Sweet and Spicy Shrimp and Zucchini Stir-Fry
Only 5 minutes to make this flavorful SWEET and SPICY SHRIMP and ZUCCHINI STIR-FRY! Quick and easy deliciousness!
In Asian cooking, we like our food to have layers of flavors. It’s not enough for it to be just plain salty or savory or even sweet. It’s got to be more than that.
It has to be a little sweet, a little spicy, quite tangy….a combination of flavors that will excite one’s palate – delicious complexity in other words.
That’s why I love Asian food, not just because I grew up with it but because I never find it boring. My taste buds never tire of it because it always seems to offer something new and fresh.
That’s the case with this easy stir-fry. It takes just 5-7 minutes to cook it and yet the complexities of flavors are there – sweet and spicy from the sweet chili sauce, salty and savory from the soy sauce, additional richness from the sesame oil and of course the taste itself from the zucchini and the shrimp – all work together to give this stir-fry it’s wonderful and yummy taste.
The first time I made this I used some onions (see photo below) but I omitted it the second time around. You can add onions if you like or just use the garlic instead. They are both fine either way.
So when you are in the mood for a quick and easy stir-fry that packs in the flavor, why not give this a try? Of course, don’t forget the rice!
FOR FULL RECIPE & INSTRUCTIONS, SEE RECIPE CARD BELOW.
INGREDIENTS FOR SWEET & SPICY SHRIMP & ZUCCHINI
- Vegetable Oil
- Garlic cloves
- Zucchini (you can use bell peppers, instead if you like)
- Soy sauce
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Jumbo Shrimps (peeled and deveined)
- Salt
- Sweet Chili Sauce
- A few drops of Sesame oil.
*You may add some chopped onions for some extra aroma and flavor, too.
*Get a gluten-free soy-sauce and sweet chili sauce if on a gluten-free diet.
*Adjust the heat/spice level to your liking. Just taste it before adding it and then determine how spicy you want it to be.
Procedure
Heat up a wok or a large frying pan to high heat. Swirl in the vegetable oil. Add the garlic and cook very briefly just until aromatic, a few seconds only. Add the zucchini slices and drizzle the soy sauce on top. Stir-fry for a couple of minutes or until tender. Season with a little ground pepper, to taste.
Push the zucchini to the side of the wok/frying pan. If the pan/wok is quite dry at this point, add a little more oil. Place the shrimp in one layer. Let it cook for 1 minute without stirring. Season with a little salt (just a pinch). After 1 minute, stir-fry with the zucchini until it has turned fully opaque, about 1 more minute.
Quickly, stir in the sweet chili sauce and coat the zucchini and shrimp. Add a few drops of sesame oil to the mix. Serve immediately with some freshly cooked rice.
Enjoy!
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Sweet and Spicy Shrimp and Zucchini Stir-Fry
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
- 3 cloves Garlic, crushed
- 2 medium to large Zucchini, halved then sliced into half-inch chunks
- 1 tbsp Soy sauce, or to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 1 lb raw jumbo Shrimps, peeled and deveined
- Salt, to taste
- 3-5 tbsp Sweet Chili Sauce, diluted with about 3-7 tablespoons of water, or to taste (adjust heat to your liking)
- Sesame oil, just a few drops
Instructions
- Heat up a wok or a large frying pan to high heat. Swirl in the vegetable oil. Add the garlic and cook very briefly just until aromatic, a few seconds only. Add the zucchini slices and drizzle the soy sauce on top. Stir-fry for a couple of minutes or until tender. Season with a little ground pepper, to taste.
- Push the zucchini to the side of the wok/frying pan. If the pan/wok is quite dry at this point, add a little more oil. Place the shrimp in one layer. Let it cook for 1 minute without stirring. Season with a little salt (just a pinch). After 1 minute, stir-fry with the zucchini until it has turned fully opaque, about 1 more minute.
- Quickly, stir in the sweet chili sauce and coat the zucchini and shrimp. Add a few drops of sesame oil to the mix. Serve immediately with some freshly cooked rice.Enjoy!
Notes
Last updated on March 25th, 2025 at 08:35 pm
I’m just curious if you know the nutritional value of this meal? It looks delicious and fairly healthy. My husband is on a strict low carb, zero fat/red meat diet. I think he would really enjoy this dish.
I don’t know but this isn’t low-carb because of the sweet chili sauce unless you change the sauce then it can become quite low in carbs.
Yum. I love how easy stir-fries are to make and I rarely use shrimp so this recipe has enticed me.
WOW! What a great and healthy combo – shrimp and zucchini combination! I made it tonight, and it turned out delicious!
This sweet and spicy shrimp stir-fry looks so delicious and tasty! My daughter and I are going to love this recipe! Can’t wait to make this!
Sharing this one with my sister! I am not a seafood person but my sister and daughter are and I think they would love this one!
You had me at sweet and spicy. Then you hooked me with shrimp and zucchini! Love how easy and delicious this stir-fry is. Thanks for sharing another winner!
I loved the combination of sweet and spicy! Such a perfect meal!
This Sweet and Spicy Shrimp and Zucchini Stir-Fry recipe definitely comes together quickly. Such a great recipe to have when you are running behind schedule. My family loved it. The sauce was delicious.
I’ve been looking to add more seafood to our diet, and this sweet and spicy shrimp looks perfect! I can’t wait to try it!
Love how quick, easy, vibrant and delicious thisSweet and Spicy Shrimp and Zucchini Stir-Fry recipe is! The family loved it!
This Sweet and Spicy Shrimp and Zucchini Stir-Fry looks so delicious! I love how simple the recipe is and how easy it is to make this. Definitely trying this for dinner tonight!
I make a LOT of stir fries and this recipe is great! I did add the onion and next time I will take the zucchini out of the skillet while I cook the shrimp. Then add the veggies back in to season all of the ingredients.
So glad you liked it! Thanks for letting us know. Yes, and you can use other vegetables for this, too. Enjoy!
I added in some bell peppers, because I needed to use them up. It was awesome! While great on it’s own, the bell peppers gave it an extra punch of flavor (I like it both ways).
So glad to know you like it! Thanks for letting us know. Love the addition of bell peppers, too.
Mine didn’t look as bright as yours did. I think the soy sauce made the zucchini darker color but it sure tasted good. Next time I won’t put soy sauce and see if it comes out brighter and prettier.
A mere tablespoon of soy sauce shouldn’t make it dark so perhaps the soy sauce used was a darker one. I use light soy sauce (not reduced sodium) and it’s good. At any rate, feel free to use fish sauce instead or just up the salt to replace the soy sauce. Thanks for letting us know and glad you liked it.
Yumm.
Loved this recipe! So good and will definitely make again
Yay! So glad to know this! Thank you for letting us know!
This was so good! I added red bell pepper, broccoli (didn’t want them to go bad) and onions. Loved the flavor. Served over angel hair pasta.
Love the idea of serving this over pasta! Thank you for letting us know.