Shrimp and Asparagus Stir Fry with Lemon Sauce Recipe (2024)

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This quick and easy Shrimp and Asparagus Stir Fry with Lemon Sauce recipe is full of amazing flavor — and it’s good for you too!

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I can’t believe this Autumn and Winter loving gal is going to say this, but I am loving thatspring is here. I’m SOOO ready for it and seeing everything blooming around Vegas is making me happy.

But, while pretty flowers and the leaves filling in on our trees is great and all, I am more excited about my favorite fruits and vegetables coming into season again — like asparagus. It’s one of my big-time favorites!

Shrimp and Asparagus Stir Fry with Lemon Sauce Recipe (1)

Usually, asparagus is an easy side dish in our house — our go-to is our Oven Roasted Lemon Asparagus — but having it as a main dish, especially it in the springtime, is a great way to have it too.

One of the very best main dish recipes with asparagus is our Shrimp and Asparagus Stir Fry with Lemon Sauce recipe. It’s quick and easy, it’s bursting with lemon flavor, and it’s healthy too. You completely win with this recipe.

Ingredients needed for Shrimp and Asparagus Stir Fry with Lemon Sauce:

Cooking Equipment needed for this dish:

Shrimp and Asparagus Stir Fry with Lemon Sauce Recipe (2)

One of my favorite things about this stir fry is that it has equal amounts of shrimp ANDasparagus — 1 pound of each.I also purposely keep it with use asparagus and no additional vegetables. Of course, you can change it up if you’d like, but I make other stir fry’s with lots of different veggies, so I like that this one has a short ingredient list.

Shrimp and Asparagus Stir Fry with Lemon Sauce Recipe (3)

You’ll first need to make sure your shrimp is peeled and deveined. I use the OXO Good Grips Shrimp Cleaner for this task – it makes it so much easier.
Shrimp and Asparagus Stir Fry with Lemon Sauce Recipe (4)Shrimp and Asparagus Stir Fry with Lemon Sauce Recipe (5)

The shrimp is cooked first, in a frying pan, and then removed from the pan and set aside while the asparagus cooks. Towards the end, a bit of minced garlic is added, as well as some ginger (I used Gourmet Garden Ginger Paste, which makes this meal even easier).

Shrimp and Asparagus Stir Fry with Lemon Sauce Recipe (6)

It’s really hard for me to pick the main star in this recipe. The shrimp? The asparagus? As much as I love both, I think the happy lemon sauce is what makes this stir fry standout. We’re crazy about the flavor of this sauce, which is also great for using with a chicken stir fry.

Shrimp and Asparagus Stir Fry with Lemon Sauce Recipe (7)

After the sauce is poured into the frying pan and combined with the shrimp and asparagus, it will thicken up and dinner is ready to be served!

Would you believe that it will only take you 30 minutes or less to make this fresh and delicious springtime dinner? Yep! It’s so easy and just another example of how great food memories — for asparagus eaters, that is — can be made without spending all day in the kitchen.

Shrimp and Asparagus Stir Fry with Lemon Sauce Recipe (8)

Shrimp and Asparagus Stir Fry with Lemon Sauce Recipe

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Shrimp and Asparagus Stir Fry with Lemon Sauce Recipe (9)

Shrimp and Asparagus Stir Fry with Lemon Sauce Recipe

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  • Author: Brandie Valenzuela
  • Yield: 3 -4 1x
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Description

This quick and easy Shrimp and Asparagus Stir Fry with Lemon Sauce recipe is full of amazing flavor — and it’s good for you too!

Ingredients

Scale

  • 4 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
  • 1 pound large raw shrimp (peeled & deveined)
  • 1 pound asparagus (ends trimmed and each stalk cut into 2-3″ pieces)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt (divided)
  • 1 teaspoon minced ginger (Gourmet Garden Ginger Paste)
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic

Lemon Sauce

  • 2/3 cup chicken stock
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon sugar
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 1 teaspoon lemon zest

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl, whisk together all of the lemon sauce ingredients and set aside.
  2. In a large frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium-high heat. Add shrimp to pan in a single layer and cook for about 3 minutes, turning them over to cook both sides. Season shrimp with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Shrimp should be beginning to pink on both sides and be opaque, but just slightly undercooked. Remove from frying pan and place shrimp on a plate.
  3. In same frying pan, heat another 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat. Add asparagus and cook until asparagus is tender-crisp, bright green, and just barely beginning to brown. Season asparagus with 1/4 teaspoon salt (or more if needed). Add ginger and garlic and stir to combine with asparagus. Cook for another 30-45 seconds or so.
  4. Pour in lemon sauce mixture into frying pan with asparagus. Add shrimp back into pan and combine sauce with asparagus and shrimp. Simmer for about a minute or until sauce is thickened. Remove from heat and serve.
  • Category: Main Dish
  • Method: Stir-Fry
  • Cuisine: American

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Shrimp and Asparagus Stir Fry with Lemon Sauce Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What do you soak shrimp in before cooking? ›

For each pound of shrimp, combine 2 quarts water, 1/4 cup salt and 1/4 cup sugar in a large mixing bowl. Whisk together until the salt and sugar dissolve. STEP TWO: Soak the shrimp. Place the peeled and deveined shrimp in the brine solution, and allow them to sit untouched for 30 minutes at room temperature.

How long does it take to cook shrimp? ›

Smaller shrimp will cook faster than larger ones, while the total time for bigger boys will be a little longer. Here's associate food editor Kendra Vaculin's rule of thumb: Cook medium shrimp for approximately 3 minutes, large shrimp for 4–5 minutes, and jumbo shrimp for 6–7 minutes.

What happens when you soak shrimp in lemon juice? ›

Marinating shrimp in anything too acidic for more than a few minutes, or cooking it with too much acid, like lemon juice, can totally ruin the texture of shrimp and make it unpalatably mushy.

Does soaking shrimp in lemon juice cook it? ›

While citrus juice has antimicrobial properties, it doesn't fully “cook” the crustacean in the same way as, say, poaching. Like sushi, ceviche is totally safe as long as the shrimp is fresh and free of any harmful bacteria or parasites.

How many minutes should you fry shrimp? ›

Fry shrimp 2 to 3 minutes, depending on size of shrimp, until golden brown outside and opaque in the center. Stir-fry or sauté shrimp by preheating a pan over medium-high heat. Add butter, margarine, olive oil, or flavored cooking oil.

Will lemon cook shrimp? ›

When you add acid (lemon juice) to seafood (shrimp), the acid immediately attacks the proteins, producing an effect akin to cooking. It is NOT cooking, but it's similar in effect. If you mix excellent seafood and vegetables and herbs and such with acid, stir, and wait about 30 minutes in the fridge, you have ceviche.

Should you soak shrimp before cooking? ›

Add shrimp into a bowl of brine and let sit for 20-30 minutes for peeled shrimp and 40-60 minutes for your unpeeled shrimp. Rinse well with cold water and pat dry afterward. That's all there is to it! These tips are absolutely necessary if cooking up tender, flavorful shrimp is your goal.

What do you soak shrimp in to clean them? ›

To clean shrimp, first thaw the shrimp in a bowl of ice water. Then, rinse the shrimp thoroughly under cold water. Remove the head of each shrimp by pinching the head between your fingers and pulling it away from the body. Remove the legs on each shrimp by pulling the legs away from the body.

What is the secret to making juicy shrimp? ›

Start With a Dry Brine, No Matter How You're Cooking

It may sound minor, but the combination works wonders: the salt helps keep the shrimp nice and moist as they cook, while alkaline baking soda delivers a crisp, firm texture.

What does soaking shrimp in baking soda do? ›

Alkaline baking soda slightly alters the pH of the shrimp, making them as plump and succulent as lobster and resistant to overcooking. The brine also causes the meat to pull away from the shells while cooking, so you get all the great flavor of shell-on shrimp without the hassle.

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