Twisted Teriyaki Shrimp Stir-fry
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
A quick skillet shrimp stir-fry loaded with bell peppers, snap peas, crisp carrots, and bean sprouts tossed in a homemade teriyaki glaze. Shrimp cooked just right, plump and opaque, wedged on sticky rice. Bright vinegar punch upfront, balanced salt and sesame crunch at the end. Simple swaps allowed for missed ingredients. Cook times flexible to aroma and texture cues rather than clocks. Emphasis on real kitchen life solutions and flavor layers built in a hot pan.
Prep:
20 min
Cook:
18 min
Total:
38 min
Servings:
4 servings
#Asian
#seafood
#quick meals
#stir-fry
#shrimp
#teriyaki
#weeknight dinner
Shrimp cooking fast. Bell peppers snap under blade, slices bounce in the pan. No fooling with timers here. Watch colors shift, hear sizzle crackling from the oil—a soundtrack I never skip. The vinegar punch wakes up the carrots, flashes in every bite with a zing that jars me awake mid-dinner. Made one time with frozen shrimp; result was rubbery. Fresh or well-thawed, worth the wait, tender, juicy, curling nicely around the peas’ fresh snap. Teriyaki sauce isn’t just a sweet mess—should shine, not smother, balancing savory and caramel. Sticky rice holds the whole story, absorbing those tangy, umami-rich drips. A kitchen dance I keep doing differently—sometimes a pinch of ginger in sauce, or swapping snap peas for snow peas. Keeps me guessing and learning what takes this skillet from just dinner, to real meal satisfaction.
Ingredients
- 2 1/4 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- 1 red bell pepper sliced
- 1 yellow bell pepper sliced
- 1/2 red onion sliced thin
- 3/4 cup carrots grated or thin julienne
- 1 1/2 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
- 1 pound large raw shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 cup sugar snap peas trimmed
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- 1 1/4 cup teriyaki sauce (homemade or store-bought)
- 4 cups cooked sticky rice
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
About the ingredients
Sesame oil toasted for flavor punch. Regular sesame oil OK but lacks toasted depth. Rice vinegar adds balance; if missing, a mild white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar works—start light. Bell peppers vary; if red/yellow unavailable, orange or green are fine but greener taste bites more sharply. I jiggle the carrot quantity—don’t want it overwhelming, just enough crunch. Shrimp must be raw for proper cooking, peeled and deveined; frozen OK if thawed fully, but toss any with off-smell or sliminess. Sugar snap peas can swap for snow peas or even green beans in pinch. Bean sprouts add freshness and crunch but can skip if unavailable; toss in fresh water chestnuts or sliced celery for crunch alternative. Teriyaki sauce: homemade is best; store-bought some are too sweet or salty, so adjust quantities or dilute with splash of water or broth. Sticky rice must be cooked ahead till soft and slightly sticky—jasmine rice, acceptable but less glue-like. Sesame seeds toasted on dry pan add smoky, nutty finish. If you lack, a sprinkle of chopped peanuts gives nice crunch twist.
Method
- Heat 2 1/4 teaspoons sesame oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking. The oil should ripple with heat—this seals in aromas.
- Throw in sliced red and yellow bell peppers plus thin red onion strips. Add grated carrots, seasoned rice vinegar, and sea salt. Toss rapidly, letting the veggies sizzle with a faint snap. Cook 3-4 minutes. Look for softened edges but keep crunch alive—the vinegar brightens it all. Avoid sogginess by stirring often.
- Slide raw shrimp and sugar snap peas into the pan. Immediate color change: shrimp curl, flesh turns opaque with a slight blush—trust your eyes not a timer. Cook 5-6 minutes, stirring gently. Shrimp overcooked will toughen, so watch closely.
- Add bean sprouts and pour in 1 cup teriyaki sauce, stirring just enough to mix flavors and heat through for about 1-2 minutes. You want the shrimp to glisten with sauce, not drown. Sauce should thicken slightly on contact with hot pan.
- Divide sticky rice into four bowls. Spoon teriyaki shrimp stir fry on top. Drizzle remaining 1/4 cup sauce over and sprinkle toasted sesame seeds. The seeds add a nutty crunch bite at the end.
- Rest a minute, let rice soak the sauce a bit before mixing. Utility tip: leftover stir-fry stores well and reheats better than expected.
Cooking tips
Heat oil until it shimmers but not smoking. This temperature burns oil quickly, so be attentive—burnt oil ruins flavor. Start veggies in hottest pan to keep bright color and snap. Toss and stir constantly, softening edges instead of shrinking to mush—watch onion edges turn translucent but not limp. Adding vinegar early allows quick pickling effect, brightening all. When shrimp goes in, listen for subtle change in sizzle tone; shrimp moisture releases steam, lowering pan temperature temporarily—don’t crowd pan, ensure proper contact for even cooking. Shrimp done when curl forms a loose “C,” flesh turns opaque, gloss shifts from translucent to milky white. Bean sprouts added last, cook barely in residual heat—overcooked sprouts lose crunch and start weeping water. Pour in sauce gently; if thick, bring to gentle simmer and scrape pan bits for deeper flavor. Serve hot over rice that soaks up juices but isn’t mushy. Leftovers reheat in microwave or skillet, add small splash water or broth to loosen sauce.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Heat sesame oil till shimmer but no smoke. Too hot burns oil fast. Use medium-high. Oil sheen means ready not brittle. Flavor holds in oil, releases aroma quick after heat.
- 💡 Veggies start hottest pan. Bell peppers and onion slices soften around edges but must keep crunch. Toss fast or they steam, get soggy. Vinegar tossed early wakes veggies with sharp snap instead of dullness.
- 💡 Shrimp curl loosely, milky opaque flesh means cooked. Avoid long cook time shrimp get rubbery tough. Eye sights, color, sizzle changes better than timer here. Shrimp moisture lowers pan temp briefly, listen for that.
- 💡 Pour in teriyaki sauce gently. Sauce thickens only when hot pan touches it. Stir just enough to heat not drown shrimp. Too much sauce makes wet stir-fry, lose crisp snap. Adjust with water or broth if too strong or salty.
- 💡 Leftover stir-fry stores well but sauce thickens in fridge. Reheat with splash water/broth to loosen. Sticky rice needs to be soft, slightly sticky— jasmine OK but less clingy. Use toasted sesame seeds or swap peanuts for crunch contrast.
Common questions
Can frozen shrimp work?
Yes but must thaw fully. Slippery, smell off means toss. Frozen shrimp cooks faster, watch color shift carefully. Avoid soggy meat by drying before cooking.
What if no teriyaki sauce?
Mix soy sauce with sugar and a splash vinegar. Add grated garlic or ginger for punch. Store-bought vary in salt-sweet balance so taste and adjust quantity. Dilute strong sauce if needed.
How to keep veggies crisp?
High heat, quick toss. Don’t overcrowd pan or moisture traps. Vinegar early prevents sogginess by pickling edges lightly. Stir constantly, don’t wait until limp to move them.
Leftover storage tips?
Fridge best few days. Store rice separate or sauce mixes rice fast if warm. Reheat skillet preferred, splash broth or water to loosen sauce. Avoid microwave overheating shrimp or turns chewy.
