Description
Crispy Pepper-Salt Shrimp is a quick, bold-flavored Chinese-inspired dish made with juicy shrimp, garlic, chilies, and fragrant spices. It’s pan-fried to golden perfection and perfect for sharing.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 pound large shrimp (shell-on, deveined)
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon Sichuan peppercorns (optional)
- 4 cloves garlic (thinly sliced)
- 1 red chili (thinly sliced)
- 1 green chili (thinly sliced)
- 2 scallions (white and green parts, sliced)
- About 1 cup neutral oil (for frying)
Instructions
- Heat about 1 cup of oil in a wok or skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering.
- Toss cleaned, dried shrimp in a bowl with cornstarch until evenly coated.
- Fry shrimp in batches, turning once, until golden and crispy, about 2 minutes per side. Remove and drain on paper towels.
- Pour off excess oil, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pan. Fry garlic until golden, then add chilies, scallions, and Sichuan peppercorns. Stir-fry until fragrant.
- Return shrimp to the pan. Sprinkle with salt and white pepper, then toss everything together to coat evenly.
- Serve immediately, hot and crispy, with optional lime wedges.
Notes
- Pat shrimp very dry before coating for maximum crispiness.
- Adjust chili quantity to control the spice level.
- Use peeled shrimp if you prefer less mess, though shell-on gives better flavor.
- Reheat leftovers in a skillet to maintain crisp texture.