I am the kind of person that will hyperfixate on a meal for months and make it no less than three times a week. In the past that has been my ground beef chili or lemon butter chicken, but for the past six months it has been stir fries. I have been loving how easy it is to whip up a stir fry, so after a long day when I am tired, this is perfect. It is also relatively a one pan dish, so not a ton of cleanup. And what I love it most for is cleaning out the fridge. I will take just about any protein or vegetable and throw it in a stir fry. But one I have been loving lately is this shrimp fried rice with zucchini, garlic, and ginger.
It is an easy weeknight meal, comes together in under 60 minutes, and is packed with flavor. If you want other amazing easy meals, you can find more like these in my ebook Easy Weeknight Dinners!
Key Ingredients & Substitutions:
- Shrimp, cleaned and deveined – The star of the dish. Chicken or tofu are great substitutes for a different protein.
- Avocado Oil – This is a great neutral oil for high temp cooking. Any neutral high heat oil works well.
- Garlic & Ginger – Builds flavor and adds depth. Adjust to your preference. Always freshly minced or omit.
- Zucchini – This is the main vegetable for the dish. Yellow squash is a great swap. I also uses all kinds of veggies here like broccoli, carrots, bell peppers and corn.
- Short Grain Rice – Gives the fried rice its signature chewy texture. Day old rice works best here for the best results. I love calrose rice for this.
- Reduced Sodium Tamari – Adds savory, umami depth without overpowering the dish. If you are not gluten free use soy sauce.
- Green Onions – Adds a fresh, mild bite throughout for garnish. Chives are an awesome swap.
@kellyscleankitchen How to perfectly cook a skirt steak #skirtsteak #steak #cooking ♬ Waltz of the Flowers - The Manhattan Pops
Shrimp Fried Rice
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Total Time: 55 minutes
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
- 3/4 lb shrimp, cleaned and deveined
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 Tbsp avocado oil
- 4 garlic cloves, minced
- 1/2 inch piece ginger, minced
- 1 zucchini, quartered and thinly sliced
- 3 cups cooked calrose rice (see how to cook rice in a rice cooker here)
- 1/4 cup 25% less sodium tamari
- 3 green onions, thinly sliced for garnish
Preparation:
STEP 1.
In a bowl, season the shrimp with salt and pepper on both sides.
STEP 2.
In a large pan over medium heat, add the avocado oil. Once hot, add the shrimp and sear for 2–3 minutes per side, until about 80% cooked through. Stir in the garlic and ginger and sauté for another 2 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside.
STEP 3.
In the same pan, add the zucchini. Sauté for 5 minutes, seasoning with salt as you go, until mostly cooked through, but al dente.
STEP 4.
Stir in the cooked rice, breaking it up into small pieces. Add the tamari and shrimp and sauté for 3–5 minutes, until the rice is lightly toasted. Taste and adjust seasoning with more salt, pepper, or tamari as needed.
STEP 5.
Top with green onions and serve!
Leave A Comment