Easy and Budget-friendly Stir-fried Shrimp with Basil

It’s the start of the week again…which means the start of another busy week. We have been busy talking to suppliers, now we need to find a place to stock some of our inventory. Gosh! I forgot to make lunch! Good thing this Stir-fried Shrimp with Basil recipe takes less than half an hour to make. Gotta get ready!

Shrimp dishes are among my favorites to make because they are so easy to cook. Shrimps are also versatile since you can cook them in many ways — fried, breaded, steamed, or stir-fried with or without sauce. You can even make a delicious stew out of them. One of our favorites is the Crispy Baked Shrimps which are also perfect as appetizers.

When making shrimp dishes, you can use fresh shrimps if you have them accessible, or you can just buy frozen shrimps from the supermarket. Fresh shrimps are just as good; just make sure you check the package carefully and look for signs of molds. That means they have been there for a long time and have been defrosted and frozen repeatedly.

Stir-fried Shrimp to the Rescue!

The first time I made this recipe was when I had to whip up a quick meal for my hungry boys. Coincidentally, they all arrived at the same time from sports practice and were famished! A pound of shrimps were gone in just a few minutes!

My other son got creative and reheated the leftover pasta and tossed it with the shrimps. Cool, huh? I guess he was just really hungry and the rice wasn’t enough to satisfy his hunger.

Conclusion

I got ready and brought out the red silicone trivets and laid them on the table. They’re also handy as a trivet. The Stir-fried Shrimp with Basil is ready now. This time I have a plate of pasta ready just in case someone wants them. Considering my boys’ appetite, you never know.

Hope you enjoy this recipe! Don’t forget to share!

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5 from 1 vote

Stir-fried Shrimp with Basil

Busy days call for quick lunches that are ready in less than 30 minutes. This stir-fried shrimp is so easy and with just a few ingredients, you can have a meal ready during busy days.

Course Main Course

Cuisine Asian

Keyword budget-friendly recipe, easy recipe, stir-fried shrimp

Prep Time 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time 5 minutes minutes

Servings 4

Ingredients

• 3 pieces Fresno or jalapeño chilis coarsely chopped
• 6 cloves garlic smashed
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 4 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 lb large shrimps peeled and deveined
• 2 cups (1 bunch) basil leaves
• lime wedges for serving

Instructions

• In a blender, place fish sauce, chilis, garlic, sugar, salt, and oil. Process until smooth. Transfer to a bowl and marinate shrimps in it for 10 minutes.
• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a skillet over medium-high heat. When oil begins to smoke, add the shrimps without the marinade and cook about a minute on each side.
• When the shrimps are cooked, remove from heat and toss the basil until wilted.
• Serve with lime wedges on the side.

Notes

NOTE: You can also cook the marinade by simmering it over low heat and use it as a sauce.