Stir Fry: The OG One-Pan Dinner
Sautéed quickly over high heat, with a flavorful sauce and some veggies, this stir fried garlic shrimp recipe is all but guaranteed to produce perfect shrimp every time. It’s healthy and quick, and it’s easy to make it gluten-free so it accommodates a lot of dietary preferences. The garlic sauce would also be tasty for dipping Steamed Shrimp if you’re looking for a simple snack. Our Shrimp Chow Mein recipe features a shrimp cooked in a spicy sauce with chewy noodles.
More favorite stir fry recipes
Ingredients For Garlic Shrimp Stir Fry Sauce
This healthy, easy shrimp with garlic sauce stir-fry is brought to life with the super-savory garlic stir-fry sauce that you’ll sauté the shrimp and veggies in. We also have a pared-down Stir Fry Sauce that has a shorter ingredient list that you can use too.
Soy sauce. You can substitute gluten-free tamari if you’d like to make this into a gluten-free shrimp stir-fry.
Sesame oil. We prefer the nuttier flavor of toasted sesame oil, but either toasted or untoasted will work just fine.
Chili sauce. We usually reach for the straightforward chili-heat of sambal oelek, but you could use sriracha if that’s what you have on-hand. Or, if you’d like to make your garlic shrimp stir-fry more mild in flavor, just leave it out.
Brown sugar. A little sweetness is key, and helps to balance all of the big flavors that are at play in this garlic stir-fry sauce.
Garlic. And lots of it! We call for six fresh cloves of garlic.
Cornstarch. This is the magical stir-fry sauce ingredient—it thickens the sauce a bit and helps it to coat the shrimp, asparagus, snow peas and peppers in just the way you want it to.
How to Make Easy Garlic Shrimp Stir Fry
Make the garlic sauce. Whisk the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
Cook the veggies + shrimp. Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. Cook, until vegetables begin to soften, 3-4 minutes, then add the shrimp.
Pour the sauce into the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce is thick enough to coat the shrimp, about 5 minutes.
Serve with steaming rice, cilantro and sesame seeds.
How to Store Leftovers + Tips
Store leftovers in the fridge for 3-4 days and in the freezer for up to three months.
You don’t need a wok to make a great at-home stir fry for dinner. However, for crisp veggies and perfectly-cooked shrimp, it’s important not to overcrowd the pan. Having a larger pan makes that easier to do.
Practice your chopping skills. When you’re prepping the shrimp and veggies, think about size as you chop. Making sure your veggies and shrimp are roughly the same size will help ensure even cooking.
Cooking temperature is key! Use medium-high heat for this shrimp stir-fry—it gives the veggies enough time to get nicely tender, without getting burned or becoming soggy.
Keep an eye on the shrimp. Shrimp cooks fast—as in three minutes-ish—and so once you add the shrimp to the pan, stir it constantly and keep watching. Once it turns pink, it’s probably done.
More Shrimpy Favorites From The Modern Proper
15 Minute Garlic Shrimp Stir Fry + Other Fast Meals
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