Succulent shrimp are marinated in garlic, ginger and kimchi sauce and then stir fried with butter and vegetables, including kimchi. Serve it over basmati or your favorite kind of rice. Besides the short marinating time, this recipe can be prepped and cooked in under 20 minutes, making it an easy and quick weeknight dish the whole family will enjoy!
Kimchi Stir Fry Ingredients
- shrimp
- garlic
- ginger
- butter
- olive oil
- napa cabbage (or green cabbage)
- red bell pepper
- broccolini
- kimchi + the brine
- soy sauce
- basmati rice
- lime wedges – garnish
- green onions – garnish
Seafood and kimchi pair well together. After all, kimchi is typically made with seafood products and these can include: fish sauce, salted baby shrimp, anchovy extract, etc. Even the vegan varieties usually contain products from the sea, such as sea vegetables (seaweed), to help provide that umami flavor kimchi is known for.
Napa cabbage (a type of Chinese cabbage) is used in this stir fry to stick to the theme of Korean kimchi, which uses Napa as its main ingredient. It is softer and sweeter than other types and has a more mild taste, letting the kimchi spices shrine through in this recipe.
If you can’t find napa cabbage, it is perfectly fine to substitute it with your typical green cabbage. Just note that the green cabbage may take longer to cook, as the leaves are thicker and not as tender.
Broccolini vs Broccoli
Broccolini is a hybrid vegetable that is a cross between broccoli and Chinese broccoli. It was invented in the 90s and looks like a mini version of regular broccoli. It has a more mild and sweet taste and is softer in texture. Its slender stalks allow for a slightly quicker cooking time than broccoli.
Although you can substitute regular broccoli for the broccolini in this recipe, we recommend you give the broccolini a try. We picked quicker cooking vegetables for this recipe to bring the total time down. We also used ingredients that had a more mild flavor to accompany the strong umami flavor of the kimchi.
If you enjoyed this recipe, please share it!
Kimchi Shrimp Stir Fry
Ingredients
For the Marinade:
- 1 ½ pounds shrimp - peeled and deveined
- 3 cloves garlic - minced
- 1 tablespoon ginger - grated
- 2 tablespoons kimchi brine - (from the jar of kimchi)
For the Stir Fry:
- 3 tablespoons butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cups napa cabbage (or green cabbage) - shredded
- 1 red bell pepper - sliced
- 1 bunch broccolini - cleaned and bottoms trimmed
- ¾ cup kimchi
- 2 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
To Serve:
- Basmati rice - cooked
- Lime wedges
- Green onions - sliced
Instructions
- Marinate the shrimp with the garlic, ginger and kimchi brine for 30 minutes.1 ½ pounds shrimp, 3 cloves garlic, 1 tablespoon ginger, 2 tablespoons kimchi brine
- Heat a large skillet or wok over medium heat. Add the butter and let it melt.3 tablespoons butter
- Add the shrimp and let them cook in the butter until they turn pink and opaque (no longer translucent), about 2 minutes per side. Remove the shrimp/butter and reserve.
- In the same pan/wok, add the olive oil and turn up the heat to medium-high.1 tablespoon olive oil
- Add the cabbage, red peppers, and broccolini. Stir fry for a few minutes, until veggies are crisp-tender.2 cups napa cabbage (or green cabbage), 1 red bell pepper, 1 bunch broccolini
- Add the kimchi and soy sauce and stir fry for 1 more minute. Turn off the heat.¾ cup kimchi, 2 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
- Add the reserved shrimp with the butter back to the pan with the veggies.
- Serve immediately over basmati rice with lime wedges on the side. Garnish with the green onions.
Notes
- If the broccolini stems are very thick, you can slice them in half so that they cook quicker.
Nutrition
Nutrition information on In the Kitch is provided as a courtesy and is an estimate only. It may not include toppings and/or sauces.
Frequently Asked Questions
Some kimchi does contain salted fermented shrimp, dried shrimp or shrimp paste. It helps to give the kimchi salty, umami flavor.
This kimchi shrimp has an estimated 151 calories per serving. There are 4 servings in total.
HUNGRY FOR MORE? CHECK OUT OUR: