Sheet Pan Shrimp “Stir Fry”
I don’t know about you, but I go through moments of great ambition in the kitchen followed by moments of great lethargy. This recipe is for those days when you just… don’t… feel… like it. We all have ‘em! And instead of ordering a triple-stuffed carnitas burrito that will make you feel like total shit for the next two days (hello, me), you could literally throw this together in mere minutes and serve it over rice or noodles and negate any of that shame or self-inflicted bodily harm.
It’s pretty straight-forward: mix together a sauce in a big bowl, toss in some shrimp and veg, throw it on a sheet pan, and let ‘er rip under the broiler for about 5 minutes. THAT’S IT!
The sauce is a combo of gochujang, honey, toasted sesame oil, soy sauce (not pictured here—sorry, I forgot it), ginger, and garlic. Gochujang—a fermented Korean chili paste—can be spicy. While the honey in the recipe tames the spice level for adult palates, if you’re making this for kiddoes who are spice-adverse, you may want to just go with a bottled sauce like Soy Vay or one of Trader Joe’s umpteen different prepared sauces.
Notes on other ingredientses:*
Gochujang - Gochujang is a spicy fermented chili paste from Korea. It’s got a great funkiness to it and nothing tastes like it. I love the stuff and use it all the time. It’s worth finding at your grocery store or online, if you don’t have it.
Shrimp - Size matters here. Go with “Jumbo” or bigger. Otherwise, you’ll have rubbery, overcooked shrimp. I always look for uncooked peeled and deveined, so I don’t have to do it myself. I always have a bag of frozen shrimp in the freezer. They are truly a convenience food, because they thaw in less than 15 mins and cook in no time. Not sure what the numbers mean? Gotchu:
Jumbo = 21-30 shrimp per pound
Extra Jumbo = 16-20 shrimp per pound (often sold as just “16/20 Shrimp”)
Colossal = Under 15 per pound (often sold as “U-15 Shrimp”)
Green Beans - Not to be all fancy (that’s just who I am), but haricot vert are the shiz. These are the thin, pencil-like green beans that the French love in a Salade Nicoise. I like ‘em because they cook quickly. If you buy green beans that are thicker than a pencil, you’ll probably want to boil/blanch them before they go on the sheet pan (which kinda defeats the whole purpose of the recipe, doesn’t it?).
Bell Peppers - I loathe a green bell pepper, which is why I use one red or one orange bell pepper here. If you’re feeling fancy (and you KNOW I always am) use half of each color in the recipe to make it festive AF. The key is to cut them the same thickness as your green beans, so they cook evenly.
Toasted Sesame Oil - “Sesame oil” and “TOASTED sesame oil” are two different things. Yes, both are sesame oils, but the toasted variety should be used sparingly as it’s v v potent. Just a teaspoon or two will do ya here.
*If you don’t understand that I’m referencing the RHONJ icon Teresa Giudice here, then we can’t be friends.
Mix together all the sauce ingredients, then toss the green beans, peppers, and shrimp until they’re well-coated. Arrange on a foil-lined sheet pan in a single layer, and then broil for 4-5 minutes. When the shrimp look done (that is they’ve curled into the letter “C” and not “O”), pull them immediately, as they’ll continue cooking for a bit. Let the veggies continue to broil until they’re sufficiently charred in spots to your liking.
Shrimp shape rule of thumb: “C” means Cooked; “O” means Overcooked. BEFORE/AFTER: The shrimp on the right are ready to be removed from the oven. The veg will go back in to char and blister for another 2-3 minutes.
Sheet Pan Shrimp
“Stir Fry”
This recipe cooks in less than 7 minutes. Yes, you read that right. In fact, it will probably take your oven longer to preheat than it will for you to assemble the whole meal. This recipe was designed for laziness (we like that here), for as few dishes as possible, and for a high-flavor reward with very little work. If you’re making this for more than 2 people, double the recipe and cook in two batches. Look for shrimp that are “Jumbo” (21-30 per pound) or “Super Jumbo” (16-20 per pound), anything smaller will cook in half the time listed below.
Serves 2
Ingredients:
1-2 Tablespoons Gochujang (depending on taste)
2 Tablespoons Soy sauce or Tamari
2 Tablespoons Honey or Maple Syrup
1 teaspoon Toasted Sesame Oil
1 Tablespoon grated or minced Ginger (from a 3” piece)
4 Cloves of Garlic, grated or minced
3 Scallions, sliced thinly; whites and greens separated
1 pound jumbo Shrimp, peeled & deveined
1/2 pound (8 ounces) Haricot Vert or thin green beans
1 small Bell Pepper, sliced into strips the same size as green beans
Cooking spray
Toasted Sesame Seeds, for garnish
White rice or Noodles, for serving
Method:
Move an oven rack to about 6” below your broiler (if your broiler is in a drawer below the oven, skip this step). Preheat the broiler on high (500ºF) while you prepare the other ingredients.
In a large mixing bowl, combine gochujang, soy sauce, honey, and sesame oil. Grate ginger and garlic over the mixture, and whisk together until smooth-ish and emulsified. Add in white and light green parts of the scallions (reserving the dark green parts for garnish).
Toss sliced bell peppers, green beans, and shrimp in the sauce until well-coated. Spray a foil-lined baking sheet lightly with cooking spray. Using tongs, arrange the mixture in an even layer on the baking sheet, leaving behind any excess marinade.
Once oven has preheated, broil until the shrimp are cooked through, about 4-5 minutes (depending on size and temperature of the shrimp when you place in the oven). If shrimp are cooked before vegetables become charred in spots, remove them to a plate and continue cooking the vegetables 2-3 minutes longer.
Spoon portions over rice or noodles, and garnish with reserved scallions and sesame seeds.
