Tender succulent shrimp with crisp broccoli in a delicious savory sauce. This quick and easy shrimp broccoli stir-fry is ready in 20 minutes with simple ingredients. A great main dish for all the shrimp-lovers!
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This shrimp broccoli stir-fry features bouncy shrimp stir fried with blanched broccoli in a garlicky gravy with umami flavor! This is a popular Chinese dish served at many Chinese restaurants or takeaways.
It's best served over white rice but you can also serve it over brown rice, cauliflower rice or plain noodles! The best part about this shrimp recipe is that it's made in one-pan and the cooking process is fairly easy.
This is a great Chinese stir-fry dish to feed large families as it comes together in little time. It's especially convenient if you have a pack of frozen shrimp in the freezer.
My mother would always make this for our family of five. It was a great way to add seafood and vegetables to our diet in a tasty way. I have fond memories of this dish!
Ingredients & Substitutes
Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements.
- Jumbo Shrimp: any large fresh or frozen shrimp both work. I like using black tiger or pacific white shrimp for best taste. Get the easy-peel pre-deveined kind to make preparation faster and easier. Avoid using small or colossal-sized shrimp.
- Broccoli Florets: cut for 1 large crown of broccoli or 7.05 oz / 200 grams of pre-cut broccoli florets. Or substitute with frozen broccoli florets, cauliflower florets, carrots, celery, bell peppers or snap peas.
- Garlic Cloves
- Fresh Ginger
- Neutral oil: like avocado oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil or canola oil with a high smoke point. Avoid olive oil that has a low smoke point.
Shrimp Marinade
- Egg White: this makes the shrimp moist and tender.
- Cornstarch: or substitute with potato starch or tapioca starch.
- Neutral oil: like avocado oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil or canola oil with a high smoke point. Avoid olive oil that has a low smoke point.
- Sesame Oil: if you're allergic, omit this ingredient.
- Salt
- White Pepper: or substitute with black pepper
Stir-Fry Sauce
- Oyster sauce: this is a thick brown sauce made of oysters that adds a lot of umami flavor. Or substitute with vegetarian stir-fry sauce. If you're gluten-free: substitute with a gluten-free version.
- Cornstarch: or substitute with potato starch or tapioca starch.
- Sesame Oil: if you're allergic, omit this ingredient.
- White Granulated Sugar: or substitute with cane sugar.
- White Pepper: or substitute with black pepper
- Chicken Stock: ideally low-sodium chicken broth. Or substitute with cold water.
Note: Most Asian grocers will carry these ingredients. You may find some at your select grocery store or online, like on Amazon.
Expert Tips
- To quickly defrost frozen shrimp, soak the shrimp in large bowl of cold water until it thaws.
- Always rinse off the shrimp with cold water to remove any dirt or shells even if it's been pre-peeled or deveined.
- Make sure to pat dry the shrimp with paper towel to remove excess moisture.
- Let the shrimp sit in the marinade for at least 10 minutes for the marinade to tenderize the shrimp.
- Prepare the ingredients in advance because the cooking process is fast.
- Don't pour the bowl of shrimp with the marinade into the hot pan or you'll fry the marinade into crispy bits. Instead, transfer the shrimp pieces one by one with tongs into the pan.
- Don't over blanch the broccoli or it'll be soggy in the stir-fry. You only want to blanch until it turns vibrant green.
- Don't over cook the shrimp in the initial fry and only fry until 85% cooked.
- Let the stir-fry sauce to thicken before adding in the shrimp and broccoli.
Instructions
Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make shrimp broccoli stir-fry:
- If needed, peel and devein shrimp. Rinse shrimp with cold water a few times to remove any remaining shells or dirt. Strain the shrimp and pat dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture. Then transfer to a large bowl. Combine shrimp with marinade ingredients as listed above and mix well. Set aside for 10 minutes.
- In a small bowl, combine stir-fry sauce ingredients as listed above and mix well. Set aside.
- In a large pan filled halfway with water, bring to a boil over medium high heat. Blanch broccoli florets until vibrant green, about 2-3 minutes. Remove broccoli with a slotted spoon or strain in a colander. Set aside.
- Empty the pan of the blanching water and dry it. Heat 2 teaspoon or 10 ml vegetable oil on medium heat. With tongs, transfer each piece of shrimp into the pan in a single layer (do not just pour the bowl of shrimp with the marinade into the pan or it'll create crispy bits). Fry shrimp until 85% cooked so it's slightly curled and pink, about 1-1.5 minutes in total. Do not over cook. Remove and set aside.
- Reduce to low heat, add remaining vegetable oil with garlic and ginger into the pan. Fry for 10 seconds. Pour in stir-fry sauce and raise to medium-high heat. Simmer the sauce for 2-4 minutes until thickened.
- Toss back in broccoli florets and shrimp. Once mixed remove off heat and serve with rice. Enjoy!
Storage
- Leftovers will last up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat: microwave for 2-3 minutes until hot or reheat in a pan on medium heat.
- Freezer friendly? I don't recommend freezing shrimp broccoli stir-fry because the broccoli will become mushy.
Pairing Suggestions
Shrimp broccoli stir-fry serves well with:
- starters like egg rolls, crab rangoons, egg drop soup, hot and sour soup
- white or brown rice, cauliflower rice, fried rice
- chow mein, lo mein, or plain noodles
- cooked vegetables like bok choy, spicy garlic bok choy, choy sum, gai lan, garlic green beans or stir fried snow pea leaves.
- other protein dishes like Orange Chicken, Mongolian Beef, Shrimp Omelet, Soy Garlic Tofu, and more!
FAQ
Shrimp broccoli stir-fry can be made up to 4 days in advance and stored into an airtight container in the fridge. To reheat: microwave for 2-3 minutes until hot or reheat in a pan on medium heat.
Shrimp broccoli stir-fry can be made gluten-free by substituting the oyster sauce with a gluten-free oyster sauce. Gluten-free oyster sauce can be found online at or select Asian grocery stores.
You can try substituting the shrimp with large scallops or sturdy white fish. If you want to substitute with meat, check out my recipes for Chicken Broccoli Stir-Fry or Beef Broccoli Stir-Fry.
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📖 Recipe
Easy 20-min. Shrimp Broccoli Stir-Fry
Ingredients
- 10.5 oz jumbo shrimp peeled and deveined
- 7.05 oz broccoli florets or 1 large crown cut into florets with stalk removed
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 2 teaspoon ginger peeled & julienned
- 4 teaspoon vegetable oil or any neutral oil
Shrimp Marinade
- 1 egg white
- 2 teaspoon cornstarch or potato starch
- 2 teaspoon vegetable oil or any neutral oil
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ⅛ teaspoon white pepper or black pepper
Stir Fry Sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce or vegetarian stir fry sauce
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch or potato starch
- 2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon white granulated sugar or cane sugar
- ⅛ teaspoon white pepper or black pepper
- 1 cup chicken stock low-sodium, or cold water
Instructions
- If needed, peel and devein shrimp. Rinse shrimp with cold water a few times to remove any remaining shells or dirt. Strain the shrimp and pat dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture. Then transfer to a large bowl. Combine shrimp with marinade ingredients as listed above and mix well. Set aside for 10 minutes.
- In a small bowl, combine stir-fry sauce ingredients as listed above and mix well. Set aside.
- In a large pan filled halfway with water, bring to a boil over medium high heat. Blanch broccoli florets until vibrant green, about 2-3 minutes. Remove broccoli with a slotted spoon or strain in a colander. Set aside.
- Empty the pan of the blanching water and dry it. Heat 2 teaspoon or 10 ml vegetable oil on medium heat. With tongs, transfer each piece of shrimp into the pan in a single layer (do not just pour the bowl of shrimp with the marinade into the pan or it'll create crispy bits). Fry shrimp until 85% cooked so it's slightly curled and pink, about 1-1.5 minutes in total. Do not over cook. Remove and set aside.
- Reduce to low heat, add remaining vegetable oil with garlic and ginger into the pan. Fry for 10 seconds. Pour in stir-fry sauce and raise to medium-high heat. Simmer the sauce for 2-4 minutes until thickened.
- Toss back in broccoli florets and shrimp. Once mixed remove off heat and serve with rice. Enjoy!
Lori Bishop
I love this recipe!! Wanted for my Mom to use chicken instead of shrimp, would that work just as well? 😊
Christie Lai
Thank you so much for the kind feedback! I actually share a Chicken and Broccoli stir fry recipe if you click here 🙂 Enjoy!
Lawsy
An absolute cracker of a recipe! Loved it! Will add udon noodles next time 😁
christieathome
I am so happy to read this! Thank you so much for leaving this kind review and very glad you enjoyed it 🙂 The udon noodles sound like a great addition!
AshleyMara
Delicious, healthy and so easy!
Christie Lai
Thank you so much for the positive and kind review, Ashley!