Stir-Fried Shrimp and Sugar Snap Peas
Stir-Fried Shrimp and Sugar Snap Peas is an ultra-easy recipe with a minimal amount of thickener to keep it low in carbs. And this tasty shrimp stir fry can literally be on the table in minutes!
PIN the Stir-Fried Shrimp recipe to try it later!
Stir-Fried Shrimp and Sugar Snap Peas is a very flavorful dinner idea that’s extra quick and easy to make. This recipe uses minced ginger root and minced garlic to add so much flavor to shrimp and sugar snap peas. And I think stir-fry recipes are great any time of year, and recipes like this shrimp stir fry are perfect to make for a treat if you keep shrimp in the freezer, like I do!
And if you buy those big bags of sugar snap peas at Costco and have a hard time using them up, this recipe can help with that! I bet you’ll love the combination of shrimp with sugar snap peas for a delicious dinner that’s low in net carbs and high in protein.
If you’re not that experienced at stir-fry cooking, see the link below to find The Basic Rules for Stir-Frying that I learned years ago. And I hope you try the stir-fried shrimp for dinner soon!
What ingredients do you need for this recipe?
(This is only a list of ingredients; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe with ingredient amounts.)
- large frozen shrimp, thawed
- sugar snap peas
- chicken stock or canned chicken broth (affiliate link)
- Unseasoned Rice Vinegar (affiliate link)
- Monkfruit Sweetener (affiliate link)
- soy sauce or Gluten-Free Soy Sauce (affiliate link)
- cornstarch (affiliate link)
- white pepper (affiliate link)
- Peanut Oil (affiliate link),
- Minced Ginger (affiliate link)
- Minced Garlic (affiliate link)
- whole garlic cloves, cut in half
- slices of ginger root
Want Stir Fry Tips for this recipe?
Many years ago I took a class in Chinese cooking and learned some tips for making a successful stir fry. Use that link to see them if you’re not that experienced with stir frying.
Does this Stir-Fried Shrimp need thickener?
I’ve made a few stir-fry recipes without using anything to thicken the sauce, and also experimented with lower-carb Arrowroot Starch (affiliate link) to thicken. But through the years I’ve come to prefer using a very small amount of cornstarch for best results. Cornstarch has a lot of thickening power, and although it has 7 carbs per tablespoon, the amount of carbs it adds per serving is very low. In this recipe with one tablespoon of cornstarch and four servings, that’s less than 2 carbs per serving for the cornstarch. And the other ingredients here are all good choices for a low-carb diet, so enjoy!
Can you make Stir-Fried Shrimp without a wok?
Cooking in a wok is fun if you’re really into stir-frying. But you can make this delicious stir-fried shrimp in a large frying pan if that’s what you have.
How low in carbs is Stir-Fried Shrimp recipe?
This delicious stir fry dinner with shrimp and sugar snap peas has about 10 net carbs per serving and 31 grams of protein!
How to Make Stir-Fried Shrimp and Sugar Snap Peas:
(This is only a summary of the steps for the recipe; please scroll down for complete printable recipe. Or if you use the JUMP TO RECIPE link at the top of the page, it will take you directly to the complete recipe.)
- Thaw shrimp overnight in the fridge. Drain shrimp well in a colander placed in the sink.
- Cut tips off sugar snap peas and cut larger ones on the diagonal.
- Peel and devein shrimp if needed and pull off the tails.
- Mix chicken stock, rice vinegar, sweetener, soy sauce, cornstarch, and white pepper to make the sauce.
- Prepare grated ginger root and minced garlic, or use Minced Ginger (affiliate link) and Minced Garlic (affiliate link) from a jar like I did.
- When all ingredients are ready, heat empty wok or large frying pan for one minute. Then add oil and heat over high heat until it’s shimmering.
- Add the garlic cloves and slices of ginger and cook until you can barely start to smell the garlic. Remove garlic and ginger pieces and discard.
- Add sugar snap peas and cook about 3 minutes.
- Add minced garlic and minced ginger and and cook about 1 minute. (Forgot to take a photo of that, sorry!)
- Add shrimp and stir fry about 1 minute, until shrimp are barely starting to turn opaque.
- Add sauce mixture and cook 1-2 minutes more or until mixture thickens; be careful not to overcook the shrimp.
- Serve Stir-Fried Shrimp and Sugar Snap Peas immediately and wait for compliments.
Want more Stir Fry Dinners?
You can see all the dinners I’ve made in a wok by using Stir-Fry Recipes. And you can also make these recipes in an extra-large frying pan if you don’t have a wok.
Stir-Fried Shrimp and Sugar Snap Peas
Stir-Fried Shrimp and Sugar Snap Peas is quick and easy for a week-night dinner and this can be on the table in no time when you're craving shrimp!
Ingredients
- 1 lb. large frozen shrimp, thawed (see notes)
- 3 cups sugar snap peas
- 1/3 cup chicken broth
- 1 T unsweetened rice vinegar
- 1 tsp. Monkfruit Sweetener (see notes)
- 2 T soy sauce (see notes)
- 1 T cornstarch
- pinch white pepper
- 2 T peanut oil (see notes)
- 2 tsp. minced ginger root
- 2 T minced garlic
- 4 whole garlic cloves, cut in half
- 4 slices ginger root
Instructions
- Thaw shrimp overnight in the fridge.
- When you're ready to cook, drain shrimp well in a colander placed in the sink (or pat dry with paper towels if you're in a hurry.)
- Cut tips off sugar snap peas and cut larger ones on the diagonal.
- Peel and devein shrimp if needed and pull off the tails. (I buy frozen shrimp which are de-veined and peeled and have the tail off, but I cut off the tail tip which is often discolored.)
- Mix chicken stock, rice vinegar, Monkfruit Sweetener (affiliate link) or sweetener of your choice, soy sauce or Gluten-Free Soy Sauce (affiliate link), cornstarch, and white pepper and whisk together.
- Prepare grated ginger root and minced garlic before you start to cook, or use Minced Ginger (affiliate link) and Minced Garlic (affiliate link) from a jar.
- When all ingredients are ready, heat empty wok or large frying pan for one minute. Then add oil and heat over high heat until it's shimmering.
- Add the garlic cloves and slices of ginger and cook in the hot oil just until you can start to smell the garlic, less than one minute. (Don't cook too long or the garlic will taste bitter.)
- Remove garlic and ginger pieces and discard.
- Add sugar snap peas and cook about 3 minutes, stirring often.
- Add minced garlic and minced ginger and and cook about 1 minute, stirring several times.
- Add shrimp and stir fry about 1 minute, stirring constantly, until shrimp are barely starting to turn opaque.
- Add sauce mixture and cook 1-2 minutes more or until mixture thickens, stirring several times; be careful not to overcook the shrimp.
- Serve immediately.
Notes
I buy frozen large shrimp from Costco, 21-25 per pound size. Use peeled, tail off shrimp if you can, which will save time. I love Monkfruit Sweetener (affiliate link) but use any no-calorie sweetener you prefer. Use Gluten-Free Soy Sauce (affiliate link) if needed.
I prefer Peanut Oil (affiliate link) for stir-fries, but if you don't want that use any neutral-flavored vegetable oil.
This recipe adapted from a stir-fry found many years ago at All Recipes, and the recipe has been improved through the years!
Nutrition Information
Yield
4Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 266Total Fat 9.1gSaturated Fat 1.8gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 6.6gCholesterol 240mgSodium 1554mgCarbohydrates 14gFiber 3.6gSugar 5.1gProtein 31g
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.
Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
This delicious Stir-Fried Shrimp and Sugar Snap Peas has a very minimal amount of thickener, so this is still a great dish for low-carb and low-glycemic diet plans. The use of cornstarch probably makes this phase two for the original South Beach Diet.
Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Stir-Fry Recipes for more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest, on Facebook, on Instagram, on TikTok, or on YouTube to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.
Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This tasty shrimp stir fry was first posted in 2007! The recipe was (finally) updated with better photos and more complete instructions in September 2020, and was updated again with more information in 2025.
30 Comments on “Stir-Fried Shrimp and Sugar Snap Peas”
Good flavor. Unfortunately, the sugar snap peas were very stringy and even after trying to destring them they were a bit hard to chew. They were cooked sufficiently.
Sorry to hear the quality of the sugar snap peas affected your enjoyment of the recipe. I’m wondering where you buy sugar snap peas, but I use them regularly and buy from Costco or Kroger and have never had that problem. In all the time using them I’ve never had a need or even a thought of trying to de-string them!
This was delicious! I will be making this again.
So glad to hear you enjoyed it Amanda!
This was delicious – thank you. Also made the Pork and broccoli with noodles last night – YUM.
Thanks Kay; so glad to hear you enjoyed it!
Judy, both of those ideas sound great to me. So glad you enjoyed it!
Just made this and it was super great. Husband loved! I'm not a very courageous cook and rarely deviate from the recipe but I was wondering if a little crushed red pepper could be added for zing. What do you think about throwing in some sliced scallions when sauteing the snowpeas? I won't try without your input…I wouldn't want to ruin this terrific recipe. Thank you.
Matt & Robin, thanks! I really appreciate you taking the time to let me know you liked it.
Made this tonight…it was so good!!!!! Delicious!!!! I love your recipes. I am a huge fan of your blog. Thank you 🙂
I made this recipe a couple of nights ago. OMG – it is the absolute BOMB – Super Deelish. My son loved it as well!
I LOVE this recipe!
Happy Holidays!
Kirsten
that looks so delicious. you have just given me a major craving!
In Sesotho we say, “Rea leboha.” In French, “Merci.” It is a great initiative and I’m thankful.
Rethabile
Kalyn…oooh, this dish looks so good. I looooooove shrimp. Perfect combination. 🙂
This shrimp dish looks really good.
The shrimp is so plump!
The shrimp sound great, simple, elegant and tasty….what more can one ask for?
oh this one I’ve got to try, it looks and sounds wonderful!
Or you can call it ‘Good Karma Shrimp’!!
Thank you so much for all your hard work. We made over $15K already, and it’s not even four days yet!
love,
Pim
Your shrimps look delicious!
Paz
Wow! the shrimp is cooked to perfection Kalyn! Right, “seasoning” the oil is our standard procedure.
Love the picture – can’t wait to try this out for a simple quick weeknight.
Oh, that really makes me hungry.
It’s pizza tonight — last class of the semester! Whoopee! How do you full-time teachers do it?
Bill, the microplane zester is great. I have a red one!
Patl, please post your recipe too. I’d love to see it.
Sher, Tanna and Maria, easy is always nice, especially when it’s delicious.
A quick tasty meal, perfect for the busy holiday season. Thanks for sharing!
This is one that you just know is simply good to eat.
Isn’t it wonderful when a super easy dish is also delicious? A perfect thing, really. I’ll certainly make that–I love shrimp.
This sounds wonderful, Kalyn, and somewhat familiar. I was going to blog a similar recipe that I discovered recently, which has the added feature of soaking the shrimp in a yummy mixture for 20 minutes, but now I think I’ll wait a bit before posting it! :o) Love the tip about seasoning the oil.
I’ve grown to LOVE my microplaner!