Hunan Shrimp
on Apr 06, 2022, Updated Oct 19, 2023
Hunan Shrimp is a hot and spicy Chinese-style preparation in which juicy shrimp are coated in a hot and spicy sauce. Use my easy recipe to make it.
Here are some more shrimp recipes that you may like: Garlic Butter Shrimp, Baked Garlic Parmesan Shrimp, Hibachi Shrimp, and Shrimp Masala.
About Hunan Shrimp
Hunan Shrimp is a fiery, spicy Asian dish in which crisp pan-fried shrimp are tossed with veggies and a spicy sauce. This dish is popular in the Hunan province of China and worldwide.
Like Hunan Chicken or Hunan Beef, these one-pot, low-carb Hunan-style shrimp are also easy to make, bursting with flavors, and much better than your favorite Asian takeout.
Just a few simple ingredients, and you can serve this dish from pan to table in under 20 minutes.
Serve these spicy shrimp for your weeknight dinner or weekend brunch with fried rice, steamed rice, Hakka, or stir-fried noodles. They are also a great starter for house parties or game or movie nights.
Ingredients
Shrimp (Prawns) – You can make this Hunan-style shrimp using fresh shrimp or frozen shrimp.
You can make this dish with any size of shrimp: small, medium, large, or jumbo. They all work great, but the cooking time will differ slightly.
If frozen shrimp is used, thaw them before use.
Make sure to clean and devein the shrimp if they are not already deveined.
Vegetables – I have used celery, red bell peppers, and broccoli. You can add more veggies such as bok choy, zucchini, mushrooms, snow peas, green beans, yellow bell peppers, etc.
I like garnering the ready dish with green onions (scallions) for a pop of color.
Garlic gives a lovely flavor to these Hunan-style shrimp; do not skip it.
Oil – I prefer to make the stir-fry in canola oil, but you can use any other neutral oil like avocado, peanut, or light olive oil.
If you are ok with sesame oil, use it for an authentic Asian flavor.
You can also use hot chili oil instead of regular oil if you like spicy food.
Chilli Paste – Traditionally, fermented chili paste is used to make this dish, but I use my Asian Red Chili Paste, which works perfectly fine. Sambal Oelek is also a great option.
Rice Vinegar – I love the tangy taste of rice vinegar. You can replace it with Shaoxing wine (Chinese cooking wine).
If both are unavailable, use apple cider or white vinegar.
Sauce – This spicy Hunan shrimp recipe uses only dark soy sauce and oyster sauce.
Honey adds a hint of sweetness and mellows the dish’s spiciness.
Others – You will also need fresh ginger, chicken broth (chicken stock), cornstarch, salt, and pepper.
How To Make Hunan Shrimp
Fry The Shrimp
Transfer 1 pound (500 g) of cleaned and deveined medium-sized raw shrimp to a medium mixing bowl. Pat them dry using a paper towel.
Add 2 tablespoon cornstarch and toss well to coat each shrimp with cornstarch.
Heat a flat, wide pan over high heat. Once the pan is hot, add 2 tablespoon oil to it
Add the shrimp to the pan and spread them in a single layer. Since we want the shrimp to fry instead of steam, it is very important to use a wide pan.
I used a 12-inch pan for 1 pound of shrimp. If you are scaling the recipe, then fry it in batches.
Stir the shrimp a few times while cooking and fry until nicely browned from both sides (4-5 minutes). Remove on a plate.
Note – If using small shrimp, cook for 3-4 minutes; if using large shrimp, cook for 5-6 minutes.
Do not overcook the shrimp; otherwise, they will become chewy.
Make The Hunan Sauce
Add 2 tablespoon oil to the same pan and heat over medium-high heat.
Once the oil is hot and shimmery, add 2 teaspoon minced garlic and saute it for 3-4 seconds.
Add the following veggies and saute for 15-20 seconds.
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- ½ cup thinly sliced celery
- 1 red bell pepper (cored, seeded, and cut into ½ inch pieces)
Add the fried shrimp back to the pan and mix well.
Stir together 2 tablespoon cornstarch with ½ cup chicken broth and add the slurry to the pan.
Add the following ingredients to the pan and mix well.
- 2 tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 2 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder
Note – Be very careful about the extra salt. The sauces already have a lot of salt, so add a little, taste, and add more if necessary.
Add 2 teaspoon red chili paste and mix well again.
Garnish with scallions and serve hot. You can also sprinkle a few toasted sesame seeds on top before serving.
Frequently Asked Questions
On a scale of 1-5, I would rate my Hunan-style shrimp recipe a 3. If you are used to eating spicy food, these should be fine. But if you are not, skip adding the red chili paste at the end of the cooking.
To devein shrimp, make a shallow cut on the back of the shrimp with a sharp paring knife. Then, use the tip of the knife to remove the vein gently, taking care not to cut too deeply. Rinse the shrimp under running water to remove any remaining bits of the vein.
This recipe uses all the gluten-free ingredients except soy sauce and oyster sauce. You can replace soy sauce with Tamari or coconut aminos and use a gluten-free oyster sauce to make a gluten-free Hunan-style shrimp.
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Hunan Shrimp Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 pound medium-sized shrimp (500 gram, cleaned and deveined)
- ¼ cup cornstarch (divided)
- 4 tablespoons vegetable oil (divided)
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1 cup broccoli florets
- ½ cup thinly sliced celery
- 1 red bell pepper (cored, seeded and cut into ½ inch pieces)
- ½ cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce (use tamari for gluten-free)
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce (use gluten-free oyster sauce for gluten-free version)
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon honey
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper powder
- 2 teaspoons red chili paste
Instructions
Fry The Shrimp
- Transfer cleaned and deveined shrimp to a medium mixing bowl. Pat them dry using a kitchen towel.
- Add 2 tablespoon cornstarch and toss well to coat each shrimp with cornstarch.
- Heat a flat wide pan over high heat. Once the pan is hot, add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to it.
- Add the shrimp to the pan and spread them in a single layer. We want the shrimp to fry instead of steam, hence it is very important to use a wide pan. I used a 12 inch pan for 1 pound of shrimp. If you are scaling the recipe, then fry in batches.
- Stir the shrimp a few times while cooking and fry until nicely browned from both sides (4-5 minutes). Remove on a plate.
- Note – If using small shrimp, then cook for 3-4 minutes and if using large shrimp, then cook for 5-6 minutes.
- Do not overcook the shrimp otherwise, they will become chewy.
Make The Sauce
- Add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to the same pan and heat over medium-high heat.
- Once the oil is hot and shimmery, add garlic and saute it for 3-4 seconds.
- Add broccoli florets, celery, and red bell peppers and saute for 15-20 seconds.
- Add the fried shrimp back to the pan and mix well.
- Stir together 2 tablespoons cornstarch with chicken broth and add the slurry to the pan.
- Add dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice vinegar, honey, salt, and pepper, and mix well.
- Note – Be very careful about the extra salt. The sauces already have a lot of salt in them so add a little, taste, and add more if required.
- Add red chilli paste and mix well again.
- Garnish the Hunan shrimp with scallions and serve hot.
Video
Another outstanding dish! I replaced the celery with onions and cooked the veggies for longer than the recipe suggests. This was better than any restaurant dish I’ve had
Will grilled shrimp work? I can’t eat fried foods.
Yes, sure