This stir-fry with XO sauce is one of my favourite recipes to make during weekdays. It’s quick, easy and versatile. Stir-frys usually consist of protein, veggies and a sauce. However, you can make it vegetarian or vegan with some simple substitutions!
What is XO Sauce?
XO sauce is a spicy seafood sauce that originated from Hong Kong. The sauce is mainly made with dried seafood (dried shrimp and scallops), chili peppers, garlic, shallots, and sugar. You can usually find XO sauce at Asian supermarkets.
Stir-fry with XO Sauce
There is one difference when making a stir-fry with XO sauce. Since the XO sauce is oil based and you do not need a lot to flavour the dish, the stir-fry is drier than others. If you want the dish to be a bit saucier or lower the heat of the XO sauce, you can mix in some oyster sauce.
Variations for Making Stir-fry with XO Sauce
In this recipe, I used shrimp and snap peas but you can really use any protein and vegetables. Here are some of my favourite ingredients for stir-fries:
Proteins: chicken, pork jowl, beef, tofu, tempeh, shrimp, scallops
Vegetables: snap peas, snow peas, beans, broccoli, carrots, baby corn, mushrooms, wood ear mushrooms
Stir-fried Shrimp & Snap Peas with XO Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 300 g snap peas, trimmed
- 200 g shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 2 tsp vegetable oil
- 3 cloves of garlic, minced
- 2 tsp XO sauce (or more to taste)
- 1/4 tsp sesame oil (optional)
Instructions
- Heat vegetable oil in a wok or skillet over high heat. Add shrimp and cook until opaque, about 1-2 minutes. Transfer shrimp to a bowl.
- Add garlic to the same wok or skillet. Stir fry the garlic for 10-15 seconds or until fragrant. Add snap peas and stir-fry until peas are bright green, about 1-2 minutes.
- Add the shrimp back into the wok or skillet along with the XO sauce. Stir/toss the shrimp, peas and sauce together until everything is combined. Drizzle in the sesame oil if using and give everything a good toss to distribute the sesame oil. Remove from heat and serve immediately.
