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Quick Seafood Kung Pao

Name: Quick Seafood Kung Pao
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 25 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 1 lb shrimp; 0.5 lb scallops; 1 cup broccoli florets; 0.5 cup bell pepper; 4 unit garlic cloves; 1 tsp fresh ginger; 3 tbsp soy sauce; 1 tbsp rice vinegar; 1 tsp honey; 0.5 tsp red chili flakes; 1 tbsp sesame oil; 2 unit green onions

When you want bold Chinese flavors without the long prep time or complicated sauces.

Total: 25 min
Prep: 10 min
Cook: 15 min
Serves: 4
Difficulty: easy
Calories: 239
Cost: $$$/serving

If you're staring at your pantry wondering how to make a 'real' dinner in under 30 minutes, this is your winner. We've swapped the traditional heavy prep for a streamlined stir-fry that hits all those classic notes: spicy, salty, and slightly sweet. The seafood cooks incredibly fast, so it feels like magic when the whole dish comes together so quickly. It’s basically a hug in a bowl for the days when your brain is fried but your appetite is still very much alive.

Ingredients

1 lb shrimp — peeled and deveined
0.5 lb scallops
1 cup broccoli florets
0.5 cup bell pepper — chopped
4 unit garlic cloves — minced
1 tsp fresh ginger — grated
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rice vinegar
1 tsp honey
0.5 tsp red chili flakes
1 tbsp sesame oil
2 unit green onions — sliced

Method

1 Pat the shrimp and scallops dry with a paper towel. In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, chili flakes, and sesame oil.
2 Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the seafood and cook for 3-4 minutes until just opaque.
3 Remove the seafood from the pan and set aside. In the same pan, add a splash more oil if needed and sauté the garlic, ginger, broccoli, and peppers for 4-5 minutes.
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4 Add the seafood back into the pan along with the sauce mixture. Toss everything together for 2 minutes until the sauce thickens slightly and coats everything evenly.
5 Garnish with green onions and serve immediately over rice or noodles.

Variations

Vegetarian Swap — Swap the seafood for extra-firm tofu cubes and double the amount of broccoli.
Extra Spicy — Add a teaspoon of Szechuan peppercorns or extra chili flakes to crank up the heat.