China · Fish and Seafood Dishes · Quick

Shrimp Stir-Fry

Name: Shrimp Stir-Fry
Prep time: 7 min
Cook time: 16 min
Total time: 23 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 60 ml reduced-salt soy sauce; 1 tbsp cornstarch; 1 tbsp fresh garlic; 1 tbsp fresh ginger; 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes; 1 tbsp avocado oil; 900 g large shrimps, peeled and cleaned; 450 g frozen or fresh vegetables for stir-frying; for serving sesame oil and sesame seeds

Shrimp seared fast in a smoking-hot wok with garlic, ginger, snap peas, and bell peppers, finished with a splash of soy sauce. Speed is everything — two minutes too long and the shrimp turn rubbery.

23 min 360 kcal 4 serves Medium⚡Quick🇨🇳China★★★★★4.8· 5 reviews

Ingredients

ServingsMetric

60 mlreduced-salt soy sauce
1 tbspcornstarch
1 tbspfresh garlic
1 tbspfresh ginger
¼ tspred pepper flakes
1 tbspavocado oil
900 glarge shrimps, peeled and cleaned
450 gfrozen or fresh vegetables for stir-frying
for servingsesame oil and sesame seeds

Note from Sergei

Sergei Martynov

“A great shrimp stir-fry happens in under 3 minutes of actual cooking — everything before that is preparation. The wok needs to be screaming hot, almost smoking, to achieve that elusive wok hei — the charred, smoky breath of the wok that defines authentic Chinese stir-fry. I velvet my shrimp first: a quick toss in cornstarch, egg white, and a pinch of salt, then a brief pass through hot oil. This creates an impossibly silky texture that no amount of careful cooking can replicate. Have all your ingredients prepped and within arm's reach before the wok goes on.”

Add the shrimp to the wok in a single layer and don't stir for 30 seconds — let them sear hard on one side first. That initial contact with the blazing-hot metal is what gives you the smoky wok hei flavor.

Method

In a small bowl, combine soy sauce, cornstarch, garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes. Whisk well and set aside.
Heat the avocado oil in a wok or large deep skillet over medium-high heat for about 2 minutes.
Add the shrimp and vegetables and stir-fry until the vegetables are soft and the shrimp are cooked through, about 5-10 minutes.
Reduce heat to medium-low. Stir the sauce once more, then add it to the skillet. Cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens, about 1 minute.
Transfer to individual plates. Drizzle with sesame oil, sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

FAQ

Shrimp stir-fry demands maximum heat and minimum time. Use a screaming hot wok or cast iron pan at the highest temperature. Shrimp (21/25 count) cook 1–2 minutes per side — as soon as they curl into a C-shape and turn pink, they are done. Overcooked shrimp (curled into an O-shape) are already rubbery. Remove them from the wok first, then add back only at the very end.

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Comments (1)

Sergei Martynov✍ Author
29d ago
The residual heat continues cooking the reduced-salt soy sauce for 2-3 minutes after you remove it from the pan. I pull my shrimp stir-fry when it looks slightly underdone in the center — it finishes perfectly on the plate.