Stir Fry Sauce
The thing that I might love the most about this recipe is the sauce. It went through a few rounds of testing before I heard Nathan say, “Oh! Wow. That is really good.” And then I knew it was ready for you. This is exactly the case with this fast Shrimp and Broccoli Stir Fry recipe. We are making a very simple stir fry sauce that is layered with wonderful, flavorful ingredients. We lightly pan fry some shrimp, cook some broccoli, and combine it with the sauce. From start to finish, this great kid friendly meal only takes 15 minutes!
Water: I like starting this sauce with water because every other ingredients is packed with flavor. This adds liquid without flavor.Teriyaki Sauce: This slightly sweet sauce is the perfect addition. I recommend finding a brand that you really like and sticking with it. Low Sodium Soy Sauce: You will definitely want to use low sodium soy sauce or the overall sauce will be too salty. If you don’t have low sodium, cut the amount down to 2 tablespoons, and add an extra tablespoon of water.Hoisin Sauce: This sauce is thick and often used as a glaze for meat or a dipping sauce. It is both sweet and salty. Here, we are adding it because it’s another layer of flavor to the sauce.Garlic: The flavor that the garlic cloves bring to this recipe is just perfect.Ginger: I love using fresh ginger in stir fry recipes. Please see my tips and tricks below.Brown Sugar: We are adding a dash of brown sugar to this recipe to help balance the saltiness of the sauces we are using.Chili Paste: We are obsessed with this chili paste and use it in a lot of recipes. If you like your dishes spicy, you will want to add another teaspoon or two than we call for.Corn Starch: This simple ingredient is what helps thicken the sauce once it hits the heat, making it coat the broccoli and shrimp perfectly.
Leftover Shrimp and Broccoli
If you have leftovers, they can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days. When you want to reheat your leftovers, remove just the portion you want to eat from the container. Heat over medium-low heat for just a few minutes, until the dish has warmed through. If it is too thick, add a teaspoon or two of water to the sauce pan.
Fresh Ginger Root: You will need to peel it and then grate it. Leftovers can be stored in the freezer in an airtight container for up to three months. You can grate it from frozen. Pre-grated Ginger: We love buying our ginger pre-grated. While it is not as cost-effective, it is a great time saver and we use exactly the amount we need. You can find tubes of it near the fresh herbs in most US grocery stores.
Be sure to buy frozen shrimp that is raw. (Of course you can buy raw shrimp that has had the tails removed. Cooking shrimp with tails on preserves some of it’s flavor, but if you are eating with little kids, buy the ones without tails.)Account for the thawing time when you are planning for this recipe. I often thaw my shrimp under cold running water and that only takes about 15 minutes. Be sure to follow the package instructions for thawing.Your safest bet is to place the bag of frozen shrimp in the refrigerator overnight the day before you plan on making this.
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If you make this shrimp and broccoli stir fry, or any of my other recipes, leave me a comment and let me know what you think!
