There’s something absolutely magical about a perfectly executed shrimp with broccoli dish—it’s elegant enough for entertaining yet simple enough for a weeknight dinner. This classic combination brings together tender, succulent shrimp with crisp-tender broccoli florets in a luscious sauce that’s both restaurant-quality and surprisingly easy to make at home.
What makes this dish so special is the balance of flavors and textures. The shrimp cooks in mere minutes, staying perfectly tender and sweet, while the broccoli provides a delightful crunch and earthy counterpoint. Whether you’re looking for a quick protein-packed meal or want to impress dinner guests, this shrimp with broccoli recipe delivers every single time. The beauty of this dish lies in its versatility—serve it over rice, pasta, or cauliflower rice depending on your mood and dietary preferences.
I’ve perfected this recipe over years of cooking, and I’m thrilled to share my secrets with you. The key to success is having everything prepped and ready before you start cooking, using high heat for optimal browning, and not overcooking the shrimp. Follow along as I walk you through creating a restaurant-worthy shrimp with broccoli dish that will have everyone asking for seconds. This recipe is naturally gluten-free, can be made dairy-free, and comes together in about 20 minutes from start to finish—making it perfect for busy weeknights.
For more delicious seafood inspiration, check out our Perfect High Protein Overnight Oats Recipe for a protein-packed breakfast, or explore our Tasty Greek Salad Recipe for a fresh side. These complementary dishes round out a complete, healthy eating plan. For additional cooking techniques and inspiration, Serious Eats offers wonderful seafood cooking guides, while Bon Appétit features stunning shrimp recipes and New York Times Cooking provides expert techniques for perfect results every time.
Ingredients
- 1.5 pounds large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 4 cups fresh broccoli florets
- 3 tablespoons sesame oil or olive oil
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
- 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey or brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons water
- 2 green onions, sliced
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- Cooked rice or noodles for serving
Instructions
- Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels and season generously with salt and white pepper. Dry shrimp will brown better and develop a beautiful golden crust. Set aside on a clean plate.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the broccoli florets and blanch for 2-3 minutes until they turn bright green and are just barely tender-crisp. This pre-cooking ensures they won’t be mushy. Drain well and set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice vinegar, honey, and red pepper flakes. This is your sauce base, and you can adjust the flavors to your preference—add more vinegar for tanginess or more honey for sweetness.
- Heat 1.5 tablespoons of sesame oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat until it shimmers and just begins to smoke slightly. Working in batches to avoid crowding, add the shrimp in a single layer.
- Let the shrimp cook undisturbed for 1-2 minutes until the bottoms are golden and caramelized. This creates that beautiful restaurant-quality browning that adds depth of flavor.
- Flip the shrimp and cook for another 1-2 minutes until they’re pink and cooked through. Remove to a plate and repeat with any remaining shrimp if cooking in batches.
- Add the remaining 1.5 tablespoons of sesame oil to the same skillet. Add the minced garlic and ginger, stirring constantly for about 30 seconds until fragrant—don’t let it burn.
- Add the blanched broccoli florets back to the skillet and stir-fry for 1 minute, coating everything with the fragrant oil and aromatics.
- Pour in the prepared sauce mixture and stir well to combine. Add the cornstarch slurry (cornstarch mixed with water) and stir continuously for about 1 minute until the sauce thickens and becomes glossy and coats the broccoli beautifully.
- Return the cooked shrimp to the skillet and toss everything together gently for about 30 seconds, just long enough to heat through and combine all the flavors without overcooking the shrimp.
- Remove from heat and taste, adjusting seasonings as needed with additional soy sauce, salt, or pepper. Transfer to a serving dish.
- Garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds. Serve immediately over steamed white rice, brown rice, jasmine rice, or your favorite noodles.
Pro Tips
- Shrimp size matters—I recommend using large or extra-large shrimp because they’re easier to cook evenly and won’t dry out as quickly as smaller shrimp. The 16-20 count per pound size is ideal for this recipe.
- Don’t skip the step of patting shrimp dry. Moisture is the enemy of browning, and browning creates incredible flavor through the Maillard reaction. This is what separates homemade restaurant-quality shrimp from mediocre versions.
- The blanching step for broccoli is crucial for texture. It ensures the broccoli is tender enough to eat but still has a pleasant bite and won’t turn mushy when tossed with the sauce. You can skip this if you prefer softer broccoli, but reduce the stir-frying time.
- Make your sauce ahead of time. Having it ready to go means you can focus on cooking the proteins without scrambling. This is a professional chef technique that makes home cooking much smoother.
- If you prefer a thinner sauce, simply reduce the cornstarch slurry amount. If you like it thicker, add more cornstarch mixed with water. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon beautifully.
- This dish is naturally gluten-free if you use tamari instead of regular soy sauce and certified gluten-free oyster sauce. Check your bottle labels to be sure.
- Leftovers keep well in the refrigerator for up to 3 days in an airtight container. Reheat gently on the stovetop with a splash of water to restore the sauce consistency, or enjoy cold as a salad over greens.
- For a spicier version, add sriracha to the sauce or increase the red pepper flakes. For a sweeter profile, add a bit more honey. This recipe is very customizable to your taste preferences.
- Prep your ingredients in the order they’re cooked—this is called mise en place in professional kitchens. Everything cooks so quickly that you won’t have time to chop garlic mid-cooking.
- Feel free to add other vegetables like snap peas, water chestnuts, or mushrooms. The cooking time remains the same, but you may need a bit more sauce if adding significantly more vegetables.
- For best results, don’t cook more than a pound of shrimp at a time in the initial browning step. Overcrowding the pan lowers the temperature and causes steaming instead of browning.