Crispy Sweet Chili ShrimpI love Asian food for so many reasons. Often the recipes are very quick and simple to put together. That means you spend less time in the kitchen…which is a good thing in my book. Plus, you get such a punch of flavor with that effort – that makes it a winner in my book.

I have been making this recipe for a while. At my house we call it sweet & sour shrimp but that is completely inaccurate.  If you have tried my Sweet & Sour Meatballs – that has the sauce that you guys would recognize as a traditional sweet and sour sauce. Now, I have done that particular sauce with my crispy fried shrimp…but here at my house, the recipe I am sharing today is the preferred sauce with the shrimp.

So last night I was trying to come up with a name. I went round and round and even had my husband helping me. Let’s just say…I probably won’t have him help again. He comes up with the weirdest ideas– tee hee. Now, I probably didn’t do much better but Crispy Sweet Chili Shrimp is a much more accurate description of what this dish is all about.

First you have that delicious crispy shrimp then it’s tossed in a sauce that is sweet and sticky with a slight amount of heat. Don’t be scared of the heat…it comes from chili paste which adds more flavor than it does heat. You get just enough to make it super tasty!

If you have any fear that your little ones will not be able to eat this one just do what I do…serve them the crispy shrimp without the sauce. I have one that will not touch the sauce and the other thinks it is amazing. I generally pull out a handful of shrimp before I toss them in the sauce so I know the boys will eat without grumping.

While the shrimp hikes the price up a bit, the fact that the ingredient list is short evens out the final cost.  Give this one a try, I think you’ll love it!

This recipe is part of the Publix Menu Plan For The Week Of 7/31. Here are the other recipes that I have shared so far –

Crispy Sweet Chili Shrimp
Author: Michelle
Prep time:
Cook time:
Total time:
Serves: 6
[url href=”https://www.iheartpublix.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/shrimp-ingred.jpg”][img src=”https://www.iheartpublix.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/shrimp-ingred.jpg” width=”500″ height=”332″ class=”aligncenter size-full” title=”shrimp ingred”][/url]
Ingredients
  • 1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1 cup + 1 tablespoon corn starch, divided
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons of oil + oil for frying
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced
  • 3/4 cup water
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon roasted red chili paste
  • 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
  • 1/3 cup soy sauce
  • 2 -3 green onions, sliced
Instructions
  1. Mix the flour with 1 cup of corn starch and salt and pepper and place in a large bowl or zip top bag.
  2. Dip the shrimp in the flour mixture and shake to remove any excess breading.
  3. Next, dip the shrimp in the beaten egg then return the shrimp to the flour mixture for a second time.
  4. Be sure to shake off any excess breading.
  5. Add about a cup of oil in a large pan or wok and heat over medium high heat.
  6. Once the oil is hot cook the battered shrimp for 2 -3 minutes per side until golden brown and remove to a paper lined plate – [i]I generally cook the shrimp in 2 batches so I don’t over crowd the pan. [/i]
  7. Dump the oil and wipe your pan then add 2 teaspoons of oil to the pan and heat it to medium low.
  8. Cook the garlic and ginger for about a minute.
  9. Add the soy sauce, lemon juice, chili paste and brown sugar to the pan and whisk until combined.
  10. Mix the water and 1 tablespoon of corn starch then add to the pan.
  11. Cook for about 5 minutes until the sauce has thickened.
  12. Toss the shrimp in the sauce.
  13. Serve over rice and top with sliced green onions

Pick up some of the Medium White Shrimp, Easy to Peel, Previously Frozen, Farmed, 41 to 50 per pound, $9.99/lb at Publix and grab some items from your pantry and put the whole meal together for much less than you’d spend at your local Chinese restaurant!