Servings
Font
Back
5.0 from 93 votes

Prawn Stir Fry (Shrimp)

Recipe video above. Dinner is sorted with these plump and juicy prawns in a classic ginger sesame Chinese stir fry sauce, with snow peas and broccolini. It’s a Chinese restaurant standard!As with all stir fries, feel free to switch the vegetables for anything you've got!TOP TIP: The best way to ensure you don't overcook the prawns is to cook them first, remove, then add them back in at the end. Perfectly plump and juicy prawns, every single time!

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Servings: 3 - 4 people (with rice)
Calories: 235 kcal
Course: Side Dish , Main Course
Cuisine: Asian , Chinese

Ingredients

Prawn Stir Fry Sauce:
  • 1 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce (sub all purpose soy, Note 1)
  • 1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (sub Mirin or 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 or vegetable
  • 250g / 8 oz medium prawns , raw, peeled and deveined (equiv. 500g/1lb whole prawns, Note 5)
  • 1/2 onion , sliced, brown or white
  • 2 tsp ginger , finely julienned (~2cm / 0.7" piece)
  • 2 tsp garlic , finely chopped (~ 2 cloves)
  • 1 1/2 bunches broccolini , trimmed, cut into 5cm / 2" lengths, (~1 1/2 cups. Sub normal broccoli)
  • 120g / 4 oz Snow peas , thin string removed from both sides

Instructions

    Cup of Yum
  1. Steam broccolini: Steam broccolini until crisp-tender, about 2 - 3 minutes (remember it will cook more in the stir fry). Set aside to drain and dry.
  2. Stir Fry Sauce: Put all Stir Fry Sauce ingredients except water into a bowl. Mix until cornflour is dissolved. Then stir in water.
  3. Cook then remove prawns: Heat oil in a wok or large skillet on medium to medium-high heat. Add prawns and spread them in a single layer. Cook for 1 1/2 minutes, then turn and cook the other side for 1 minute until cooked through. Try not to make the prawns too golden (they are only lightly browned in stir fries). Remove prawns to a bowl. Set aside.
  4. Cook onion, garlic and ginger: Add more oil if the pan seems a bit dry. Still on medium-high heat, add onion and cook for 1 minute. Then add ginger and garlic and cook for another 1 minute until onion is starting to soften but not colour.
  5. Add snow peas, then broccolini: Add snow peas and toss until coated with oil. Then add broccolini and toss through.
  6. Add Sauce and thicken: Give the Sauce a stir (to dissolve cornflour settled at bottom), then pour into skillet. Cook, stirring, until sauce thickens to syrup consistency (about 1 minute) and coats the ingredients nicely.
  7. Add prawns back in: Then add the prawns back in (including any juices in the bowl). Toss for another 30 seconds until prawns are warmed through.
  8. Serve: Serve with rice!

Notes

  • Soy Sauce – Light soy sauce is best here, for a clear stir fry sauce. Ordinary all purpose soy sauce will work too but the sauce colour will be slightly darker. Do not use dark soy sauce, the flavour and colour is too strong. See here for more information about different soy sauces.
  • Chinese cooking wine (Shaoxing wine) – 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. Also reduce oyster sauce by 1 tablespoon.
  • Vegetarian oyster sauce - Nowadays you can find vegetarian oyster sauce (suitable for vegans) products even 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. I was extremely impressed with it!
  • Sesame oil – Use toasted, which has a more intense sesame flavour (it’s brown in colour). Untoasted oil is yellow and harder to find in Australia.
  • Prawns/shrimp – Fresh is always best, though these days frozen is pretty good! If using thawed frozen prawns, drain off excess water well then pat dry before using.
  • Rices to serve with this stir fry:
  • Storage – Leftovers will keep for 3 days in the fridge. Freezing not recommended.
  • Nutrition per serving, assuming 3 servings, excluding rice.
  • Plain white rice
  • Brown rice
  • Jasmine rice
  • Basmati rice
  • Cauliflower rice
  • Fried Rice

Nutrition Information

Calories 235cal (12%) Carbohydrates 11g (4%) Protein 21g (42%) Fat 11g (17%) Saturated Fat 1g (5%) Trans Fat 1g Cholesterol 210mg (70%) Sodium 1280mg (53%) Potassium 185mg (5%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 3g (6%) Vitamin A 1317IU (26%) Vitamin C 74mg (82%) Calcium 183mg (18%) Iron 3mg (17%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 3- 4 people (with rice)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 235

% Daily Value*

Calories 235cal 12%
Carbohydrates 11g 4%
Protein 21g 42%
Fat 11g 17%
Saturated Fat 1g 5%
Trans Fat 1g 50%
Cholesterol 210mg 70%
Sodium 1280mg 53%
Potassium 185mg 4%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 3g 6%
Vitamin A 1317IU 26%
Vitamin C 74mg 82%
Calcium 183mg 18%
Iron 3mg 17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.