Thai Garlic Fried Shrimp

Succulent shrimp stir-fried with lots of fragrant aromatics and fish sauce. Quick, one-pan dish ready in 15 minutes.

IngredientsClear All

Shrimp & Produce

• 1 lb jumbo or extra jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined
• 1 green onion, finely chopped
• 1 red chili pepper (or Bird's eye for heat, or bell pepper for mild)
• 1 shallot, sliced (or 1/4 cup diced onion)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp ginger, thinly sliced

Pantry & Cooking

• 1/3 cup cornstarch or potato starch
• 1/4 cup vegetable or neutral oil
• 2 tsp fish sauce
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp white granulated or cane sugar

Instructions

1. Prep the shrimp: Peel, devein, and rinse shrimp under cold water to remove debris. Strain thoroughly and pat dry with paper towels.

2. Coat shrimp: Toss shrimp with cornstarch until fully coated on all sides.

3. Fry shrimp: Heat 3 tablespoons oil in a large pan over medium heat. Fry shrimp on both sides until pink and crispy, about 3-4 minutes total. Don't overcook. Remove from pan and set aside.

4. Sauté aromatics: Add remaining oil to pan. Sauté chili, green onions, shallot, garlic, and ginger for 15 seconds until fragrant.

5. Combine: Return shrimp to pan. Add sugar, fish sauce, and sesame oil. Toss everything together and remove from heat immediately.

6. Serve: Serve hot over rice or with vegetables.

Notes

Storage: Best served immediately. Can be refrigerated for 1-2 days but shrimp will lose crispiness.

Tips:

• Pat shrimp completely dry before coating with cornstarch - this ensures the cornstarch adheres and creates a crispy coating
• Don't overcook the shrimp - once pink and curled, they're done
• Work quickly when stir-frying the aromatics - 15 seconds is all you need
• Remove from heat immediately after adding the sauce to prevent overcooking

Heat level:

• Mild: Use bell pepper instead of chili
• Medium: Use regular red chili pepper
• Spicy: Use Bird's eye chili

Variations:

• Add cashews or peanuts for crunch
• Serve over rice or noodles
• Add snap peas or broccoli for vegetables
• Use chicken thighs instead of shrimp (adjust cooking time)

Source

From Christie at Home