Gluten Free Teriyaki Shrimp
This quick and easy teriyaki shrimp recipe has become one of my favorite weeknight dinners. With a homemade teriyaki sauce that comes together fast and delivers big on flavor, it’s a meal everyone in the family can agree on. Plus, one simple swap can make it gluten free. The best part? It’s ready in under 20 minutes.
Delicious Details
- Cuisine Inspiration: Japanese
- Primary Cooking Method: Stovetop
- Dietary Info: Gluten-free option, Dairy-free
- Skill Level: Easy
I have a family of seafood lovers, and Asian-style meals are ones we can always get behind. So this teriyaki shrimp recipe is something I fall back on when I’m feeling low on inspiration or short on time. The sweet and sticky sauce is full of fresh garlic and ginger for a kick of heat tempered by the mellow sweetness of honey.
There are many ways to serve teriyaki shrimp, and my favorite is the simplest: over a pile of fluffy rice. Then add some steamed green vegetables for a complete meal. And it all comes together in less than the time it takes for the rice to cook. In no time, you’ll feel like you’ve created a restaurant-worthy meal from your own kitchen!
Easy Teriyaki Shrimp is a Weeknight Staple
Here’s why you’re going to love this shrimp teriyaki recipe (spoiler: it’s the sauce!):
- Simple yet so flavorful. The teriyaki sauce is so good, I use it in other preparations as well – try it on chicken or grilled salmon. Just a few ingredients, including tamari or soy sauce, fresh ginger, sesame oil, and honey, come together to make a sweet-savory, totally irresistible sauce that slicks the juicy shrimp with tons of flavor.
- Versatile. You can serve shrimp teriyaki as an appetizer in a big bowl with toothpicks for picking up, or you can make it into a full meal. I’ve included serving suggestions below, so make sure to check them out, or come up with your own.
- Easy to make gluten-free. This is another recipe that’s a cinch to make gluten-free, because all of the ingredients needed are already naturally gluten-free. Just make sure you use gluten-free soy sauce, and your entire shrimp meal will be gluten-free!
Recipe Ingredients
Here’s an overview of the ingredients needed to make this teriyaki shrimp recipe. Make sure to check the recipe card at the end of this post for the full ingredient amounts.
- Soy Sauce: For those that needs it, make sure you use gluten free soy sauce or tamari.
- Water
- Rice Wine Vinegar: Rice wine vinegar is typically found in the vinegar aisle at the grocery store.
- Brown Sugar: You can use light or dark brown sugar.
- Honey
- Toasted Sesame Oil: This is optional but adds a lovely toasted flavor note.
- Garlic
- Ginger: Fresh ginger is essential to the sauce for spicy flavor.
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch helps to create a thicker sauce to coat the shrimp.
- Shrimp: Use large shrimp, peeled and deveined, with tails on or removed.
- Olive Oil
- Sesame Seeds and Scallions: Used for garnish.
How to Make Teriyaki Shrimp
Here’s my simple, effective method for making wonderfully flavorful and tender teriyaki shrimp!
- First, make the sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, water, rice wine vinegar, light brown sugar, honey, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and cornstarch until the cornstarch is dissolved.
- Cook the shrimp. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the shrimp and cook for 1-2 minutes per side until they are pink.
- Thicken the sauce. Give the sauce one more quick stir and pour it over the shrimp. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2-3 minutes until the sauce is thickened and the shrimp is cooked through.
- Serve the shrimp. Serve over rice or noodles (or cauliflower rice or zoodles)and garnish with sesame seeds and scallions.
Tips for Success
Read on for a few of my tips to help you make this teriyaki shrimp recipe perfectly:
- Use frozen shrimp. This can make your life even easier, especially if you use ones that are already peeled and deveined. You’ll want to thaw the shrimp before you cook it according to the package directions.
- Don’t overcook the shrimp. It’s so important to watch the shrimp carefully so it doesn’t overcook! Shrimp can get rubbery if they’re cooked too long, so try to avoid this. It actually doesn’t take too long to cook shrimp, so just make sure you don’t overdo it.
- Swap maple syrup for the honey. If you don’t have honey, you can substitute an equivalent amount of maple syrup.
- Substitute a different size of shrimp. I like to use large shrimp in this recipe, but you could also use jumbo, medium, or small shrimp. Note that you’ll need to adjust the cooking time if you change the size of the shrimp.
How to Store and Reheat Shrimp
Store leftover teriyaki shrimp in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat it, place the shrimp in a microwave-safe bowl and gently reheat at 30-second intervals until hot.
Make it a Meal
Teriyaki shrimp goes so well with a variety of accompaniments. Here are some suggestions for how to make the most out of this recipe:
- With white rice. So simple to make, white rice is a filling, neutral accompaniment to teriyaki shrimp. Check out my methods for cooking white rice and serve the shrimp on top. Add some Air Fryer Broccoli or Air Fryer Green Beans to add some color.
- Try brown rice. I love serving brown rice with seafood as it’s nutritious and wholesome. My post on how to cook brown rice will take away the guesswork.
- Add flavorful rice. My Cilantro Lime Rice recipe would go perfectly with teriyaki shrimp, adding a burst of sweet citrus flavor. Or go lighter and serve my 3-ingredient Brown Butter Cauliflower Rice with teriyaki shrimp.
- Make shrimp rolls. Tuck cooked teriyaki shrimp into rice paper rolls along with lettuce and grated carrots to make fresh spring rolls. You can swap it in for the shrimp in my Easy Shrimp Rice Paper Rolls too.
- Make shrimp tacos. Add teriyaki into soft, gluten-free tortillas and top with some shredded cabbage for a light and refreshing taco!
- Have noodles. My kids love anything served with brown rice ramen noodles, but you can also go with Sesame Noodles for even more flavor.
More Shrimp Recipes to Try
Teriyaki Shrimp
Ingredients
- 5 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari , gluten free if needed
- ¼ cup water
- ¼ cup rice wine vinegar
- 3 Tablespoons light brown sugar , lightly packed
- 2 ½ Tablespoons honey
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil (optional)
- 2 cloves garlic , peeled and crushed
- 1-inch piece fresh ginger , peeled and grated
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 Tablespoon olive oil
- 1 pound large shrimp , peeled and deveined, tails on or removed if desired
- sesame seeds and sliced scallions for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together 5 tablespoons soy sauce or tamari, ¼ cup water, ¼ cup rice wine vinegar, 3 Tablespoons light brown sugar, 2 ½ Tablespoons honey, 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil , 2 cloves garlic, crushed, 1-inch piece fresh ginger, grated, and 1 Tablespoon cornstarch until the cornstarch is dissolved.
- Heat 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add 1 pound large shrimp and cook for 1-2 minutes per side until they are pink.
- Give the sauce one more quick stir and pour it over the shrimp. Bring to a simmer and cook for 2-3 minutes until the sauce is thickened and the shrimp is cooked through.
- Serve over rice or noodles (or cauliflower rice or zoodles)and garnish with sesame seeds and sliced scallions, if desired.
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