Shrimp and Broccoli: Easier Than Takeout
Here’s a secret: if you have shrimp on hand in your kitchen at any time, you can make a delicious meal that cooks up quickly. That’s certainly what you’ll find here with this takeout-style shrimp and broccoli recipe.
This quick and easy dinner is something you can make after even your busiest day without breaking a sweat, on your table in just 25 minutes. Shrimp and broccoli are like peas and carrots…they go so perfectly together. These healthy ingredients make for a one-bowl meal that you’re going to love.
Marinade Helps the Shrimp Shine
Using a quick marinade from Shaoxing wine, cornstarch, salt, and white pepper, it brings out the fresh taste of your shrimp and keeps it with a juicy and tender texture without overcooking it.
Mise en place
When you’re ready to cook, your table should have:
- Broccoli, cut to bite-size florets
- Minced aromatics (ginger and garlic)
- Marinated shrimp
- Mixed sauce
How to cook shrimp and broccoli
1- Conveniently Steam the Broccoli
As for the broccoli, you’ll steam it in the same pan instead of blanching it. This speeds up the cooking process without compromising texture or flavor. All you need is to add a lid and then drain it out before moving on to the next step.
At this stage it’s important not to overcook the broccoli. Pay attention to the color – it will be a nice vibrant green when it’s at peak flavor.
2. Pan fry the shrimp
Fresh garlic and ginger make a big difference than the powdered ones. I add them after searing the shrimp, so the aromatics won’t over cook.
3. Add the sauce to tie everything together
The flavors of the sauce come from Chinese kitchen staples that include oyster sauce, soy sauce, and dark soy sauce. Don’t have dark soy sauce? You can just add a little more of the regular stuff. That oyster sauce is the key to boosting the flavors in this shrimp and broccoli dish.
4- Add back the broccoli to finish it up
How to serve shrimp and broccoli
You can either serve shrimp and broccoli by itself as a main dish, or top it over steamed rice to make a one bowl meal.
Want an extra kick? Add homemade chili oil to the shrimp and broccoli to bump up the spice factor and depth of flavor. My recipe for making it homemade only takes 5 minutes and is a wonderful asset to any dish, Chinese or otherwise, when adding a little heat.
If you’ve got a few extra minutes, consider making a batch! It’s great to have on hand and will stay good in the fridge for months.
More Easy Takeout-Inspired Meals
Chinese Cooking Made Easy
Are you new to this website? This free email series is a great place to start. I’ll walk you through a few of my most popular recipes and show you how and why they work. You’ll quickly start to cook better Chinese food in your own kitchen.
Shrimp and Broccoli
Ingredients
- 1 lb shrimp , peeled and deveined
Marinade
- 1/2 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
Sauce
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 1/2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Stir Fry
- 1 head broccoli , cut into florets
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil (or canola oil)
- 4 cloves garlic , minced
- 1 teaspoon ginger , minced
Instructions
- Add the shrimp into a big ball and add the wine, salt, pepper, and cornstarch. Mix well and set aside to marinate for 15 minutes.
- Combine the sauce ingredients in a medium-size bowl. Stir to dissolve the sugar and cornstarch.
- Add 1/4 cup water into a large skillet and heat over medium high heat until bringing to a boil. Add the broccoli, cook covered until cooked through, about 1 minute. Transfer the broccoli into a plate and wipe the pan with kitchen paper towels.
- Add the oil and heat over medium high heat. Add the marinated shrimp and spread into one layer. Cook without touching until the bottom turns golden, about 1 minute. Flip the shrimps. Add the garlic and ginger to the pan. Cook for another 30 seconds to 1 minute. Stir a few times to mix everything together.
- Stir the sauce to dissolve the cornstarch completely and pour into the pan and add back the cooked broccoli. Cook and stir until the sauce thickens. Then transfer everything to a serving plate.
- Serve hot over rice as a main dish.
Video
Nutrition
Have a question or feedback? Add a Comment
Did you make this? I want to see! Tag @OmnivoresCookbook on Instagram, and rate the recipe below.
Lilja Walter is a part of the Omnivore’s Cookbook team and worked closely with Maggie to develop and test this recipe.
Linda
It’s a winner! I grew up in Asia and am very picky about food. I have looked for a good stir fry recipe without success. I tried this tonight and it was excellent. Thank you very much!
Kris
The amount of wine correct? 1/2 tsp doesn’t seem like enough to make a marinade?
Maggie Zhu
Hi Kris, thanks for pointing this out. This is indeed a typo. It should be 1/2 tablespoon.
Sarah
So easy and so good. Comes together easily with things I always have on hand. Marinade makes the shrimp plump and juicy.
Annie Zhang
Delicious! Bit saucier than I expected given the images, but still enjoyable 🙂
Rick
This was a huge hit! Thanks again Maggie for another keeper
Bettina Scattino
Hab es schon oft gekocht, immer wieder lecker.😋 Heute anstatt Reis mit Nudeln(LINGUINE,italienisch)als Ersatz für Rahmen Nudeln.Und ein wenig Chili darf nicht fehlen. LECKER 😋 🍜🥢
Linda
I’ve made this so many times and it’s fabulous every time. Thank you.
Lisa
Family loved it!!
Asia Rose
Loved loved this recipe. But I love every recipe I’ve cooked of yours!!
Mary Marde
Thank you for the recipe! However, it doesn’t include when you add the broccoli back to the pan after it’s initial cooking. I assume after cooking the shrimps and before the sauce is added…
Maggie Zhu
Sorry about the mistake! I have corrected the recipe and now it reflect the broccoli being added back.
I usually add the broccoli back at the end, after pouring in the sauce, just to prevent it from overcooking. But it is totally OK to add it back before the sauce. It works either way.
Daryl
How much chili oil would you add to the recipe
Maggie Zhu
Try to add 1 to 2 teaspoons at the end of the cooking. Taste the dish and you can add even more if needed.
Sarge
Excellent recipe delicious. Enjoyed with fried rice
jojobe
This worked really well for us. Thanks.
Chris
Wow…I am throughly impressed by good this extraordinarily simple recipe is. I’ve been working through several of the recipes on this site and many of them are great, but this is 1:1 restaurant quality at home. I excluded the sugar from the sauce (personal taste), upped the garlic, and threw in some whole dried Szechuan chilies, and I am in awe. Well done Maggie. As an experienced home cook and a big fan of Chinese food, it’s really nice to be able to make some of these simpler recipes myself.
Erlinda
My family loves this recipe! Better than take out. Thank you Maggie!