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Shrimp stir fry is one of our favorite and simple dishes to make. Give it a try, and it will become yours too.
So Darn Easy to Make
This dish is so easy to make at home. It’s also much healthier than ordering it at a restaurant. Fresh vegetables, shrimp, a little sauce and rice are all you need to have a delicious meal.
Get The Rice Going First
Making rice in the oven is the easiest way to ensure it turns out perfectly every time, Jump to my Oven Baked Rice Recipe.
Working in a Specific Order Saves Frustration
We make this when our granddaughters are over for dinner. It is their favorite. They love it! Not kidding, they wanted to take their leftovers to school for lunch the next day. At any rate, cooking can be a little chaotic with them running around.
This is why I prepare this recipe in a specific order. It just makes it easier for me. And it will for you too. Therefore, gather all of the ingredients together and start getting them ready. Measure all of your sauce ingredients and put them in a bowl.
Another trick is putting ingredients away after adding them to the sauce. This way I don’t forget to add something or add it twice. I have done it before, and I don’t want to make that mistake again. Just saying.
Clean the Shrimp – For Real!
This is one area you do not want to skimp on. Unless you like the taste of pooh. Yes, folks, that dark line along the back of the shrimp is the pooh canal.
Take a paring knife and lay the peeled shrimp on its side. Carefully slice down the back of the shrimp to reveal the canal. Use the tip of the knife to scrape the pooh out. Rinse the shrimp with water and pat it dry.
Do this for each shrimp, don’t skip this step!
Get the Veggies Sliced Up and Ready
I tend to start by slicing up the nice clean veggies first. As opposed to the messy one, broccoli! So slice up the veggies and place them in a large bowl. Yes, it looks like a lot, but these will cook down and be the right amount.
Tips for Ginger and Garlic
Next, chop up the ginger and garlic. Did you know you can store ginger in the freezer? Well, you can! Simply place it in a ziplock bag and stash it in the freezer. I do that so I don’t have to buy it every time I make this recipe.
If you do store ginger in the freezer, be sure to take it out a few minutes early to let it thaw out.
Another tip, it’s easier to peel the skin with a spoon. Use the tip of the spoon to scrape the skin off, and chop the ginger easily.
When peeling garlic, place the garlic cloves into a small jar, close the lid and shake it vigorously. This will take the peel off. Or, you can hit the clove with the side of a sharp knife – be careful not to cut yourself. This helps break the skin’s hold on the clove, allowing for easy removal.
I also have a different kind of garlic mincer, that I prefer over the typical ones. It is a curved piece of stainless steel with holes that you press down to mince the garlic. You can also use it to hit the clove to remove the peel.
I like to use it because it’s easy to scrape the minced garlic into the bowl. Additionally, cleaning it is a breeze. And, as a bonus, stainless steel rubbed on your hands removes the garlic smell. Check out the Joseph Garlic Rocker at Amazon.
Let’s Get to Cooking
Heat the wok or skillet on medium heat. Make sure it is heated before adding the oil, or the oil will smoke and burn.
Add the oil and season the shrimp with Old Bay Seasoning and pepper. Toss them into the wok and let them cook for 1 1/2 minutes on each side. They will be pink and opaque. Once they are cooked, remove them to a plate.
All the Veggies Get into the Wok
This is the fun part, add the remaining oil to the wok and toss in all of the veggies. Don’t worry if you need to add more oil, it will be okay. The cook on the veggies should be crisp-tender. They will be cooking with the sauce for a bit as well, overcooking them will make them mushy.
Add the Garlic and Ginger to the Wok
This part is a little tricky, because garlic can burn very quickly. However, cooking it for about 30 seconds is enough time for the garlicky flavor to pop. And the ginger is just fine cooking with the garlic.
Sauce it Up!
Now it is time to add the sauce mixture to the party. Make sure to stir it well. The mixture will thicken after simmering for about a minute or two. Add the Shrimp and stir to combine.
The stir fry is officially done! You can either add the rice to the stir fry and mix it well to combine. Or, spoon the rice onto plates and serve the shrimp stir fry on top.
Use Different Proteins – Add Chicken
Alternate meats and vegetables. One of our granddaughters loves shrimp, but the other one does not. Therefore, we use shrimp and chicken in our stir fry recipe. It makes them both happy! A win, win!
Making this with chicken is just as easy. Cooking the chicken first is important because it takes a little longer to cook. So, if you are adding chicken, start cooking it before the shrimp. Place them on separate plates when they are cooked.
Riced Cauliflower is Another Option
I have made this with riced cauliflower instead of rice. Sauté it in a separate skillet with butter and/or chicken broth. Season it with pepper. Saute it for about 5 minutes to get it nice and tender. Give it a try you may be surprised at how yummy it is!
Please let me know if you make this recipe – I would love to hear how it came out.
Enjoy,
Sherri
Shrimp Stir Fry
Ingredients
Oven Baked Rice – see recipe link below
Sauce Mixture
- 6 tbsp Soy Sauce low sodium
- 2 tbsp Rice Wine Vinegar seasoned
- 4 tsp Sugar Granulated
- 4 tsp Sesame Oil
- 1 tbsp Cornstarch
Shrimp
- 4 tsp Olive Oil separated
- 1 1/2 lbs Large Shrimp peeled and deveined
Vegetables
- 1/2 Red Onion, Medium thinly sliced
- 1 Red Bell Pepper thinly sliced
- 1 Green Bell Pepper thinly sliced
- 1 cup Mushrooms sliced
- 2 Garlic Cloves Minced
- 2 tsp Ginger Fresh, finely chopped
- 1/2 Broccoli Head Chopped
Seasonings
- 1 tsp Old Bay Seasoning
- Pepper to taste
- Siracha Sauce optional
Instructions
- Make my oven baked rice recipe, so the rice can cook while you are making the stir fry. https://herdingcatshere.com/2019/03/22/easy-oven-baked-rice/
- Mix the sauce mixture, and set it aside.
- Clean, shell and devein the shrimp. Make sure to remove the dark line going down the back of the shrimp. (This is poo, yuck!).
- Rinse and pat the shrimp dry and set aside. Do not season the shrimp until you are ready to cook it, or it will dry it out.
- Heat a wok or skillet to medium heat. Once the pan is warm, add 2 teaspoons of Olive Oil.
- Season the shrimp with Old Bay and pepper. Quickly, add them to the wok. Cook approximately 1 1/2 minutes on each side. They will appear pink and opaque. Once they are done, place them on a plate.
- Add the remaining 2 tsp of Olive Oil to the wok. Toss the veggies into the wok and cook. Make sure you cook them until they are just tender, but still a little crisp. This takes about 3-6 minutes.
- Once the veggies are ready, add the garlic and ginger. This will only need to cook for 30 seconds to one minute. Make sure to stir this, as you don’t want the garlic to burn. Slightly warming it up helps to make it aromatic and flavorful.
- Add the soy sauce mixture and bring to a boil. This needs to simmer for a few minutes (1-2) until the sauce thickens.
- Return the shrimp to the pan and stir to coat in the sauce. Serve immediately over rice or add the rice to the pan and stir to combine.
Notes
