Shrimp With Snow Peas

Why this dinner works

Most weeknight one-pot dinners ask you to choose between two evils: a five-ingredient bowl that tastes like the inside of a saucepan, or a recipe so layered it eats your entire evening. Shrimp With Snow Peas sits comfortably in the middle. It draws on Chinese traditions where building flavor in stages — aromatics, then spice, then the slow swell of liquid into starch — is just how dinner gets made on a regular Tuesday.

The whole thing comes together in about 63 minutes in a single skillet, which means dinner from idea to table is shorter than most podcast episodes. We've leaned on the everyday 12 ingredients listed below, but in the notes after the recipe you'll find the small swaps and shortcuts that make this dish forgiving when your fridge is half-empty.

Method

1. Step 1. You can also use sugar snap peas for this recipe. Save prep time by prepping the peas, ginger, and garlic while the shrimp is marinating.
2. Step 2. Marinate the shrimp:
3. Step 3. Mix all marinade ingredients in a large bowl, then add the shrimp. Toss to coat. Let sit for 15 to 20 minutes while you prep the peas, ginger, and garlic.
4. Step 4. Stir-fry the ginger and garlic:
5. Step 5. Heat a wok or large sauté pan over high heat for 1 minute. Add the peanut oil and let it get hot, about 30 seconds. Add the ginger and garlic and toss to combine. Stir-fry for about 30 seconds.
6. Step 6. Add the shrimp, snow peas, soy sauce, stock:
7. Step 7. Add the shrimp and all the marinade to the pan (scrape out all the marinade with a rubber spatula). Add the snow peas, soy sauce and chicken stock. Stir-fry until the shrimp turns pink, about 2 minutes.
8. Step 8. Add the scallions and finish with sesame oil:
9. Step 9. Add the scallions and stir-fry 1 more minute. Turn off the heat and add the sesame oil. Toss to combine once more and serve with steamed rice.

Cook's notes

One pan, fewer dishes. Use the widest, heaviest skillet you own with a tight-fitting lid. The wider base means faster browning at the start; the lid traps the gentle steam that finishes the dish without scorching the bottom.

Salt as you go. Season the aromatics, season the protein, season the liquid before it reduces. By the time you taste at the end, the only adjustment is usually acid — a squeeze of lemon, a splash of vinegar, a final crack of pepper.

Make it ahead. Like most one-pot dinners with chinese roots, the leftovers are arguably better the next day. Cool quickly, refrigerate within two hours, and reheat gently with a splash of water or stock to loosen things back up.

Pairings & serving

This one feels best in a 6-bowl spread with a sharp green salad and something cold to drink. If you want to stretch it for unexpected company, double the liquid and a single starchy ingredient — rice, pasta, potatoes, depending on the recipe — and the whole pan grows without much extra work.

Watch it cooked

If you're a visual learner, there's a free walkthrough of this dish on YouTube.

Original recipe inspiration: source.