Shrimp with garlic sauce is one of those dishes that delivers big flavor with very little effort. It uses common Chinese pantry ingredients to create a sauce that’s perfectly balanced—sweet, spicy, and packed with garlicky goodness. If you enjoy bold flavors but don’t want to spend a lot of time in the kitchen, this is a great recipe to have on hand.
Most of the heat in this dish comes from the chili sauce, while a bit of sugar rounds everything out with just the right amount of sweetness. The shrimp cook quickly in a hot pan, staying tender and juicy, and once the sauce is added, everything comes together in minutes. It’s a fast stir-fry that feels restaurant-worthy without being complicated.
You can easily customize this recipe by adding vegetables to the pan. Broccoli works especially well, but snow peas or bell peppers are also good options if you want to make it more of a complete one-pan meal. As for the shrimp, it’s up to you whether you leave the tails on or remove them. For convenience, I recommend using shrimp that are already peeled and deveined so prep stays minimal.
Serving suggestions
I like serving shrimp with garlic sauce alongside fried rice and a few egg rolls to round out the meal. It’s quick, flavorful, and exactly the kind of dish that proves homemade Chinese-style cooking can be just as satisfying as takeout.
Read next: How to stir-fry: Ingredients and recipes for healthy, fresh, fast meals
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Shrimp with garlic sauce recipe
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 6 to 8 minutes
- Total Time: 18 minutes
- Yield: 2 Servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Asian
Description
Shrimp stir-fried with garlic in a sweet and spicy chili-soy sauce, finished with sesame oil and green onions.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb uncooked large shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons chili sauce
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 1 pinch ground black pepper
- 1 green onion, thinly sliced
Instructions
- Mix the sauce
In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, chili sauce, sesame oil, rice wine, and sugar until well combined. Set aside. - Cook the shrimp
Heat the olive oil in a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and stir-fry for about 30 seconds, just until fragrant. Add the shrimp and cook for about 2 minutes per side, until they turn pink and are cooked through. - Finish the dish
Pour the prepared sauce into the pan and stir until the shrimp are fully coated. Season with ground black pepper to taste, then remove from the heat and garnish with chopped green onions before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 496
- Sugar: 4.3 g
- Sodium: 1136.9 mg
- Fat: 20.4 g
- Carbohydrates: 9.4 g
- Protein: 70.9 g
- Cholesterol: 547.4 mg
More Asian shrimp recipes
Shrimp stir fries are fast and easy to make. If you want more of them in your life, try these recipes next.