Shrimp Stir-Fry With Mushrooms And Greens

Looking for a quick and easy homemade dinner that isn’t the same old, same old box of pasta and jar of sauce?  This shrimp stir-fry with mushrooms and greens comes together in a flash and is packed with flavor. If you don’t cook shrimp often you’re missing out on a versatile weeknight dinner protein. Love seafood? Try our pan-seared scallops with citrus glaze too!

How to cook frozen shrimp

If you can get raw, fresh shrimp for this recipe, I recommend it because they take only minutes to cook. 

But having some good quality frozen shrimp on hand is a smart way to have the makings of dinner secretly hidden away in your freezer, and it will taste just as delicious. I like to stock up on Thrive Market’s wild-caught shrimp that are already peeled & deveined since I’m all about the smart shortcuts in my kitchen. 

Whether your shrimp are precooked or raw, take the bag out of the freezer and place it in a bowl of cool water about 10-15 minutes before cooking. Don’t try defrosting frozen shrimp in the microwave as they defrost quickly enough in the bowl of water, and it will be easy to accidentally cook them during this process.

How to peel and devein shrimp

If you are using fresh, raw shrimp, deveining them is easy. Most shrimp are already scored across the back spine so all you have to do is separate the shells, grab by the legs and gently pull the shell off. Take the tip of a paring knife and gently lift up the black intestine, it should come out in one piece. Rinse and set aside.

Some people think leaving the pink tail-on shrimp is nicer because the shrimp maintain their wider curl, but fully peeled shrimp are easier to eat, which is a bonus especially if you’re serving shrimp stir fry to kids.

Save time with pre-minced garlic

After spending goodness knows how much of my life over the course of decades peeling and chopping garlic, I finally decided to try out the minced garlic that they sell at pretty much every grocery store. And you know what? It’s amazing. I look for one that’s organic and contains the least ingredients. I buy a bunch of jars at a time from Thrive Market, and the ingredients are, “Organic garlic, water, citric acid, and salt.”

There are plenty of reasons to still use whole cloves – roasted garlic for starters – but when you’re aiming for quick and easy, you can’t go wrong with this little hack.

Can I substitute… ?

This is a versatile stir-fry brought together by the flavors of fresh ginger, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, fish sauce, raw honey, and pinch of cayenne. We’ve talked a lot about shrimp, but to be honest, if you wanted a different protein in this dish, you could easily substitute chicken or even tofu.

If you are vegetarian, along with your plant-based protein, you could omit the fish sauce and use soy sauce or tamari to taste.

Doing a Whole30? Hold the honey and you’re good to go.

When it comes to the veggies, we love this with baby bok choy and shiitake mushrooms, but really anything goes. Have broccoli in your fridge? Throw it in! Love steamed spinach? Add it towards the end.

How to meal plan with our Shrimp Stir-Fry With Mushrooms And Greens

As we discussed, this is a great weeknight meal for when you don’t have a ton of time.

This dish goes great with simple steamed rice or – if you prefer grain-free or low carb – riced cauliflower. If you’re lucky enough to have leftovers: Put in an oven-safe dish, crack an egg or two over the top, and bake for an indulgent breakfast hash.