This shrimp stir fry recipe is fast, easy, and unbelievably delicious. Ready in 20 minutes with juicy shrimp, crisp veggies, and a crave-worthy homemade sauce.

The secret to making this shrimp stir fry so good is the sauce. We use the same one we whisk together for fried rice. It’s savory, a little sweet, and flavorful. Tossed with juicy shrimp and veggies, it transforms a quick weeknight dinner into something that tastes restaurant-worthy.

Once you try this recipe, I’m betting you’ll be making it on repeat, because that’s exactly what happened with our family.

Key Ingredients

• Shrimp: I prefer extra-large or jumbo shrimp for this recipe (look for 16-20 count on the package). If yours are frozen, see the quick-thawing tip below the recipe (it only takes a few minutes with cold running water).
• Veggies: Stick with quick-cooking vegetables, such as onions and snap peas. Zucchini, asparagus, green beans, small broccoli florets, bell peppers, and bok choy also work beautifully.
• Garlic: I love a kick of garlic, and highly recommend adding 2 cloves. I like to slice them thinly so you can see them in the stir fry.
• Sauce: I use our fried rice sauce for this and love it. The basic recipe only has 4 ingredients. It is a mixture of soy sauce, brown sugar, rice wine vinegar, and toasted sesame oil. If you’re up for it, you can also add mirin, Chinese 5-spice, and a bit of heat with chile paste, but the basic sauce is still really good! Another option is to use our ginger stir fry sauce.
• Butter: This is my secret for making the sauce nice and creamy. You’ll add one tablespoon just before serving.

Find the full recipe with measurements below.

How to Make the Best Shrimp Stir Fry

Tip 1: Salt, then rinse your shrimp. Before cooking, toss the shrimp with a bit of salt and let them sit in a colander for a few minutes. The salt firms up their texture and seasons them throughout. After rinsing, the shrimp taste cleaner, cook more evenly, and stay plump and juicy. Try this trick for all your favorite shrimp recipes. I also use it when making this shrimp burger recipe.

Tip 2: Cook the shrimp first. Sear the shrimp until they’re just barely done, then remove them from the skillet. This keeps them from overcooking and gives you time to stir fry the veggies until perfectly tender.

Tip 3: Use our sauce. Our fried rice sauce is incredible for fried rice, but it’s also the secret to this quick and flavorful shrimp stir fry. It takes just 2 minutes to make: simply simmer soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, and any optional add-ins until the sugar has dissolved. Keep a jar in your fridge. It lasts for a week and works with almost any stir-fry.

Tip 4: Finish with butter. Just as the stir fry is finishing up, turn off the heat and swirl in a little butter. It melts into the sauce, making it silky, slightly creamy, and extra delicious.

More Stir Fry Recipes

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This chicken stir fry recipe is packed with fresh vegetables and coated with our irresistible homemade sauce.

I love stir fries, especially when I’m short on time. We’ve found ourselves returning to this recipe lately. The sauce is easy and made from scratch with honey, fish sauce, and soy sauce.

This stir fry can be on the table in about 30 minutes, and if you want to, you can make the stir fry sauce well in advance (it lasts in the fridge for a week).

Key Ingredients

• Chicken: I use boneless, skinless chicken thighs in this stir fry recipe, but boneless, skinless chicken breasts work well. Cut the chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces, or if you have chicken breasts, slice them against the grain into 1/4-inch slices.
• Veggies: Use what you love, but when I make this recipe, I reach for broccoli, onion, bell pepper, and snow peas. The combination is hearty, flavorful, and colorful. Take note of the recipe directions, where I give the heartier veggies (like broccoli) a head start before adding the other vegetables to the skillet/wok.
• Ginger and Garlic: I love fresh ginger and garlic, and use a tablespoon of each in this stir fry. If you don’t want to buy fresh ginger, look for the fresh ginger paste (sold in squeeze bottles).
• Basil: One of my favorite Thai restaurants sells a stir-fried dish with lots of fresh basil and I love it, so I add fresh basil here. Use Italian basil or Thai basil. Mint is also an option.
• Stir Fry Sauce: This homemade sauce is really easy and so flavorful. I combine honey, fish sauce, soy sauce, water (or broth), and cornstarch. The cornstarch thickens the sauce a bit, so it sticks to the chicken and vegetables in the stir fry. I also love this more traditional brown stir fry sauce.

Find the full recipe with measurements below.

How to Make the Best Chicken Stir Fry

Tip 1: A quick guide for making our chicken stir fry. This dish comes together really quickly. For the best results, you’ll want to cook your protein first, then follow up with the veggies. This way the chicken stays perfectly tender and the veggies don’t overcook. Here’s a quick rundown of what you’ll need to do:

1. Cook the chicken first, then transfer it to a plate.
2. Toss your broccoli into the pan. Since broccoli is heartier than the other veggies, I like giving it a head start so that by the time everything else is ready, it’s bright green and crisp-tender.
3. After tossing the remaining veggies, I stir the garlic and ginger. Adding these later guarantees that they stay super fragrant and don’t burn.
4. Add the chicken and sauce, then reheat everything.
5. If you have some on hand, toss in some fresh herbs and lime juice. I love basil, but mint is great, too.

Tip 2: Serving suggestions. Thanks to all of the hearty veggies, this stir fry is lovely by itself. It’s also great with plain rice, coconut rice, fried rice, noodles or this cilantro lime rice.

More Asian Inspired Recipes

Easy Chicken Stir Fry

• PREP
  10 mins
  
• COOK
  20 mins
  
• TOTAL
  30 mins
  

My family loves this easy chicken and vegetable stir fry. I use chicken thighs, but chicken breast, tofu, pork, or simply replacing the chicken with more vegetables are all options. The key to the best stir fry is to cook the heartiest ingredients first—like the chicken or broccoli, then add less hearty and more delicate ingredients towards the end of cooking. This way, none of the vegetables overcook. Use a nice wide skillet or wok for this recipe. The bigger, the better.

Makes 4 servings

You Will Need

Chicken Stir Fry

1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces

1 tablespoon avocado oil, peanut oil, or canola oil

2 cups broccoli florets (1 medium bunch)

1 small onion, thinly sliced

1 bell pepper, core removed and thinly sliced

1 ½ cups snow peas (3 ounces)

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger (1-inch piece)

1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)

1/4 cup fresh basil leaves

Juice of 1 lime, plus extra lime wedges for serving

Stir Fry Sauce

1 tablespoon honey

2 tablespoons fish sauce

1 teaspoon low sodium soy sauce

1/3 cup water or chicken broth

1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch

1/2 to 1 teaspoon Sriracha hot sauce

Directions

1You can make the stir fry sauce up to one week in advance and keep it in an airtight container in the fridge. Whisk honey, fish sauce, soy sauce, water, and cornstarch in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. Continue to whisk as it heats up and thickens, 2 to 3 minutes. When thick and shiny, remove from the heat and stir in Sriracha hot sauce.

2Heat a large, wide skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the oil and swirl it in the pan until the bottom is well coated. Scatter the chicken pieces in one layer. Cook, without moving, until starting to brown on the bottom, about 5 minutes. Stir the chicken and continue to cook until cooked through about 3 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a clean plate.

3Reduce the heat to medium, then place the skillet back on the burner. Add the broccoli and cook, stirring frequently, until it turns bright green, about 2 minutes.

4Throw in the onion and bell pepper, and cook, stirring frequently, until the onions begin to sweat, about 2 minutes.

5Add the snow peas, ginger, and garlic, then cook, tossing frequently until the ginger and garlic are fragrant and the snow peas turn a brighter green, about 2 minutes.

6Stir in the cooked chicken. When all of the vegetables are crisp-tender and the chicken is reheated, take the skillet off the heat and stir in the stir-fry sauce. As you stir, use tongs or a spoon to scrape the bottom of the pan to lift any bits stuck to the pan and mix them into the sauce.

7Finish by tossing with fresh basil leaves and the juice of one lime. Serve with extra lime wedges.

Adam and Joanne’s Tips

• Chicken breasts: If you substitute chicken breasts in this recipe, slice them against the grain into 1/4-inch slices before cooking them so that they are super tender.
• Buying fish sauce: We always keep a bottle of fish sauce in our kitchen. It’s truly a magical ingredient. You can use it here and in other Asian-inspired dishes, and it is also excellent for adding to soups, stews, and pasta sauces. We have Red Boat in our kitchen. It has a clean flavor and no water or sugar added. If you cannot find it, go for a mid to high-priced fish sauce sold in a glass bottle instead of in plastic, and look for a light amber or reddish color rather than a very dark color.
• The nutrition facts provided below are estimates.

Nutrition Per Serving
Serving Size
1 1/4 cups
/
Calories
308
/
Protein
37 g
/
Carbohydrate
16 g
/
Dietary Fiber
3 g
/
Total Sugars
9 g
/
Total Fat
10 g
/
Saturated Fat
2 g
/
Cholesterol
142 mg

AUTHOR:

Adam Gallagher

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