This post Prawn Stir Fry (Shrimp), was last updated on 2022.
Got prawns? Have 15 minutes? This classic ginger sesame Chinese stir-fry sauce with snow peas, broccolini and prawns will make dinner easy. It’s a Chinese restaurant standard!
Stir Fried Prawns
It’s not difficult to make a Prawn stir-fry even for the most skilled cooks. Timing is key to ensuring that the prawns are cooked perfectly and the vegetables are tender. However, it can be more difficult to get the stir-fry sauce to the right consistency. There will always be something that is not perfect. It is natural to not overcook the prawns. This will result in a dry and chewy crime.So often, the vegetables are either a little undercooked or the sauce is still a little watery.
What is the solution? Simple: Cook the prawns first, remove from the pan, then add them back in at the end after you’ve done the vegetables. Perfect, plump and juicy prawns. Every. Single. Time!
There is plenty of sauce!
Just to reassure Sauce Fiends out there, I’ve got your back: this Prawn Stir Fry comes with plenty of sauce! We know that sauce is vital for rice to soak in.
See?
Ingredients in Prawn Stir Fry
Here’s what you need to make this Prawn Stir Fry:
Stir fry any add-ins
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Prawns, also known as shrimp – Use 500g (1lb) fresh whole prawns that you peel yourself, or 250g (8oz) fresh and peeled or frozen and thawed prawns. Use frozen or thawed shrimps. Drain them well and drain excess water.
Are you a tail-on or off? The tail is left on for visual purposes only. Take them out for easy eating
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Garlic and ginger – The essential aromatics. This stir-fry has a great ginger flavor because the ginger is cut into small strips.
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Onion – Another key aromatic and vegetable component; and
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Broccolini and snow peas – My vegetables of choice, partly for their lovely green colour. Particularly snow peas are often paired with Cantonese Chinese prawns. However, any vegetable can be used.
Prawn Stir Fry Sauce
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Light soy sauce – I use light soy sauce here which is not as dark as all-purpose or dark soy sauce, so the stir fry sauce remains quite clear. You can use all-purpose sauce, but the sauce color will be darker. Don’t use dark soy sauce, the colour and flavour will be too intense. You can find more information about different soy sauce types here.
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Oyster sauce – An essential sauce from the Chinese pantry that’s slightly sweet and loaded with complex, savoury flavour. As the name suggests, it’s made from oyster juices which is the reason why it’s got such terrific flavours.
If you can’t eat seafood and want to make this stir fry with something other than prawns, substitute the oyster sauce with vegetarian oyster sauce. It is readily available at major grocery stores in Australia as well as in Asian supermarkets.
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Sesame oil – For lovely, nutty sesame flavour. To toast oil, which is browner in colour and has more sesame taste, use it. Untoasted sesame oil doesn’t have as strong a sesame flavour (and actually, it’s harder to find here in Australia);
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Cornflour / Cornstarch – For thickening the sauce; and
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White pepper – White pepper is sometimes used in Chinese cooking rather than black pepper so you don’t see specks in the otherwise clear sauce.
How to make Prawn Stir Fry
A good stir fry sauce is key to making great prawn stir fries. 😇Cook the prawns separately first. This is the best and easiest way to ensure the prawns don’t overcook. It is difficult for me to cook a stir-fry perfectly, so the prawns and vegetables are cooked perfectly. The sauce should be thickened to the desired consistency.
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Add the stir-fry sauce. Mix the Sauce ingredients together first – everything but the water. This is because we’re making a fairly saucy stir fry here and we use a fair amount of water (3/4 cup). It’s harder to make cornflour / cornstarch dissolve lump-free in anything more than a few tablespoons of water.
Once the Sauce has been mixed, place it in a bowl and let it cool.
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Steam broccoliniSteam the broccolini, or broccoli, or cauliflower. You will need to pre-cook the broccolini due to its shape and size before you stir-fry it.
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First, cook the shrimp/prawnsFirst, cook the prawns for about 1 1/2 minutes on each side. Then, cook the second side for approximately 1 minute until they are cooked through. Transfer to a bowl. We cook the prawns on medium to medium-high heat so they don’t become too golden. Notice how the prawns in Chinese restaurants are seared until they turn golden? That’s what we’re going for!
How to tell if prawns have been properly cooked They will curl into a “C” shape, as pictured in step 3 above. Raw prawns hang straight, overcooked prawns curl up tightly into an “O” shape;
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Ginger, onions and garlic: The onions will take the longest if you give them a head start. When they’re partway through cooked (just a minute or so) add the garlic and ginger and cook until they are starting to turn golden and smell amazing.
Next: Snow peas – Toss the snow peas in next and stir until they are shiny with the garlicky ginger oil;
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Broccolini is in:Finally, add the broccolini. Give them a quick toss.
Add Stir Fry Sauce: Stir the stir-fry sauce into a bowl and immediately start to mix. Stir the sauce for 45 seconds to one minute, until it thickens to a syrup consistency. If the sauce becomes too thick (e.g. due to surface area because you’re using a really large skillet OR if your stove is strong) then just add a splash of water to thin it out; and
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Add prawns back in:Add the prawns and any juices to the bowl. To warm them, toss them in the bowl for 30 seconds. Now it’s ready to serve!
The end result we’re looking for: All ingredients are coated in the clear, pale brown sauce. The broccolini and snow peas are bright green and “tender-crisp”, meaning they are SimplyThey can be cooked, but still retain a bit of bite. And, most importantly, they are delicious! prawnsAre plump, pink and juicy!!
What to serve alongside Prawn Stir Fry
Rice is the best choice for stir fries. Rice is a great way to soak in stir-fry sauces. You can choose from any of these:
If you’re up for making a full-on Chinese banquet, try starting off your feast with some homemade Spring Rolls or Potstickers (pan fried-steamed-dumplings), or a Chinese Chicken Corn Soup. You might also add another main course like one of these:
Happy stirring-frying! – Nagi x
You can see how it is done.
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Prawn Stir Fry (Shrimp)
Like all stir-fries, you can swap out any vegetables.
TOP TIPYou can ensure they don’t get overcooked by cooking them first and then removing them at the end. Each time you cook prawns, they are perfect!
Ingredients
Prawn Stir Fry Sauce:
- 1 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce (Sub all-purpose soy, Note 1)
- 1 tbsp Chinese cuisine wine (Sub Mirin, dry sherry; Note 2)
- 2 tsp oyster sauce (Note 3)
- 1/2 tsp Sesame oil , toasted (Note 4)
- 1 tbsp cornflour/cornstarch
- 1/8 tsp white pepper (sub black pepper)
- 3/4 Cup Water
Stir Fry:
- 2 tbsp Oil Peanut, canola, and vegetable
- 250g / 8 oz medium prawns , raw, peeled (equiv. 500g/1lb whole Prawns, Please Note 5
- 1/2 Onion , sliced or brown
- 2 tsp ginger Finely julienned (2cm/0.7″ piece
- 2 tsp Garlic Finely chop ( 2 cloves).
- 1 1/2 Broccoli in bunches , trimmed, cut into 5cm / 2″ lengths, (~1 1/2 cups. Sub normal broccoli)
- 120g / 4 oz Snow peas Remove the string from both ends
Instructions
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Steam broccolini Steam broccolini until crisp-tender, about 2 – 3 minutes (remember it will cook more in the stir fry). Allow to drain and dry.
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Stir Fry Sauce: Combine all Stir Fry Sauce ingredients, except water, in a bowl. Mix until cornflour dissolves. Stir in the water.
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Cook and then remove the prawns In a large skillet or wok, heat oil on medium-high heat. Spread the prawns in a single layer. Cook for 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Then turn the pan and cook the opposite side for 1 Minute until it is cooked through. Don’t overcook the prawns You can alsoStir fries are best if they are lightly browned. Transfer prawns into a bowl. Set aside.
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Sauté onion, garlic, and ginger If the pan seems dry, you can add more oil. On medium-high heat, add the onion and cook for about 1 minute. Next, add the ginger and garlic. Cook for 1 more minute until the onion starts to soften but is not colour.
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Add snow peas to your broccolini. Add the snow peas to the bowl and toss with olive oil until well coated. Toss in the broccolini.
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Add sauce and thicken Give the Sauce a stir to dissolve cornflour. Then pour into a skillet. Mix the sauce well and cook for about 1 minute.
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Add prawns back in: Next, add the prawns back into the bowl (including any juices). Continue to stir for 30 seconds more, until the prawns have warmed through.
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Serve: Serve with rice
Recipe Notes
2. Shaoxing wine is a Chinese wine for cooking – sub with dry sherry (a close approximation). If you can’t consume alcohol, use low-sodium chicken broth in place of the cooking wine in the Sauce AND in place of the water. Reduce oyster sauce by 1 tablespoon
3. Vegetarian oyster sauce –You can now find vegetarian oyster sauces (suitable to vegans) at supermarkets. For example, Ayam Vegetarian Oyster Sauce. It’s actually pretty good!
And here’s homemade Vegetarian Oyster Sauce recipe by Omnivore’s Cookbook, a Chinese recipe blog. It was amazing!
4. Sesame oil – Use toasted, which has a more intense sesame flavour (it’s brown in colour). Untoasted oil can be yellowed and is more difficult to find in Australia.
5. Prawns/shrimp – Fresh is always best, though these days frozen is pretty good! Use thawed frozen Prawns. Drain excess water and pat dry before use.
6. RiceThis stir fry is great to pair with.
- Plain white rice
- Brown rice
- Jasmine rice
- Basmati rice
- Cauliflower rice
- Fried Rice
7. Storage – Leftovers will keep for 3 days in the fridge. Avoid freezing.
8. NutritionPer serving, assumes 3 portions, excluding rice
Nutrition Information:
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