Quick and Easy Shrimp and Broccoli Stir Fry Recipe

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Forget Chinese takeout — This EASY Shrimp Stir Fry Recipe is a family favorite, and it can also be on your dinner table in less than 30 minutes! Succulent shrimp and crisp-tender broccoli in a honey garlic sauce is simply delicious served over rice or noodles.

Ingredient Notes

• Shrimp — Choose large shrimp, peeled and deveined — feel free to use fresh or frozen in this recipe.
• Broccoli florets — Fresh or frozen will work, but I prefer fresh.
• Red bell pepper — Choose a large pepper and thinly slice it, removing the seeds. It is optional, but I love adding them for the color!
• Soy sauce — I use lower-sodium soy sauce in my cooking.
• Rice vinegar — Rice vinegar adds a mild, slightly sweet flavor that’s less overpowering than other types of vinegar, making it perfect for balancing out flavors.
• Honey — Add a touch of sweetness with honey!

• Corn starch — Use corn starch to coat the shrimp for a slightly crispy texture.
• Red pepper flakes — Use flakes or crushed red pepper to add a touch of heat!
• Sesame oil — This oil has that iconic nutty Asian food flavor. Use the light variety for a higher smoke point.
• Black pepper — Freshly ground pepper yields the best flavor.
• Green onions — Diagonally cut into 1-inch pieces; use these in the recipe and more for garnish.
• Ginger — Freshly minced is my preference, but substitute ground ginger if you don’t have fresh in your pantry.
• Garlic cloves — Thinly sliced or jarred minced garlic both work just fine.
• Olive oil — I love the flavor olive oil gives. Just be sure to watch the oil as it burns quicker than others.

How to Make Shrimp with Broccoli Stir Fry

With stir-frying, smaller pieces of food are cooked in a wok with a small amount of oil over fairly high heat, stirring constantly until done. Since the food cooks fast, a little planning will ensure a superb stir-frying experience. Let’s get started!

STEP 1 | Chop ingredients

I like to be prepared when stir-frying. So, I recommend chopping the veggies, mincing the garlic and ginger, and measuring all the additional ingredients before heating the pan.

That way, it is ready when the pan is screaming hot and ready to go.

Step 2 | Make the homemade stir fry sauce

Whisk together the sauce ingredients: soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, red pepper flakes, and cornstarch in a small bowl. Set that savory sauce mixture aside for later use.

Step 3 | Get the pan ready

Here is the fun part. Heat a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the sesame oil to the pan and swirl to coat. 

Step 4 | Cook the shrimp

Add the dried shrimp to the pan, season with the black pepper, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until the shrimp turn pink. Be careful not to overcook.

Then, remove the shrimp from the pan, put it on a plate, and set it aside.

Step 5 | Add fresh veggies

Now, add the green onions, ginger, and garlic to the hot pan and stir fry for 45 seconds until fragrant. Then, use a slotted spoon to add this mixture to the plate with the shrimp.

Time for the colorful veggies. Add a tablespoon of olive oil to the wok, swirling to coat, and toss in the broccoli and red bell peppers. Cook and stir for another couple of minutes.

Step 6 | Back into the pan

Next, add the shrimp and onion mixture back into the pan. Give the sauce mixture another quick whisk, pour the prepared sauce into the pan, and cook another minute until the sauce is thickened and the broccoli is crisp-tender.

Step 7 | Garnish & serve!

Serve immediately over a piping hot bed of rice, garnish with sesame seeds, and serve it with chopsticks to make it fun for everyone.

Craving more homemade Asian recipes? You just have to try my Sticky Baked Chicken Wings, Asian Sesame Salad with Chicken,  or this yummy Asian Slaw with Egg Roll Crackers.

Variations and Substitutions

• If you like more sauce with your stir fry, just double the amount of soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, and red pepper flakes.
• Try serving this dish over your choice of white rice, cauliflower rice, brown rice, rice noodles, and more! Or try my recipe for making the best Jasimine rice. 
• Try other tender, crisp, colorful veggies like baby corn, water chestnuts, snow peas, bok choy, snap peas, green beans, bamboo shoots, and more!
• Change out the shrimp for chicken stir fry. Just be sure the chicken is fully cooked!
• Double the sauce ingredients if you like a little more. 

Storage and Reheating Tips

• Cool the stir-fry to room temperature before transferring it to an airtight container. Store in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
• When you’re ready to enjoy your leftovers, reheat on the stove over medium heat or in the microwave, stirring occasionally to ensure it heats evenly.

Peel & Devein Shrimp Tips

Most of the time, I purchase shrimp from the meat counter that is deveined. The shells are already split, which makes them really easy to peel, too.

You can also get bags of frozen peeled and deveined shrimp at the grocery store. Just be sure to thaw them ahead of time, rinse them, and blot them dry.

For those times that deveined shrimp is not available, I follow this easy process:

1. Use kitchen shears to snip the shell along the top (opposite side from the squiggly feet on the bottom) and stop when you reach the last section and tail.
2. Slide the shell away from the shrimp, removing the feet, too. Discard the shells or save them for making shrimp stock. Also, use a chef’s knife to cut off the heads and discard them.
3. Use a paring knife’s sharp, thin tip to score the shrimp along the back side to expose the black vein.
4. Pull the vein out with the tip of the paring knife and discard.
5. Use paper towels to blot the peeled and deveined shrimp dry.

What to Serve With Shrimp Broccoli Stir Fry

This recipe is a meal in a bowl of its own. But if you want to add delicious sides to the table, I recommend this Asian Slaw with Egg Roll Crackers (skip the chicken), or maybe place your shrimp and broccoli over a bed of this Fried Rice (again, skip the chicken.)

Then top the evening’s meal off with some Butter Pecan Cookies or these yummy Jam Thumbprint Lemon Shortbread Cookies. And to make your table extra festive, check out these beautiful bamboo placemats with black lacquer chopsticks (and modern chopstick bowl rest).

Beyond the Recipe: Shrimp Broccoli Stir-Fry

This Shrimp Broccoli Stir-Fry recipe I originally shared at The Weary Chef is a great weeknight dinner option for busy families. But then, as I was writing my take on the recipe, I found interest in the stir-fry method.

Originating in China, a wok is a deep cooking vessel with a round bottom designed explicitly for fast cooking or stir-frying at a high temperature.

Research says that as early as the Han dynasty, people were using a wok for drying grain. Fast forward to the Ming dynasty, and that’s when the wok was altered to the shape we’re familiar with today. 

Now, here is the exciting part. In the 20th century, using oil to fry was seen as a luxury. Commoners stuck to boiling and steaming their food because the oil and fuel needed for stir-frying were expensive. However, this quick cooking method requiring very little oil made it possible for more people to afford it.

But wait, it’s not just that it became affordable and tastes amazing; it’s also because it’s seen as a healthier option. Stir-frying is about making the most of a mix of veggies, meats, and fish, keeping things light on fat but big on flavor. The sauces bring all the ingredients together without weighing the dish down. So, when you’re enjoying that shrimp and broccoli stir-fry, you’re taking part in a tradition that’s delicious and kind to your waistline.