• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
Cooking Therapy logo
  • About Me
    • Work With Me
    • Contact
    • Disclaimer
  • Subscribe
  • Recipes
    • Recipe Index
    • 30 Minute Meals
    • Appetizers
    • Breakfast
    • Drinks
    • Main Dishes
      • Beef
      • Chicken & Poultry
      • Fish & Seafood
      • Pork
      • Tofu
    • Noodle Bowls & Soups
    • Side Dishes
    • Salads
    • Dips & Sauces
    • Sweets & Desserts
      • Bars & Brownies
      • Cakes
      • Candy & Confectionary
      • Cookies
      • Curds & Custards
      • Donuts
      • Ice Cream
      • Mochi
      • Pies & Tarts
  • Restaurant Guides
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Instagram
    • Pinterest

Home » Recipes » 30 Minute Meals

Apr 10, 2022(updated Feb 3, 2023)

25 Minute Crispy Salt & Pepper Shrimp

5 from 5 votes

Leave a comment

by Becca Du

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

Deep fried until golden brown, this recipe for traditionalChinese salt and pepper shrimp is a great option for a quick to make Chinese-inspired dish for dinner. The fried shrimp is crispy and fork-tender. Ready in just 25 minutes!Serve with white rice and enjoy.

salt and pepper shrimp over white rice

One of my favorite Chinese dinner recipes as a child was salt and pepper shrimp. My family used to go to this local restaurant in LA where I didn’t like a majority of the menu. That was about the time I didn’t particularly like beef chow fun or shrimp stir fries. This dish however was one of the few I liked, so my family would order it every time we went there which was a lot. Now as an adult and as a home cook, I can really appreciate what makes this dish so special. It only has a few simple ingredients and is really easy to make, but its flavor is just out of this world. I love it, so I wanted to write a recipe for it to share it with all of you!

raw shrimp on a plate

Ingredients, Substitutions & Adjustments

  • Corn starch – Used to coat the shrimp. You can substitute with tapioca starch, potato starch, or all purpose flour.
  • Chicken bouillon (powdered) – Adds more flavor to the shrimp. This is an optional ingredient.
  • Shrimp – I used shrimp with the head still on them because I think they’re tastier, but feel free to use whatever kind of shrimp you can find.
  • Salt for seasoning
  • White pepper – Since this is a traditional Chinese dish, we use white pepper instead of black pepper for the seasoning. White pepper actually has a slightly different flavor than black pepper, so I highly recommend using it if you can find it. Black pepper will also work if you don’t have white pepper, but it won’t taste the same.
  • Green onions – Adds flavor and color to the dish.
  • Jalapeno – Adds a slight kick to the dish. You can also use red chili peppers.
  • Ginger and garlic – Both add flavor to the dish and help the shrimp taste not so fishy
ingredients for the salt and pepper shrimp recipe

How to make Chinese salt and pepper shrimp

First, mix corn starch and chicken bouillon powder in a large bowl. Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels and coat them with the mixture. Heat 1-2 cups of vegetable oil in a pot or dutch oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Use a candy thermometer to help keep the temperature consistent throughout the frying process. Make sure the oil is 1 inch deep. Drop the shrimp one by one into the oil. Do not crowd the pot. Fry for 2-4 minutes until the shrimp is orange on both sides. Once done, place the shrimp onto a plate covered with paper towels. The paper towels will absorb excess oil.

Heat a large pan over high heat. Add salt to the pan. Cook for 1-2 minutes until a light brown color. Next, add the white pepper and cook for 30 seconds. Empty both onto a plate. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan. You can use some of the oil you used to fry the shrimp. Add the garlic and ginger and saute for 1-2 minutes until they look shiny. Add the jalapeno and green onions. Saute for another minute. Lastly, add back the shrimp and then add the salt and pepper. Saute for another minute and remove from the heat. Serve with white rice and enjoy!

salt and pepper shrimp served on a platter

Tips on how to make the perfect salt and pepper shrimp

Pat dry shrimp before frying

This is absolutely essential for this deep fried shrimp recipe! You won’t get a crispy coating if the shrimp is still wet when you fry it.

Use high heat when you saute the shrimp for the best results

Like in every Chinese dish, using high heat is essential for the best flavor and texture. Low heat causes the dish to become soggy.

Best oil for deep frying shrimp

It’s best to use oil with a high smoke point like vegetable oil or avocado oil for frying shrimp.

What to serve with salt and pepper shrimp

Since this dish is very savory, I would serve it with something plain like white price, brown rice, quinoa, or garlic noodles. You can also serve this in a vermicelli bowl.

How do you store salt and pepper shrimp?

You can store this shrimp in the fridge for up to 3 days.

How do you reheat the shrimp?

You can either reheat it in the microwave, toaster oven or oven. For the best results, I would recommend reheating it in the toaster oven or oven, so you get that crispy skin.

Can you eat the shells on the shrimp?

I do! Most of the flavor is on the shells of the shrimp, so when you peel it, you’re actually peeling off a lot of that. They’re still good eaten peeled but just not as good.

salt and pepper shrimp on a plate

Did you make this dish?

If you made this dish, I would love to see!

Follow Cooking Therapy on Instagram, snap a photo, and tag and hashtag it with @cooking__therapy and #beccascookingtherapy.

Stay connected and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for all my latest recipes.

Disclaimer: If you purchase anything through a link on this site, I may receive a small commission from the purchase at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products that I would personally use. Thank you so much for the support!

salt and pepper shrimp over white rice

25 Minute Crispy Salt & Pepper Shrimp

Becca Du
Deep fried until golden brown, this recipe for traditionalChinese salt and pepper shrimp is a great option for a quick to make Chinese-inspired dish for dinner. The fried shrimp is crispy and fork-tender. Ready in just 25 minutes!Serve with white rice and enjoy.
5 from 5 votes
Print Recipe Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 10 mins
Course Dinner, Main Course
Cuisine Chinese
Servings 4 people
Calories 145 kcal

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1 cup corn starch
  • 1 tbsp chicken bouillon powder optional
  • 1 lb shrimp with heads
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp white pepper
  • 5 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tbsp ginger julienned, cut into match sticks
  • 1 jalapeno thinly sliced
  • 1 cup green onions cut into ½ inch pieces

Instructions
 

  • Mix corn starch and chicken bouillon powder in a large bowl. Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels and coat them with the mixture.
  • Heat 1-2 cups of vegetable oil in a pot or dutch oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C). Use a candy thermometer to help keep the temperature consistent throughout the frying process. Make sure the oil is 1 inch deep.
  • Drop the shrimp one by one into the oil. Do not crowd the pot. Fry for 2-4 minutes until the shrimp is orange on both sides. Once done, place the shrimp onto a plate covered with paper towels. The paper towels will absorb excess oil.
  • Heat a large fry pan over high heat. Add salt to the pan. Cook for 1-2 minutes until a light brown color. Next, add the white pepper and cook for 30 seconds. Empty both onto a plate.
  • Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan. You can use some of the oil you used to fry the shrimp.
  • Add the garlic and ginger and saute for 1-2 minutes until they look shiny.
  • Add the jalapeno and green onions. Saute for another minute.
  • Lastly, add back the shrimp and then add the salt and pepper. Saute for another minute and remove from the heat.
  • Serve with white rice and enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 145kcalCarbohydrates: 34gProtein: 1gFat: 1gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 1gMonounsaturated Fat: 1gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 1469mgPotassium: 106mgFiber: 1gSugar: 1gVitamin A: 287IUVitamin C: 10mgCalcium: 32mgIron: 1mg
Keyword salt and pepper shrimp, salt and pepper shrimp recipe
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
If you love this post, share it!
  36    
ChineseDairy-FreeGluten-FreeFallLunar New YearSpringSummerWinter

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

About Me


Hello I'm Becca! I believe any day can be made better with a bowl of noodle soup. Here you will find recipes from my Chinese/Vietnamese heritage and stories from my experience living here in beautiful LA. Grab a drink and stay awhile! Read More

Never Miss A Post!

Subscribe to get monthly doses of cooking inspiration and foodie goodness in our inbox.

Quick Dinners

Gochujang salmon served on a dark grey plate with boiled broccoli and white rice.

15-Minute Gochujang Salmon

vietnamese shaking beef

Traditional Vietnamese Shaking Beef (Bo Luc Lac)

Baked five spice salmon on a bed of white rice served with mini cucumbers.

Baked Five Spice Salmon (30 minute meal!)

Search

Footer

Privacy Policy · Terms & Conditions · All Rights Reserved

Copyright © 2023 · Cooking Therapy