Quick Shrimp and Asparagus Stir-Fry

By Genevieve Ko

Updated April 15, 2024

Quick Shrimp and Asparagus Stir-Fry
Kerri Brewer for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Spencer Richards.
Total Time
20 minutes
Prep Time
10 minutes
Cook Time
10 minutes
Rating
5(1,203)
Comments
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Savory and a little sweet, this light dinner tastes like spring but can be made any time of year — and any night of the week if you keep a stash of shrimp in your freezer. By quickly thawing them under running water, then dry-brining them with salt for a minute, you end up with juicier, snappier shrimp that taste incredibly fresh. Asparagus spears also cook fast until they’re as crisp-tender as the shrimp. By slicing them at a sharp angle, you reduce any stringiness in the stalks. For a spicy stir-fry, use the chile and keep the seeds in. For a little less heat, remove the seeds after slicing. Stirring a final pat of butter into the sauce, which is sweetened with onion and salty with soy, binds together all of the ingredients with a touch of richness. Serve over rice to sop up that sauce or over tender, leafy greens for a warm salad.

Featured in: How to Make Frozen Shrimp Even Faster (and More Delicious)

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Ingredients

Yield:2 to 4 servings
  • 1pound peeled and deveined frozen shrimp (16-to-20-count; see Tip)
  • Salt
  • Canola or grapeseed oil
  • 1sweet onion, diced
  • 2garlic cloves, thinly sliced
  • 1small red hot chile, thinly sliced (seeds removed for a milder heat)
  • 1bunch asparagus, trimmed and cut at a sharp angle into 2-inch pieces
  • 2tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1teaspoon granulated sugar
  • ½tablespoon butter
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

528 calories; 44 grams fat; 4 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 27 grams monounsaturated fat; 12 grams polyunsaturated fat; 11 grams carbohydrates; 2 grams dietary fiber; 7 grams sugars; 26 grams protein; 739 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Rinse the shrimp in a colander under running cold water until no longer rock hard, 3 to 4 minutes. Very generously sprinkle with salt and toss in the colander. Let stand for 1 minute, then rinse well. Pat dry with paper towels.

  2. Step 2

    Heat a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add enough oil to generously coat the bottom, then add the onion, garlic and chile. Sprinkle with salt and cook, stirring, until the onion starts to turn translucent, 1 to 2 minutes.

  3. Step 3

    Add the shrimp and cook, stirring, until curled more tightly, 1 to 2 minutes. Add the asparagus, soy sauce and sugar, and cook, stirring, until the asparagus are just tender, 1 to 3 minutes.

  4. Step 4

    Turn off the heat, add the butter and stir until melted. Serve immediately.

Tip
  • If using shell-on shrimp, start with 1¼ pounds. If you can’t find a 16-to-20-count package of shrimp, go with smaller ones, such as a 21-to-30-count. (Shrimp are labeled by number of shrimp per pound, such as 16-20 or 21-30.) If using smaller shrimp, reduce the cooking time slightly.

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Ratings

5 out of 5
1,203 user ratings
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Comments

Jess

Wouldn’t cooking the shrimp for the 4-5 minutes called for in the recipe result in tough, overcooked shrimp? Any reason not to cook them for a minute or two, remove them, cook the veggies, and then recombine everything for the last steps?

Jean

Start cooking the asparagus before the shrimp; otherwise you'll have pink hockey pucks.

Michael

Joyce, probably not a food safety issue but a conserving resource issue. Running tap water for minutes on end is a waste of a non renewable resource, especially here in the West. Frozen shrimp in a bowl of water for an hour has always worked for me. Cheers!

3dognight

quick, tasty and simple. one upgrade- a couple of squirts of sirachi sauce for additional flavor and spice

George, Oakland Park, FL

I added chopped cherry tomatoes in the last five minutes of cooking. Deleted fresh pepper and allowed guests to to add red pepper flakes to suit their taste. Winner. Delicious!

Roger Fong

Fermented black beans, will take this to the next level. Saute asparagus until almost tender, about 2 min. Set aside. Saute lightly brined shrimp until almost cooked, 2-3 min. Set aside. Add one tbsp lightly mashed fermented black beans and 1-2 tsp chopped garlic to a hot wok with some oil. Stir fry about 10 seconds, then add 1 tbsp soy sauce, 1tbsp oyster sauce, a splash of sesame oil, 1 cup of stock, and 1 tsp corn starch in a slurry. Return asparagus and shrimp to wok to reheat.

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