I prepared this Ginger Garlic Shrimp with a few tweaks inspired by the well-known Chinese dish, Ginger Garlic Chicken, but added extra garlic for a stronger aromatic punch. The result is a delicious seafood alternative for anyone who enjoys shrimp as much as I do.

Ginger, garlic, and scallions are ingredients that pair beautifully with shrimp. Their fresh, sharp flavors brighten the natural sweetness of the seafood, creating a fragrant stir-fry that tastes far more complex than the effort required. These small adjustments make the dish not only unique but also a flavor combination that feels familiar yet still exciting.

Once your shrimp are cleaned and ready, the entire cooking process takes just a few minutes. It’s perfect for busy days when you want something fast, simple, and still bursting with flavor.

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Step-by-Step Instructions: Ginger Garlic Shrimp

The steps to prepare Ginger Garlic Shrimp are simple. All you need is to briefly marinate the shrimp, and while it’s marinating, prepare the stir-fry sauce and chop the aromatics. Then stir-fry the shrimp first, letting it release its flavorful shrimp oil. Use that aromatic oil to sauté the chopped ingredients, and finally, combine everything. The entire stir-frying process takes less than ten minutes! 

1. Prepare and Marinate the Shrimp

1. Clean the shrimp by removing the head, shell, and deveining. You can remove the tail if you like, but keeping it on gives the dish a nicer presentation
2. Pat the shrimp dry, then season with salt, white pepper, light soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and cornstarch. Mix thoroughly until each shrimp is evenly coated.
3. Add vegetable oil and mix again. This helps seal the marinade in during marinating.
4. Let the shrimp marinate for 10 minutes only. Avoid marinating for too long, as prolonged marination can soften the texture and make the shrimp slightly mushy.

2. Sear the Shrimp

• Heat the vegetable oil in a pan over medium heat.
• Place the shrimp in the pan in a single layer without overcrowding.
• Sear both sides until they change color and turn pinkish-red. Searing adds extra flavor and improves the texture.
• The shrimp should be almost cooked but not fully done at this stage. Remove them from the pan and set aside.

3. Sauté the Aromatics

• After cooking the shrimp, there’s no need to wash the pan. Instead, use the shrimp-flavored oil to sauté the aromatics.
• Add the aromatics: finely chopped garlic, sliced ginger, and scallion sections. Stir-fry them over medium heat for 30 seconds to 1 minute, just until fragrant. This step is important because the ginger, garlic, and scallions will release their aromatic flavor during sauteing.

4. Combine Everything and Finish Cooking

• Pour the prepared stir-fry sauce (a combination of oyster sauce, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, Shaoxing wine, cornstarch, and a little water) into the pan. Stir to combine with the aromatics.
• Return the seared shrimp to the pan. Increase the heat to high and toss everything quickly so the sauce coats each shrimp evenly.
• Stir-fry only briefly,  just long enough for the sauce to evenly coat the shrimp. Remove the shrimp from the pan immediately to avoid overcooking, as they can turn rubbery if cooked for too long.
• Serve while hot with steamed rice.

A Few Helpful Tips Before You Start Cooking

Before you try this recipe, I want to share a few extra tips that I discovered while cooking this dish.

1. Shell on or off?
You can cook the shrimp with or without the shell. Some restaurants keep the shell on because it makes the shrimp look more appealing and also protects the shrimp from overcooking, allowing them to stir-fry over very high heat to create wok aroma. However, for home cooking, I prefer shell-off shrimp because it’s simply easier and more pleasant to enjoy. The flavor difference is minimal as long as you don’t overcook them.

2. A great way to keep shrimp fresh
If you buy fresh shrimp and want to store them for a few weeks, here’s one of the best methods I’ve learned:
Clean the shrimp, remove the heads, and place them in a container. Fill the container with water, then freeze it so the shrimp are fully embedded in ice. This “ice block” method keeps the shrimp extremely fresh, with almost no noticeable loss in flavor, even after a few weeks in the freezer.

3. If you don’t take alcohol
Shaoxing wine adds aroma, but it’s not essential. If you prefer not to use alcohol, you can simply omit it, and the dish will still turn out delicious.

4. Adjust the aromatics to your liking
The amount of garlic, ginger, and scallions is very flexible. I tend to add more than the standard amount because I love a strong aromatic base. One small tip: if you want the ginger flavor to really come through, slice it very thinly. Thick ginger slices won’t release much fragrance during such a quick stir-fry.

5. Avoid overcooking the shrimp
Shrimp cook extremely quickly. It’s far more common to overcook than undercook them. As soon as both sides turn pinkish-red, remove them from the pan. They will finish cooking later when you return them to the pan with the sauce. This is the key to keeping the shrimp juicy and springy.

Continue to Content

The Best Ginger Garlic Shrimp Stir-Fry (Ready in Minutes!)

Yield: 2 servings

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 20 minutes

A quick and flavorful Ginger Garlic Shrimp recipe packed with aromatics and perfect for weeknight dinners. Easy, fragrant, and delicious every time.

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Ingredients

Ingredients For the Shrimp

• 300g medium or large shrimp, peeled & deveined
• ½ tsp salt
• ⅛ tsp white pepper
• 1 tsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp Shaoxing wine
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp oil

Ingredients for Aromatics & Sauce

• 6 cloves garlic, finely chopped (more if you love it bold)
• 25g ginger, sliced thinly
• 3 stalks scallion, sliced into 3–4 cm sections
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce
• ½ tsp sugar
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 1/2 tsp cornstarch
• 2 tbsp water
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil

Instructions

Prepare and Marinate the Shrimp

1. Clean the shrimp by removing the head, shell, and deveining. 
2. Pat the shrimp dry, then season with salt, white pepper, light soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and cornstarch. Mix thoroughly until each shrimp is evenly coated.
3. Add vegetable oil and mix again.
4. Let the shrimp marinate for 10 minutes.

Sear the Shrimp

1. Heat the vegetable oil in a pan over medium heat.
2. Place the shrimp in the pan in a single layer without overcrowding.
3. Sear both sides until they change color and turn pinkish-red.
4. Remove them from the pan and set aside.

Sauté the Aromatics

1. Use the shrimp-flavored oil in the pan to sauté chopped garlic, sliced ginger, and scallion sections. Stir-fry them over medium heat for 30 seconds to 1 minute, just until fragrant.

Combine Everything and Finish Cooking

1. Pour the prepared stir-fry sauce (combination of oyster sauce, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, Shaoxing wine, cornstarch, and a little water) into the pan. Stir to combine with the aromatics.
2. Return the seared shrimp to the pan. Increase the heat to high and toss everything quickly so the sauce coats each shrimp evenly.
3. Stir-fry only briefly,  just long enough for the sauce to evenly coat the shrimp. Remove the shrimp from the pan immediately to avoid overcooking, as they can turn rubbery if cooked for too long.
4. Serve while hot with steamed rice.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 2 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 376Total Fat: 20gSaturated Fat: 2gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 318mgSodium: 2054mgCarbohydrates: 11gFiber: 2gSugar: 3gProtein: 35g

This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix on 11/24/2025

If You Love This Dish, Try These Shrimp Favorites

If you love fast, flavourful shrimp dishes like this one, here are a few other recipes from my blog that you’ll find equally easy and delicious.

1. Garlic Shrimp with Rice — Juicy shrimp stir-fried with plenty of garlic and a touch of soy sauce, served over rice for a simple yet flavour-packed one-dish meal. 
2. Salt and Pepper Shrimp — A restaurant-style classic where the shell is kept on for crispiness and the shrimp are seasoned with Szechuan pepper and salt for bold, crunchy bites.
3. Cashew Shrimp Stir‑fry — A quick Chinese-style stir-fry pairing plump shrimp with crunchy cashews and vegetables for a satisfying textured dish.