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A delicious and spicy recipe for sesame shrimp and veggies mixed together into a filling and nutritious stir fry the whole family will love.
I imagine I’m not the only one around here who turns to an easy stir fry when they’re short on ideas for what to make for dinner. I almost always have all the ingredients on hand and love that I can easily swap out different veggies and protein based on what I have. This Sesame Shrimp Stir Fry is no exception. The origins for this recipe started in this exact situation: it had been a long day, we had very few ingredients on hand and I found a bag of frozen shrimp in the freezer.
I ended up whipping up this recipe and C immediately told me to write it down. After testing it two more times, we landed on this version which I must say, is total perfection! My hope is that you can use this recipe as inspiration for your own stir fry. Maybe you don’t have shrimp but have some chicken instead. Or swap in tofu to make it vegan. You can also stir in whatever veggies you have if you don’t have snap peas and bell pepper. And of course, I’m sharing easy swaps for gochujang sauce although I HIGHLY recommend purchasing some if you find it in your local store. It’s absolutely delicious. No matter how you adapt this recipe I hope it can help you get a healthy and delicious meal on your table in under 30 minutes because we all need those!
What You Need For Sesame Shrimp Stir-Fry:
- Rice – use rice of choice. I like short-grain brain but you can use whatever rice you prefer and cook according to package instructions
- Vegetables – I like snap peas and bell pepper but you can replace with roughly 4 cups of your favorite vegetables
- Raw shrimp – roughly 1 lb of medium raw shrimp, peeled and deveined
- Garlic cloves
- Fresh ginger
- Stir Fry Sauce – rice vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce or tamari, gochujang paste, tapioca starch
- White sesame seeds
- Salt and pepper – to taste
What is Gochujang?
Gochujang sauce or paste is a traditional Korean chili paste. It has a spicy and slightly sweet flavor and is typically made with a combination of red chiles, glutinous rice, a sweetener like malt syrup or rice syrup and fermented soy beans. The fermentation gives it a richer flavor and the chiles leave a nice kick.
I buy my Gochujang from Whole Foods, but you can also find it as most Asian grocery stores or order off Amazon. Alternatively Kimchi Mari also had a fantastic tutorial on how to make Gochujang at home.
Though it won’t have the same robust flavor, if you can’t find gochujang paste you can replace it with 1/2 tablespoon of sriracha sauce and 1/2 tsp of honey.
How to Make a Slurry
One of the most important components of any stir fry is the “slurry”. A slurry is just a combination of a starch such as tapioca starch (my preference), cornstarch or arrowroot starch mixed with water. You combine the two before adding to the sauce to ensure it is evenly distributed. A slurry helps to thicken stir fry sauce so it isn’t watery and thin.
To make a slurry you will combine 1 tsp of tapioca starch with 1 tsp of warm water. Whisk together in a small bowl before adding to the remainder to your stir fry sauce.
How to Make Spicy Sesame Shrimp:
STEP 1: Make rice according to package instructions and set aside.
STEP 2: In a large bowl combine, garlic cloves, minced ginger, 1 tbsp sesame oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce/tamari and gochujang paste and whisk to combine. In a small bowl combine tapioca starch with 1 tsp of warm water and whisk together. Add to the large bowl with remaining stir fry sauce. Add in your shrimp and coat in sauce. Place in fridge to marinate while you cook your veggies.
STEP 3: Add remaining 1 tbsp of sesame oil to a large pan or wok over medium heat. Add snap peas and bell pepper to pan and cook for 5 minutes or until slightly browned and cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside.
STEP 4: Add your shrimp and stir fry mixture to the pan and cook shrimp for 1-2 minutes per side or until shrimp has turned opaque and curled inwards.
STEP 5: Add your veggies back to pan and simmer until sauce has thickened to desired preference. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, to taste and 1-2 tbsp of white sesame seeds. Divide rice evenly and top with shrimp stir fry.
More Stir-Fry Recipes
I love me a good stir fry recipe. They’re quick, easy and the perfect way to use up leftover veggies on hand. Here are some of my favorites:
PrintSpicy Sesame Shrimp and Veggie Stir Fry
A delicious and spicy recipe for sesame shrimp and veggies mixed together into a filling and nutritious stir fry the whole family will love.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 25 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Cook
- Diet: Gluten Free
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 cups dry rice (whatever kind you prefer)
- 12 ounces snap peas
- 1 red bell pepper, seeded and sliced
- 1 pound medium raw shrimp, shelled and deveined
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 inch ginger knob, grated or minced
- 2 tbsp sesame oil, divided
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 3 tbsp soy sauce low-sodium or tamari
- 1 tbsp gochujang paste
- 1 tsp tapioca starch (or cornstarch)
- salt and pepper, to taste
- 1–2 tbsp white sesame seeds, to garnish
Instructions
- Make rice according to package instructions and set aside.
- In a large bowl combine, garlic cloves, minced ginger, 1 tbsp sesame oil, rice vinegar, soy sauce/tamari and gochujang paste and whisk to combine.
- In a small bowl combine tapioca starch with 1 tsp of warm water and whisk together. Add to the large bowl with remaining stir fry sauce.
- Add in your shrimp and coat in sauce. Place in fridge to marinate while you cook your veggies.
- Add remaining 1 tbsp of sesame oil to a large pan or wok over medium heat. Add snap peas and bell pepper to pan and cook for 5 minutes or until slightly browned and cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside.
- Add your shrimp and stir fry mixture to the pan and cook shrimp for 1-2 minutes per side or until shrimp has turned opaque and curled inwards.
- Add your veggies back to pan and simmer until sauce has thickened to desired preference.
- Sprinkle with salt and pepper, to taste and 1-2 tbsp of white sesame seeds.
- Divide rice evenly and top with shrimp stir fry.
- Will keep in fridge for up to 3 days but best served fresh.
Like this sesame shrimp stir fry? Here are some other recipes you might enjoy:
We absolutely loved this recipe! Our 3 year old loved it so much, she had seconds. It was a quick and easy recipe for a nice summer day off!
Thanks Davida!