Classic Scallion Ginger Shrimp stir fry is great for the summer and lightning fast to make and prepare. Shrimp defrosts easily, cutting the ginger and scallion is a snap, and and with a hot wok, you could be eating within 10 minutes if you’re skilled in the art of stir-frying!
Ok, so if you want to go slowly and not mess up your costly shrimp investment, you can always follow the directions carefully at your own pace. You’ll need time to cook the rice anyway.
We posted a similar shrimp stir fry recipe way back when we started this blog, but since it’s so quick, we decided to do it again–this time with more photos.
Ginger and scallion are a very common pairing in Chinese cooking and there are many versions of seafood cooked in this style. This scallion ginger shrimp stir fry is quite easy to make and it’s much easier to prepare shrimp so it’s a much more approachable dish to cook at home.
That said, we also have made Scallion Ginger Lobster, twin lobsters just like you get at a Chinese banquet and also Scallion Ginger Cantonese Crab which you must consider for the upcoming blue crab season!
Scallion Ginger Shrimp: Recipe Instructions
Defrost your shrimp and give them a quick rinse, checking them for any veins that still remain.
Shrimp right out of of the grocery freezer bags are generally nicely cleaned, but sometimes they do miss a few here and there. Shrimp defrost pretty quickly and you can always use some warm water to rinse them and move the process along.
After they are defrosted and clean, place them into a colander to drain well. I would recommend you let the shrimp get to room temperature and pat them dry with a paper towel so you don’t get a small flood of liquid in the wok, which will cool it down too much and mess up the dish. High heat is crucial.
Next, wash your scallions and ginger, and shake them dry. Cut the scallions into 2 1/2 inch pieces and slice the ginger to about 1/8 inch thickness.
Heat the oil in your wok over medium heat and spread the ginger across the wok.
Let it fry in the oil for about 20 seconds to infuse the oil with that great flavor and immediately crank up the flame to the highest setting. We always start with the ginger since it does not burn easily.
Next, add the scallion ends and meatier middle parts of the scallion. The wok should hopefully be screaming hot by now. If it’s not screaming hot, a good trick is to remove the stuff from the pan first, really get it smoking, and then add the ingredients back in.
Add the shrimp to the ginger and scallion mixture and give it a quick toss. Let the shrimp sear for 20 seconds and add the Shaoxing Wine, sesame oil, salt, white pepper, and a pinch of sugar.
Now add the rest of the scallions to the wok and stir fry until the shrimp is cooked through – about a minute.
If you like, now is the time to add that splash of soy sauce. Give it a final toss.
Plate it up and serve this scallion ginger shrimp hot with steamed rice!
Scallion Ginger Shrimp Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound shrimp (450g, peeled and deveined)
- 4 scallions (cut into 2-3 inch lengths)
- 10 thin slices fresh ginger
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil (or canola or vegetable oil)
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing Wine
- 1/4 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/4 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1/8 teaspoon white pepper (or to taste)
- 1/8 teaspoon sugar
- 1 dash soy sauce (optional)
Instructions
- Defrost your shrimp and give them a quick rinse, checking them for any veins. After they are defrosted and clean, place them into a colander to drain well. Pat them dry with a paper towel.
- Cut the scallions into 2 1/2 inch pieces and slice the ginger to about 1/8 inch thickness. Heat the oil in your wok over medium heat and spread the ginger across the wok. Let it fry in the oil for about 20 seconds to infuse the oil with all that great flavor, and immediately turn up the flame to the highest setting.
- Next, add the scallion ends and the meatier middle parts of the scallion. Give everything a quick stir and add the shrimp. Let the shrimp sear for 20 seconds and add the wine, sesame oil, salt, white pepper, and pinch of sugar.
- Add the remaining green portion of the scallions and stir-fry until the shrimp is just cooked through. Add in the dash of soy if using, and give everything a final toss. Plate and serve immeidately
Could you recommend and substitutes for the wine, please?
Hi S K, you can leave out the wine. Judy sometimes adds just a small dash of zhejiang black vinegar to make up for some of the lost taste of the shaoxing wine when cooking for people who can’t have alcohol. Use the zhejiang vinegar sparingly because it is quite strong ;-)
Hi Bill can I use tamarind sauce .. I don’t have Zhejiang vinegar
Hi Nanami, though I suggested the vinegar as a potential substitution for Shaoxing wine in a previous comment, I would recommend instead to simply leave out the shaoxing wine to get the true taste of this dish. A little bit of tamarind sauce actually sounds like it would be nice, but it would definitely change the character if the original dish also. Happy wokking!
Wow I have stumbled across your blog today and already made this and the curry puffs,both a hit!’
My 3 year old boy just gobbled 4 curry puffs!!
Do you do a homey chicken?
Hi Jen, Kids just love those curry puffs! Try our oyster sauce chicken which is also a kids favorite!
Hi Love the look of this recipe and would like to try it with scallops instead of prawns – one of my all time favourite Chinese restaurant meals. However, it doesn’t appear to have much “sauce” – a concern as we like saucy dishes to serve with rice. How could I achieve this while keeping the flavour?
Hi Jay,
Scallops sound really good, and I totally understand your desire for sauce! However, this dish is best enjoyed with a dry fry, so I will suggest two options. First option is to cook the recipe as-is, leave the ginger and some of the scallions in the wok, and add 1 cup of chicken stock and bring it to a boil. Add more salt and white pepper and a little more soy sauce if you like…to your taste. Then thicken the sauce with 1 to 2 tablespoons of cornstarch mixed with the same amount of water. How much you actually use depends on how thick you like it. Serve the sauce on the side or over your rice in this version.
The second option is to add HOT chicken stock right after the shrimp or scallops have been seared, let the sauce come to a boil, and then add your cornstarch slurry. I say add hot chicken stock so the sauce comes to a boil quicker and does not overcook the seafood.
Hope this helps and happy wokking!
Excellent recipe! It reminds me of shoga-yaki when I lived in Japan but with the twist of big ginger slices. I will be adapting some of my Japanese recipes to include the ginger slices now instead of grated!
Hi Alison, large ginger slices definitely add flavor when seared, so good to expand that usage. Another tip is to smash the slices with the broad side of the knife to release the juices before adding to the wok or pan. Happy cooking!
Stumbled across this delicious recipe from Pinterest. So glad I made it. I halved the recipe and wished I hadn’t
Thanks Susan! I actually think that halving recipes are a good idea and makes the dish taste better because you have a better chance of getting the wok hay with a hot wok or pan. Glad you enjoyed it!
J’ai réalisé votre recette ce soir, c’était vraiment savoureux ! Merci !
Vous êtes très bien accueillis et bien d’entendre ça vous a plu!
For the record, no one in our family–save Kaitlin, who took five years of grade school French–speaks French. Certainly not my dad. So uh…I have no idea what he just said and I’m not sure he does either. hoo!
I love meals like this, full of delicious flavour. Thanks for linking up to Sweet and Savoury Sunday, stop by and link up again. Have a great day!!
Thanks for stopping by Laura!
I love shrimp and ginger — so much flavor going on this dish! I think I need to make this ASAP. :)
The best part is, Marcie, this combination works so well for so many things. Like this dish: https://thewoksoflife.com/2014/01/scallion-ginger-beef-tofu/. So good.
I, MUST SAY YOU ARE ONE OF THE BEST ! IN YOUR CUISINE! MOST ORIGINAL.
YOUR RECIPE! ARE MOST DELICIOUS! TO SAY THE LEAST! THANK YOU ! JUST LIKE IN MY CUISINE, ITALIAN. YOUR CUISINE FRIEND ,AND MASTER CHEF, IN THE ITALIAN CUSINE !
CHEF FRANKIE C, VIA NAPOLI, AND VIA CHINA !
Thanks Frankie! Enjoy!
I love this dish. Shrimp and ginger is a great combination. I never thought to use slices of ginger before. You have peaked my curiosity. I sit here wondering how it will taste. Looks like a trip to the store is in order. I see all sorts of possibilities. Thanks for the inspiration.
Blessings,
Shari
Hi Shari,
Yes, ginger and scallion is an excellent combination that is used for many dishes like scallion ginger beef, steamed fish and Cantonese style lobster or crabs. Crab season is coming up so stayed tuned for that. Thanks for stopping by!
Interesting combination of flavors…sounds delicious! I will have to try this soon…thanks for sharing!
Thanks Jodee!