Teriyaki Shrimp and Asparagus is a simple, healthy meal that comes together in just 20 minutes! Delicious, succulent shrimp and asparagus tossed in a flavourful homemade teriyaki sauce.
I’ve been craving a good stir-fry lately and just itching to whip one up in the kitchen.
On our last Costco run we bought a huge package of asparagus. We are both a bit in love with this veggie and have been enjoying it in a number of dishes. I eagerly await springtime just so that I can see it on store shelves again!
Naturally, it had to become part of our stir-fry today.
After a deep dive into our freezer, I found a package of pre-cooked large shrimp and I had my plan!
After thawing out the shrimp today, I was ready to get this dinner started. It is such a quick meal to make and uses minimal ingredients that I (and you) probably already have on hand. Especially if you love asian food as much as I do.
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 families tastes. You really can’t beat homemade!
While you are cooking the rice for this dish, you can have all of the rest of the ingredients done in about the same time. Really, less than half an hour is all that stands between you and a flavourful dinner.
Easy Steps to a Flavourful Teriyaki Shrimp and Asparagus
I like to start this dish by cooking up my shrimp and asparagus first but you can easily start by making the sauce.
First, I trim the asparagus and cut it into smaller pieces, about 1 1/2 inches in length. Then I saute them up in a skillet with a bit of oil, adding the cooked shrimp in at the last minute. I use pre-cooked shrimp here and so they don’t need much time in the pan at all.
If you are using raw shrimp, I recommend cooking the asparagus and removing it from the pan. Then saute your shrimp for a few minutes, flipping to cook them on both sides before you add the asparagus to the pan again.
Once my asparagus and shrimp are cooked and ready, I turn my attention to the teriyaki sauce. The sauce itself comes together in just minutes. I start by adding brown sugar, soy sauce, honey, rice vinagar, ground ginger and sesame oil to a saucepan. Once it is bubbling away and the sugar has dissolved, I make a slurry out of cornstarch and water and add it to the saucepan. Once the sauce has thickened, I pour it into my skillet with the asparagus and shrimp and toss to coat everything. That is literally it.
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. They both are ready in about the same time and so dinner is on the table quick! Just the way I like it!
Bon appetit!
Teriyaki Shrimp and Asparagus
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 bunch asparagus
- 340 g shrimp large size, pre-cooked
- 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 woody ends off the asparagus and discard. Chop the asparagus stalks into 1 1/2 inch pieces.
- Heat oil in a large skillet. Add the asparagus to the pan and saute until tender, about 5 minutes. Add the pre-cooked shrimp and saute together for about 1 minute. Remove from heat. (If you are using raw shrimp, remove the asparagus and then cook the shrimp for a few minutes, being sure to flip and cook both sides, until cooked through. Then 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 to a boil and then reduce heat to medium. Stir cornstarch and water in a bowl to create a slurry and then add it to the saucepan. Stir until the sauce thickens. Remove from heat.
- Pour the sauce into the skillet and toss with the shrimp and asparagus. Serve over rice. Sprinkle with sesame seeds if desired.
