Honey Ginger Shrimp Stir fry Recipe
This easy shrimp stir-fry flavored with garlic, honey, and veggies gets done in just 15 minutes. Use fresh or frozen shrimp and veggies. Serve over rice, noodles, or on its own.
I am a huge fan of shrimp and prawns. I grew up with my mom making them often. My favorite is tandoori prawns and prawn pilaf. Shrimps are also a great addition to stir-fry dishes. They are small and little bite-size treats that add so much flavor. And the best part is that they cook in minutes. So, simple dishes like buttered shrimp or shrimp curry are quick and easy to make.
Today, I’m using pepper in my stir-fry. And yet, you could use almost any veggies you have in the fridge. See all my stir-fry recipes here for some ideas. And if you don’t have prawns, you can make a chicken or beef stir-fry.
About this stir-fry
In addition to being quick and easy, this is also very versatile. One advantage of stir-fry is that it keeps veggies crisp-tender, so they retain more nutrients than if boiled. Also, stir-frying uses less oil. So, the fat content is usually low.
The three golden rules of stir-fry
A stir-fry, if done correctly, is an absolute treat. The meat has to be well-cooked yet smoky or stewed. The veggies must be cooked al dente, meaning cooked but with a bite that is not soft or mushy. Getting it right means following these three golden rules.
- The right pan for a stir-fry is a wok. If you don’t have a wok, use a light sauté pan that you can heat on medium to high. Never use non-stick pots or heavy-bottom pans. The non-stick will get ruined, and the heavy-bottom pan will create steam.
- Mise en plas or prepare before you stir-fry. A stir-fry is a quick dish, so you must prepare everything before turning on the heat. Cut the ingredients you need, prepare the sauce, and have the garnish chopped. Keep that serving platter on hand to take it off the heat quickly.
- Quick cooking – Most stir-fry dishes take no more than 7 to 10 minutes over the heat. The idea of stir-fry is to cook quickly on high heat. So keep that flame on high or medium-high. Use a splash of water when necessary to reduce the pan’s temperature. Never leave the wok unattended (yup, don’t answer that phone).
Ingredients and substitutes
- Shrimps – I love using shrimps or prawns for this. And yet, you can also make this with chicken or beef. See my Chicken stir-fry as well as the Beef and pepper Stir-fry.
- Peppers – A great veggie for stir-frying because they cook quickly and still look bright and vibrant. I’ve used three colors today. But you can use whatever color you can find that makes your dish really beautiful.
- Onions – Sliced thickly, these add a nice bite to the dish. And, if you don’t like onions, you can slice them up thin, which adds flavor to the sauce as well.
- Garlic and ginger – Ain’t no stir-fry without these two flavor boosters.
- Herbs – I love cilantro, and yet Chinese parsley is common in stir-fries.
- Fish sauce or Dashi – Can be found in most Asian grocery stores. If you enjoy Japanese food, you must try Dashi powder, which is powdered Japanese fish stock often used to make Miso soup.
- Sesame Oil – Most Asian foods use sesame oil. Adding just a few drops of this can really give your stir-fry an authentic flavor. It also has a long shelf life, so it will last in the pantry for a long time.
Step-by-step instructions
- Clean, vein, shell, and pat dry the shrimp. Cut the peppers into long ¼ inch strips and set aside. Dice the tofu into long, thin pieces similar to the peppers.
Pro tip – Keeping the tails on the shrimps looks more presentable for serving, but it’s a personal choice. - Combine all sauce ingredients in the small bowl, and set aside.
Pro tip – Cornstarch will settle to the bottom of the sauce, so you will need to mix it again before adding it to the pan. - Heat the wok on high and add one tablespoon of cooking oil. Add the shrimp and stir-fry for 3 minutes until they turn pink and are almost cooked. Remove from the pan and set aside.
Pro tip – We now remove the shrimp from the pan so we don’t overcook and make them rubbery. - To the same wok, add another tablespoon of oil and lightly brown the tofu on all sides – remove and set aside.
Pro tip – Don’t be afraid to let the tofu caramelize on all sides. We take the tofu out as it can break when stir-frying. - Next, add another tablespoon of oil to the wok and sauté the ginger and garlic. Then, add the bell peppers. Stir-fry for two minutes on high.
- Return the tofu and shrimp to the pan with the sauce and green onions. Stir-fry for two minutes until everything is well combined.
Pro tip – Keep the heat on medium so the liquid has time to coat everything before it dries out. - Finally, sprinkle some fresh chopped cilantro. Garnish with more green onions.
- Enjoy!
Frequently asked questions
The best thing about stir-fry dishes is their versatility and the freedom they give you to add or subtract. In this stir-fry, you can use fewer or more peppers if you want. Try adding some broccoli, green beans, or carrots, as I have done in my recipes for Chicken and green bread stir-fry, and chicken and broccoli stir-fry.
Yes, shrimp is not the only thing popular in stir-fry recipes. You can even try chicken breast, beef, thinly sliced pork, or chopped sausages. Asian cooking uses meat and seafood very successfully in stir-fry dishes.
It is recommended to use soybean oil, vegetable oil, peanut oil, or sunflower oil. All of these have a high smoking point. Any oil that works well for deep frying is preferable for stir-frying, since stir-frying is cooked on high heat. Olive oil, in contrast, is best used raw on salads and for light sautéing.
A wok is made with carbon steel and is light in weight. It can be cooked on very high heat and retains that high heat for a long time. Thus giving you that smoky flavor right in the comfort of your own kitchen. You can cook veggies on high, which is perfect for stir-fry. Having said that, you can certainly use a stainless steel frying pan. However, do not use non-stick as you will ruin the pan with high-heat cooking.
Shrimp Stir-Fry
This easy shrimp stir-fry flavored with garlic, honey, and veggies gets done in just 15 minutes. Use fresh or frozen shrimp and veggies. Serve over rice, noodles, or on its own.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (250 g) Shrimps cleaned, veined and shelled
- 2 cups (250 g) Bell peppers sliced into long strips
- 3 tbsp (45 ml) Canola oil (divided)
- ½ cup Green onions (or shallots) chopped
- 1 clove Garlic thinly sliced
- ½ inch (1 cm) Ginger thinly sliced
- 4 oz (113 g) Tofu sliced into long strips
- ¼ cup Parsley or cilantro chopped
- 2 tbsp Soya sauce
- 1 tbsp Dark soy sauce
- 1 ½ tbsp Honey
- 1 tbsp Fish sauce or 1 tsp Dashi powder
- 1 tsp Rice wine vinegar
- 1 tsp Sesame oil
- 1 tbsp Cornstarch
- 4 tbsp (60 ml) Water
Method
- Clean, vein, shell, and pat dry the shrimps. Cut the peppers into long ¼ inch strips and set aside. Dice the tofu into long, thin pieces similar to the peppers.
- Combine all sauce ingredients in the small bowl, and set aside.
- Heat the wok on high and add one tablespoon of cooking oil. Add the shrimps and stir fry for 3 minutes until they turn pink and are almost cooked. Then, remove from the pan and set aside.
- To the same wok, add another tablespoon of oil and lightly brown the tofu on all sides – remove and set aside.
- Next, add another tablespoon of oil to the wok – saute ginger and garlic. Then, add the bell peppers. Stir-fry for two minutes on high.
- Return the tofu and shrimp to the pan along with the sauce and green onions. Stir-fry for two minutes until everything is well combined.
- Finally, sprinkle some fresh chopped cilantro. Garnish with more green onions.
- Enjoy!
Notes
- Stir-fry is quick-cooking, so always have all your ingredients ready before you start.
- High heat is always recommended for stir-fry. And yet, some veggies like broccoli, carrots, and beans benefit better from medium-high with a slash of water. While mushrooms and leaves benefit from high heat, which quickly evaporate the released moisture.
- Also, when adding any liquid, turn the heat up and stir at the same time so everything is coated in the starch before the water evaporates
- Take the pan off the heat when done to prevent overcooking.
- Sometimes it’s best to transfer the stir-fry to a serving plate to prevent veggies from going mushy.
- Use salt sparingly because sauces used in stir-frys have salt added to them as a preservative.
Equipment you will need
Nutrition
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Dear beautiful Veena! Thank you for so generously sharing all of your exquisite recipes with the rest of the world. I did not have tofu & used a vegetable stir-fry mix which contained most of the ones listed, but otherwise followed the recipe. This is by far the tastiest recipe that I have ever tried for shrimp… and I cook shrimp once to twice every week. The sauce is to die for. So delicious and an absolute must try. Thank you again!
Thank you so much for the lovely feedback, Audrey.
I love shrimp and I love quick stir fries. This is a delicious and comforting recipe. Thanks for sharing.
Such a tasty and quick mid week meal. The kids love it too.
Sounds like a superb stirfry. I’ve recently started a new diet and I think I could probably get away with eating this on it actually.
Love a good stir fry with shrimp and I really like the idea of adding the tofu. A tasty and healthy meal.
Anything that combines honey and ginger is good with me. This looks delicious.
Stir fry is a family favorite. This recipe is a total win!
I love the flavours in this dish.
Stir fry is such a quick mid week meal but the prawns make it feel a bit special.
Absolutely Claire. Always a quick meal with stir frys
I adore stir fry. This is the type of meal that I would make on a Fridays or Saturdays but I don’t eat prawn or a lot of seafood. Do you think I could use chicken instead.
Me too! You can make this with chicken too! Infact, I do have other chicken stir fry recipes one with broccoli or green beans.
I agree with stir fries are always helpful sides . I can eat them with bowl of rice. Love this simple and flavorful shrimp stir fry with tofu, addition of soy sauce and fish sauce make it unique.
Absolutely Swathi. We love them with noodles or rice too! Thanks Swathi