This Shrimp Teriyaki Stir Fry is quick and delicious! Shrimp cooked in teriyaki sauce is tender and has that wonderful mixture of salty and sweet flavors. This makes the perfect Asian dinner in minutes.

We’ve partnered with Argo® Corn Starch to create this simple stir-fry recipe! -Jaden

Shrimp Teriyaki Recipe

Why This Shrimp Teriyaki Is So Good

  • 15 minute simple shrimp teriyaki stir fry recipe
  • Learn how to stir fry shrimp so that it is caramelized on the outside, and perfectly cooked on the inside
  • How to make a teriyaki stir fry sauce that is light, flavorful and delicately coats each ingredient.

Ingredients

  • Shrimp 
  • Cornstarch
  • Cooking oil
  • Onion, bell pepper, snap peas, green onion

For The Spicy Teriyaki Sauce

  • Ginger
  • Soy sauce, mirin, sake
  • Chili garlic sauce (optional)
  • Cornstarch

 

 
 

How To Make This Teriyaki Shrimp – Step By Step

The Sauce

We’ll be using fresh ginger to add a zing to the teriyaki sauce. The best way to mince ginger is to grate the fresh ginger on a microplane zester.

Shrimp Teriyaki Recipe make sauce

Just a little bit of back and forth on the zester will produce ginger without any tough, stringy fibers.

Shrimp Teriyaki Recipe grate ginger

Combine cornstarch, soy sauce, mirin, and sake with Asian chile-garlic sauce and fresh ginger.

Okay, now that the sauce is ready, it’s time to stir fry!

Stir Fry Shrimp

The secret to stir frying shrimp is to make sure the shrimp is nicely carmelized and browned on the outside, yet perfectly cooked and light on the inside. If you cook shrimp too long, it gets rubbery. Here’s the secret to stir-frying shrimp:

Pat the shrimp very dry with paper towels. Wet shrimp will end up steaming in the pan, and you’ll never get caramelization.

Shrimp Teriyaki Recipe cornstarch shrimp

The second step is to toss the shrimp in a bit of cornstarch.

Shrimp Teriyaki Recipe cornstarch shrimp

The cornstarch will further dry and absorb any moisture, but more importantly, the coating will help the shrimp get the crisp crunchy outside.

Shrimp Teriyaki Recipe cornstarch shrimp

Searing the shrimp on both sides in a hot wok, while leaving the inside of the shrimp only partially cooked through, will also ensure the shrimp gets the proper room and heat in order to caramelize. The shrimp will be added back into the wok at a later step to finish cooking.

Heat a wok over high heat, with cooking oil. Then add the shrimp. Try not to over-crowd, and cook the shrimp in a single layer.

Shrimp Teriyaki Recipe stir fry shrimp

Leave the shrimp alone. There’s no need to stir, toss or peek! The more you move the shrimp, the harder it will be to caramelize.

After 30 seconds, take a look!

Shrimp Teriyaki Recipe stir fry shrimp

Flip shrimp over and cook an additional 30 seconds to caramelize the other side.

Shrimp Teriyaki Recipe stir fry shrimp

Now remove from wok to a clean plate.

Shrimp Teriyaki Recipe stir fry shrimp

Stir Frying The Vegetables

The vegetables should be cut into similarly sized and shape pieces. Onions and bell peppers are sliced, and sugar snap peas are left whole (just remove the stringy bit in the middle).

Shrimp Teriyaki Recipe stir fry vegetables

Once the vegetables are just about cooked through, but still retains a bit of crunch, it’s time to add the shrimp back in.

Finishing Shrimp Teriyaki Stir Fry

Shrimp Teriyaki Recipe stir fry vegetables

And also pour in the teriyaki sauce.

Shrimp Teriyaki Recipe stir fry vegetables

Cook until the sauce is bubbly and thickened. By this time, the shrimp and vegetables will be perfectly cooked through.

Shrimp Teriyaki Recipe stir fry

Garnish with green onion and serve Shrimp Teriyaki stir fry with rice.

What Is Stir Fry?

Stir frying is a cooking technique, most popular in Chinese cookery, but also used in Japanese cooking (called itameru). To stir fry, ingredients are cut into small, bite-sized pieces, and cooked in a hot wok. Of course, you don’t have to use a wok….a large sauté pan with high sides will also work. Frying pans are too shallow, you’ll end up losing half of your ingredients as you stir, toss and flip.

A Healthier Stir Fry

The secret to healthy, lighter stir fries (without the thick, goopy, calorie-laden sauce) is a little bit of cornstarch in the sauce. The cornstarch thickens slightly as it cooks, allowing the stir-fry sauce to lightly coat each and every ingredient, providing flavor in every bite.

Simple Teriyaki Stir Fry Sauce

We’re making a very simple teriyaki stir fry sauce that you can use in any recipe (not just this one). Teriyaki sauce is equal parts: soy sauce, mirin (Japanese sweet rice wine) and sake (Japanese rice wine).  If you aren’t familiar with these ingredients, its okay! Feel free to use store-bought teriyaki sauce (there’s always a bottle in my refrigerator for last-minute cooking).

Top Tips For Shrimp Teriyaki

  • Make sure to pat down your shrimp wit a paper towel or you won’t get that nice caramelization.
  • Cut your vegetables into similar sized pieces, so they all cook at the same time. 
  • Have all your ingredients ready before you fire up the wok, as things move fast!
  • If you don’t have a wok you can use a wide bottomed pan.

Shrimp Teriyaki Recipe

More Recipes to Explore

Have you tried this Teriyaki Shrimp? Feel free to leave a star rating and I’d love to hear from you in the comments below!

shrimp teriyaki on plate

Shrimp Teriyaki Stir Fry Recipe

Jaden Hair

This Shrimp Teriyaki Stir Fry is quick and delicious! Shrimp cooked in teriyaki sauce is tender and has that wonderful mixture of salty and sweet flavors. This makes the perfect Asian dinner in minutes.

4.93 from 13 votes
Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 10 minutes
Total Time 15 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Japanese
Servings 4 people
Calories 254 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 1/2 pound shrimp peeled and deveined
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch preferred Argo Corn Starch
  • 2 tablespoons neutral flavored cooking oil divided (like canola, corn or vegetable oil)
  • 1/2 small onion sliced
  • 1 cup sliced bell pepper
  • 1 cup sugar snap peas
  • 1 stalk green onion chopped or thinly sliced

For the Spicy Teriyaki Sauce

  • 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons mirin
  • 2 tablespoons sake
  • 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce optional
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch preferred Argo Corn Starch

Instructions
 

  • Pat the shrimp very dry. In a bowl, toss the shrimp with cornstarch to coat.
  • Heat a wok or large saute pan over high heat. When hot, swirl in just 1 tablespoon of the cooking oil. Add the shrimp to the pan, trying not to overlap. Let cook for 30 seconds. Flip, and cook an 30 seconds. Remove the shrimp to a clean bowl. The shrimp will be half-cooked, we will finish cooking in a later step.
  • Turn the heat to medium-high. To the same pan, swirl in the remaining cooking oil. When hot, add in the onion and bell pepper. Stir fry for 1 minute. Add in the sugar snap peas and continue to stir fry for an additional minute.
  • Add in the half-cooked shrimp and pour in the Ginger Teriyaki Sauce. Cook until the sauce comes to a simmer, thickens, and is glossy. Garnish with green onions.

Notes

Make sure to pat down your shrimp wit a paper towel or you won't get that nice caramelization.
Cut your vegetables into similar sized pieces, so they all cook at the same time. 
Have all your ingredients ready before you fire up the wok, as things move fast!
If you don't have a wok you can use a wide bottomed pan.

Nutrition

Calories: 254kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 25gFat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 285mgSodium: 1514mgPotassium: 257mgFiber: 1gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 1465IUVitamin C: 68.5mgCalcium: 181mgIron: 3.3mg
Keyword easy stir fry, shrimp stir fry, spicy teriyaki
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!

A big thanks to Argo Cornstarch for allowing me to adapt one of their popular recipes, Lite Asian Spicy Shrimp with Snow Peas into this recipe for Shrimp Teriyaki Stir Fry.