Shrimp Stir Fry is a quick, lean, high-protein meal that is full of fresh veggies. It’s great for busy weeknights or meal prep. Swap out the vegetables for whatever ones you have in your fridge to reduce food waste.
Sometimes we just need a quick healthy meal and this Shrimp Stir Fry is just that. I love making this on a busy weeknight or when I need to use up vegetables in my fridge that aren’t going to last much longer. For more quick dinners, try Creamy Lemon Asparagus Pasta, Sheet Pan Baked Tilapia and Roasted Vegetables, and Lemon Chicken Piccata.
Shrimp Stir Fry
What is Stir Fry?
Stir fry is a dish that is made by quickly cooking vegetables, meat, and/or seafood at a high temperature while stirring. This requires you to stand over the stove, but for a very short time since the ingredients are cooked at a high heat.
This method of cooking food rapidly in a little bit of hot oil is a Chinese technique called stir frying. It is usually done in a wok (a round bottom pan) because it distributes the heat more evenly and reduced the amount of oil needed. A fry pan will work too but requires a little longer cooking time.
This Shrimp Stir Fry is a great dish if you’re looking to get more vegetables and protein in your your diet while limiting your fat intake.
Stir Fry Sauce:
The first step in this recipe is to mix all the simple sauce ingredients together.
- Soy Sauce– makes up the majority of the sauce and gives it that salty umami taste.
- Brown Sugar– gives your dish a sweet depth of flavor. If needed you can substitute granulated sugar.
- Corn Starch– thickens the sauce which helps it cling to all the vegetables and protein.
- Ginger– adds a bright fresh flavor. Use 1 tablespoon fresh or 1/4 teaspoon ground.
- Garlic– adds flavor. Use 1 teaspoon fresh or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder.
- Water– helps to stretch the sauce.
- Sriracha Sauce– gives your dish a little spicy kick. Omit, use less, or use more based on your liking.
Stir Fry Ingredients:
Stir Fry is so adaptable! You can use any vegetable or protein in stir fry. The tricky part is learning when to add each to the pan as some vegetables cook quicker than others and you don’t want to over cook them and have limp mushy veggies. The goal is to cook them crisp-tender.
Vegetables
The firmer the vegetable, the longer it will need to cook so you can either add it to the pan earlier so it cooks longer or you can cut it smaller. Here are some vegetables that work great in stir fry:
Very Firm Vegetables: onions, carrots… (These cook faster if cut smaller/thinner.)
Firm Vegetables: asparagus, bell peppers, broccoli, cabbage, edamame, green beans, mushrooms, snap peas, water chestnuts, snow peas, zucchini…
Quick Cooking Vegetables: Bean sprouts, green onions, spinach… (These should be cooked just briefly, about 30-60 seconds.)
Protein
You can use seafood, steak, chicken, pork… really any protein. I recommend cooking the protein separate from the vegetables so that it has enough room to cook evenly and so as to not accidentally over cook the vegetables.
- Beef: flank steak, sirloin steak, or skirt steak. Sometimes you can find packs of meat already sliced and labeled for stir fry.
- Chicken: Chicken breasts work best but thighs can also be used. Dice or slice thin.
- Pork: Pork tenderloin or other lean cuts work best.
- Fish and Shellfish: shrimp, scallops, prawn, lobster, and firm-fleshed fish like cod, sea bass, halibut, or red snapper. Careful not to over cook!
- Tofu: A great vegetarian option. For greatest success, drain well and use extra firm cubed tofu.
I like using shrimp because it cooks in about 3 minutes. I buy the frozen shrimp that is already peeled and deveined so I can just toss it in once thaw.
How to Thaw Shrimp:
Place frozen shrimp in a bowl of cold water. Change out the water every every 30 minutes until shrimp is thaw.
HOW TO MAKE STIR FRY:
- Place all sauce ingredients in a jar and shake until combined (or mix in a bowl). Set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet or wok.
- Cook the onions and carrots for 2 minutes. Add in the broccoli, cooking another minute and then add in the bell pepper and zucchini and cook another 2-3 minutes until vegetables are crisp tender. Remove from pan onto a plate.
- Heat remaining oil in the pan and add the shrimp. Cook on each side for 1-2 minutes until cooked through and pink. Add the vegetables and the sauce to the pan and stir until sauce is thick and everything is coated.
- Serve with jasmine rice and garnish with green onions.
TOOLS USED TO MAKE THIS SHRIMP STIR FRY:
- Round Bottom Wok– This is the traditional style wok with a round bottom. This only works with you have a gas range.
- Flat Bottom Wok– This cast iron wok works on all cooking surfaces, even induction and it retain heat better than other metals.
LOOKING FOR MORE SHRIMP DISHES? CHECK OUT THESE:
Shrimp Stir Fry
Ingredients
For the Sauce:
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- 1 tablespoon fresh grated ginger, (or 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger)
- 1 clove garlic, (or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder)
- 1/4 cup water, ( or chicken broth)
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce, (optional)
For the Stir Fry:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 head broccoli, cut into small florets
- 1 cup carrots, sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 zucchini, sliced
- 1/2 sweet onion, cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2 green onions, sliced
Instructions
- Place all sauce ingredients in a jar and shake until combined. Set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet or wok.
- Cook the onions and carrots for 2 minutes. Add in the broccoli, cooking another minute and then add in the bell pepper and zucchini and cook another 2-3 minutes until vegetables are crisp tender. Remove from pan onto a plate.
- Heat remaining oil in the pan and add the shrimp. Cook on each side for 1-2 minutes until cooked through and pink. Add the vegetables and the sauce to the pan and stir until sauce is thick and everything is coated.
- Serve with jasmine rice and garnish with green onions.
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