Shrimp and Broccoli Stir Fry

Shrimp and Broccoli is coated in a sweet, salty, spicy, garlicky sauce and is delicious served with plain white rice. Made in one skillet with basic pantry ingredients, this Chinese shrimp and broccoli is an easy dinner on the table under 20 minutes.

We are taking a short break from all the Holiday baking to share an easy weeknight dinner recipe - Man can't live on cookies alone! A quick and easy stir fry recipe is much needed when our hands are filled with all the baking, shopping and gift giving.

Stir fries, like the black pepper chicken, are always my go-to option when I'm looking for a quick, easy, packed with protein & veggies and kid friendly. This Chinese shrimp broccoli is sweet from sugar, salty from soy, spicy from red pepper flakes and garlicky from lots of fresh garlic <--- Packed with flavor like this broccoli cranberry salad recipe.

Shrimp and broccoli checks all the boxes -

• Quick
• Easy 20 minute dinner recipe
• One skillet
• Basic pantry ingredients
• Balanced
• Kid friendly
• Delicious

Shrimp is always a great option for weeknight dinners, since they are always stocked in the freezer, thaws quick, cooks in minutes and a family favorite for lunch or dinner.

Main components:

Sauce - Soy sauce, Sugar, sesame oil, cornstarch and red pepper flakes

Shrimp - Fresh or frozen shrimp (thawed and patted dry) with tails on or off

Broccoli - Fresh broccoli florets, cut in medium size florets for faster cooking (Check out our popular Roasted Broccoli with Cheese).

Garlic - lots of freshly chopped garlic

How to make shrimp and broccoli stir fry?

Stir soy sauce, sugar, water, sesame oil, cornstarch and red pepper flakes together in a small bowl until sugar dissolves and set aside.

Saute broccoli florets over medium heat in a dash of oil, until cooked yet still crunchy. Transfer to a bowl. Cook shrimp in the same pan, until cooked and transfer them to the same bowl.

Saute chopped garlic in some oil until it begins to get golden and then whisk in sauce. Let it come to a boil and begin to thicken and then stir in cooked shrimp and broccoli. Take off heat and serve with white rice.

Expert tips:

Stir sauce ingredients until sugar is dissolved.

Stir sauce a couple of times before adding into the skillet to loosen up the settled cornstarch.

Do not over cook shrimp - Cook shrimp in one or two batches (depending on the size of the pan that you are using) without crowding. Over crowding will make shrimp leave moisture and make them rubbery.

Cut broccoli into small bite size pieces so they cook faster and evenly.

Cook broccoli to your liking - Some prefer crunchy broccoli while younger children might like them softer. Cook broccoli over medium, stirring occasionally, until crisp yet tender.

For softer cooked broccoli - As soon as you transfer cooked broccoli into a bowl, cover the bowl with lid. The residual heat helps in steaming the broccoli and cooking them further.

Shrimp with tails or not? Shrimp with tails does add more flavor and gives a prettier finish to the dish. I went with tails off since Costco was out of tails on raw shrimp:(

How to thaw frozen shrimp – Place shrimp in a large bowl and fill the bowl with cold or room temperature water. Let it sit for about 10 minutes until thawed (the time will depend on the quantity of shrimp). Drain shrimp and pat dry with paper towels. 

Storage instructions - Leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 4 days.

Serving suggestions:

Serve stir fry over white rice (making sure to spoon the sauce from the bottom).

To meal prep - Divide cooked white rice into meal prep containers and spoon shrimp and broccoli on top along with some of the sauce. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave before eating.

Frequently asked questions:

Shrimp and Broccoli Stir Fry

Shrimp and Broccoli is coated in a sweet, salty, spicy, garlicky sauce and is delicious served with plain white rice. Made in one skillet with basic pantry ingredients, this Chinese shrimp and broccoli is an easy dinner on the table under 20 minutes.

4.6 from 19 votes

Print Pin Rate

Course: Shrimp

Cuisine: Chinese

Prep Time: 9 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 14 minutes minutes

Total Time: 23 minutes minutes

Servings: 3 Servings

Calories: 407kcal

Author: Maria Doss

1x2x3x

Ingredients

Sauce

• ▢ ½ cup water
• ▢ ¼ cup soy sauce
• ▢ ¼ cup sugar
• ▢ 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• ▢ 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• ▢ ½ to 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Other ingredients

• ▢ 3 tablespoons vegetable oil divided
• ▢ 4 cups broccoli florets cut to small-medium size
• ▢ 1 pound raw shrimp peeled, deveined and patted dry
• ▢ 4 garlic cloves chopped

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Instructions

• Make SauceAdd all sauce ingredients into a bowl and stir until sugar is dissolved completely.
• Make Shrimp and Broccoli
  1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large skillet over medium heat. When hot, place broccoli in a single layer and cook (stirring occasionally), until crisp and slightly tender (about 4 minutes). Transfer broccoli to a large bowl.
• (For softer cooked broccoli – As soon as you transfer cooked broccoli into the bowl, cover the bowl with a lid. The residual heat helps in steaming the broccoli and cooking them further)
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil Into the same skillet over high heat. Place shrimp in a single layer (do not over crowd the pan - cook in 2 batches if your pan is not big enough to hold them in a single layer). Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, turn over and cook for another minute or until cooked through but still tender. Transfer shrimp along with broccoli.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil into the same skillet over medium heat. Stir in garlic and cook until begins to get golden. Add sauce (stir sauce a couple of times before adding into the skillet to loosen up the settled cornstarch), let the sauce come to a boil and begin to thicken slightly.
• Add shrimp and broccoli and stir well for a few seconds before removing from heat.

Notes

Stir sauce ingredients until sugar is dissolved.

Stir sauce a couple of times before adding into the skillet to loosen up the settled cornstarch.

Do not over cook shrimp – Cook shrimp in one or two batches (depending on the size of the pan that you are using) without crowding. Over crowding the will make shrimp leave moisture and make them rubbery.

Cut broccoli into small bite size pieces so they cook faster and evenly.

Cook broccoli to your liking – Some prefer crunchy broccoli while younger children might like them softer. Cook broccoli over medium, stirring occasionally, until crisp yet tender.

Shrimp with tails or not? Shrimp with tails does add more flavor and gives a prettier finish to the dish.

How to thaw frozen shrimp – Place shrimp in a large bowl and fill the bowl with cold or room temperature water. Let it sit for about 10 minutes until thawed (the time will depend on the quantity of shrimp). Drain shrimp and pat dry with paper towels. 

To meal prep – Divide cooked white rice into meal prep containers and spoon shrimp and broccoli on top along with some of the sauce. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave before eating.

Nutrition

Serving: 1 Serving | Calories: 407kcal | Carbohydrates: 38g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 14g | Cholesterol: 191mg | Sodium: 2111mg | Fiber: 7g | Sugar: 20g

Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.

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