Shrimp and Vegetable Stir Fry Recipe

This shrimp and vegetable stir fry recipe can be whipped up in minutes. Toss it with an easy stir fry sauce and serve it over a bed of rice.

Shrimp and vegetable stir fry is one of the easiest recipes you can have in your dinner rotation. It cooks in minutes and includes those wonderful garlicky gingery flavors that make the best stir fries irresistibly delicious. For my family, this recipe even rivals my wonton stir fry. And that's saying something!

Stir fries are something I learned to make a long time ago. In fact, it's the meal I turned to more than any other during my college years. Pick a protein (shrimp, chicken, beef, tofu, pork), add some veggies, whip up an easy sauce, cook it all in the same pan, then serve over a hearty helping of rice.

The tricks to cooking stir fries are simple. Keep the pan hot, cook the protein and vegetables in batches and cut vegetables into pieces that are approximately the same size so that they cook evenly. No one wants over-crisp carrots and soggy broccoli!

What you need for this shrimp and vegetable stir fry recipe:

These are the main components of this recipe (affiliate links included):

• SHRIMP: I used large shrimp, often labeled as 31-35 (in other words, there are 31-35 shrimp per pound). Peel the shrimp and remove the tails. Either fresh or frozen shrimp works.
• OIL: Two types of oil are needed. Use an oil with a high smoke point for stir frying. I usually use avocado oil, but canola is a good option, too. Use sesame oil for the stir fry sauce. Just a little drizzle adds a ton of flavor!
• GINGER & GARLIC: It's just not a stir fry without garlic and ginger. Fresh is best! Avoid the jarred minced garlic and mince some fresh cloves right before cooking. See my post on How to Mince Garlic.
• VEGETABLES: I used zucchini, sugar snap peas and red bell pepper in this recipe, but feel free substitute with whatever you have on hand. Mushrooms, snow peas, onion, Napa or purple cabbage, bok choy and broccoli are all good options.
• SOY SAUCE: If sodium is a concern, use a low sodium soy sauce. For gluten free diets, substitute the soy sauce with tamari.
• OYSTER SAUCE: Oyster sauce can be found in the international aisle of most grocery stores. For gluten free diets, gluten free oyster sauce can be found online and in some specialty stores.
• AGAVE NECTAR: Use agave nectar or honey for a little sweetness.
• CHILI GARLIC SAUCE: A staple in our house! Find chili garlic sauce in the international aisle of most grocery stores. Alternatively, use extra garlic and some red pepper flakes.
• CORNSTARCH: Use cornstarch to thicken the stir fry sauce.
• RICE: For serving. I like to serve stir fries over brown jasmine rice, but regular brown rice, brown basmati rice or white rice of any of those varieties work just as well. If working more fiber into your diet is a priority, brown rice is a good choice.

See recipe card below for full ingredients list & recipe directions.

How to make shrimp stir fry recipe:

My number one tip for making stir fries…BE PREPARED!

The benefit of stir frying for weeknight meals is that it goes quickly. However, that also means that prepping your ingredients (i.e., your mise en place) is essential.

1. PREP: Peel the shrimp, mince the garlic and ginger, cut the vegetables and whisk the sauce ingredients in a small bowl BEFORE you start cooking. Cooking dinner will feel far less frantic if you're prepared. I promise!
2. COOK THE SHRIMP: First up is the shrimp. Heat some of the avocado or canola oil in a nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat. Shrimp cook quickly, so take care not to overcook them. One to 1 ½ minutes should do the trick for large (31-35) shrimp if you start with a hot skillet. Transfer to a plate.
3. COOK THE VEGETABLES: Cook the vegetables in stages. First add the ginger, zucchini and snap peas to the skillet, then the red bell pepper and garlic.
4. ADD THE SAUCE: Return the cooked shrimp to the pan, along with the stir fry sauce. Let it thicken for a minute. You're done! Serve over rice and dig in.

What to serve with this easy shrimp stir fry:

Rice:

It doesn't get much easier and quicker than shrimp stir fry with rice. As I mentioned above, there's a wide range of rice options you can use. Our favorite stir fry rice is aromatic brown jasmine rice, but we often use brown basmati if we're out of jasmine.

Other grains:

Try quinoa, couscous or even farro.

Noodles:

Serve the stir fry over egg noodles, rice noodles or sweet potato noodles. Soba or udon noodles work, too. Toss the cooked noodles with a little soy sauce and sesame oil.

Low carb options:

To the lower the carb count, swap out the rice with cauliflower rice (we love it in my cauliflower fried rice recipe), zucchini noodles or spaghetti squash.

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Shrimp and Vegetable Stir Fry Recipe

This shrimp and vegetable stir fry recipe can be whipped up in minutes. Toss it with an easy stir fry sauce and serve it over a bed of rice.

4.74 from 26 votes

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Course: Entrees

Cuisine: Chinese

Keyword: Healthy Dinner Recipes, Seafood Recipes

Prep Time: 17 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 8 minutes minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes minutes

Servings: 4 Servings

Calories: 171kcal

Author: Dara Michalski | Cookin' Canuck

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Ingredients

• 3 teaspoons avocado oil divided (See Note 1)
• ¾ pounds large shrimp peeled & tails removed (See Note 2)
• 1 tablespoon minced ginger
• 1 medium zucchini cut into ¾-inch pieces (about 1 ½ cups)
• 1 ½ cups snap peas trimmed
• 1 red bell pepper cut into ¾-inch pieces
• 3 garlic cloves minced

The Sauce:

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce (See Note 3)
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon + 2 teaspoons agave nectar or honey if not vegan
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce (See Note 3)
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• ¾ teaspoon chili garlic sauce

Instructions

• Heat 1 teaspoon avocado oil in a large nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring, until just cooked through, about 1 minute. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
• Add 1 teaspoon oil to the skillet and add the ginger. Cook for 30 seconds.
• Add the zucchini and snap peas. Cook, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes. Add the last teaspoon of oil, along with the red bell pepper and garlic. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the vegetables are just tender. 
• Add the shrimp and sauce to the pan, and stir to coat.
• Remove from the heat. Serve the stir fry over rice.

The Sauce:

• In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce and cornstarch until the cornstarch is incorporated.
• Add the water, agave nectar (or honey), oyster sauce, sesame oil and chili garlic sauce.

Video

Notes

Weight Watchers Points: 3 (Blue - Freestyle SmartPoints) / 4 (Green) / 3 (Purple)

Note 1: Use an oil with a high smoke point for stir frying. I usually use avocado oil, but canola is a good option, too. 

Note 2: I used large shrimp, often labeled as 31-35 (in other words, there are 31-35 shrimp per pound). Peel the shrimp and remove the tails.

Note 3: If sodium is a concern, use a low sodium soy sauce. For gluten free diets, substitute the soy sauce with tamari. Oyster sauce can also be found in a gluten free version (the regular version has gluten).

Please note that I am not a medical or nutritional professional. I provide nutritional information for my recipes as a courtesy to my readers. It is calculated using the Sparks nutrition calculator and Weight Watchers points are calculated using the Recipe Builder on their site. While I attempt to provide information that is as accurate as possible, you should calculate the nutritional information independently before relying on it.

Nutrition

Serving: 1Cup Stir | Calories: 171kcal | Carbohydrates: 15.3g | Protein: 14.7g | Fat: 4.8g | Saturated Fat: 0.6g | Cholesterol: 93.8mg | Sodium: 1079.8mg | Fiber: 1.7g | Sugar: 9.6g

Tried this recipe?If you make this recipe, I'd love to see it on Instagram! Just use the hashtag #COOKINCANUCK and I'll be sure to find it.

This post was first published on March 21, 2016 and updated with new tips and text on September 28, 2021.

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by USA Rice and the Healthy Aperture Blogger Network as part of the #ThinkRice campaign. All opinions are my own. I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.