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    Home » Recipes » Mains

    Salt and Pepper Shrimp

    Modified: Oct 8, 2024 · Published: Dec 22, 2020 by Christie Lai · This post may contain affiliate links · 20 Comments

    Jump to Recipe Video

    Succulent, crispy shrimp packed with salt and pepper flavors with a spicy kick. This quick and easy salt and pepper shrimp is ready in 20 minutes with minimal ingredients. A great main dish that is restaurant quality!

    salt and pepper shrimp
    Jump to:
    • Ingredients & Substitutes
    • Expert Tips
    • Instructions
    • Storage
    • Pairing Suggestions
    • FAQ
    • Other recipes you may enjoy
    • 📖 Recipe
    • 💬 Reviews

    Salt and pepper shrimp features seasoned shrimp that is coated in cornstarch and then stir fried with fresh ginger, garlic, red chili, green onions and Shaoxing wine!

    It's best served for dinner or lunch with steamed rice and vegetables. It's a popular Chinese food served at many Chinese restaurants or for takeaway.

    salt and pepper shrimp

    The best part about this seafood dish is it's made with simple pantry ingredients. It's also easily made in one-pan so cooking and cleanup is easy.

    It's perfect for busy weeknight meals when you want a fast dish on the dinner table to feed yourself or the family.

    salt and pepper shrimp

    If you're not a fan of shrimp, check out my Salt and pepper fish, or Salt and pepper chicken or salt and pepper pork.

    Ingredients & Substitutes

    Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements. 

    • Jumbo Shrimp: or any large frozen or fresh shrimp. Get the easy-peel deveined kind to make things easier! If they're not deveined, devein them by running a knife along the back and using a toothpick to remove the black vein, which is filled with dirt.
    • Fresh Garlic
    • Large Red Chili: if you prefer this less spicy, de-seed the chilis or substitute with red bell pepper for not spicy. For a very spicy version, substitute with bird's eye chili.
    • Shaoxing wine: a Chinese rice cooking wine. Or substitute with Dry Sherry. For a non-alcoholic or gluten-free version, substitute with any broth.      
    • Fresh Ginger: or substitute with ¼ teaspoon ginger powder.
    • White Granulated Sugar: or substitute with cane sugar.
    • Green Onion: or substitute with ½ small shallot finely chopped.
    • Neutral oil: like avocado oil, sunflower oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil or canola oil with a high smoke point. Avoid olive oil or any heavy scented oils with a low smoke point.

    For the Shrimp

    • Shaoxing wine: or substitute with Dry Sherry. For a non-alcoholic or gluten-free version, substitute with any broth.      
    • Black Pepper
    • Salt
    • Cornstarch: or substitute with potato starch to coat the shrimp to make it crispy.

    Note: Most Asian grocery stores will carry most of the Asian specific ingredients.

    Expert Tips

    • Purchase jumbo sized shrimp that has already been deveined and peeled. This will cut down the prep time.
    • For best taste, get black tiger shrimp as they're succulent and full of flavor and color.
    • Prepare ingredients in advance before cooking because the cooking process is fast.
    • Season the shrimp in black pepper, salt and shaoxing wine first before coating in cornstarch. This allows for an even distribution of the seasoning.
    • Make sure each piece of shrimp is well coated in cornstarch. This gives it a crispier texture.
    • Do not over cook the shrimp! Once it begins to curl, swiftly add in the rest of the ingredients and once incorporated, remove the pan off the heat.

    Instructions

    Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make salt and pepper shrimp:

    First in a large mixing bowl, combine shrimp with salt, black pepper and shaoxing wine.
    1. First in a large mixing bowl, season the shrimp with salt, black pepper and shaoxing wine.
    Then add cornstarch to seasoned shrimp and mix until each piece of shrimp is well coated.
    1. Then add cornstarch to seasoned shrimp and mix until each piece of shrimp is well coated.
    Heat vegetable oil in a large pan on medium heat. Fry shrimp on both sides until mostly pink and crispy, flipping over half way, about 2-3 minutes in total.
    1. Next heat vegetable oil in a large pan on medium heat. Fry shrimp on both sides until mostly pink and crispy, flipping over half way, about 2-3 minutes in total.
    Quickly add in garlic, red chili, ginger, green onion, sugar and shaoxing wine as the last ingredient. Stir fry everything together until the wine has evaporated. Finally remove off heat. Serve immediately and enjoy!
    1. Quickly add in garlic, red chili, ginger, green onion, sugar and shaoxing wine as the last ingredient. Stir fry everything together until the wine has evaporated. Finally remove off heat. Serve immediately and enjoy!

    Storage

    • Leftovers will last up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat: microwave for 2-3 minutes until hot or reheat in a pan on medium heat.
    • Freezer friendly? Salt and pepper shrimp can be frozen for up to 3 months. To freeze: let the shrimp cool down completely and then store into a freezer-safe bag squeezing out excess air before sealing it. To reheat from frozen: thaw it overnight in the fridge and microwave for a few minutes or reheat in a pan on medium heat until hot.

    Pairing Suggestions

    Salt and pepper shrimp serves well with:

    • starters like egg rolls, crab rangoons, egg drop soup, hot and sour soup
    • white or brown rice, cauliflower rice, fried rice, chow mein, lo mein, plain noodles, soup noodles 
    • cooked vegetables like bok choy, spicy garlic bok choy, choy sum, gai lan, garlic green beans or stir fried snow pea leaves.
    • protein dishes like Lemon Chicken, Cashew Chicken, Mongolian Beef, Honey Walnut Shrimp, Bang Bang Shrimp, Shrimp Omelet, Soy Garlic Tofu, Chinese Braised Tofu and more!

    FAQ

    Can I make this in advance?

    Salt and pepper shrimp can be made up to 4 days advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge. To reheat, microwave for a few minutes or reheat in a pan on medium heat until hot through out.

    Do you eat the shells on salt and pepper shrimp?

    For this recipe, you can cook it without the shell it to make it easier to eat. But if you enjoy eating shrimp with the shell on, you may keep it on. The shells also offer extra flavour.

    Other recipes you may enjoy

    • Gochujang Honey Shrimp
    • Thai Garlic Fried Shrimp
    • Shrimp Broccoli Stir Fry
    • Shrimp Fried Rice
    • Shrimp Omelet

    📖 Recipe

    featured image of salt and pepper shrimp

    Quick & Easy Salt and Pepper Shrimp

    Christie Lai
    Succulent, crispy shrimp packed with salt and pepper flavors with a spicy kick. This quick and easy salt and pepper shrimp is ready in 20 minutes with minimal ingredients. A great main dish that is restaurant quality!
    4.80 from 10 votes
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prevent your screen from going dark
    Prep Time 15 minutes mins
    Cook Time 10 minutes mins
    Total Time 25 minutes mins
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Asian, Chinese
    Servings 4
    Calories per serving 50 kcal

    Ingredients
     
     

    • 14 oz jumbo shrimp peeled and deveined
    • ¼ cup vegetable oil or any neutral oil
    • 3 cloves garlic minced
    • 1 large red chili pepper sliced
    • 1 teaspoon ginger finely chopped
    • 1 green onion finely chopped
    • ½ teaspoon white granulated sugar
    • 1 tablespoon Shaoxing Cooking Wine (or sub with dry sherry wine or chicken stock for a non-alcoholic version)

    For Seasoning & Coating Shrimp:

    • 1 tablespoon Shaoxing Cooking Wine (or sub with dry sherry wine or chicken stock for a non-alcoholic version)
    • ½ teaspoon black pepper
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ¼ cup cornstarch add more if needed (or sub with potato starch)

    Instructions
     

    • First in a large mixing bowl, season the shrimp with salt, black pepper and shaoxing wine.
    • Then add cornstarch to seasoned shrimp and mix until each piece of shrimp is well coated.
    • Next heat vegetable oil in a large pan on medium heat. Fry shrimp on both sides until mostly pink and crispy, flipping over half way, about 2-3 minutes in total.
    • Quickly add in garlic, red chili, ginger, green onion, sugar and shaoxing wine as the last ingredient. Stir fry everything together until the wine has evaporated. Finally remove off heat. Serve immediately and enjoy!
    Enjoyed my recipe?Please leave a 5 star review (be kind)! Tag me on social media @christieathome as I'd love to see your creations!

    Suggested Equipment & Products

    • Wok
    • Measuring Set
    • Santoku Knife
    • Cutting Board
    • Mixing bowl
    • Kitchen Scale
    Nutrition
    Calories: 50kcal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 0.5g | Fat: 0.1g | Saturated Fat: 0.01g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.04g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 148mg | Potassium: 61mg | Fiber: 0.4g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 139IU | Vitamin C: 17mg | Calcium: 10mg | Iron: 0.3mg

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

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      Recipe Rating




    1. Michelle Nguyen

      April 04, 2024 at 9:40 pm

      Is it possible to use precooked frozen shrimp?

      Reply
      • Christie Lai

        April 05, 2024 at 12:29 pm

        Hi Michelle, unfortunately I wouldn't recommended pre-cooked shrimp for this recipe or it'll be overcooked.

        Reply
    2. Jc

      February 19, 2024 at 7:46 pm

      5 stars
      This was a very delicious and easy recipe, we found a tsp of salt gave us the savor we needed, was wondering if I could do this with Lobster as well?

      Reply
      • Christie Lai

        February 22, 2024 at 2:11 pm

        Thank you so much for making my recipe, JC! Happy to hear that it worked out well with more salt 🙂 I haven't personally tried it with lobster but I can imagine it being delicious!

        Reply
    3. Tess

      January 14, 2024 at 7:11 pm

      4 stars
      This is one of my favorite things I’ve had at a Chinese restaurant. I’m not sure what I did wrong but my shrimp was perfectly cook but it wasn’t crispy. The flavors were right so I’ll have to try again.

      Reply
      • Christie Lai

        January 15, 2024 at 3:06 pm

        Thanks for making my recipe, Tess! Glad the flavors were right and I appreciate your feedback!

        Reply
    4. Sandy Stiner

      March 23, 2023 at 8:14 pm

      5 stars
      So good!!!! This will be a regular recipe in our menu! Thanks for making Asian food so easy!!!!

      Reply
      • christieathome

        March 27, 2023 at 6:19 pm

        Awesome! I am really happy to read this worked well so well for you. Happy I could make Asian food easier and more approachable!

        Reply
    5. Christine Hooper

      January 26, 2023 at 6:44 pm

      5 stars
      Very good. I used mirin instead of wine.

      Reply
      • christieathome

        January 27, 2023 at 2:27 pm

        Awesome, thanks for making my recipe and sharing this note with us Christine!

        Reply
    6. Emily Gibbs

      January 12, 2023 at 4:25 am

      I’m excited to try this what should I substitute the red chili pepper with ? I couldn’t find it in the grocery store

      Reply
      • christieathome

        January 16, 2023 at 3:55 pm

        You can use green chili peppers or even bell peppers of any colour 🙂

        Reply
    7. Sabrina

      December 17, 2022 at 9:55 am

      4 stars
      Very good. I had to substitute the Shaoxing wine for sherry vinegar because I couldn't find it, but it was still delicious. Also, the recipe doesn't specify how much corn starch to put in, so I went with 1/4 tsp.

      Reply
      • christieathome

        December 18, 2022 at 4:55 pm

        Hi Sabrina, thanks so much for flagging that to me and for making my recipe! It should be 1/4 cup of cornstarch and I have updated the recipe accordingly.

        Reply
    8. Bear Graves

      December 15, 2022 at 5:53 pm

      5 stars
      Very easy with reliable, delicious results

      Reply
      • christieathome

        December 16, 2022 at 11:42 am

        Thank you so much for the kind comment Bear! Glad you enjoyed it and have a great day!

        Reply
    9. Heidi | The Frugal Girls

      January 04, 2021 at 3:49 pm

      5 stars
      I actually do have all but one of the ingredients for this recipe already in my pantry and freezer. This is such a tasty fun way to prepare shrimp!

      Reply
      • Alison

        February 28, 2022 at 7:12 pm

        5 stars
        This recipe is insanely good, super easy and fast. Minimal ingredients I typically have on hand. Dont usually change anything but added some garlic powder as well as white pepper this time around, still phenomenal. When I don't have a red chili I use a jalapeno and works great.

        Reply
        • christieathome

          March 01, 2022 at 3:27 pm

          I'm so glad you enjoyed it Alison! Thank you for making my recipe and leaving such a kind review 🙂

    10. Rosemary

      December 23, 2020 at 7:18 pm

      5 stars
      I have never made shrimp this way! You make me want to give it one more shot!!

      Reply

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    Christie

    Christie is an Recipe Blogger with an expertise on Asian recipes! She makes Asian cooking approachable with step-by-step pictures, ingredient & recipe tips and a helpful cooking video. Her quick and easy recipes have been featured on BuzzFeed Tasty, Food52, The Kitchn, The FeedFeed, Sur La Table, Yummly and more! With a following of over 1M+, her recipes are made repeatedly by her loyal readers.

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