Pineapple Shrimp Stir-Fry

Pineapple shrimp stir-fry is a quick weeknight meal with natural fruity sweetness. It has all the elements of the best stir-fry recipes: medium shrimp for bite-sized pieces of protein, aromatic onions and peppers for the vegetable component, and a sweet and tangy sauce to coat everything. Plus, toasted shredded coconut is added as a crispy garnish. Even better, it takes just 30 minutes to prep and cook.

Although this pineapple shrimp stir-fry recipe contains more sweet than savory ingredients, it only requires a teensy amount of sugar. Pineapple tidbits cook in the orange-pineapple glaze, which ensures the natural sugars won’t burn. The sauce minimizes the brininess of the shrimp, and the stir-fry technique caramelizes the onions and peppers.

Ingredients for Pineapple Shrimp Stir-Fry

• Pineapple tidbits: You could cut a fresh pineapple for this recipe, but opening a can of tidbits takes less time and provides enough juice for the sauce. Buy a can with unsweetened, natural juice for the strongest-tasting sauce.
• Cornstarch: Cornstarch is the best thickener for liquids that cook briefly. Stir it into the room-temperature liquids until it dissolves into a slurry, and then stir it again as you pour it into the hot pan to create a thick, glossy sauce.
• Chicken broth: Chicken broth adds savory notes to the sweet sauce. Use homemade chicken broth as an affordable, unsalted base, or substitute homemade vegetable broth or shrimp stock to make this a pescatarian stir-fry.
• Brown sugar: A little brown sugar sweetens pineapple shrimp with the richness of molasses and helps the sauce cling to the shellfish. Use light or dark brown sugar; other types of sugar won’t have the same effect.
• Orange juice: Orange juice has less acidity than pineapple juice and gives the sauce citrus notes. Use bottled juice or squeeze half a small fresh orange. Add more to taste.
• Reduced-sodium soy sauce: Soy sauce boosts the stir-fry glaze’s umami while giving it a slight saltiness. You don’t need much to notice its savory effect.
• Sesame or canola oil: Cook the vegetables and shrimp in light sesame or canola oil, both of which have a relatively high smoke point. These cooking oils will be less likely to set off your smoke alarm than toasted sesame oil, which has a lower smoke point (its mellow toasted flavor work best as a finishing oil).
• Bell peppers and onion: Sweet red and green peppers and onion cook quickly in a stir-fry. Cut these colorful vegetables into similarly thick slices for even cooking and texture.
• Raw shrimp: Medium shrimp (31-40 per pound) cook rapidly and curl into nicely sized bites. This recipe heats the shrimp twice—once with the aromatic vegetables for extra flavor and then briefly in the sauce—so start with uncooked shrimp to avoid chewiness.
• Shredded coconut: Coconut comes in more types than you might think, such as flaked or shredded coconut and sweetened or unsweetened. Sweetened shredded coconut has hints of moisture and coconut flavor, whereas larger flakes have a stronger taste. Toast the coconut for a crispy garnish.
• Hot cooked rice: Have hot rice ready to serve with this quick-cooking stir-fry. Choose classic steamed white rice or cook brown rice for a nutty, whole-grain base.

Directions

Step 1: Mix the sauce

Drain the canned pineapple, reserving the juice. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch, broth, brown sugar, orange juice, soy sauce and reserved pineapple juice until smooth.

Step 2: Cook the vegetables and shrimp

In a large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the peppers and onion and stir-fry them for one to two minutes, or just until they’re crisp-tender. Add the shrimp and stir-fry them for two to three minutes longer or until the shrimp turn pink. Remove the vegetables and shrimp from the pan.

Editor’s Tip: Don’t be tempted to leave the shrimp and vegetables in the skillet while you thicken the sauce. Once the shrimp start to turn an opaque pink and curl into a C shape, they’re perfect. More time in the pan will make the shrimp tough and rubbery, and the peppers and onions overly soft.

Step 3: Thicken the sauce

Place the pineapple in the skillet. Stir the cornstarch mixture into the pan. Bring the sauce to a boil, and then cook and stir for four to five minutes or until the sauce is thickened.

Editor’s Tip: The naturally sugary sauce burns easily, so reduce the temperature as needed once it comes to a boil and keep stirring as long as it’s on the heat. If the sauce thickens quickly, go ahead and add the shrimp mixture and then remove the pan from the heat as soon as the shellfish has warmed through.

Step 4: Combine and serve

Return the shrimp mixture to the pan and heat it through, stirring to combine the sauce, vegetables and shrimp. Sprinkle with the toasted coconut and serve with hot cooked rice.

Pineapple Shrimp Stir-Fry Variations

• Make it sweet and sour: Stir a couple of tablespoons of cider or rice vinegar into the sauce for sour notes that contrast with the pineapple and orange juices. Use tamarind pulp instead for natural sourness and sweetness that won’t be as sharp as vinegar.
• Infuse the oil: Heat the oil over medium-low heat and cook aromatics like minced fresh garlic and gingerroot until they’re fragrant and their flavor spreads throughout the oil. Add hot chili flakes or minced fresh chiles for a spicy contrast to the stir-fry’s sweetness.
• Add fresh toppings: Cut papaya or mango into chunks and warm them briefly when you return the shrimp to the pan, or top the stir-fry with raw slices. Other uncooked topping options include sliced avocado, minced chives or green onions, bean sprouts, and herbs like cilantro and basil.
• Give it extra crunch: Replace the coconut with toasted nuts, like slivered almonds or chopped macadamia nuts. Sprinkle each stir-fry serving with roasted black and white sesame seeds or crispy fried onions. Bonito flakes, an essential Japanese ingredient made from smoked, dried fish, add minimal crunch but loads of umami when sprinkled over the hot stir-fry.

How to Store Pineapple Shrimp Stir-Fry

Let the pineapple shrimp stir-fry cool, pack it in a tightly sealed container, and store it in the refrigerator. Cool any leftover cooked rice, but store it in a separate airtight container. This separation makes the rice easier to reheat without burning and keeps it from absorbing the sauce and becoming gummy as it sits.

How long does pineapple shrimp last?

Pineapple shrimp stir-fry lasts up to four days in the refrigerator, and cooked rice lasts about the same amount of time.

How do you reheat pineapple shrimp stir-fry?

For the best texture, reheat pineapple shrimp stir-fry in a stovetop skillet or wok over medium-low heat. A splash of water helps to keep the sauce from sticking to the pan and burning. Stir the mixture as you reheat it, and remove it from the pan as soon as the shrimp have warmed through. If you’d rather reheat leftover shrimp stir-fry in the microwave, stop and stir it every 30 seconds to avoid chewy, overcooked shrimp. Reheat rice separately to serve under the stir-fry.

Pineapple Shrimp Stir-Fry Tips

What’s the best way to clean and devein shrimp?

To clean shrimp, twist off the heads and remove the shells. Grip the shell’s back ridge with one hand and the meat’s head end with the opposite hand, and then pull the shell backward toward the tail end until you can wiggle the meat free. If the tail shell stays attached, pinch it and gently tug the flesh out. You don’t have to remove the dark vein along the back, but it comes out easily if you tease one end free with a paring knife and pull it gently.

What can you serve with pineapple shrimp stir-fry?

Instead of rice, serve pineapple shrimp stir-fry with egg or rice noodles, homemade udon noodles, or on its own as a low-carb entree. The stir-fry can be a one-bowl meal, but many light, fresh sides go well with it. Mango and jicama salad builds on the stir-fry’s sweeter flavors, and radish cucumber salad enhances the savory ones. Start the meal with the zing of pickled carrots and daikon. End it with malasadas, sugar-coated doughnuts, or small bowls of refreshing strawberry ice.