This easy shrimp stir-fry is ready in about 20 minutes. It's the ultimate weeknight dinner - quick, easy to make, and delicious.
I like serving this saucy dish over cauliflower rice. The leftovers are excellent, too!
I love making shrimp recipes such as grilled shrimp and baked shrimp. I also enjoy stir-fry recipes such as pork stir-fry and steak stir-fry. They are quick and easy.
When combining these two into a shrimp stir-fry, what's not to like? It's one of the recipes I make regularly for my family. It's ready fast, and it's delightfully flavorful. We all enjoy it - even The Picky Eater.
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Ingredients
You'll only need a few simple ingredients to make this recipe. The exact measurements are included in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
- For the sauce: Reduced-sodium soy sauce, cornstarch, minced garlic, minced ginger, and red pepper flakes.
- Cooking oil: I use avocado oil.
- Shrimp: Raw shrimp, peeled and deveined.
- Vegetables: Fresh veggies are best, but it's easiest to use frozen stir-fry veggies. There's no need to defrost them first. I add them frozen to the skillet.
- To finish the dish: Sesame oil and sesame seeds. The seeds are just for garnish. The oil adds wonderful flavor, so please don't skip it.
Selecting Your Shrimp Size
Medium shrimp (51-60 pieces per pound) work well in stir-fry recipes because they are bite-size. But if all you have is large shrimp (31-40 pieces per pound), that's fine, too, and that's the size I used when photographing this recipe.
The tails can be on or off - this is up to you. Tail-on shrimp are more aesthetically pleasing, but tail-off shrimp are easier to eat, especially in a stir-fry.
Variations
The best way to vary this recipe is to use different vegetables. You can use about one pound of any sturdy vegetable, fresh or frozen.
In addition to the veggies used here, other options include green beans, sliced bell peppers, and snow peas. I tried each of these options, and they're all excellent. I especially like combining bell peppers and snow peas.
Vegetables that are not suitable for stir-frying include tomatoes (they are too soft and watery), winter squashes (they are far better roasted), and dark leafy greens (they wilt and become soggy when stir-fried).
Instructions
Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps for making this shrimp stir-fry:
Prepare the sauce. Whisk the soy sauce, cornstarch, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes.
Cook the shrimp and vegetables in the oil over medium-high heat for 5-10 minutes. The idea is to cook them until the veggies are tender-crisp and the shrimp are fully cooked. How long this takes will depend on the size of the shrimp and whether the veggies are fresh or frozen.
Add the sauce and cook just until it thickens, for about 1 more minute.
Off heat, drizzle the stir-fry with sesame oil, sprinkle it with sesame seeds, and serve.
Expert Tips
- While you want the shrimp fully cooked, you don't want them overcooked, or they'll be tough and gummy. So, during the first stage of cooking them with the vegetables, cook them just until they are opaque, then proceed with the rest of the recipe. They will cook some more after you add the sauce.
- If you have extra time, cook the shrimp and vegetables separately. Start with the shrimp, cooking them until no longer raw, for about 5 minutes. Remove them to a plate, add more oil to the skillet, and cook the vegetables. Once the veggies are tender-crisp, add the shrimp back along with the sauce. If you used frozen veggies and they released water into the pan, drain the water first, then add the shrimp.
- Using frozen veggies is convenient, but fresh vegetables are better because they are crispier. When possible, I use about a pound of fresh veggies such as snow peas, bell peppers, broccoli, carrots, or green beans. In the photo below, I used carrots and snow peas:
Recipe FAQs
Cook it over medium-high heat, and don't overcook it. You want the vegetables tender-crisp and the shrimp cooked but not overcooked.
Avocado oil is an excellent choice. It has a high smoke point and a neutral flavor. Refined coconut oil is also good.
I would not use unrefined sesame oil. It has a relatively low smoke point, making it unsuitable for high-heat cooking. We use it in this recipe to finish the dish, not as a cooking oil.
Don't skimp on the soy sauce. Other ingredients that add flavor to this dish are garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, and sesame oil.
Serving Suggestions
This stir-fry is great as is on a plate! It's also excellent on cauliflower rice, shirataki noodles, zucchini noodles, hearts of palm pasta, or sauteed spinach.
Sometimes, I spoon it on a bed of raw baby spinach leaves. The hot stir-fry wilts the spinach just enough to cook it perfectly.
Storing Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to three days. Reheat them gently, covered, in the microwave at 50% power. I don't recommend freezing the leftovers.
More Shrimp Recipes
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Recipe Card
Shrimp Stir-Fry
Ingredients
sauce:
- 4 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce (or a gluten-free alternative)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon fresh garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger root minced
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
Stir-Fry:
- 1 tablespoon avocado oil
- 2 pounds large shrimp peeled and deveined (31-40 per pound)
- 16 ounces frozen stir-fry veggies or a pound of fresh vegetables
Garnish:
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- Prepare the sauce: In a small bowl, whisk the soy sauce, cornstarch, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes. Set aside.
- Heat the avocado oil in a wok or a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes.
- Add the shrimp and vegetables and stir-fry until the vegetables are tender and the shrimp are cooked, 5-10 minutes. Larger shrimp and frozen veggies will take longer to cook.
- Lower the heat to medium. Give the sauce another stir, then add it to the skillet. Cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens, about 1 minute.
- Remove from the heat and transfer the dish to individual plates or a serving platter. Drizzle with sesame oil, sprinkle with sesame seeds, and serve.
Video
Notes
- There's no need to defrost the vegetables. I add them frozen to the skillet. The shrimp, however, should be fully thawed.Â
- The best way to vary this recipe is to use different vegetables. You can use about one pound of any sturdy vegetable, fresh or frozen, such as green beans, sliced bell peppers, or snow peas.
- Using frozen veggies is convenient, but fresh vegetables are better because they are crispier. When possible, I use about a pound of fresh veggies such as snow peas, bell peppers, broccoli, carrots, or green beans.
- The nutrition info is approximate and will change according to the vegetables in your stir-fry mix. The mix I typically use contains onions, carrots, mushrooms, and broccoli.
- If you have extra time, cook the shrimp and vegetables separately. Start with the shrimp, cooking them until no longer raw, for about 5 minutes. Remove them to a plate, add more oil to the skillet, and cook the vegetables. Once the veggies are tender-crisp, add the shrimp back along with the sauce. If you used frozen veggies and they released water into the pan, drain the water first, then add the shrimp.
- You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to three days. Reheat them gently, covered, in the microwave at 50% power. I don't recommend freezing the leftovers.Â
Nutrition per Serving
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