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This shrimp stir fry is a go-to fast and healthy dinner! Use any veggies you like with this flavor-packed stir fry sauce.

Shrimp Stir Fry
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Here’s a go-to fast and easy dinner: shrimp stir fry! This one is packed with flavor with a glossy, savory stir fry sauce that coats the juicy shrimp and colorful veggies. Use your favorite vegetables to make a super-satisfying dinner that pleases everyone around the table.

It’s quick to whip up: just add rice or noodles to make it a meal! As busy working parents and cookbook authors, we’re all about meals like these—and this one has become a fan favorite with readers throughout the years!

“My new favorite stir fry recipe!! I’m a seasoned cook and super picky! This sauce is perfect and versatile.” -Amy

“This is an incredible recipe. Hands down, the best stir-fry recipe I have ever made. I’m kind of obsessed actually.” -Ashley

Ingredients in this shrimp stir fry

This shrimp stir fry recipe is versatile and customizable based on your tastes. All you need is shrimp and stir fry sauce: then use whatever veggies you love! Here’s what we included as essential ingredients: but you can customize based on your liking:

  • Shrimp: Fresh or frozen both work in this recipe.
  • Broccoli or broccolini: Typically we use broccoli, but broccolini has a sweet flavor and a nice look with the long stems.
  • Bell peppers: Peppers are quick to cook and pack in the nutrients.
  • Mushrooms (optional): Shiitake mushrooms add big savory flavor, but you can use any type of mushroom, like portobello, cremini, oyster, or maitake.
  • Green onions: Scallions are quick to cook and add a fresh flavor.
  • Ginger (optional): Fresh ginger root adds big flavor if you have it.
Shrimp stir fry

More vegetables to add

There are lots more veggies you can add to customize this shrimp stir fry. But keep in mind, it’s important not to overstuff your pan! More veggies is not necessarily better. Using too many makes them stack on each other and steam instead of stir fry, resulting in soggy veggies. Use your largest skillet and approximately 6 to 8 cups of vegetables total. Here are a few ideas for more vegetables and how long they take to stir fry:

What to look for when buying shrimp

There are lots of options at the store when it comes to shrimp! When you’re shopping for this shrimp stir fry, keep this in mind:

  • Find medium shrimp (or large). Medium shrimp is our favorite because it’s bite-sized and distributes well with the veggies. Large works too, but the size can overwhelm in a stir fry. Medium is labeled as 41 to 50 count, and Large as 31 to 40 count (indicating how many shrimp there are per pound).
  • Use tail on or peeled. Tail on looks nice, but you do have to remove the tails with your hands as you eat them! Peeled is nice, especially when serving kids.
  • Fresh or frozen. Both have essentially the same freshness because most shrimp are immediately flash frozen after they are caught. Make sure to thaw the shrimp in advance.
  • Look for wild caught. Fish that is wild caught in your country is usually a sustainable choice. There are also quality options in well-regulated farms; see Seafood Watch Consumer Guide.
Shrimp stir fry

Tips for the stir fry sauce

This shrimp stir fry sauce is customizable to work for any stir fry! We made it first with this tofu stir fry, then realized it would be delicious with just about any protein.

Use this sauce for any stir fry that’s intended for 4 servings and 1 pound of protein, be it chicken, tofu, steak or shrimp. You can make the sauce in advance if you like: whip it up and store in a covered jar or container until you’re ready to cook.

Shrimp stir fry recipe

How to serve shrimp stir fry

Once you’ve whipped up this shrimp stir fry, what are the best ways to serve it? Here are a few options for serving suggestions and side dishes to make it a complete meal:

  • Jasmine rice: Jasmine rice has a lovely fragrant flavor and light texture that makes it our favorite variety, or make any type of white rice or brown rice.
  • Quinoa: We like mixing it up and serving a stir fry with quinoa every now and then.
  • Noodles: Serve with these quick and easy soba noodles.
  • Edamame: Pair this stir fry with edamame or spicy edamame as a side.
  • Fried Rice: Add fried rice for a filling meal.

Dietary notes

This shrimp stir fry recipe is gluten-free, dairy-free, and pescatarian.

Frequently asked questions

What is miso?

Miso is a Japanese fermented soybean paste that’s full of nutrients and salty flavor. It’s known for its intense savory notes, otherwise known as umami. Try to find yellow or white miso for this stir fry sauce if you can. Red or brown miso has a very strong flavor, but it would also work here since the sauce uses a small quantity.

How can I prevent my shrimp from becoming overcooked and rubbery?

Shrimp cook quickly! The key is to not overcook them. Add them to the stir-fry towards the end of the cooking process, and cook just until they turn pink and opaque.

Can I make shrimp stir-fry ahead of time?

It’s best served fresh, but you can prep ingredients ahead of time. Chop your vegetables and make your sauce the day before. Store them separately in the refrigerator, then stir-fry everything together when you’re ready to eat.

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Easy Shrimp Stir Fry

Shrimp Stir Fry
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5 Stars 4 Stars 3 Stars 2 Stars 1 Star

4.7 from 6 reviews

This shrimp stir fry is a go-to fast and healthy dinner! Use any veggies you like with this flavor-packed stir fry sauce.

  • Author: Sonja Overhiser
  • Prep Time: 15 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x
  • Category: Main dish
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Asian inspired
  • Diet: Gluten Free

Ingredients

Scale

For the shrimp stir fry

  • 3 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 1 pound shrimp, deveined and shelled (or tail on), wild caught if possible
  • 1 pound broccoli or broccolini (stem on), about 4 cups
  • 2 bell peppers, any color
  • 4 ounces shiitake mushrooms (optional)
  • 2 green onions
  • 1 tablespoon minced ginger, optional

For the stir fry sauce

  • ¼ cup soy sauce (or tamari or coconut aminos)
  • 6 tablespoons water
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons sugar
  • 1 tablespoon yellow or white miso
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch (or arrowroot powder)
  • ¼ teaspoon garlic powder

Instructions

  1. Thaw the shrimp, if frozen.
  2. Chop the veggies: Chop the broccoli. Thinly slice the bell peppers. Remove the stems of the shiitake mushrooms and slice (or if using baby shiitakes, you can leave the stems on). 
  3. Make the stir fry sauce: Whisk together all ingredients until a smooth sauce forms.
  4. Cook the vegetables: In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium high heat. Add the broccoli or broccolini, bell pepper and mushrooms. Add 2 pinches kosher salt and cook 5 to 6 minutes, stirring occasionally, until crisp tender. Remove the vegetables to bowl.
  5. Cook the shrimp: Add the additional 1 tablespoon sesame oil to the pan. Add the shrimp, green onions and ginger (optional). Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the shrimp are almost opaque, turning once. Then add back the vegetables and the sauce. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the sauce is thickened.

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About the authors

Alex & Sonja

Hi! We’re Alex & Sonja Overhiser, authors of the acclaimed cookbooks A Couple Cooks and Pretty Simple Cooking—and a real life couple who cooks together. We founded the A Couple Cooks website in 2010 to share seasonal recipes and the joy of home cooking. Now, we’ve got over 3,000 well-tested recipes, including Mediterranean diet, vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, smoothies, cocktails, and more!

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17 Comments

  1. Bev says:

    This dish is excellent! In my humble opinion, the ginger is key and a wonderfully essential ingredient. A couplecooks has become my go-to recipe website. Thank you!!






  2. Liz Bunker says:

    Both soy and miso contain glutton, you have coconut amino to substitute for the soy, but what about the miso?
    I was just put on a gluten and dairy free diet and came close to tears when I learned miso contained gluten.

    1. Alex Overhiser says:

      Some misos are pure soy (as well as some soy sauces) rather than fermented wheat. You can order some online if necessary. https://amzn.to/3sp0lUn

  3. Brian says:

    Nice recipe, but can you note where you would add the (optional) ginger? Thanks!

    1. Sonja Overhiser says:

      Great question: you add it with the shrimp and green onions. We’ve updated the recipe — thank you so much!

  4. David Fiveash says:

    Hello!
    You have a great website!
    Well organized and so many wonderful recipes!

    David

  5. Coco P says:

    What would be a good substitute for the miso?

    Thank you

    1. Alex Overhiser says:

      You can just omit.

  6. Amy Pollard says:

    My new favorite stir fry recipe!! I’m a seasoned cook and super picky! This sauce is perfect and versatile. I used 1/2 coconut aminos and 1/2 soy sauce. I was generous with fresh ginger (2T) and garlic (4 cloves). For veggies, I used broccoli, carrots, peppers and red onion. For sugar-free option i would suggest stevia. Thanks Guys!!






  7. Carolyn Haas says:

    It was quite good, although I added a little extra seasoning.






  8. Ashley Addison says:

    This is an incredible recipe. Hands down, the best stir-fry recipe I have ever made. I’m kind of obsessed actually. I had a couple of modifications based on what I had on hand; instead of miso, I use sesame seeds, and instead of sugar, I use xylitol. I also cooked my veggies slightly longer because they were too raw for my liking.






    1. Alex Overhiser says:

      So glad you enjoyed it!

  9. Kayte Dressel says:

    Recipe looks great except for the sauce ingredients. Soy sauce is not gluten free. The title of the recipe is a little misleading.






    1. Connie Stackhouse says:

      I believe La Choy soy sauce is GF, or use liquid aminos (watch salt, it is quite salty)

    2. Storm says:

      Use Tamari, it is Gluten free soy sauce. Tastes exactly the same just without gluten.






      1. Phyllis Shepherd says:

        This recipe looks wonderful. However, I am pre-diabetic and need to reduce my sugar intake. Do you have any recommendations for reducing/eliminating/substituting for the sugar?
        I will be saving this recipe anyway and experimenting on my own, but would appreciate your input.
        Thanks for the great tips in your notes!