Make this flavorful sweet and spicy stir fry with a four ingredient citrus sauce in just 20 minutes for an easy weeknight dinner made in one pan! Originally published April 2021. Last updated July 2023.
Have you ever been thinking bout what to cook and wanted to do as little grocery shopping for the meal as possible? Or even none at all? I have been there and it inspired the shrimp & broccoli stir fry we're talking about today. Let's get into the delicious details!
And if you enjoy this recipe, you'll love my sweet & spicy Crispy Fish Tacos or Sticky Chicken Wings.
What does it taste like?
This 20 minute stir fry recipe has subtle heat, sweetness, and savory flavor notes. There's also a bit of nuttiness. Because it cooks quickly the flavors stay pretty fresh. Texture-wise the shrimp is tender and buttery while the broccoli retains satisfying crisp.
What You'll Need for this Recipe
Shrimp is my protein of choice in this recipe because it cooks up so quickly. Use fresh shrimp or frozen and thawed.
Broccoli florets cut from a fresh crown of broccoli add color, fiber, and lots of nutrients. Frozen broccoli also works. And feel free to add in more veggies if you like.
Spicy Sweet Citrus Sauce comes together in just a few minutes. Full details on how to make it with just four ingredients are below.
Check out the recipe card below for full ingredients list, measurements, and step-by-step instructions!
Tips & Tools
Grab a sharp knife and cutting board. You'll also need a skillet or wok.
Can I make this stir fry ahead of time? Yes! You can mix up the sauce up to five days in advance. And stir fried shrimp and veggies will keep in the fridge for about four days sealed in an airtight container. After this time the quality will start to deteriorate.
More Favorite Quick Dinner Ideas
How to Make Citrus Stir Fry Sauce
This shrimp and broccoli stir fry is simple and filling yet so flavorful. The flavor comes from a quick orange stir fry sauce made with ingredients many of us have in our kitchens and one you might not yet but totally should: sesame oil.
Crushed Red Pepper also called red pepper flakes provide a kick of heat. If you want to increase the spiciness, add cayenne pepper as well.
Honey lends sweetness to the sauce. Feel free to substitute in the sweetener of your choice like maple syrup or agave nectar instead.
Orange Juice adds the citrus zing and thins out the sauce. You can also add orange zest for an even more deeply flavored stir fry sauce.
Sesame Oil adds nutty and earthy flavor. Toasted sesame oil also works instead.
Sesame oil is the secret weapon in many Asian and Asian-inspired meals. It adds a nutty flavor--a little something extra that your tongue will probably recognize once you try it. If you don't have sesame oil in your pantry, I encourage you to pick up a bottle.
Check out my 15-Minute Wonton Power Bowls, too!
How to Serve Sautéed Shrimp & Vegetables
This is a great low carb dinner as is but I love it over fluffy brown rice. You can also pair it with other starchy faves like quinoa or fonio. If you want to add more flavorful veggie to your plate, check out these delicious dishes from the recipe index:
Garlicky Green Beans and Mushrooms
And sharing is caring so be sure to pin this quick fix recipe for later and follow me over on Pinterest. Thanks for reading!
Sweet Spicy Shrimp & Broccoli Stir Fry
Equipment
- 1 knife
- 1 cutting board
- 1 wok or skillet
Ingredients
For the Stir Fry
- 1 ½ pound shrimp peeled and de-veined
- 1 large head broccoli crowns or 4 cups frozen broccoli thawed and drained
- 3 cloves garlic chopped or minced
- sea salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- olive oil
- 4 cups cooked brown rice optional
For the Sauce
- ¼ cup honey
- 2 oranges
- crushed red pepper to taste
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 3-4 drops sesame oil
Instructions
- Season shrimp with salt and pepper then set aside. Cut broccoli crowns into 2-inch pieces. Peel and chop garlic cloves. Mix together all sauce ingredients and set aside.
- Add olive oil to a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add garlic and shrimp to heated pan. Once they begin to sizzle, pour in sauce. Stir until shrimp is cooked through then remove shrimp with tongs.
- Add broccoli to pan to cook until tender (about 5 minutes). Sauce should thicken.
- Add shrimp back to pan and toss with broccoli and remaining sauce.
- Serve with brown rice or alone.
Kaluhi says
This was so perfect and really filling too! I had this with rice. The citrus really popped and worked so so well with the shrimp. Can't wait to try this again!
Crystal DaCruz says
I feel like you wrote this recipe with my family's lifestyle and tastes in mind! We devoured this orange chicken! Can't wait to check out your other quick and easy meal recipes!
Robin says
The sesame oil, red pepper and ginger made this an automatic hit!
Calysta Watson says
This was such a tasty dish that reminds me of a healthy version of a Chinese-style orange shrimp! I am adding this to my list of go-to weeknight dinners!
Jessica says
This was really easy to make and I love the orange flavor. I added orange zest too for more citrus pop. Great recipe!
Marta says
The citrus sauce was a nice change of pace for this shrimp and broccoli stir fry. This is my go-to dish whenever we order takeout, but that citrus sauce elevated it.
Tamara says
A good stir fry is always on the menu in my household, one is here to stay though!! That citrus sauce just brought about an addictively delicious flavor! My kids keep asking me to make it again. Thanks for sharing this one!
Chenée says
I love this stir fry! The orange in the sauce was so delicious, and it was so easy to make!
Capri says
I love the flavor of the honey and orange! This recipe is so delicious and was super easy to make!
Katrina Adams says
This is a perfect easy weeknight dinner and looks delicious!!
Brittany F. says
Just what I need for weeknight dinner ideas! This seems simple to make and looks delicious. I love the idea of using fresh oranges in the dish.