel free to use coconut aminos or Tamari in place of the soy sauce.
- Honey: You need a bit of sweetness to balance out the savory ingredients in the sauce. I recommend using honey or brown sugar.
- Rice Wine Vinegar: Use vinegar labeled rice wine vinegar or rice vinegar for best results. Rice wine or rice vinegar is best in terms of flavor, but you can use white wine vinegar if that is all you have on hand.
- Hot Sauce: Use a hot sauce like Sriracha or cayenne pepper sauce, and adjust the amount according to your desired heat level.
- Shaoxing Wine: This is a type of rice wine that gives this stir fry an authentic restaurant flavor. Feel free to use mirin or dry sherry in place of the Shaoxing wine.
- Cornstarch: The cornstarch helps the stir-fry wine to thicken. If you have an allergy to corn, feel free to use arrowroot powder in place of cornstarch.
How to Make Shrimp Stir Fry
Prepare the Stir-Fry Sauce. Mix together the water, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, honey, rice vinegar, hot sauce, and cornstarch in a small bowl until well combined and the cornstarch has dissolved.
Stir Fry the Shrimp. In a large skillet, heat the oil until shimmering. While the oil is heating, pat the shrimp dry with a paper towel and then add the shrimp to the skillet in a single layer. Cook the shrimp for 1 minute, flip, and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes or until the shrimp is opaque throughout. Once cooked, remove the shrimp to a clean plate and set aside.
Stir Fry the Vegetables. Heat a bit more oil in the same skillet. Once the oil is shimmering, add in the broccoli and saute for 1 minute. After one minute, add the bell pepper and green onions and saute for 2-3 minutes, stirring often until the vegetable are crisp-tender. Add garlic and ginger and saute 30 seconds longer, just until fragrant.
Add Sauce. Quickly whisk the sauce again to fully incorporate and then pour it into the skillet with the vegetables. Let the sauce cook for about 1 minute or until thickened, stirring constantly.
Toss Together. Return the cooked shrimp to the skillet and toss to coat with sauce.
Serving Suggestions
This Shrimp Stir Fry is substantial to stand alone as a one-pot meal. It is also delicious served over Instant Pot Brown Rice, Instant Pot Jasmine Rice, Instant Pot Quinoa, or cauliflower rice.
I also love adding toasted sesame seeds before serving, for additional flavor and crunch.
∗ tips to remember ∗
Use the right pan. It is best to use a large cast iron skillet, wok, or large skillet. You want a pan that will be able to handle high heat and has quite a bit of surface area so that everything cooks evenly.
Blot the shrimp dry before cooking. This will help prevent splatter and help the shrimp to cook evenly and brown slightly.
Don't overcook the shrimp. Shrimp cooks very quickly and can become rubbery if overcooked. You will know it is done when the shrimp becomes opaque.
Use fresh, not frozen vegetables. That will ensure your vegetables are crisp-tender and not mushy.
FAQs about Shrimp Stir Fry
No! Your shrimp must be fully defrosted in order to cook evenly. To defrost frozen shrimp quickly, remove the shrimp from their packaging and place them directly into a large bowl of cold water. Let them sit in the water for 10-15 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until fully defrosted. Drain and pat dry and proceed with the recipe.
Absolutely! Feel free to use cubed lean beef, pork, chicken, or tofu in place of the shrimp. You may need to adjust the cooking time, as pork, beef, and chicken will take a bit longer to cook than shrimp.
Yes, with several modifications. Shaoxing wine contains gluten, so it is best to replace it with Mirin or dry Sherry. A lot of brands of soy sauce contain gluten as well, so it is best to use Tamari or coconut aminos in place of the soy sauce (or ensure your soy sauce is gluten-free.)
More Stir Fry Recipes to Try
If you enjoyed this easy stir fry recipe, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.
Shrimp Stir Fry
Ingredients
Stir Fry Sauce
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
- 2 tablespoon honey or brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 teaspoon hot sauce
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Stir Fry
- 2 tablespoons canola oil divided
- 1 pound defrosted large shrimp peeled and deveined
- 2-3 cups fresh broccoli florets cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 large red or yellow bell peppers thinly sliced
- 6 green onions chopped
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger root
Instructions
- In a medium mixing bowl whisk together water, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, honey, rice vinegar, hot sauce, and cornstarch until well combined and the cornstarch has dissolved. Set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
- Pat the shrimp dry with a paper towel and add the skillet in a single layer. Cook the shrimp for 1 minute, flip, and cook for an additional 1-2 minutes or until the shrimp is opaque throughout. Once cooked, remove the shrimp to a clean plate and set aside.
- Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in the same skillet over medium-high heat. Once heated, add in the broccoli and saute for 1 minute. After one minute, add the bell pepper and green onions and saute for 2-3 minutes, stirring often until the vegetable are crisp-tender.
- Add garlic and ginger and saute 30 seconds longer.
- Quickly whisk sauce again to fully incorporate and then pour it into the skillet with the vegetables. Let the sauce cook for about 1 minute or until thickened, stirring constantly.
- Return the cooked shrimp to the skillet and toss to coat with sauce. Turn off the heat.
- Serve with rice and sesame seeds and additional green onions if desired.
Shana Y
We love a good stir fry! This was so easy to make and yummy. All of my kids loved it!
Abby
Made this for my husbands birthday and he raved about it! He ate two helpings and requested more for lunch the next day. Great recipe.
Kristen Chidsey
I am honored this was your husband's birthday meal! Thank you for taking the time to share your review 🙂
Sharina
I love seafood and this shrimp stir-fry is my new fav! So delicious and satisfying!