Name: Chinese Shrimp and Cabbage Stir Fry
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 2 cups cabbage (hand shredded into small pieces); 15 large shrimps (peeled & deveined (tails left intact optional)); salt; 4 tablespoon oil; 4-5 garlic cloves (crushed); 2 dried red chili (deseeded and roughly chopped); 1 tablespoon light soy sauce; 1 teaspoon oyster sauce; 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil; 1 teaspoon honey; 2-3 scallion greens (cut into 2-inch length)

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Have you ever had shrimp and cabbage stir fry at a Chinese restaurant and wanted to recreate it at home? If so, you're in for a treat!

Image showing vibrant looking prawns and shreded cabbage coated with sauces.

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Ingredients You'll Need
Instructions
Helpful Tips
Can I Substitute with another Vegetable?
Some Simillar Recipes You Can Try
Recipe
Comments

This stir-fry dish features tender shrimp and crisp cabbage, all tossed in a savory blend of sauces. It’s also quick to prepare, taking less than 20 minutes from start to finish in one-skillet.

I love cabbage stir fry, but adding shrimp has really hooked me! The flavors mix so well, making it truly addictive.

Stir-frying on high heat is essential for this dish. It ensures that the ingredients cook quickly, preserving their juiciness.

The high heat helps to sear the shrimp and cabbage, giving them a nice char and enhancing the overall taste. Make sure to keep everything moving in the pan to prevent burning and to cook evenly.

For those who don’t want to add chili, you can leave it out altogether. The dish will still taste great. Just add crushed black pepper at the end for a milder spice.

Serve this stir-fried shrimp and cabbage with steamed rice, noodles, or a simple side salad to complete the meal.

Ingredients You'll Need

Shrimp cabbage stir fry ingredients are placed on a brown background.

Cabbage: Use fresh cabbage shredded by hand for better texture. This will add a crunchy bite to the stir fry.

Shrimp: Peeled and deveined shrimp (prawn). I used large, but medium will also do. Leaving the tails on is optional but adds a nice touch for presentation.

Salt: I use salt only to season the shrimp, as the soy sauce and oyster sauce provide enough salt for the rest of the dish. Taste the dish and adjust the salt if necessary.

Oil: Use a neutral oil such as vegetable, sunflower, or canola for stir-frying. This allows the flavors of the other ingredients to stand out.

Garlic: Crush garlic cloves for a more robust flavor that infuses the oil and enhances the dish.

Deseeded dried red chili: Adds heat and a subtle smokiness. Adjust the quantity as per your spice tolerance.

Light soy sauce: Provides a salty, savory base flavor without overpowering the dish’s other elements. Go for low-sodium soy sauce if you prefer.

Oyster sauce: Adds a rich, umami depth. It complements the overall flavor.

Honey: Adds a touch of sweetness that balances the savory and spicy flavors in the dish. Brown sugar or regular sugar can also be used as a substitute.

Toasted sesame oil: You can find toasted sesame oil in the Asian grocery store. A little goes a long way and adds excellent flavor; don’t skip it.

Instructions

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large skillet.
Pat the shrimp dry with a paper towel to remove extra moisture. Add shrimps to the skillet, season with salt, and cook over high or medium-high heat until they turn pink and are cooked through, about 1.5-2 minutes per side.
Transfer the shrimp to a plate and set aside.
In the same skillet, add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil.

Four images showing stir frying shrimp, sauting aromatics, stir frying cabbage, and everythig with sauces.

Add the crushed garlic and chopped dried red chili, sautéing for about 30 seconds until fragrant.
Add the shredded cabbage and stir fry for about 4-5 minutes until tender and crisp.
Return the cooked shrimp to the skillet, mixing them with the cabbage.
Add light soy sauce, oyster sauce, toasted sesame oil, and honey. Stir well to combine.
Toss in the scallion greens and stir to combine.
Serve immediately with rice, if desired.

Image showing vibrant looking stir fried shrimp and cabbage served on a white plate.

Helpful Tips

Preheat the skillet to get a better sear and more flavor.
Dry the shrimp with paper towels before cooking so they brown better.
Be careful not to overcook the shrimps, or they might become rubbery.
For the best texture, cook the cabbage until tender and crisp; they should have a slight bite to them.

Can I Substitute with another Vegetable?

Yes, you can substitute other vegetables in this stir-fry. Consider using broccoli, bell peppers, snap peas, or matchstick carrots. Adjust the cooking time to ensure the vegetables are tender-crisp and retain their texture.

Some Simillar Recipes You Can Try

If you try the recipe, please take a moment to leave a comment and rating. I love hearing from you and it also helps other readers who are thinking of making the recipe.

Recipe