This Hunan Shrimp combines tender shrimp that have been wok-fried and then coated in a flavorful Hunan sauce. Add stir-fried vegetables and rice for a light, healthy family meal. Even better, you can make this 20-minute dinner in less time than it takes to run to your local Chinese food restaurant!
Try my Hunan chicken, beef, or wings as a variation.
Jump to:
A Chinese Fiery Delight in Every Bite
This super easy-to-make spicy wok shrimp dinner is one of my family's favorites.
It delivers that Hunan heat in a flavor-packed way with my favorite chili oil and chili paste as sauce ingredients!
If you want to go for the maximum effect (and maybe some tears), fry the chili peppers in your heated wok oil as suggested in the recipe below. The quick cook on the peppers adds another layer of flavor!
This dish features succulent shrimp tossed in a hot and spicy sauce. Quick and easy to prepare, it's ideal for a weeknight dinner or special occasion.
🥘 Ingredients
A quick trip to your local grocery store to pick up these simple ingredients may be needed. Adjust your heat level by experimenting with the chili paste, or add the optional Thai chili peppers (or your favorite variety).
Hunan Shrimp
- Shrimp - 1 pound of large shrimp (peeled and deveined, tail on or off-thawed, if frozen).
- Peanut Oil - 3 tablespoons of peanut oil.
- Garlic - 2 tablespoons of garlic (finely minced or crushed).
- Ginger - 1 tablespoon of ginger (grated).
Shrimp Marinade
- Water - 2 tablespoons of cool water (to combine with cornstarch).
- Cornstarch - 1 tablespoon of cornstarch.
- Oyster Sauce - 2 teaspoons of oyster sauce.
- Salt - 1 teaspoon of salt.
Hunan Shrimp Sauce
- Shaoxing Wine - 2 tablespoons of Shaoxing wine (or use Rice Wine, Mirin -1 tablespoon only).
- Soy Sauce - 2 teaspoons of soy sauce.
- Hot Chili Oil - 1 teaspoon of hot chili oil (I use Roland hot chili oil).
- Chili Paste - 1 teaspoon of chili paste (I use Sambal Oelek).
- Sugar - 1 teaspoon of sugar.
- Thai Chile Peppers (Optional) - 8 Thai chile peppers (whole, sliced, or crushed).
- Green Onions (Optional) - 2 green onions (chopped, for garnish).
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Hunan Shrimp
This recipe is an incredibly easy-to-make yet super flavorful meal.
You will need mixing bowls, measuring utensils, and a wok (or large skillet).
This recipe will yield around 6 servings! There's plenty for when you want to enjoy a 'take out' meal at home with your family!
Prep Shrimp, Marinade, And Sauce
- Prep. Start with preparing your 1 pound of shrimp. If you have fresh shrimp, rinse, peel, and de-vein the shrimp as needed.
- Combine. Once your shrimp are ready, mix the marinade in a medium bowl by combining the 2 tablespoons of cool or cold water with 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and adding the 2 teaspoons of oyster sauce and 1 teaspoon of salt.
- Stir. Transfer your shrimp to the marinade and stir to coat the shrimp thoroughly.
- Marinate. Cover the bowl with some plastic cling film wrap and place it in the refrigerator to marinate for about 30 minutes.
- Make sauce. Make your sauce while you marinate the shrimp. Combine all of the Hunan-style sauce ingredients in a small bowl, including 2 tablespoons of Shaoxing wine, 2 teaspoons of soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of hot chili oil, 1 teaspoon of chili paste, and 1 teaspoon of sugar. Set aside until the shrimp are cooked. *Rice wine or a dry cooking sherry can be used as an alternative to the Shaoxing wine, or use only 1 tablespoon of Mirin as a substitute.
Stir Fry Shrimp
- Heat. To cook the shrimp with Hunan sauce, heat your wok, large skillet, or non-stick frying pan over high heat with the peanut oil. Strain off excess marinade from the shrimp before placing them into the heated cooking oil.
- Cook. Stir the shrimp once, then spread them out as evenly as possible and allow them to cook for one minute. Discard any remaining marinade.
- Cook. Turn the cooked shrimp and continue to stir fry until there is no longer any visible pink on the shrimp.
- Add ingredients. Add the minced 2 tablespoons of garlic and crushed 1 tablespoon of ginger and toss with the shrimp.
- Add sauce. Drizzle the sauce over the shrimp, then stir to combine. Allow the shrimp with sauce to cook for 1 - 2 minutes or until bubbling and the sauce has thickened slightly.
- Serve. Remove from heat and serve with steamed or stir-fried vegetables over a bed of rice. Garnish with sliced green onions, if desired. Serve immediately.
This recipe can be served as an appetizer, snack, or dinner. I like to switch the sides up between jasmine rice, fried rice, wontons, or noodles to go with it. Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- Thawing Frozen Shrimp: Ensure frozen shrimp are fully thawed before you start cooking to ensure even cooking.
- Shrimp Tail Preference: Whether to keep the tails on your shrimp is entirely up to you. Removing the tails might be more convenient for enjoying Chinese Hunan shrimp as a main dish.
- Wine Substitutes: If Shaoxing wine isn't available, you can use one of my substitutes, rice wine or dry-cooking sherry. Alternatively, 1 tablespoon of Mirin can also work.
- Serving as Appetizers: For appetizer servings, consider using jumbo prawns with tails intact. They're perfect for finger food options.
- Achieving a Thicker Coating: For those who prefer a thicker batter on their Hunan Shrimp, incorporate an egg into the marinade. Then, coat the marinated shrimp in cornstarch and deep fry in hot cooking oil until golden. Drain on a paper towel before proceeding with the rest of the recipe.
🥡 Storing & Reheating
Store your leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 4-5 days. Alternatively, you can store your leftovers in a freezer-safe container in the freezer for 2 months.
Reheating
Heat your leftovers on a microwavable plate in 30-second increments or until it's heated to your liking. You can also reheat it on the stovetop in a frying pan with a small amount of oil or water.
>>>>See all of my recipes here<<<<
❓ Recipe FAQs
Szechuan shrimp has a more peppery flavor than Hunan shrimp. Also, Hunan shrimp has a higher heat level than Szechuan shrimp.
Yes! Let your Hunan shrimp completely cool off, then place it in a freezer-safe container in the freezer for up to 2 months. Let it thaw in the fridge overnight before reheating it in the microwave or stovetop.
I like to serve Hunan shrimp with my Instant Pot basmati rice, hibachi fried rice, Instant Pot long-grain white rice, Instant Pot jasmine rice, or teriyaki noodles!
😋 Other Great Take-Out Dishes
- Chinese Beef Meatballs - These beef meatballs with ginger sauce will be the hit of the party!
- Crab Rangoons - Homemade crab rangoons are the perfect appetizer or snack, plus they're super easy to make!
- Hibachi Fried Rice - This fried rice only takes minutes to prepare with either jasmine or basmati rice!
- Egg Rolls - Get amazingly crispy egg rolls in just minutes when you pop them into the air fryer!
- Won-Tons - Cream cheese won-tons are rich, creamy, and perfect for dipping into some sweet and sour sauce!
- Yum Yum Sauce - This homemade version of yum yum sauce is even better than the hibachi sauce at restaurants!
Do you love a recipe you tried? Please leave a 5-star 🌟rating in the recipe card below and/or a review in the comments section further down the page.
Stay in touch with me through social media @ Pinterest, Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter! Subscribe to the newsletter today (no spam, I promise)! Don't forget to tag me when you try one of my recipes!
📖 Recipe Card
Hunan Shrimp
Ingredients
Hunan Shrimp
- 1 lb large shrimp (peeled and deveined, tail on or off - thawed, if frozen)
- 3 tablespoon peanut oil
- 2 tablespoon garlic (finely minced or crushed)
- 1 tablespoon ginger (grated)
Shrimp Marinade
- 2 tablespoon cool water (to combine with cornstarch)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoon oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon salt
Hunan Shrimp Sauce
- 2 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (or use Rice Wine, Mirin (1 tablespoon only), or a dry Sherry cooking wine)
- 2 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon hot chili oil (I use Roland hot chili oil)
- 1 teaspoon chili paste (I use Sambal Oelek)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 8 Thai chile peppers (optional - whole, sliced, or crushed)
- 2 green onions (optional - chopped, for garnish)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- If you are using fresh shrimp, clean them so that they are peeled and deveined. The tail can be removed for ease of enjoying them as a meal, or left on if you would like to make these (using jumbo shrimp potentially for an appetizer).
- In a medium mixing bowl combine the marinade ingredients (2 tablespoon cool water, 1 tablespoon cornstarch, 2 teaspoon oyster sauce and 1 teaspoon salt) then transfer the 1 lb large shrimp into the marinade. Turn to coat thoroughly, cover with plastic cling film wrap and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes to marinate.
- In a small bowl, combine the sauce ingredients (2 tablespoon Shaoxing wine, 2 teaspoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon hot chili oil, 1 teaspoon chili paste and 1 teaspoon sugar). Set aside.
- Heat your wok, large skillet or non-stick frying pan with the 3 tablespoon peanut oil over high heat. Once the oil shimmers and is just beginning to lightly smoke, roll the oil around the wok edges to coat.
- Add the (optional) 8 Thai chile peppers and cook briefly, about 30 seconds or until the peppers darken from their deep red to a brick red coloring. Remove from the oil and set aside.
- Use a slotted spoon to drain off the excess marinade, transfer the marinated shrimp into the heated oil. Stir to mix, then spread the shrimp out as evenly as possible. Cook the shrimp for about 1 minute, then turn and mix the shrimp until no longer pink. Discard any remaining marinade.
- Add the 2 tablespoon garlic and 1 tablespoon ginger, then toss with the shrimp. Stir your Hunan shrimp sauce and then drizzle it over the shrimp. Stir to coat all of the ingredients. Allow the sauce to cook for about 2 minutes, or until bubbling and thickened slightly.
- Remove the Hunan shrimp from heat and serve immediately. Serve over rice garnished with 2 green onions, if desired.
Comments
No Comments