Teriyaki Shrimp and Asparagus Stir Fry is a simple, healthy meal that comes together in just 20 minutes! Delicious, succulent shrimp and asparagus are sauteed and then tossed in a flavorful homemade teriyaki sauce.
Stir-fry dinners are always a hit in our home. They’re delicious, quick to whip up, and usually pretty healthy. We have many favorites including a variety of protein and veggie ingredients. Shrimp Ramen Stir Fry, Chicken Teriyaki Stir-Fry and this Teriyaki Shrimp and Asparagus Stir Fry are just some of our favorites to whip up for a quick and healthy dinner.
This Teriyaki Shrimp and Asparagus Stir Fry features frozen (and thawed) shrimp which is almost always in our freezer. This simple protein is quick to thaw and create delicious dinners with, making it the hero that saves dinner on those nights you didn’t plan ahead.
You can use pre-cooked shrimp or raw shrimp without adding much cooking time to this recipe since shrimp cook up so quickly!
I paired my shrimp with asparagus since this classic combo is so delicious. This delicious vegetable is so versatile and quick to cook up too, making it perfect for this quick meal. If you wish to, you can also add in some other quick cooking veggies.
The shrimp and asparagus get tossed in a quick and easy homemade teriyaki sauce. It takes just minutes to make and is full of delicious, flavor. If you are looking for an even quicker short cut, you can use a bottled teriyaki sauce but I recommend making it from scratch. It is better than anything out of a bottle and you can easily adjust it to suit your family’s tastes. You really can’t beat homemade!
Why we love this recipe:
- This teriyaki shrimp recipe is a quick meal that takes just 20 minutes to make!
- Frozen shrimp can be thawed quickly to make this. This is perfect if you didn’t plan dinner ahead and need to whip something up quick.
- Shrimp and asparagus are delicious together!
- It’s a healthy meal the family will love.
- The recipe is simple enough to do. No fancy advanced cooking skills are required to make this delicious meal.
Ingredients in Teriyaki Shrimp and Asparagus Stir Fry
- Olive oil: A bit of oil is used to saute the asparagus and shrimp. You can replace it with another cooking oil if you wish to.
- Asparagus: One bunch of asparagus with the woody ends trimmed.
- Shrimp: large size, thawed. You can use frozen pre-cooked shrimp or raw shrimp that have been thawed.
- Sesame seeds: for garnish. Optional.
- Soy sauce: the base of the teriyaki sauce.
- Sweeteners: Brown sugar and honey.
- Rice vinegar: Adds a little acidity into the sauce. Rice vinegar can be purchased in the Asian section at the supermarket.
- Sesame oil: A little goes a long way in adding flavor to the sauce.
- Ground ginger: Ground ginger adds flavor to the sauce. While freshly grated ginger is more traditional and can be substituted, it is not something I usually have on hand. If you have it, use fresh if you like.
- Cornstarch: mixed with water to make a slurry that is added to the sauce ingredients. When heated, it will thicken the sauce.
**Note: Ingredient quantities and full instructions are in the recipe card at the end of this post.**
How to make Teriyaki Shrimp and Asparagus
- Prep the asparagus. Trim the woody ends off the asparagus and discard. Chop the asparagus stalks into 1 1/2 inch pieces.
- Saute the asparagus. Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the asparagus to the pan and saute them until they are tender, about 5 minutes.
- Cook the shrimp. Precooked shrimp: If you are using pre-cooked shrimp, add them to the pan with the asparagus and saute together for about 1 minute. Remove from heat.
Raw shrimp: If you are using raw shrimp, remove the asparagus from the pan and then add the shrimp, cooking the shrimp for a few minutes, being sure to flip and cook both sides, until cooked through. Once cooked, add the asparagus back to the pan. - Make the teriyaki sauce. In a saucepan, mix all of the ingredients for the teriyaki sauce except for the water and cornstarch. Bring the sauce to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce the heat to medium. Stir the cornstarch and water in a bowl to create a slurry and then add it to the saucepan. Stir continuously until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat.
- Serve. Pour the sauce into the skillet and toss with the shrimp and asparagus. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired. Serve over rice or noodles.
What to serve with this Teriyaki Shrimp and Asparagus Stir Fry
This stir fry shrimp and asparagus are wonderful served over rice or noodles. I use my recipe for Perfect Baked Rice with this meal and so while I am cooking up my shrimp and asparagus, the rice is cooking away in the oven.
If you like, you can also serve this meal alongside some Crispy Vegetable Spring Rolls.
Storing leftovers and reheating
Once cooled, leftover teriyaki shrimp and asparagus can be kept in an airtight container in the fridge.
To reheat it, add it to a skillet with a tablespoon or more of water to add back some of the moisture. Heat the leftovers over medium-low heat until warmed through, stirring frequently.
I hope you enjoy this shrimp and asparagus stir fry as much as we do!
-Cathy
You may like these other Asian-inspired recipes:
Asian Salmon Salad with Citrus Soy Dressing
Asian Sesame Beef Skewers
Sweet Citrus Stir Fry
Air Fryer Teriyaki Chicken
Thai Chicken Satay with Peanut Sauce
Baked Orange Chicken
Pork Pot Stickers
Teriyaki Shrimp and Asparagus
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 bunch asparagus
- 340 g shrimp large size, thawed (12 oz)
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds for garnish (optional)
Teriyaki Sauce
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup brown sugar loosely packed
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar (optional)
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil (optional)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3/4 cups water
Instructions
- Trim the woody ends off the asparagus and discard. Chop the asparagus stalks into 1 1/2 inch pieces.
- Heat the olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the asparagus to the pan and saute them until they are tender, about 5 minutes.
- Precooked shrimp: If you are using pre-cooked shrimp, add them to the pan with the asparagus and saute together for about 1 minute. Remove from heat. Raw shrimp: If you are using raw shrimp, remove the asparagus from the pan and then add the shrimp, cooking the shrimp for a few minutes, being sure to flip and cook both sides, until cooked through. Once cooked, add the asparagus back to the pan.
- In a saucepan, mix all of the ingredients for the teriyaki sauce except for the water and cornstarch. Bring the sauce to a boil over medium-high heat and then reduce the heat to medium. Stir the cornstarch and water in a bowl to create a slurry and then add it to the saucepan. Stir continuously until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat.
- Pour the sauce into the skillet and toss with the shrimp and asparagus. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired. Serve over rice or noodles.
Note: Metric ingredient measurements are provided as a courtesy using a third-party calculator and are rounded to the nearest unit. The recipes provided on this site have not been tested with metric measurements and their accuracy cannot be verified.
Nutrition
The nutritional information provided is based on third-party calculations and is an estimate only. Accurate nutritional facts will vary based on the particular brands used, portion sizes, measurement accuracy and more.