I bet many of you, like me, are running short on dinner ideas. Cooking every single meal is exhausting and can become uninspired rather quickly. That’s why I want to share some more easy dairy-free dinner ideas, like these Asian Fajitas. They take mere minutes to throw together thanks to quick-cooking shrimp and a simple but flavorful hoisin-based sauce.
These Asian Fajitas are a Sizzling Way to Stir Up Dinner
The beauty of fusion recipes is their versatility. You can swap thinly-sliced chicken or cubed tofu, for the shrimp. You can add some other seasonal of fun vegetables, like baby corn or mushrooms. And you can even mix up the toppings. I like the ideas of chopped water chestnuts or perhaps some thinly sliced cucumber.
As is, this recipe is mild and kid-friendly. But you can heat the sauce up with a few shakes crushed red pepper, if desired. Here are some more tips from the chefs:
- The key to a successful stir-fry is to use high heat to quickly cook meats and vegetables in stages without overcrowding the pan. This ensures that veggies stay slightly crisp, and meats develop a delicious sear instead of steaming.
- Avocado oil has one of the highest smoke points, making it a great choice for high-heat cooking like stir-frying.
- Hoisin sauce, which you can find in the Asian section of most grocery stores, is used frequently in Chinese and Vietnamese cuisine. It’s a salty, fermented soybean paste often combined with garlic, chiles and five-spice powder, which adds a sweet, umami-rich, aromatic flavor to the dish.
- Shishito peppers are slender, mild, green Japanese peppers available in the produce section of well-stocked grocery stores or Asian markets. If shishito peppers are unavailable, substitute with multicolored mini peppers.
- To accommodate those who love a lot of spice and those who prefer less spice, serve mild-to-medium-spicy foods with additional chili sauce on the side.
This Asian fajitas recipe with photo was shared with us by Nakano.
Special Diet Notes: Asian Fajitas
By ingredients, this recipe is dairy-free / non-dairy, egg-free, optionally gluten-free, nut-free, and peanut-free.
- 1½ pounds jumbo raw shrimp, peeled and deveined (21-25 shrimp total)
- 2 teaspoons + 4 teaspoons soy sauce or gluten-free tamari, divided
- 4 teaspoons cornstarch, divided
- ¼ cup rice vinegar (original or roasted garlic)
- 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce (gluten-free, if needed)
- 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger
- 1 tablespoon + 2 tablespoons high-heat oil, divided
- 1 red onion, cut into thin slivers
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into thin strips
- ½ pound shishito peppers, stemmed
- 6 warmed gluten-free corn or flour tortillas
- ½ cup finely shredded red cabbage
- ¼ cup thinly sliced green onions
- In medium bowl, stir together the shrimp, 2 teaspoons soy sauce, and 2 teaspoons cornstarch. Let it sit and marinate for 5 minutes.
- In separate bowl, whisk together the remaining 4 teaspoons soy sauce, remaining 2 teaspoons cornstarch, rice vinegar, hoisin sauce, and ginger until the starch is dissolved.
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add half of the marinated shrimp, and cook for 1 minute on each side, or until just cooked through. Transfer the shrimp to a clean bowl, and repeat with remaining shrimp. Wipe out the skillet with paper towel.
- In the same pan, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons oil until shimmering. Add the red onion, bell pepper, and shishito peppers. Cook, stirring, for 2 to 4 minutes, until the peppers begin to blister. Add the vinegar mixture, and cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes, or until the sauce is slightly thickened. Add the shrimp to the pan, and cook, tossing well until the shrimp and vegetables are coated with the sauce.
- Fill the tortillas with the shrimp mixture, cabbage and green onions.
More Easy Dairy-Free Shrimp Entrees
Coconut Curry Shrimp and Grits
Grain-Free Shrimp Egg Roll Bowl
Fast & Fresh Thai Shrimp Salad
