Description
Quick and easy healthy sesame shrimp stir fry with a sweet, tangy sesame sauce. We LOVE this easy dinner! (Gluten-Free, Paleo-Friendly)
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb. shrimp (fresh or thawed from frozen), peeled and deveined, tails removed
- 1 Tbsp. avocado oil (or olive oil, or another neutral oil)
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 Tbsp. reduced-sodium gluten-free tamari (can sub coconut aminos* or low-sodium soy sauce)
- 2 Tbsp. pure maple syrup (or honey)
- 1 Tbsp. rice vinegar*
- 1/2 tsp. toasted sesame oil
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- 1/2–1 tsp. finely minced fresh ginger
- Pinch red pepper flakes (1/8 tsp. or less), optional.
- 1 tsp. sesame seeds (plus extra for garnish)
- 1 Tbsp. cornstarch or arrowroot*
- 1 Tbsp. water
- Optional garnishes: additional sesame seeds, sliced green onion, finely minced cilantro, or more red pepper flakes
Instructions
- First, mix up your sauce. In a medium bowl or large glass measuring cup, whisk together 1/2 water, tamari, maple syrup, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes, and sesame seeds.
- In a small bowl, mix together cornstarch + 1 Tbsp. water until smooth. (This will make the slurry to thicken the sauce.)
- Stir in the cornstarch slurry into your sesame sauce and whisk to combine. (The sauce should now look cloudy.)
- Next, cook your shrimp. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Working in batches so you don’t overcrowd the pan, add the shrimp to the pan and cook 60-90 seconds per side, or until the edges are pink and opaque and the center is just *barely* translucent. Remove the shrimp and set aside on a clean plate. Repeat this process with remaining shrimp, until all the shrimp are cooked.
- Whisk the sauce one more time, then pour the sauce into the warm pan. Cook over medium heat, whisking constantly until the sauce bubbles and thicken.
- When the sauce is thickened and glossy, return the cooked shrimp to the pan. Stir to coat with sauce and heat through 1-2 minutes. (This will ensure your shrimp finishes cooking.)
- Garnish with any desired garnishes and serve with rice or cauliflower rice, and/or veggies.
Notes
*PALEO? TRY THIS! If you’re following a paleo diet, this recipe is super paleo-friendly. You’ll use coconut aminos in place of the gluten-free tamari, arrowroot instead of cornstarch, and (depending on how strict you are) you can substitute apple cider vinegar in place of the rice vinegar.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stir Fry
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: sesame shrimp, paleo sesame shrimp, gluten-free sesame shrimp, gluten free sesame shrimp, healthy sesame shrimp