Chicken and Shrimp Stir Fry — I Smoked Up My Kitchen and It Was Worth It
Fast, Flexible, and Ready Before the Takeout Driver Could Get Here
Chicken and shrimp stir fry is one of those recipes I have been making my whole life. It is fast, it is flexible, and honestly — it tastes like takeout without leaving your house. When I am feeding a crowd, I do both chicken AND shrimp because why would I make you choose? I have made this dish so many times that I could do it in my sleep. And yet, on this particular stir fry night, I still managed to open the wrong side of the seasoning shaker and dump in WAY more than I meant to. And then the pan started smoking. And dinner was still absolutely perfect. That is the beauty of stir fry — it forgives you every single time.
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Watch me make chicken and shrimp stir fry from start to finish — mishaps and all — or scroll down for the full printable recipe card.
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Chicken and Shrimp Stir Fry
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Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 lb shrimp medium, raw, peeled and deveined
- 1-2 bags stir fry vegetable mix or about 5-6 cups fresh veggies
- 2 onion sliced
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 2 small heads broccoli chopped
- ½ head cabbage roughly chopped
- Soy sauce to taste
- minced garlic or fresh, to taste
- Ground ginger to taste
- Salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- Teriyaki sauce stir fry sauce, or hoisin sauce (optional)
- 3 tbsp avocado oil for frying
- Jasmine rice for serving
- Frozen egg rolls for serving (optional but highly recommended)
- Frozen potstickers for serving (optional but highly recommended)
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- Start your rice first — the stir fry comes together fast and you want everything ready at the same time.
- Heat avocado oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat. Let it get really hot.
- Add the chicken to one side of the pan. Season with garlic, soy sauce, salt, and pepper. Sear for 3-4 minutes without stirring too much — you want some color.
- Add the shrimp to another section of the pan. Season lightly. Cook for 2-3 minutes until pink. Remove both proteins and set aside.
- Add a little more oil if needed. Add the broccoli, carrots, and onions first. Season with soy sauce and a pinch of ginger. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- Add the cabbage last. Season again and add teriyaki sauce if using. Cook for 2-3 more minutes until the cabbage softens slightly but still has a little bite.
- Return the chicken and shrimp to the pan. Toss everything together and heat through for 1-2 minutes.
- Serve immediately over jasmine rice. Add egg rolls or potstickers on the side for the full takeout experience!
Nutrition
Video
Notes
A bagged stir fry vegetable mix is a great shortcut. Birds Eye Deluxe Stir Fry Vegetable Mix is my favorite.
Don’t crowd the pan! If your pan is small, cook in batches. Crowding causes steaming instead of searing and makes everything watery.
Cabbage goes in last because it cooks quickly. Add it a few minutes before you finish and it will be tender but not mushy.
Tried this recipe?
Tap the stars above to rate it! This helps other families find it.Why This Chicken and Shrimp Stir Fry Works
The reason this chicken and shrimp stir fry recipe has been on my table for decades is simple: it works with whatever you have. Stir fry is not a rigid formula — it is a technique. High heat, good seasoning, and a wok big enough to hold it all. The soy sauce and Kikkoman teriyaki give you that deep savory-sweet flavor that makes everyone think you ordered in. The ginger warms everything up from the inside out. And the vegetables — cabbage, carrots, broccoli, onions — they stay tender-crisp because you add them in layers, with the cabbage going in last.
The chicken gets its own hot spot in the pan, the shrimp gets its own hot spot, and then the whole thing comes together at the end. On this particular night I also discovered that opening the wrong end of a seasoning shaker is a full-contact experience. We survived. Dinner was spectacular.
A Few Things That Make Chicken and Shrimp Stir Fry Even Easier
- Start the rice first. The stir fry comes together so fast that if you start cooking before the rice is ready, you’ll be standing there with a perfect meal and nothing to put it on. Get your rice going first — or better yet, use a rice cooker and set it to keep warm while you cook.
- Prep everything before the wok heats up. Stir fry happens in minutes — you don’t have time to chop while the pan is going. I do all my chicken cubing, shrimp drying, and vegetable cutting on my big bamboo board first, with everything in similar-sized pieces so it all cooks evenly.
- Cook your proteins separately. Chicken takes 3 to 4 minutes. Shrimp takes 2 to 3 minutes. Cook them in their own spots in the pan, set aside, and fold back in at the end so nothing gets overcooked while the vegetables are finishing.
- Use a bagged stir fry veggie mix. I love fresh vegetables, but on a busy weeknight a bag of Birds Eye Stir Fry Vegetable Mix gets you from pantry to table in record time. No chopping, no crying over onions — just open the bag and go.
- Pat the shrimp dry before it hits the pan. Moisture is the enemy of a good sear. Dry shrimp = golden edges and a snappy bite. Wet shrimp = steam bath, no color, sad stir fry. Pat them with paper towels, even if they look dry.
- Egg rolls or potstickers make it feel like real takeout. I microwave a box of frozen egg rolls while the stir fry finishes and the whole family thinks I have been slaving away for an hour. I will not apologize for this shortcut. It works every single time.
Chicken and Shrimp Stir Fry FAQ — The Questions I Get Every Time
Can I use frozen shrimp for chicken and shrimp stir fry?
Yes — frozen shrimp works great, just thaw it completely and pat it dry with paper towels before it goes in the pan. Moisture is the enemy of a good sear. Dry shrimp = golden edges and that good snappy texture. Wet shrimp = steam bath, no color, sad stir fry.
How do I keep my chicken and shrimp stir fry from getting watery?
Two things: high heat and don’t crowd the pan. If your pan is overloaded, the food steams instead of sears and you end up with liquid pooling at the bottom. Work in batches if you need to — cook the proteins first and set them aside, then do the vegetables. Combine everything at the end. Also, patting your protein dry before it hits the pan makes a huge difference.
What vegetables work best in a chicken and shrimp stir fry?
Almost anything! My go-to mix is onion, shredded carrots, broccoli, and cabbage — but bell peppers, mushrooms, bok choy, snap peas, water chestnuts, and zucchini all work beautifully. The rule of thumb is to add denser vegetables first (broccoli, carrots) and softer ones last (cabbage, leafy greens). That way everything finishes cooking at the same time. According to The Kitchn’s stir fry guide, cutting everything to a similar size is the single most important prep step for even cooking.
Can I make stir fry without a wok?
Absolutely. Your largest skillet works fine — the key is that it can handle high heat and has enough surface area so you are not piling the ingredients on top of each other. A wok gives you the best sear and the most room to toss everything, but a 12-inch or 14-inch skillet gets you there. If you want to invest in a wok, the one I used in this video is the Todlabe 13-inch nonstick carbon steel wok and it is fantastic.
What sauce should I use for chicken and shrimp stir fry?
I use a combination of soy sauce and teriyaki sauce as my base, plus garlic and ground ginger. You can also use hoisin sauce if you want something a little thicker and sweeter. The important thing is to season in layers — add some soy sauce to the meat while it cooks, then add the sauce to the vegetables, then season again when the cabbage goes in. Stir fry rewards you for seasoning as you go, not all at once at the end.
Can I make chicken and shrimp stir fry ahead of time?
Stir fry is really best fresh off the heat — that is when the vegetables are at their perfect crisp-tender and the proteins are juicy. That said, it reheats well in a hot skillet or wok with a splash of water or broth to loosen things up. Leftovers keep in the fridge for 3 days. I do not recommend freezing it — the vegetables get mushy once thawed.
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Ingredients
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Equipment
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Chicken and Shrimp Stir Fry — About Stephanie’s Recipes
Stephanie Longstreth is the home cook, mom, and storyteller behind StephanieCooksForACrowd.com. She cooks for a family of seven in Florida — five kids, two cats, and one husband who appreciates a good meal. Four of her children came home through adoption, and family stories are woven into everything she makes and shares. Find her crowd-friendly recipes, weekly meal plans, and real family life on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, and Pinterest @stephaniecooksforacrowd.