Recipe for Shrimp and Broccoli Stir Fry with Oyster Sauce

Have you ever wanted to make the tasty shrimp and broccoli from your favorite Chinese spot? Well, now you can! I’m thrilled to show you my Chinese shrimp and broccoli stir fry recipe. It’s yummy, quick, and easy to do at home.

This recipe pairs juicy shrimp with crunchy broccoli, both covered in a flavorful oyster sauce. And here’s the best part. You can make this high-quality meal in 30 minutes flat. It’s perfect for buzzed weeknights when you want something tasty but fast.

To nail the dish’s real taste and feel, use a cast iron skillet. This makes cooking both fun and a breeze. You’ll only need 25 minutes to prep and a bit of time to cook. It’s a healthy, filling dish for four. This makes it great for family get-togethers or prepping meals ahead.

Key Takeaways

• Total cooking time is about 30 minutes, including 25 minutes of prep
• Recipe serves 4 people, perfect for family dinners
• Uses a cast iron skillet for optimal heat distribution
• Combines shrimp and broccoli for a nutritious, flavorful meal
• Each serving contains approximately 327 calories
• Can be customized with different vegetables and proteins

Introduction to Shrimp and Broccoli Stir Fry

I love making a stir fry that’s just as good as any you find at a Chinese restaurant. Shrimp and broccoli stir fry is a top-notch dish you can whip up. It combines juicy shrimp and crunchy broccoli in a tasty sauce. The result is a dish that’s yummy and good for you.

A Popular Chinese Restaurant Dish

Shrimp and dumpling stir fry is really popular at Chinese restaurants but Shrimp and broccoli stir fry is popular as well. People love it for its mix of tastes and textures. The soft shrimp and crispy broccoli mingle in a flavorful sauce. It really shows off Chinese cooking, and lots of folks pick it on the menu.

Health Benefits of Shrimp and Broccoli

This stir fry is more than just delicious. It’s also full of good stuff for your body. Let’s see what it brings to the table:

• Shrimp: Low in calories but high in protein (12 grams per 3-ounce serving)
• Broccoli: Rich in fiber, vitamins C and K, and antioxidants
• Both ingredients are low in carbs and fat

This mix makes a great, filling meal that won’t weigh you down. It’s ideal for anyone wanting to eat well without losing out on flavor.

Why This Recipe Works

There are a few key reasons why this shrimp and broccoli stir fry is a winner:

1. It’s easy to get the ingredients and put them together
2. It’s on the table in under 30 minutes
3. The oyster sauce gives it a rich, deep flavor
4. You can spice it up or add more veggies, as you like

This recipe helps you make a dish that tastes like it’s from a fancy restaurant, but at home. It’s great for hectic evenings when you need something fast, good, and healthy. Plus, cleaning your skillet after is simple. This makes the whole experience even better for cooks at home.

Essential Ingredients for the Perfect Stir Fry

Making great stir fry starts with the right ingredients. I enjoy cooking Chinese shrimp and broccoli stir fry with oyster sauce. It’s both tasty and easy to make.

• 1 lb (450 g) shrimp (16-20 count)
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
• 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Every ingredient has a special part in the stir fry. Shrimp gives protein, and broccoli adds crunch. Oyster sauce and Shaoxing wine make it rich and flavorful.

To start, marinate shrimp in Shaoxing wine, salt, and cornstarch. This makes the shrimp tender and tasty.

Then, mix chicken stock with oyster and soy sauces, cornstarch, and more. This sauce will make your stir fry delicious.

For cooking, use a ceramic electric skillet. Heat it, add oil, then stir fry garlic, shrimp, and broccoli. Add the sauce and cook until it’s all mixed well.

With these ingredients and steps, your stir fry will be like from a restaurant. It’s a healthy dish with low calories but high in protein. Plus, it has true Chinese taste.

Preparing the Shrimp for Stir Frying

Getting shrimp ready is vital for a tasty stir fry. I will show you how to prep shrimp for a great dish. We’ll begin with cleaning them out.

Cleaning and Deveining Shrimp

Start by pulling off the shells and tails from 1 – 1½ pounds of large raw shrimp. Then, take out the dark vein by making a small cut on the back. This is important for the look and flavor.

Butterflying Technique

Butterflying shrimp makes them cook more evenly and be more tender. Cut along the shrimp’s back but don’t go all the way through. This way, the shrimp will look and taste better when cooked.

Marinating and Velveting

For the best texture, try velveting your shrimp. Coat them lightly with cornstarch and a little baking soda. This gives them a soft texture and helps keep them juicy when cooking.

Here’s a simple marinade you can make:

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda (optional)

Combine these with the shrimp you’ve prepared. Let them sit for 15-20 minutes. This will make your shrimp tasty and soft in the stir fry.

Just follow these steps to get your shrimp ready: clean, devein, butterfly, and marinate. The process takes about 15 minutes. Then, you’re all set for a fast, yummy meal.

Broccoli Preparation and Blanching

I enjoy adding broccoli to my stir-fries. Knowing how to prep it right is key to a great dish. I’ll show you how to prepare and blanch broccoli for our shrimp and broccoli stir fry.

Start by washing the broccoli in cool water. Then, cut it into small, bite-sized pieces. These are easy to cook and perfect for a stir fry.

Next is a key step: blanching. Blanching keeps broccoli green and ensures even cooking. See how it’s done:

1. Boil a large pot of water.
2. Add a bit of salt for taste.
3. Drop in the broccoli.
4. Boil for 30 seconds.
5. Take the broccoli out quickly.
6. Put it in ice water right away to halt cooking.

Blanching quickly in ice water seals in color and nutrients. It’s essential for top-notch broccoli in stir-fries. Check out this link to learn more about preparing broccoli.

After chilling the broccoli, drain and dry it. It’s now set to add to our stir fry just before serving.

By following these steps, your broccoli will be ready to soak up the stir fry’s tasty sauces. It’ll stay crispy and keep its nutrients, making your meal healthy and delicious.

Creating the Flavorful Oyster Sauce

Making my own oyster sauce is a favorite in my kitchen. It helps me get that true Chinese taste right at home. We can look closer at the ingredients and steps for this tasty sauce.

Key Sauce Ingredients

This sauce balances savory, sweet, and umami flavors perfectly. You will need oyster sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, sesame oil, garlic powder, white pepper, and water. These create the delicious mix for your stir fry.

• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
• ½ cup water

Balancing Flavors

The secret of the sauce is in the balance. Oyster sauce brings the umami. Soy sauce adds salt. Brown sugar gives sweetness. Ginger and garlic powder make it smell amazing. Sesame oil brings a nutty taste. White pepper adds a hint of spice.

Making the Cornstarch Slurry

For a sauce to thicken, we use cornstarch. Mix 1½ tablespoons of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water. Stir until smooth for the perfect texture.

Now, let’s make the oyster sauce:

1. Put all sauce ingredients in a bowl, except the cornstarch slurry.
2. Whisk well to dissolve the sugar.
3. Prepare the cornstarch slurry in a small bowl.
4. When it’s time to cook, stir the sauce into your stir fry.
5. Add the cornstarch slurry little by little until it thickens as you like.

This sauce is a game-changer for your stir fry dishes. Try it with our shrimp and broccoli for a meal that’s ready in 10 minutes. Adjust the thickness by using more or less of the cornstarch slurry to suit your taste.

Step-by-Step Chinese Shrimp and Broccoli Stir Fry with Oyster Sauce Recipe

I love sharing my best shrimp and broccoli stir fry recipe. It’s a hit at home for 4 people and takes just 20 minutes. This recipe shows you how to make a flavorful shrimp and broccoli stir fry.

First, here are the ingredients you need:

• 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 2 cups broccoli florets
• 1/2 large red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons sesame oil
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper

Now, onto cooking:

1. Blanch broccoli in boiling water for 2 minutes until it’s bright and a bit crisp. Then, drain it and set aside.
2. Mix soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, cornstarch, and crushed red pepper in a bowl to make the sauce.
3. Next, use high heat to warm up a large skillet with 1 tablespoon sesame oil. Add shrimp, cooking them for 2-3 minutes each side until they’re light brown. Take them out and keep them aside.
4. Then, add the rest of the oil to the skillet. Stir-fry the garlic for 45 seconds.
5. After that, put in the broccoli and bell peppers, giving them 2 minutes to cook.
6. Finally, add and stir the sauce mix as it gets thick. This takes about a minute. Add the shrimp back and stir everything together for another 1-2 minutes.

This stir fry tastes great with rice or noodles. The trick is not to cook the shrimp or broccoli too much. Keep stirring to avoid burning. Follow these steps for a meal that’s as good as from a Chinese restaurant!

Mastering the Skillet: Tips for Perfect Stir Frying

Stir frying goes way back to ancient China, around the Eastern Zhou period (771-256 BC). To make awesome stir fry, you must know your way around a skillet. These are several top tips to boost your cooking skills.

The Power of High Heat

To get that real stir fry flavor, you need high heat. Pro kitchens can heat skillets to very high temperatures to get that perfect sear. For home cooking, follow these steps:

• Preheat your skillet until it’s very hot
• Use oils with high smoke points like peanut or avocado oil
• Cook in small batches to keep the heat up

Seasoning Your Skillet

Seasoning your skillet right stops food from sticking and makes it tasty. Here’s what to do:

1. Scrub new skillet with soap and hot water
2. Dry it well and heat it on your stove
3. Use a paper towel to rub oil all over it
4. Heat until the oil smokes, then let it cool and clean off the excess oil
5. Repeat a few times for a smooth, non-stick coating

Timing and Ingredient Order

The order you add your ingredients matters a lot. Here’s my go-to sequence:

1. Start with aromatics like garlic, ginger, and onions for 30 seconds
2. Add proteins like meat or tofu and cook for 2-3 minutes
3. Include hard vegetables like carrots and broccoli next, for another 2-3 minutes
4. Add soft veggies like mushrooms and bok choy for 1-2 minutes
5. Finally, pour in the sauce and stir for 30 seconds to 1 minute

Stir frying is super speedy! Keep everything moving. This way, you keep your veggies crunchy and your proteins tender. With these skillet tips, you’ll start making meals as good as in restaurants in no time at all.

Nutritional Information and Health Benefits

I enjoy creating shrimp and broccoli stir fry. It’s tasty and full of good stuff. This dish is full of important vitamins and minerals, making it a great meal choice.

Here’s what you get in one portion of our shrimp and broccoli stir fry:

It’s a good source of lean protein with the shrimp. Broccoli gives you fiber and lots of vitamin C. You get 81% of your daily vitamin C from one serving!

Our recipe serves two and is great for a fast dinner. It only takes 15 minutes to make. This makes it both easy and cheap compared to going out to eat.

• Shrimp: It’s full of protein, low in carbs, and has only 101 calories in a 3-ounce portion
• Broccoli: Has a lot of antioxidants and vitamin K, good for your heart and brain
• Low in calories: Just 321 calories in each serving
• High in protein: Covers 55% of your daily protein needs

This meal is a bit high in cholesterol and salt. You can make it healthier by using less sauce or picking low-salt options.

When you cook it at home, you pick what goes into it. Boiling the broccoli quickly helps keep the good stuff in. So, it not only tastes good but looks good too.

Serving Suggestions and Pairings

Choosing what to serve with stir fry can turn a meal from good to great. We will look at some options that make a shrimp and broccoli stir fry shine. These pairings will make your meal feel authentic and complete.

Rice and Noodle Options

There are many great starch choices for stir fries. Consider these:

• Steamed white rice
• Brown rice for a nuttier flavor
• Fried rice for added texture
• Lo mein noodles
• Chow mein noodles

Complementary Side Dishes

Pair your stir fry with these fantastic Chinese side dishes:

1. Hot and Sour Soup
2. Crispy Fried Wontons
3. Egg Drop Soup
4. Spring Rolls
5. Steamed Dumplings

Beverage Pairings

Drinks can enhance the stir fry experience. Try these beverage suggestions:

The secret to great stir fry pairings is in finding balance. Enjoy mixing and matching these items to make your own perfect meal. With such choices, serving stir fry will always be exciting.

Variations on the Classic Recipe

I enjoy trying different shrimp and broccoli twists. This keeps my dinner interesting. We’ll look at fun stir fry ideas that can change your meals for the better.

Try swapping shrimp with chicken or beef for new flavors. If you choose chicken, get a pound of chicken breast without bone or skin. Cut it into small pieces. For beef lovers, go for flank steak. You’ll need a pound that’s been cut thinly.

Add colorful veggies for more taste and health benefits. Consider adding:

• 1 cup sliced bell peppers
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 1/2 cup julienned carrots
• 1/2 cup snap peas

Don’t forget the sauces to mix things up:

To make it vegetarian, switch out shrimp with tofu. You’ll need 14 ounces of firm tofu. Press it to remove excess water and then dice it. Marinade it in 2 tablespoons of soy sauce and a teaspoon of sesame oil for 15 minutes before cooking.

These variations show there are countless ways to enjoy shrimp and broccoli stir fry. Be adventurous and turn every dish into something exceptional!

Storing and Reheating Leftovers

Making extra shrimp and broccoli stir fry is a joy. Knowing the right way to store it means you can enjoy it again. After it’s cooked, let it cool first. Then, put it in a sealed container and in the fridge. It will be good for up to three days.

When you want to eat your leftovers, reheating them is easy. I have two favorite ways:

1. Microwave Method:
   • Put some in a microwave-safe dish
   • Put a little water to keep the sauce nice
   • Cover the dish and microwave it for 1-2 minutes
   • Stir it and check if it’s warm enough, microwave more if needed
2. Skillet Method:
   • Warm up your skillet on medium-high heat
   • Put in a tiny bit of oil
   • Put the stir fry in
   • Fry and stir it for 2-3 minutes until it’s warm
   • Add some water if the sauce is too dry

Remember, shrimp gets tough if you overcook it. When warming up, do it until it’s just warm. This keeps the shrimp soft and the broccoli crisp, just like when you first cooked it.

Following these steps will let you enjoy your shrimp and broccoli stir fry with oyster sauce for a while. It’s a smart way to enjoy your cooking longer!

Why This Dish Is a Weeknight Dinner Winner

I love quick dinner ideas, like this Shrimp and Broccoli Stir Fry. It takes just 30 minutes, perfect for busy nights. With shrimp, broccoli, and basic ingredients, I make a top-notch meal at home fast.

This dish is not only quick but also healthy and tasty. It has 35g of protein and 326 calories per serving. I change it up to fit my taste, like adding more spice or different veggies. The stir fry sauce, made with soy sauce, teriyaki, and sweet chili, brings the flavor alive.

The best part is how easy it is. I prep the shrimp, chop veggies, and mix the sauce without much fuss. This meal is quicker than getting takeout. It’s great for when I’m alone or hosting friends for dinner. This recipe shows making healthy food doesn’t take long.