Sweet and Sour Shrimp Recipe
This easy sweet and sour shrimp recipe is quicker than takeout!
It’s a colorful dinner recipe that combines tender shrimp, crisp vegetables, juicy pineapple, and a homemade sweet and sour sauce that’s perfectly balanced with tangy and sweet flavors.
It comes together in about 30 minutes, making it ideal for busy weeknights when you want something fresh without spending hours in the kitchen.
Serve it over steamed rice or noodles for a family-friendly meal that tastes like your favorite Chinese restaurant, but is made with simple ingredients you probably already have on hand.
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Why You’ll Love This Sweet and Sour Shrimp Recipe
- Perfect over rice or noodles
- Ready in about 30 minutes
- Better than takeout
- Loaded with colorful vegetables
- Easy to customize with your favorite veggies
- Homemade sweet and sour sauce
How to Make Sweet & Sour Shrimp
- Start by thawing the shrimp if frozen, cooking your rice, and chopping the vegetables.
- Whisk together the sweet and sour sauce, then sauté the shrimp for 2–3 minutes per side until just cooked. Don’t overcook the shrimp—they only need a few minutes.
- Stir-fry the vegetables until they’re crisp-tender, add the sauce, and simmer until it begins to bubble.
- Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook until the sauce thickens, then toss everything together.
- Serve your shrimp over warm rice and garnish with chopped green onions or cilantro.
Yes. Thaw frozen shrimp completely and pat them dry before cooking to help them brown instead of steaming.
Bell peppers, onions, carrots, broccoli, zucchini, snap peas, and pineapple are all excellent additions. You can easily customize the vegetables based on what you have available.
You can prepare the sauce and chop the vegetables up to one day ahead. For the best texture, cook the shrimp just before serving.
What to Serve with Sweet and Sour Shrimp
Pair this recipe with side dishes like:
- Steamed jasmine rice
- Fried rice
- Lo mein noodles
- Vegetable stir fry
- Egg rolls
- Crab rangoons
Love easy shrimp dinners? Try these next:
- Fire up the grill for Pineapple Shrimp Skewers! A tropical twist that’s perfect for your next barbecue or quick dinner.
- Got leftovers? Don’t let them go to waste — try these easy and creative leftover shrimp recipes for a delicious next-day meal!
- Swap the shrimp for bite-sized pieces of chicken to easily turn this recipe into a homemade sweet and sour chicken that’s just as delicious.
- Enjoy the flavors of summer with these refreshing shrimp recipes — light, zesty, and perfect for sunny days!
Easy Sweet and Sour Shrimp Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 cup carrot sliced
- 1 cup green bell pepper diced
- 1 cup red bell pepper diced
- ½ cup pineapple sliced
- ¼ cup onion chopped
- 1 clove garlic chopped
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil olive oil or cooking oil
Sour Sauce Ingredients
- ½ cup honey
- ⅓ cup rice vinegar
- ½ tablespoon soy sauce or coconut aminos
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
- 3 tablespoons lemon juice
- 3 tablespoons orange juice
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons warm water or pineapple juice
Instructions
- Get your pot of rice started. Dice your vegetables and add to a seperate bowl,
- Whisk together the honey, vinegar, soy sauce, tomato paste, lemon juice and orange juice in a medium bowl.
- In a small bowl, make a cornstarch slurry by whisking together a tablespoon of cornstarch and warm water.
- Pat the shrimp with paper towels.
- Heat oil in a wok or a large skillet and add the juicy shrimp.
- Stir fry the shrimp until they are lightly golden brown on medium heat.
- Add in the carrots, onion and garlic in with the cooked shrimp and cook for another minute before adding the bell peppers and red pepper.
- Cook for another minute on medium-high heat.
- Pour your sweet and sour sauce into the skillet, stir and cook on low heat until your sauce is simmering.
- Then add in the cornstarch mixture. You will want to keep a close eye to ensure it does not burn or stick, so stir constantly until thickened.
- Serve your sweet and sour shrimp stir-fry warm with rice.
Very good
Looks delicious and I may try it although I generally skip over recipes with no nutritional listing. As a diabetic I depend on knowing the calorie, carbs and fibre content.
I don’t like to add those items since I am not a nutritionist or dietician. I am sure there are websites out there that can help you find that info though!
I made this recipe tonight. It was delicious! I was looking for a recipe to use some leftover shrimp from a boil. I just added the shrimp at the end before the cornstarch. I also added peanuts. It was a big hit at my house. Thanks for the recipe!
Thanks for sharing! So glad you enjoyed it!