Easy Shrimp Stir-Fry Recipe: How to Make a Shrimp Stir-Fry
Written by MasterClass
Last updated: Oct 28, 2024 • 2 min read
You can consider whipping up a shrimp stir-fry recipe the next time you want a weeknight dinner that can come together relatively quickly. You can enjoy this dish—packed with shrimp and veggies—in myriad ways.
Learn From the Best
What Is Shrimp Stir-Fry?
Stir-fry dishes, including shrimp stir-fry dishes, have their origins in Asian cuisine and are popular Chinese dishes. A stir-fry describes a manner of cooking, rather than a particular set of ingredients, although you can consider some ingredients more traditional than others.
Stir-fry dishes can be vegetarian or vegan or can include a protein. Common proteins include shrimp, chicken, beef, and tofu. Popular stir-fry veggies include red bell peppers, zucchini, snow peas, sugar snap peas, broccoli florets, and onions. Cooks toss all the ingredients in a stir-fry sauce, which might be a chili sauce, garlic sauce, or teriyaki sauce.
3 Ways to Serve a Shrimp Stir-Fry
Shrimp stir-fry lends itself to multiple serving methods, and you can make it as saucy or as dry as you like it. A sauce-heavy stir-fry provides more liquid that accompaniments like rice or noodles can absorb. You can always make a side dish, such as scallion pancakes, to dip into the extra sauce. Here are some popular ways to serve a shrimp stir-fry as a main dish:
- 1. Over rice: For a takeout-style stir-fry, serve shrimp stir-fry over fried rice, brown rice, or even cauliflower rice. Flavor the rice with lime zest, cilantro, coconut milk, or let the stir-fry sauce itself mingle with the rice.
- 2. Over noodles: Rice isn’t the only carbohydrate you can serve with a stir-fry. Noodles add a nice chew or alternative flavor to a dish. Soba noodles will add a nutty flavor, while something like an egg noodle can add creaminess.
- 3. Over grains: If you want an accompaniment that is similar to rice but not exactly rice, try serving grains like farro and quinoa alongside your shrimp stir-fry.
Easy Shrimp Stir-Fry Recipe
makes
prep time
15 mintotal time
45 mincook time
30 minIngredients
- 1
Make the stir-fry sauce. Combine the soy sauce, chicken broth, sriracha (or red pepper flakes), brown sugar, ginger, garlic, rice vinegar, and green onion in a small bowl. Next, in another small bowl, combine the cornstarch and cold water. Set it aside.
- 2
Heat the sesame or vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Olive oil has too low of a smoke point for a stir-fry, so it’s not recommended.
- 3
While the pan heats up, season the shrimp with salt and pepper. If you’re using frozen shrimp, thaw them out ahead of time.
- 4
When the pan is up to temperature, add the snap peas, onions, bell peppers, cremini mushrooms, and baby corn. Sauté the ingredients until the vegetables are tender-crisp, about 10 minutes, tossing them often.
- 5
Next, add the shrimp and cook for another 10 minutes, tossing the ingredients often.
- 6
Add the cornstarch and water mixture into the stir-fry sauce, then add the sauce to the shrimp and vegetables. Cook everything until the mixture bubbles and the sauce thickens, about 5 minutes.
- 7
Serve the stir-fry over rice or noodles and garnish the dish with the sesame seeds and chopped cashews.
Become a better chef with the MasterClass Annual Membership. Gain access to exclusive video lessons taught by the world’s best, including Gordon Ramsay, Gabriela Cámara, Niki Nakayama, Chef Thomas Keller, Yotam Ottolenghi, Dominique Ansel, Alice Waters, and more.