Easy Shrimp Stir Fry Recipe

By Ghuman

Introduction

This Easy Shrimp Stir Fry Recipe is a delicious and healthy meal that can be prepared in just minutes. It’s a great way to get a nutritious dinner on the table quickly and easily. This recipe is packed with flavor and nutrition, and it’s a great way to use up any leftover vegetables you may have in the fridge. Plus, it’s a great way to get your family to eat more seafood. So, let’s get started and make this delicious and easy shrimp stir fry!

Easy Shrimp Stir Fry Recipe

This easy shrimp stir fry recipe is a delicious and healthy meal that can be made in minutes. It’s packed with flavor and nutrition, and is sure to become a family favorite. The combination of shrimp, vegetables, and a flavorful sauce make this dish a winner!

Ingredients:

  • 1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 1 red bell pepper, sliced
  • 1 green bell pepper, sliced
  • 1 onion, sliced
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • Salt and pepper, to taste

Instructions:

  1. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.
  2. Add the shrimp and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the shrimp are pink and cooked through.
  3. Add the bell peppers, onion, and garlic and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  4. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, ginger, and red pepper flakes.
  5. Pour the sauce over the shrimp and vegetables and stir to combine.
  6. Cook for an additional 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender.
  7. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.
  8. Serve over cooked rice or noodles.

Easy shrimp stir-fry recipe ready in 30 minutes or less! Tender pieces of succulent shrimp, crunchy snow peas, and red bell peppers tossed in a sweet and savory orange sauce with a hint of spiciness.

Shrimp stir-fry in a bowl with cooked rice and bell peppers.
Table of Contents
  1. Make the stir-fry sauce
  2. Prepare the shrimp
  3. Cook the shrimp
  4. Stir-fry the vegetables
  5. Cook the sauce
  6. More shrimp recipes
  7. Easy Shrimp Stir-Fry Recipe

This stir-fry shrimp recipe is an easy weeknight dinner! The tool of choice is a wok, cooking each ingredient quickly and adding surface flavor to the shrimp while retaining the crunchy textures of each vegetable. Using a wok requires very little oil, just enough to coat the pan’s surface, so the ingredients don’t stick, making the meal low in fat.

Every good wok-fired dish needs a delicious stir-fry sauce. I’ve created a naturally sweetened and t, tangye sauce with a little heat kick. Its lighter consistency perfectly coats the shrimp, so each bite gets a bright citrus flavor. Grab your wok. It’s time to turn up the heat!

Apple cider vinegar in a small glass jar.

Make the stir-fry sauce

The sauce combines freshly squeezed orange juice, vegetable broth, soy sauce, red pepper chili flakes, and cornstarch. To make the sauce gluten-free, substitute coconut aminos for soy sauce. Apple cider vinegar is my secret ingredient to instantly boost the orange notes while balancing the sweet and savory flavors.

I always keep different types of vinegar handy in my pantry because there are many versatile uses. Raw and unfiltered apple cider vinegar naturally adds acidity to recipes, providing brightness and a new dimension of taste to any dish.

Prepare the shrimp

Use fresh or frozen shrimp that has already been peeled and deveined. I use an extra jumbo 16/20 count size. This size gives a nice two-bite portion and ensures the shrimp don’t cook too quickly and shrink into tiny pieces. Dry the pieces with a paper towel, then season with salt and pepper.

Shrimp with their tails attached cooking in a wok.

Cook the shrimp

Stir-frying is a simple technique. If you don’t have a wok, a 12-inch saute pan works well. Ensure the pan and oils are nice and hot, then carefully add the shrimp in a single layer for fast and even cooking. Briefly sear the surface for about a minute on each side.

You want the colors to go from a grey-translucent appearance to one that’s pink and opaque. Beware, shrimp can turn rubbery when overcooked! Make sure it slightly curls into a “C” shape and not a tight “O.” To halt the cooking process, transfer the shrimp to a plate when cooking the vegetables.

Pouring apple cider vinegar into a wok with shrimp and vegetables.

Stir-fry the vegetables

Pieces of red bell pepper and snow peas add a crunchy texture to the dish. Add them to the pan, and cool for about a minute without moving to lightly brown the vegetables. Stir-fry for about 30 seconds to cook to other sides.

Minced ginger and garlic are briefly sauteed, and add intense notes and aroma. Add the shrimp back to the pan to heat with the orange sauce.

Spoon mixing shrimp and vegetables stir-frying in a wok.

Cook the sauce

Once the orange sauce ingredients are whisked together, they are added to the shrimp mixture to warm. The last step of cooking stir-fry is to thicken the sauce mixture in the wok. A cornstarch slurry is added to the hot pan, adding volume to the sauce in under a minute!

The sauce becomes a golden orange glaze, delicately coating everything in the pan. I like to garnish the dish with sesame seeds, sliced green onions, and cilantro seeds. I often serve this shrimp stir-fry with steamed white or brown rice or my shrimp fried rice recipe. For a low-carb option, try sauteed cauliflower rice.

More shrimp recipes

Top down view of a bowl of shrimp stir fry over a bed of rice.

Why you should wait to add garlic and ginger

When stir-frying delicate aromatics in a wok, it’s best to add them towards the end of cooking instead of at the beginning. The wok’s surface is extremely hot, so the small minced pieces of garlic and ginger can quickly burn in seconds, creating bitter flavors. To prevent this, the vegetables cook first, once the pan slightly lowers in temperature, then the aromatics. This helps prolong the aromas and keeps the flavors unharmed.

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  • Make Stir-Fry Sauce – In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together orange juice, vegetable broth, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, and red chili flakes. Set aside.

  • Make Cornstarch Slurry – In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and water. Set aside.

  • Season the Shrimp – Pat dry the shrimp between two paper towels to remove as much moisture as possible. Season both sides with salt and pepper.

  • Saute the Shrimp – Heat a wok or 12-inch saute pan over high heat. Add vegetable oil and sesame oil and heat until just smoking. Add the shrimp to the pan in a single layer and cook for 1 minute. Flip and cook until no longer translucent, about 1 minute. Transfer to a clean plate.

  • Add the Vegetables – Add bell pepper and snow peas to the wok in a single layer, and allow them to cook for 1 minute without moving. Stir the vegetables and cook until lightly browned and crisp, about 30 seconds.

  • Add Shrimp and Sauce – Add garlic and ginger to the pan, and fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the shrimp back in and stir to combine. Add the stir-fry sauce to the pan, stirring to warm, about 2 minutes.Whisk in the cornstarch slurry mixture, then add it to the center of the wok. Stirring continuously until the sauce thickens, about 1 minute.
  • To Serve – Season with salt and pepper as desired. Garnish with green onions, sesame seeds, and cilantro.

  • Make it Whole30: Use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce; use arrowroot powder instead of cornstarch; use extra-virgin olive oil, ghee, or coconut oil instead of vegetable oil; and use sea salt instead of kosher salt.
  • Make it Gluten-Free: Use coconut aminos or tamari instead of soy sauce.
  • Make it Paleo: Use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce and arrowroot powder instead of cornstarch.
  • Storing: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
  • Reheating: Cover and microwave on high setting in 15-second increments until hot. 

Nutrition Facts

Easy Shrimp Stir-Fry

Amount Per Serving

Calories 230
Calories from Fat 63

% Daily Value*

Fat 7g11%

Saturated Fat 1g5%

Polyunsaturated Fat 2g

Monounsaturated Fat 2g

Cholesterol 170mg57%

Sodium 810mg34%

Potassium 142mg4%

Carbohydrates 15g5%

Fiber 2g8%

Sugar 4g4%

Protein 26g52%

Vitamin A 2650IU53%

Vitamin C 133.7mg162%

Calcium 130mg13%

Iron 3.6mg20%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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