Delicious, flavour-packed Chinese prawn stir fry ready in about 20 minutes. This quick and easy recipe is ideal for busy weeknights or for serving at casual weekend gatherings.
Serve these succulent stir-fried prawns with steamed rice and lightly prepared vegetables such as garlic spinach stir fry or a simple bok choy soup. Be sure to drizzle the sauce over your rice — it really lifts the dish.
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Ingredients
- Prawns (shrimp) – ready-peeled and deveined prawns work for speed, but buying whole prawns and peeling/deveining them yourself gives much better flavour.
- Tomato sauce (ketchup) – adds sweetness and tang and is commonly used in modern Chinese-style stir fries to boost flavour.
- Brown sugar – use white sugar or honey if preferred; brown sugar adds depth thanks to its molasses.
- Shaoxing wine – a Chinese cooking wine that adds complexity and rounds out the sauce.
- Olive oil – extra virgin olive oil is fine for everyday cooking; use a neutral oil (sunflower or canola) if you prefer.
Cooking instructions
This prawn stir fry takes about 20 minutes from prep to plate, making it an excellent weeknight option.
Prepare ingredients
As with all stir fries, prep everything before you turn on the heat. Stir fries cook fast, so having ingredients ready keeps the process smooth and stress-free.
Cut spring onions into roughly 5cm (2 in) lengths and then slice into thin matchsticks. Slice ginger into similar thin matchsticks so it cooks evenly with the onions. Finely mince garlic.
Whisk together the sauce in a small bowl: soy sauce, shaoxing wine, tomato sauce and sugar. Mix and set aside.
If using frozen peeled prawns, defrost fully and drain well before cooking.
Stir fry
Heat a large wok or frying pan over medium heat with the oil. Stir fry the ginger, spring onions and garlic for 1–2 minutes until lightly golden and aromatic. Push the aromatics to the edge of the wok to make space for the prawns.
Add the prawns to the center of the wok and spread them into a single layer so each piece gets direct heat.
Increase the heat to high. Cook undisturbed for about 1 minute until lightly golden, flip and cook another minute, then stir briefly until nearly cooked through.
Give the sauce a quick stir and pour it into the wok. Toss the prawns in the sauce for about 1 minute over high heat, until the prawns are opaque and fully cooked.
Remove from heat and serve immediately with steamed rice. Simple, fast and full of flavour.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this prawn stir fry with freshly steamed rice and quick vegetable sides such as sautéed broccoli, garlic spinach or a light bok choy soup. For a larger spread, pair with a couple of other Asian-style dishes to create a varied meal.
Useful tips and tricks
- Peel and devein prawns at home for best flavour. It takes about 10 extra minutes but noticeably improves texture and taste.
- Quick defrost method for frozen peeled prawns:
- Seal frozen prawns in a zip-lock bag, removing air.
- Submerge the sealed bag in a large bowl of cold tap water for 10–15 minutes.
- Remove prawns from the bag, rinse under cold water and drain thoroughly.
- Dry prawns well before stir frying. Excess water prevents proper searing and reduces wok hei. Dab with paper towel if needed.
- Finish with a few drops of sesame oil for a subtle nutty note, if you like.
FAQs
Avoid overcooking. Peeled prawns typically take 2–3 minutes over high heat. They are done when they turn opaque and pink.
Yes. Defrost completely and drain well before cooking. Cooking from frozen can lead to uneven cook and excess liquid, which reduces flavour and prevents proper searing.
Yes — choose quick-cooking vegetables like bok choy, sugar snap peas, snow peas or blanched Chinese broccoli.
Make a shallow slit along the back with a small knife and lift out the dark vein with the tip of the knife. Removing it improves texture and appearance.
Leftovers and Storage
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Discard if the prawns become slimy or develop an off smell.
Made this recipe? Share your feedback or questions in the comments — I’d love to hear how it turned out.
– Gen
📖 Recipe
Chinese Prawn Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 500 g (1 lb) prawns peeled, deveined
- 1 knob ginger sliced into thin matchsticks
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 spring onions sliced into thin matchsticks
- 3 tablespoon olive oil or neutral-tasting oils eg. sunflower
Sauce
- 1½ tablespoon tomato sauce aka ketchup
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon shaoxing wine
- 2 teaspoon sugar brown or white
Instructions
-
Combine all sauce ingredients in a small bowl, mix and set aside.
-
Stir fry spring onions, ginger and garlic with oil over medium heat for 1–2 minutes until aromatic. Push aromatics to the wok edges.
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Add well-drained prawns in a single layer and cook over high heat for 1 minute, then flip and cook another minute.
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Pour in the sauce and stir fry for about 1 minute over high heat until prawns are just cooked. Serve immediately.
Notes
Quick defrost method:
- Seal frozen prawns in a zip-lock bag with no air.
- Submerge the bag in cold tap water for 10–15 minutes.
- Remove prawns from the bag, rinse and drain well.
Ensure prawns are well drained before stir frying — this promotes proper sizzling and better flavour. Dab dry with paper towels if necessary.
Add a few drops of sesame oil at the end if you want a nutty finish.
Storage: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days.