Chinese Salt and Pepper Shrimp

A black bowl filled with fried shrimp garnished with chopped green onions, red chili slices, garlic, and cilantro, with a pair of wooden chopsticks resting on the bowl.

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This crispy, spicy Chinese Salt and Pepper Shrimp is loaded with bold flavor. Juicy shrimp are marinated in fish sauce, fried until golden, and tossed with chilies, garlic, and scallions for a dish that’s just as good over rice as it is straight off the pan.

Course Appetizer, main dish

Cuisine Asian, Chinese

Keyword salt and pepper shrimp

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 15

Additional Time 10

Servings servings

Calories 134kcal

Author Robin Donovan

Ingredients

1 pound large shrimp peeled and deveined
4 pieces red Thai chili peppers chopped
3 tablespoons fish sauce
1 clove garlic chopped
1-inch piece ginger chopped
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons cornstarch
2 pieces scallions sliced
1 teaspoon whole peppercorns
1 teaspoon coarse salt or to taste
Fresh cilantro leaves for garnish
Oil for frying

Instructions

Marinate the shrimp
Place the peeled and deveined shrimp in a bowl. Pour the fish sauce over the shrimp and toss to coat. Let them sit while you prep the rest of the ingredients.
Prep the aromatics
Use a mortar and pestle to coarsely grind the peppercorns. Chop the garlic, ginger, and red chilies and slice the scallions. Set each aside in separate piles.
Coat the shrimp
In another bowl, stir together the flour and cornstarch. Drain the shrimp and toss them in the flour mixture until they are evenly coated.
Fry the shrimp
Heat about an inch of oil in a large skillet or wok. Once hot, fry the shrimp in batches until they turn golden and crisp, flipping them once during cooking. Transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels.
Cook the aromatics
Pour off most of the oil from the pan, leaving about a tablespoon. Return the pan to the heat, then add the garlic and ginger. Cook until they begin to brown.
Finish the stir-fry
Add the chilies and scallions to the pan and cook for another couple of minutes. Return the shrimp to the pan and toss everything together until the shrimp are coated in the aromatics.
Season and serve
Sprinkle the shrimp with the ground peppercorns and salt. Toss one last time, garnish with cilantro, and serve hot.

Video

Notes

You can use jalapeños or serranos in place of Thai chilies for a milder option.
For extra crispiness, double-fry the shrimp by returning them briefly to the hot oil after the first round.
If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, crush the peppercorns with the bottom of a skillet or rolling pin.

Nutrition