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This easy zucchini shrimp recipe is a quick and flavorful stir-fry with juicy shrimp, tender zucchini, mushrooms, and carrots in a savory brown sauce—all in under 20 minutes. Perfect for a simple, healthy weeknight meal!
Table of Contents
Shrimp Zucchini Stir Fry
Shrimp and zucchini is one of my favorite zucchini recipes. The reason is simple: it’s quick to make, taking just about 20 minutes, and the end result is both tasty and refreshing. Plus, shrimp with zucchini in a savory sauce are really perfect match made in food heaven, offering low carbs and high protein.
I love how the shrimp stays plump and juicy, soaking up all the flavors of the savory sauce, while the zucchini adds just the right amount of crunch. This easy zucchini shrimp recipe is one of my go-to quick meals—it’s simple, healthy, and packed with flavor!
Zucchini is a perennial favorite spring to late-summer veggie, perfect for both savory and sweet dishes. If you love cooking with zucchini, you’ll love my shrimp zucchini stir fry! And for more easy and delicious zucchini recipes, check out my Zucchini Noodle Salad, Garlic Butter Sauteed Zucchini and Zucchini Curry! Be sure to check out my tips below to make this recipe perfect every time!
Asian Brown Sauce For Zucchini Shrimp
Making a flavorful Chinese brown sauce at home is way easier than you might think. You only need a few key ingredients, like oyster sauce and sesame oil, which you can grab next time you’re at the supermarket.
With these two staples, you can make dishes that are fresher, less greasy, and way more delicious than what you’d get from your local takeout. It’s a healthier and more affordable way to upgrade your favorite stir fries—just like this zucchini shrimp recipe!
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Shrimp – If you prefer, you can swap the shrimp for boneless, skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced or cubed, to make zucchini chicken stir fry!
- Zucchini
- Oil – Use vegetable oil or canola oil.
- Ginger
- Baby carrots – You can swap it for regular carrots if that’s what you have on hand.
- Mushrooms – I used button mushrooms, but if you have cremini or shiitake on hand, feel free to use those instead!
Chinese Brown Sauce
- Oyster sauce
- Water
- Sugar
- Sesame oil
- Salt
For the full details on each ingredient, be sure to check out the recipe card at the bottom of this post!
How To Make Zucchini Shrimp Recipe
Just toss all the brown sauce ingredients in a bowl, give it a good stir, and set it aside for later.
Heat up your pan, skillet, or wok and add the oil. Once it’s nice and hot, toss in the ginger and stir-fry until it smells amazing. Then, add the shrimp and cook until they’re opaque. After that, throw in the zucchini, carrots, and mushrooms.
Just toss everything around and stir-fry for about 30 seconds. Keep it moving!
Now, add in the brown sauce (give it a quick stir before you pour it in) and mix it all together. Once the sauce thickens up, just dish it out and serve it right away with some steamed rice!
Secrets To the Best Shrimp Zucchini Stir Fry
- I get it, stir-frying can seem a bit intimidating, but it’s actually super easy! If you don’t have a wok, no worries—any regular sauté pan or skillet works just fine. The key is cooking everything fast. Just toss, flip, and turn the ingredients in the pan, and once they’re cooked, pour in the sauce. That’s all there is to it!
- If you’re using frozen shrimp, make sure to thaw them completely and give them a good pat down with paper towels before cooking. This helps get rid of any excess water and keeps your stir-fry nice and crisp instead of soggy!
- I always make sure not to overcook the shrimp! They only need a few minutes to turn opaque and plump up. As soon as they’re done, I take them out of the pan right away to keep them tender and avoid that rubbery texture.
- Feel free to switch out the mushrooms or carrots for any veggies you love—bell peppers, snow peas, or broccoli would all be awesome choices!
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes! Chicken, beef, or even tofu would be great substitutes for shrimp. If using chicken or beef, just make sure to slice them thinly for even cooking.
For sure! If you want more sauce, just double up on the brown sauce ingredients. Just keep an eye on the balance so it doesn’t get too salty! You can always tweak it to suit your taste.
Stir-fries are always best when fresh, but you can totally prep everything ahead of time. Just keep the veggies and shrimp separate in the fridge, and make the sauce in advance. Then, when you’re ready to cook, everything will be good to go!
Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2-3 days. When reheating, just toss it in a hot pan for a couple of minutes to bring it back to life!
I don’t recommend freezing as stir-fries are always best fresh. Trust me, you won’t have any leftovers!
This recipe is 149 calories per serving.
What To Serve With Zucchini Shrimp Recipe
For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
I hope you enjoy this post as much as I do. If you try my recipe, please leave a comment and consider giving it a 5-star rating. For more easy and delicious recipes, explore my Recipe Index, and stay updated by subscribing to my newsletter and following me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for new updates.
Other Zucchini Recipes You Might Like
Zucchini Shrimp Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 tablespoons oil
- 5-6 slices ginger, peeled
- 8 oz (230g) shrimp , shelled and deveined, or chicken breast, cut into pieces
- 1 zucchini, about 8 oz. (230 g) cut into rounds and then quarters
- 3-4 baby carrots, sliced
- 3-4 button mushrooms, cut into pieces
Brown Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 5 tablespoons water
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 pinch salt , or to taste
Instructions
- Mix all the ingredients for the Brown Sauce, stir well, and set aside.
- Heat up your pan, skillet, or wok and add the oil. Once the oil is heated, add the ginger and stir-fry until aromatic, followed by the shrimp. Stir-fry the shrimp until the surface turns opaque, then add the zucchini, carrots, and mushrooms.
- Toss and stir-fry for about 30 seconds.
- Add the Brown Sauce (stirring it right before use), and stir to combine well with the ingredients. Once the sauce thickens, dish out and serve immediately with steamed rice.
Notes
- I get it, stir-frying can seem a bit intimidating, but it’s actually super easy! If you don’t have a wok, no worries—any regular sauté pan or skillet works just fine. The key is cooking everything fast. Just toss, flip, and turn the ingredients in the pan, and once they’re cooked, pour in the sauce. That’s all there is to it!
- If you’re using frozen shrimp, make sure to thaw them completely and give them a good pat down with paper towels before cooking. This helps get rid of any excess water and keeps your stir-fry nice and crisp instead of soggy!
- I always make sure not to overcook the shrimp! They only need a few minutes to turn opaque and plump up. As soon as they’re done, I take them out of the pan right away to keep them tender and avoid that rubbery texture.
- Feel free to switch out the mushrooms or carrots for any veggies you love—bell peppers, snow peas, or broccoli would all be awesome choices!
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was easy to make. Will make again.