Shrimp and Mushroom Stir Fry

You’ll want to keep this quick shrimp and mushroom stir fry recipe in your back pocket for easy, wholesome dinners. It comes together in just a few minutes and is a great weeknight meal.

By
Nick Evans
Nick Evans
Nick Evans

Nick has been creating recipes for home cooks for almost 15 years. He is the author of Love Your Leftovers and has contributed to Simply Recipes since 2017.

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Published September 27, 2022
Nick Evans
Shrimp and Mushroom Stir Fry Served over Rice

Simply Recipes / Nick Evans

Every home cook should have a few easy stir fry recipes in their back pocket for quick weekday meals. I like stir fries that have just a few ingredients, a simple sauce, and can be cooked from start to finish in around 20 minutes. This shrimp and mushroom stir fry checks all those boxes and is a nice change of pace from a standard chicken and vegetable stir fry.

Use a Wok or a Skillet With Lots of Surface Area

If you have access to a wok, that is definitely the standard for stir fry recipes, but it’s far from essential. I’ve made stir fries in a variety of skillets over the years. The most important thing is to make sure you have a skillet with a lot of surface area so your ingredients can cook quickly. 

A large 12-inch skillet or cast-iron skillet will work if you don’t have a wok handy.

Shrimp and Mushroom Stir Fry Served over Rice

Simply Recipes / Nick Evans

What Kind of Shrimp Work Best in a Stir Fry

Whether they’re fresh or frozen, make sure you buy raw (not fully cooked) shrimp. You can get pre-peeled shrimp or peel them yourself before adding them to the skillet. 

As far as sizing goes, I like large shrimp, which usually come in at 31-35 per pound. This size ensures that they cook quickly, but also aren’t bite-sized so are still nice and juicy in the finished stir fry. 

Save the jumbo shrimp for shrimp cocktails. They’re too big to work nicely in this stir fry. 

Choosing Mushrooms for a Stir Fry

There’s lots of flexibility here. You could use white button mushrooms if that’s what you have, but if you can, try to get cremini mushrooms. They have a little more flavor and hold their texture a bit better in a stir fry. 

If you wanted to vary the mushrooms, you could add in some shiitake mushrooms. Just don’t add more than a pound of mushrooms to the stir fry or they will overwhelm the shrimp. 

Shrimp and Mushroom Stir Fry Served over Rice and in the Background, a Skillet with More Stir Fry

Simply Recipes / Nick Evans

A Knock-Your-Pants-Off Stir Fry Sauce 

I like to start with some sort of stock as a base for my sauce and season it with fresh ginger, garlic, and soy sauce. Then I whisk in cornstarch as my thickener.

Once you add the sauce to the hot skillet, it should thicken very quickly and turn silky smooth. If it gets too thick, you can always add water by the tablespoon to thin it out. If you like a thicker sauce, just let it simmer for a minute and it will thicken up.

Personalize It

There are many substitutions you could try for this stir fry if shrimp and mushrooms aren’t your thing, or you wanted to add some other vegetables to the mix.

  • Vegetables: Snap peas, red peppers, onions, and even slivered carrots.
  • Protein: Chicken, pork, or tofu. Just remember to cook them fully before adding the sauce. Shrimp cook very quickly so you’ll need to adjust cooking time to accommodate a protein switch.
  • Make it spicy: Add some chili garlic sauce or chili oil to the dish at the end for a spicy kick!
Shrimp and Mushroom Stir Fry Served over Rice

Simply Recipes / Nick Evans

Make These Stir Fries on a Busy Weeknight

Shrimp and Mushroom Stir Fry

Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 15 mins
Total Time 25 mins
Servings 4 servings

The sauce for this stir-fry can be on the salty side on its own, but that’s nicely tempered when served over rice or noodles. Use a low-sodium soy sauce if you prefer.

Ingredients

  • 12 ounces cremini mushrooms, quartered or sliced

  • 1 pound large shrimp (31-35 per pound), peeled

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 3 scallions, chopped

For the simple stir fry sauce

  • 1 1/2 cups chicken stock

  • 3 cloves garlic, minced

  • 1/4 cup soy sauce

  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch

Serving and garnish

  • Cooked white rice, to serve

  • Sesame seeds, for garnish

Method

  1. Make the stir fry sauce: 

    Whisk together the chicken stock, garlic, soy sauce, and cornstarch in a small bowl. Set aside.

    Tip

    Whisk again right before adding to the skillet to ensure the corn starch is not settled on the bottom.  

    Sauce Mix in a Bowl for Shrimp and Mushroom Stir Fry

    Simply Recipes / Nick Evans
  2. Cook the mushrooms: 

    In a large skillet or wok over medium heat, add olive oil and mushrooms. Cook until the mushrooms soften and turn brown in spots around the edges, about 8 minutes.

    Mushrooms Cooked in a Skillet for Shrimp Stir Fry

    Simply Recipes / Nick Evans
  3. Add the shrimp: 

    Once the mushrooms are cooked to your liking, add the shrimp to the skillet. If the skillet is very dry, add a fresh drizzle of oil to it to ensure the shrimp doesn’t stick. Cook, stirring constantly, until shrimp are cooked through and no longer translucent, 2-3 minutes.  

    Shrimp Added to Mushrooms for Shrimp and Mushroom Stir Fry Recipe

    Simply Recipes / Nick Evans
  4. Finish the stir fry: 

    Once shrimp are cooked, add all the stir fry sauce to the skillet and stir to combine. The finished sauce should just coat the stir fry ingredients, almost like a thin gravy. If the sauce thickens too much, stir in extra water by the tablespoon. If the sauce is too thin, let it simmer for 1-2 minutes and it will thicken. Lastly, stir in the chopped scallions.  

    Shrimp and Mushroom in Skillet (Cooked)

    Simply Recipes / Nick Evans
    Sauce and Scallions Added to Shrimp and Mushroom Stir Fry in Skillet

    Simply Recipes / Nick Evans
  5. Serve:

    Serve the shrimp stir fry spooned over cooked white rice garnished with sesame seeds.

    Did you love the recipe? Leave us some stars below!

    Shrimp and Mushroom Stir Fry in a Bowl Served with Rice, Next to a Skillet with More Stir Fry

    Simply Recipes / Nick Evans
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
232 Calories
9g Fat
16g Carbs
23g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 232
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 9g 12%
Saturated Fat 2g 8%
Cholesterol 146mg 49%
Sodium 1654mg 72%
Total Carbohydrate 16g 6%
Dietary Fiber 2g 7%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 23g
Vitamin C 3mg 15%
Calcium 167mg 13%
Iron 2mg 13%
Potassium 747mg 16%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.