Teriyaki Shrimp Stir Fry

Name: Teriyaki Shrimp Stir Fry
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons olive oil (divided ); 2 garlic cloves (sliced ); 1 pound jumbo raw shrimp (peeled and deveined, Note 1); 3 cups vegetables (like bell peppers, snap peas, bok choy, broccoli, green beans, zucchini ); Sesame seeds (for garnish); Green onions (for garnish); Steamed rice or rice noodles (for serving ); 1/2 cup water; 1/4 cup soy sauce; 3 tablespoons Mirin sweet rice wine; 2 tablespoons honey or brown sugar; 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger; 2 tablespoons cornstarch

We love creating our favorite takeout meal right at home, and this teriyaki shrimp stir fry is an easy dinner recipe that’s inspired by one of our favorite restaurant dishes. With just 30 minutes and one skillet, you can have this stir fry on the table quicker than ordering delivery!

Our shrimp stir fry lets you customize the ingredients by adding any veggies that you’re craving. It even has a 5-ingredient homemade teriyaki sauce that also pairs perfectly with salmon, beef, pork, and chicken. If you love a flavorful Asian-inspired recipe, our easy orange chicken and beef and broccoli stir fry are fan favorites.

Why you’ll love this recipe

10-ingredient dinner recipe – With a short ingredient list, you’ll have a flavorful stir fry on the table in no time. Many of the ingredients are probably already in your pantry.
Customize to your liking – Add your favorite veggies, swap out the protein, or even make it spicy with easy additions.
Family favorite meal – This is guaranteed to be loved by your family (it’s a staple dinner at our house!). This stir fry is a healthier and simpler version of Asian-style takeout.

Tip for Busy Cooks: When purchasing jumbo shrimp, look for the label that says 16/20, which means there are 16 to 20 shrimp per pound. If you buy shrimp with the shell on, simply peel the shell off, leaving the tail on if desired. Use a paring knife to make a small cut down the back of the shrimp and remove the dark vein.

A close-up of a stainless skillet with cooked bell pepper, snap peas, and zucchini on the bottom and cooked shrimp on top.

Key Ingredient Notes

For the stir fry:

Olive oil: The cooking oil for the recipe, you can also use avocado oil here if preferred.
Garlic cloves: Infuse the whole stir fry with the classic garlic flavor.
Jumbo raw shrimp: The label on the shrimp will say 16/20, which means there are 16 to 20 shrimp per pound. Wild-caught shrimp have a sweet, superior taste and a better texture.
Vegetables: You can customize the veggies to your liking, but we recommend bell peppers, snap peas, bok choy, broccoli, green beans, and zucchini.
Sesame seeds: Adds a nutty crunch for garnish.
Green onions: Use to garnish and have a light, fresh onion flavor.
Steamed rice or rice noodles: These are the two options we recommend for serving with the stir fry.

For the teriyaki sauce:

Soy sauce: The base of the sauce that gives it that classic salty flavor. Tamari also works for this recipe.
Mirin sweet rice wine: A Japanese ingredient that is sweet in flavor and adds nice umami to the sauce. If you can’t find mirin, substitute dry sherry or dry white wine with an extra pinch of sugar.
Honey or brown sugar: Adds the caramel sweetness in a classic teriyaki sauce.
Grated fresh ginger: Be sure to use fresh ginger, it makes a big difference and gives the sauce a bright flavor.
Cornstarch: Thickens the sauce to the correct consistency.

An ingredient shot of the teriyaki shrimp stir fry ingredients. The ingredients from top to bottom are sesame seeds, olive oil, cornstarch, ginger, brown sugar, garlic cloves, soy sauce, mirin, water, raw shrimp, and vegetables.

How to make teriyaki shrimp stir fry

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet.
Add garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute.
Add shrimp and cook until opaque and pink for 2-3 minutes, flipping them halfway through. Transfer the shrimp to a plate.

The photo on the left is raw shrimp cooking in a stainless steel skillet. The photo on the right is cooked, pink shrimp in the same stainless steel skillet.

Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in the now-empty skillet and add the vegetables.
Cook the vegetables, stirring occasionally, until they wilt down a little, for about 2 minutes.
Stir in the teriyaki sauce ingredients, except for cornstarch, and continue cooking until vegetables soften, stirring frequently for about 5 minutes or so.

The photo on the left is a stainless steel skillet with bell peppers, zucchini, snap peas, and yellow squash cooking. A plate of cooked shrimp is in the back left corner. The photo on the right is the cooked veggies with brown sugar, soy sauce, water, Mirin, and ginger added for the teriyaki sauce.

Mix the cornstarch with two tablespoons of water in a small bowl to make a slurry.
Once the sauce comes to a boil, add the cornstarch slurry and continue cooking until the vegetables are cooked, and the sauce thickens.

The photo on the left is a small glass bowl with a metal spoon stirring together cornstarch and water. The photo on the right is the stainless steel skillet with cooked vegetables and teriyaki sauce adding the cornstarch and water slurry.

Stir in the shrimp and cook for another minute to warm up the shrimp.
Sprinkle some sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds and serve over steamed rice or rice noodles.

The finished shrimp and teriyaki stir fry in the stainless skillet on a white counter. A bowl of sesame seeds is in the back.

Expert Tips:

Do not overcook the shrimp. This will make them tough and rubbery in texture. The shrimp are finished cooking when they are opaque and pink in color. They take less time to cook than you think!
Use a store-bought teriyaki sauce to cut down on the prep time. Our homemade teriyaki sauce is quick to make, but if you are looking for an even easier version of this stir fry, buy a high-quality sauce from the store.
If your teriyaki sauce is too thin, simply mix 1/2 teaspoon of cornstarch with 1/2 teaspoon of water in a small bowl. Drizzle over the stir fry and cook another minute or so until thickened to the desired consistency.
To thaw frozen shrimp quickly, simply place the shrimp in a zip-top bag and into a bowl of cold water. Change the cold water every 30 minutes or so and your shrimp should be thawed in about an hour.

Storing Tips:

Store any leftover shrimp stir fry in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Reheat in the microwave for a couple of minutes or in a skillet over low heat on the stove. Be careful not to reheat too much or this can overcook the shrimp and make them rubbery in texture.

We do not recommend freezing the leftovers since this will change the texture of both the shrimp and the vegetables once they’re thawed.

Substitutions and Variations

There are so many variations and ways to change the flavors easily in this shrimp teriyaki stir-fry. Here are some of our recommendations.

Use a different protein. This recipe would also be delicious with ground chicken or pork, thinly sliced beef, or cubed salmon.
Customize the vegetables. The best part about a stir fry recipe is that you can use almost any vegetables you already have at home. Bell peppers, bok choy, broccoli florets, thinly sliced carrots, zucchini are just some examples of veggies we love to use.
Make it spicy. You can add red chili flakes, thinly sliced fresh chilies like jalapeno or fresno, or serve with a hot sauce like Sriracha.

What to serve with shrimp stir fry

We recommend serving the teriyaki shrimp with cooked rice or rice noodles. We have some easy and simple recipes for side dishes if you are looking to add even more flavor!

A gray bowl with finished shrimp teriyaki stir fry plated over white rice with black chopsticks. A bowl of sesame seeds, glass of water, and skillet of more shrimp teriyaki is placed around the bowl.

FAQs

When do you add the teriyaki sauce to the stir fry?

Towards the end of cooking after you have cooked both the protein and the veggies are almost tender. The sauce will thicken and coat everything nicely as you finish the recipe.

Should you marinate the shrimp before stir frying?

This is not necessary; the teriyaki sauce as well as the garlic in the stir fry will give the shrimp lots of flavor.

Do you need to thaw frozen shrimp before cooking them in a stir fry?

Yes, this is very important so that the shrimp cooks evenly and also doesn’t become tough in texture.