Shrimp with Garlic Sauce

This tasty shrimp with garlic sauce combines tender, wok-fried shrimp with tender-crisp vegetables in a rich, flavorful garlic sauce! It's an incredibly flavorful Chinese take out meal that can be ready to enjoy in just 20 minutes, start to finish!

A super simple shrimp take-out dish you can make at home in no time!

Craving some Chinese food tonight? Grab your wok or a big skillet and get ready to enjoy a fabulous meal at home in less time than it would take to grab take-out!

Shrimp with garlic sauce is the perfect dish to whip up and have on the table in just 20 minutes! It's a family-favorite dish that everyone can agree on too!

Jump to:

• ❤️ Why I Love This Recipe
• 🥘 Ingredients
• 📖 Variations
• 🧂 Substitutions
• 🔪 Instructions
• 💭 Tips & Notes
• 🥡 Storing & Reheating
• 😋 More Great Dinner Recipes
• 📖 Recipe Card
• 💬 Reviews

❤️ Why I Love This Recipe

Super Easy! Every ingredient is just getting added into one big skillet. The only real “work” is chopping up some veggies, but even those can be bought already chopped.

So Tasty! All the ingredients get tossed into one skillet and then cook together. This means that every vegetable and piece of shrimp gets flavored perfectly by simmering in the sauce!

It's Versatile! Chicken? Beef? Pork? Broccoli? No carrots? You can mix and match and add and subtract almost any ingredient to make a brand-new dish!

🥘 Ingredients

This is a super easy-to-make stir-fry dinner that uses some very common ingredients. If you're having trouble finding some of the ingredients, check your local Asian or ethnic market.

Shrimp Stir Fry

• Vegetable Oil - Use your preferred cooking oil, but choose one with a higher smoke point that is also flavorless.
• Garlic - Garlic is one of the most common foods used to add its unique flavor to a dish.
• Ginger - Ginger is a common flavor used in Asian cuisine. Fresh ginger is called ginger root and is located in the produce aisle. Ginger is also available as a paste in the produce section, or you can use about ⅛ teaspoon of ground ginger.
• Thai Chiles - Thai chiles are slender 1-2" long peppers that can be either red or green when they are fresh. I'm using dried chili peppers in this recipe.
• Snow Peas - Snow peas are a type of pea where you eat the pod with the pea. The pods are flat and about 1-2 inches long; you can see the shape of the peas inside.
• Carrots - You can buy full carrots and then wash and peel and cut them, or use mini-baby carrots that you can just toss into the recipe without cutting.
• Bell Pepper - Even though they are a type of pepper, red (orange and yellow) bell peppers are more sweet than spicy and they're a personal fave for my stir-fries. They have a very similar taste to a green pepper.
• Shrimp - Whether fresh or frozen, look for uncooked shrimp that is translucent/gray (shrimp are only pink/red when cooked). Any size shrimp will work (small, medium, large, jumbo) but the smaller shrimp means that you'll have more pieces throughout your dish.

For The Garlic Sauce

• Chicken Broth - This is the base liquid for your sauce. Use homemade if you have it, or your favorite store-bought brand.
• Soy Sauce - A staple ingredient for Asian cooking or adding additional flavor to already prepared foods. You can find it on the Asian food aisle at the grocery store.
• Dry Sherry (or sake) - Dry sherry is commonly used for cooking; most grocery stores sell it as a condiment on the shelves next to the cooking vinegar, cooking wine, and oils. You can also purchase dry sherry or sake at the liquor store.
• Rice Vinegar - Rice vinegar is a common cooking staple in Asian cuisine. It is often in the same aisle as other condiments like salad dressing and cooking oils, or in the ethnic section.
• Sesame Oil - Sesame oil is a cooking oil and flavor enhancer. You don't need much to add a lot of flavor!
• Chili Paste: -Chili paste is another easy way to add a lot of flavor with very little of the actual paste. Look for chili paste that is on the Asian food aisle and comes in a jar; it may say “crushed red chili paste” or “roasted red chili paste.”
• Cornstarch - Cornstarch is a white powder that is used to thicken sauces and soups. It’s a great pantry staple to have on hand!
• Water - Use cold water to combine with the cornstarch.

📖 Variations

Check out my beef with garlic sauce or chicken with garlic sauce too!

Chicken, Pork, or Steak - Not a fan of shrimp? Not a problem! Just swap out the shrimp for your favorite meat. If you do switch to chicken or steak, cut up your desired meat into small chunks (about 1” in size).

Follow the same directions as above; however, chicken and steak will take a bit longer to cook all the way through so make sure you check that it is fully cooked. Just take a piece of meat out of the skillet and cut it in half to see that it is cooked all the way through.

Choose your Veggies - You can use almost any vegetable you like! Just switch out vegetables you like for the ones you don’t. You can also add more variety by splitting up a serving, for example splitting the ½ cup snow peas into ¼ cup snow peas and a ¼ cup of regular peas. Broccoli and cauliflower are two other veggies I particularly like to use in stir fry.

🧂 Substitutions

Make it Vegetarian - Leave out the shrimp and replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth. Add 1 additional cup of vegetables of your choice.

Make it Gluten Free - Soy sauce is made from soybeans AND grain, so many people who are gluten sensitive cannot eat soy sauce. Replace soy sauce with Tamari or Coconut aminos. Tamari is still made with soybeans, but no grains, so it's gluten-free. Coconut aminos are made from coconuts, so are both soy and gluten-free.

🔪 Instructions

This dish is perfect spooned over jasmine rice for a complete meal. If you start a pot of rice cooking just before you start making the shrimp with garlic sauce, everything will be ready to eat about the same time.

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1. Prepare the sauce. Combine the garlic sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Mix ⅓ cup of chicken broth, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 1 tablespoon dry sherry, ½ tablespoon rice vinegar, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, and 1 teaspoon chili paste. Set aside. Mix the cornstarch and cold water separately in a small bowl and set aside too.
2. Stir fry the vegetables. Heat a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat with vegetable oil. Start with adding the garlic and ginger, sauté for 30 seconds, then add the Thai chiles and continue to stir fry for about 30 seconds more. Next, add your vegetables - ½ cup of snow peas, ½ cup sliced carrots, ½ cup sliced red bell peppers – and stir fry for about 3 minutes, or until tender-crisp.
3. Add the shrimp and sauce. Add the shrimp and stir fry with the vegetables for 1-2 minutes until the shrimp are curled and no longer transparent. Stir in the garlic sauce, then give the slurry (cornstarch + water mixture) a quick stir before adding it to the stir fry. Continue stir-frying for about 1 minute as the sauce thickens.
4. Serve. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

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If you're making rice and it's not quite ready, cover the shrimp with garlic sauce and turn on low to keep warm – the rice should be done shortly! When ready, scoop and serve over your rice, and enjoy!

💭 Tips & Notes

You can marinate the shrimp to add even more flavor!

• Mix your sauce, cornstarch and all, then combine with the shrimp. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight for a great flavor boost!
• You may prefer to mix a second batch of sauce if you do opt for the marinade. That way, you avoid the chance of cross-contamination.

Go for the gusto with this garlicky dish!

• Don't be shy about adding the garlic, it's the main flavor component to your 'garlic sauce'!

Get a great stir-fry!

• Start with a fully heated wok, skillet, or frying pan. Make sure the oil is sizzling hot before starting too.
• Be sure not to over-crowd your wok or skillet! Cook in batches if needed, that way you avoid steaming or boiling your veggoes and shrimp!

🥡 Storing & Reheating

Shrimp with garlic sauce is great for leftovers! Simply cover your dish with a lid or plastic wrap, or transfer it to an airtight storage container.

Your leftovers can be refrigerated for up to 3-4 days in the refrigerator. I find, however, that the shrimp texture is best if enjoyed with 1-2 days.

Reheating Shrimp With Garlic Sauce

Your shrimp and veggies are best reheated on the stovetop. Bring a skillet to medium heat and warm your desired portion.

*If you have leftover rice to use, rice can sometimes dry out when refrigerated, so sprinkle it with a little water and cover to help it steam as it reheats in the microwave.

😋 More Great Dinner Recipes

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• Lipton Onion Soup Meatloaf
• Stuffing Stuffed Pork Chops
• Broiled Lobster Tails
• Beef & Shells

📖 Recipe Card