This easy shrimp stir-fry is a fast flavorful weeknight dinner made with tender shrimp, crisp vegetables, and your favorite stir-fry sauce. It comes together quickly and is easy to customize with whatever you have on hand.
No stir-fry sauce? No problem! Make my easy stir-fry sauce recipe with ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen.
In my opinion, it is always a good time for a stir-fry. It's easy, quick, and won't heat up your kitchen in the summer. This shrimp stir-fry gets an A++ for overall speed, ease, and flavor.
If you already have a favorite stir-fry sauce on hand, this recipe uses only 4 ingredients: shrimp, vegetables, oil, and sauce. But you'll probably also want to serve it over rice, so make it 5!
If you don't have stir-fry sauce, make mine! This easy stir-fry sauce can be made gluten-free and soy-free depending on your needs. In the notes, there's even a 3-ingredient version for when you're pressed for time and working with what you've got.
If you're looking for more quick Asian-inspired dinner recipes, check out my Five Spice Chicken, Spam Musubi Bowl, Salmon Sushi Bowl, Pumpkin Curry with Chicken, Pork Green Curry, Vietnamese Chicken Noodle Salad, Rice Paper Rolls, and Kale Lentil Curry.
For other weeknight dinner recipes, check out my Blackened Shrimp Tacos, Baked Salmon Cakes, Shrimp Salad Sandwiches, Dairy Free Shrimp Scampi, Tuscan Chicken Salad, and Easy Shrimp Paella.
How to make it (with photos)
Ingredient Notes + Substitutions
This shrimp stir-fry recipe needs only 4 key ingredients. It's a great way to use what you have and decrease the mental load ✅✅
Shrimp
Use peeled and deveined uncooked medium-sized shrimp or larger. Any smaller and they will cook too fast and get rubbery.
Keep tails on for more flavor and a nicer plated look. Take them off for easier eating (this is what I usually do).
If using pre-cooked shrimp (like cooked leftover shrimp or cocktail shrimp) add them with the sauce and cook only until the sauce thickens. I recommend eating day-of in this case since shrimp are highly perishable.
Vegetables
In the recipe card, I suggested a favorite combination of broccoli florets, red bell pepper, and mushrooms. However, you can use many different vegetables in your own variation!
Use this guide for different vegetable combos:
- Hard veggies (carrots, bell peppers, broccoli): Stir-fry 2-4 minutes first.
- Quick-cook veggies (snap peas, bok choy greens): Add later, just before finishing.
- Aromatics: Start with garlic, ginger, scallions, or shallots for flavor.
I recommend chopping vegetables into bite-sized pieces to keep cooking times consistent.
Stir-fry Sauce
Use homemade or store-bought stir-fry sauce. Since most stir-fry sauces are not gluten-free, I make my own soy-free and gluten-free stir-fry sauce. Short on time? Check the 3-ingredient version in the recipe notes of my recipe with just low sodium soy sauce or GF tamari, sugar, and starch.
Look for a stir-fry sauce with ginger, garlic, and a sweetener for best taste. If it doesn't include starch, add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch or potato starch per cup of sauce. This thickens the sauce and helps it stick to the vegetables and protein.
Serve with:
Rice (white, brown, jasmine, or cauliflower), lettuce cups for a low-carb option, rice noodles or GF ramen, or quinoa.
See the recipe card for a full list of ingredients with quantities.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Learn how to make shrimp stir-fry with these 3 easy steps.
- Veggies: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the vegetables and stir to coat in oil. Cover with a lid (it doesn't need to be a great fit) for 1-2 minutes, then stir again for a minute, alternating between covering and uncovering to stir until the vegetables are becoming tender but still stir-fry crisp (about 4-5 minutes). When finished, the vegetables will still be a bright color but glistening and the mushrooms will not have released their water.
- Shrimp: Add the shrimp and stir gently but constantly for 2-4 minutes until opaque.
- Sauce: Pour in the stir fry sauce. Bring to a simmer or low boil until thickened, about 4-7 minutes. Remove from heat and serve over cooked white or brown rice.
Expert Tips
Make amazing shrimp stir-fry on the first try with these expert tips.
- Prep everything first. Stir-frying goes fast-have all your veggies chopped, sauce mixed, and shrimp thawed/dried before you start.
- Pat shrimp dry. This helps them sear instead of steam.
- High heat is key. Use a wok or large skillet over medium-high to high heat so everything cooks quickly without going soggy.
- Tails off = easier eating. Tails on = more flavor and more aesthetically pleasing if you're going for visual impact.
- Don't overcook the shrimp. Shrimp should just curl and turn opaque/pink-any longer and they get rubbery.
- Nuts or seeds: Toasted cashews, sesame seeds, or chopped peanuts add crunch to the final dish if you like.
Recipe FAQs
Here I answered some frequently asked questions about this shrimp stir-fry recipe. Don't see your question? Leave it in the comments at the end of this post and I'll answer within two business days.
Let cool to room temperature and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 1-2 days. Reheat on the stove over medium heat. Reheat in the microwave over medium heat, stirring mid-way to prevent overcooking the shrimp.
To make honey-garlic shrimp stir fry, follow the instructions as listed but use honey garlic stir-fry sauce! If using my stir-fry recipe, replace the sugar and broth with ⅓ cup honey instead. You can use up to 4 cloves of garlic in that recipe.
Some common crisp and crunchy base veggies are broccoli florets, bell peppers, carrots, snow peas or sugar snap peas, and green beans. You can also use zucchini or yellow squash, mushrooms, baby corn, baby bok choy, spinach or other leafy greans, and napa cabbage.
For extra flavor, consider adding aromatics like onion, garlic, ginger, and scallions. Or add last minute or top with bean sprouts, green onions, or water chestnuts after cooking.
Related recipes to consider...
Looking for other fast dinner recipes like this shrimp stir-fry? Check these out:
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 rating in the comment field below. Thank you!
📖 Recipe
Shrimp Stir-Fry
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil , plus more if needed
- 1 pound medium shrimp , peeled and deveined
- 1 head broccoli florets , chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 1 large red bell pepper , chopped into bite-sized pieces
- 2 cups cremini mushrooms or white mushrooms, quartered
- 1 cup stir-fry sauce
- 3 cups cooked white rice
Instructions
- Veggies: Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the vegetables and stir to coat in oil. Cover with a lid (it doesn't need to be a great fit) for 1-2 minutes, then stir again for a minute, alternating between covering and uncovering to stir until the vegetables are becoming tender but still stir-fry crisp (about 4-5 minutes). When finished, the vegetables will still be a bright color but glistening and the mushrooms will not have released their water.
- Shrimp: Add the shrimp and stir gently but constantly for 2-4 minutes until opaque.
- Sauce: Pour in the stir fry sauce. Bring to a simmer or low boil until thickened, about 4-7 minutes. Remove from heat and serve over cooked white or brown rice.
Mara says
This is a delicious stir fry recipe! It actually takes 15 minutes, and was a total lifesaver for dinner this week. I'll be adding it to the rotation!