Sweet and Sour Shrimp With Broccoli
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my full disclosure policy.
This sweet and sour shrimp with broccoli skips the fryer but keeps all the flavor—fresh, fast, and perfect over a bowl of rice.
A healthier version of the Chinese restaurant-style dish that is typically battered and deep-fried, this sweet and sour shrimp with broccoli is one of the easiest (and tastiest) suppers you can make. Start a pot of rice before you begin prepping—30 minutes later, your dinner is done!
If you’re in the mood for the crispy, takeout-style classic, try my sweet and sour chicken — but for something lighter, this shrimp version is a weeknight favorite. I always stock up on the 2-pound bags of frozen shrimp when they’re on sale at my supermarket; it makes this recipe both convenient and affordable.
What You’ll Need to Make Sweet and Sour Shrimp With Broccoli
Before we get to the recipe, a note on buying shrimp: The “fresh” shrimp you see in the seafood case at the supermarket is typically thawed frozen shrimp, and you never know how long it’s been sitting there.
Almost all shrimp are cleaned and flash frozen shortly after being caught, so for the freshest shrimp, you’re better off buying it frozen and defrosting it yourself. For this recipe, I buy shrimp labeled “shell split and deveined.” Come dinnertime, all I have to do is run the shrimp under cold water to quickly defrost and then peel.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Make the sauce. In a medium bowl, combine the ketchup, soy sauce, sugar, chili sauce, cornstarch, and rice vinegar. Whisk until completely smooth, then whisk in the chicken broth. Set aside.
Step 2: Sauté the aromatics. Set a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil and heat until shimmering. Add the light green scallions, ginger, and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 2 minutes.
Step 3: Cook the shrimp and broccoli. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring frequently, until mostly pink and curled, but not cooked through, about 2 minutes.
Add the sauce and broccoli to the pan. Cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce is thickened and the shrimp and broccoli are cooked through, about 3 minutes.
Step 4: Finish the dish. Sprinkle the dark green scallions over top. Serve with rice and enjoy!
More Asian Recipes You May like
Sweet and Sour Shrimp with Broccoli
With tender shrimp, crisp-tender broccoli, and a tangy-sweet sauce, this lighter sweet and sour shrimp recipe comes together in a flash!
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons ketchup
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 4 teaspoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon Asian chili sauce, such as Sambal Oelek (available in Asian aisle of most supermarkets)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2½ tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 bunch scallions, finely sliced, light and dark green parts divided
- 2 tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger (see note)
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- 2 pounds extra-large (26/30) or jumbo (21/25) shrimp, peeled and deveined, thawed if frozen
- 2½ cups broccoli florets
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, combine the ketchup, soy sauce, sugar, chile sauce, cornstarch and rice vinegar. Whisk until completely smooth, then whisk in the chicken broth. Set aside.
- Set a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add the oil and heat until shimmering. Add the light green scallions, ginger, and garlic and cook, stirring frequently, until soft, about 2 minutes. Do not brown. Add the shrimp and cook, stirring frequently, until mostly pink and curled, but not cooked through, about 2 minutes. Add the sauce and broccoli to the pan. Cook, stirring frequently, until the sauce is thickened and the shrimp and broccoli are cooked through, about 3 minutes. Sprinkle the dark green scallions over top and serve with rice.
- Note: Check out easy guidance on how to peel, grate, and chop fresh ginger here.
Nutrition Information
Powered by 
- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 347
- Fat: 13 g
- Saturated fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 21 g
- Sugar: 8 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 35 g
- Sodium: 2152 mg
- Cholesterol: 286 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Gluten-Free Adaptable Note
To the best of my knowledge, all of the ingredients used in this recipe are gluten-free or widely available in gluten-free versions. There is hidden gluten in many foods; if you're following a gluten-free diet or cooking for someone with gluten allergies, always read the labels of your ingredients to verify that they are gluten-free.
See more recipes:
Comments
Add a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Just made this last night for my partner and our one year old. They both loved it! Was worried about the salt and sugar content for the one year old, so steamed some broccoli separately in the microwave (but he still got some lightly sauced shrimp which he adored). Super easy with ingredients I generally have on hand. Definitely going into the weeknight rotation!
Ok, this recipe I really liked. But my husband loved, loved, loved it. I will definitely make this again!
I made this tonight and it was excellent. The only change I made was to use sweet chili sauce instead of regular chili sauce because we don’t like spicy food here. We did it with chicken – another option mentioned in the reviews. I was worried the kids might balk so I made some plain chicken that went untouched! Delish – thanks as always for a great dinner Jen!
Hello, I love your recipes! I’m not sure if this recipe calls for ‘sweet’ chili sauce or ‘hot’ chili sauce?
Hi Terry, This recipe calls for hot chili sauce. Hope you enjoy it!
This is my go-to site these days and have yet to make a less-than-great dish.
This one, along with several others, has me buying more Asian components than I ever thought I would but it’s been very much worth it.
This broccoli and shrimp combo is perfect; in flavor, in ease of making and in scoring big with guests. I have made it several times now and cannot say enough good things about its flavor and healthful benefits.
This recipe was a total surprise for me! First off, I’m not crazy about shrimp (I just happened to have a 2lb bag of shrimp in my freezer), nor do I typically order sweet and sour shrimp from my favorite Chinese restaurant, but this was really yummy. I was a bit skeptical when I saw ketchup in the ingredients list, but the sauce was nicely balanced and not at all overly sweet.
Jen, thanks for your website. You have made my weekly menu planning a breeze and my dinner parties far more delicious 🙂
Maaike, Glad you enjoyed this and that the recipes have made your life a bit easier! 🙂
Can you make this without the scallions? I use them only when I have too. Want to try this tomorrow night?
While you can omit the scallions, I do think they add a lot of flavor to the dish and would be worth picking up if possible. Hope that helps!
What a great recipe. My husband loved it. I believe this recipe is important to keep the amount of meat (2 pounds of preferred meat) and sauce ingredients balanced because I substituted chicken (a little less than one pound) and it turned out sauce heavy…but delicious! He loved it.
Hi Jenn, could I use Mae Ploy Sweet Chili Sauce as a substitute for Samal Oelek?
Thanks Scott
Hi Scott, Sweet chili sauce won’t work; sriracha would be a better option. Hope that helps!
I made this last night. My kids and husband were literally licking the plate. The only change I made because my husband doesn’t like spicy food is halve the amount of chile sauce. It still had a little kick and was DELISH! Thank you Jenn!