Do you know that pungent, garlicky taste in Chinese food that you can’t quite place? That’s Sichuan garlic sauce. Made from garlic, ginger, vinegar, and chili pepper, it adds a whole new dimension of flavor to any dish.
The first time I had Sichuan garlic sauce, I was hooked. There was something about the pungent, garlicky taste that was unlike anything I had ever experienced. The combination of ingredients creates an addictive sauce that is perfect for seafood dishes like this shrimp stir-fry.
If you’re an avid shrimp lover, these tasty little crustaceans make a perfect appetizer or main course any time of the year. There are many ways to cook shrimp and add a zest to their flavor. Here is one quick and easy way to make your fried garlic shrimp that is sure to please your family and friends. It’s simple, fast, and requires only 5 ingredients that you probably already have in your kitchen.
Fried garlic butter shrimps are typically made with fresh shrimps, which is the best option. If you can find shrimps in the shell, that’s even better. If you want to make this shrimp recipe with frozen shrimps, you can. You just need to thaw the shrimp and peel them.
How to make fried garlic shrimp
Fried Garlic Shrimp
Ingredients
- olive oil
- salt
- pepper
- minced garlic, ginger, and shallot
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon siracha
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 cup vegetable or canola oil
- sesame seed & green onion optional
Instructions
Fry the garlic
- Heat up 1 cup of vegetable or canola oil in a wok. Add 3 tbsp. of garlic in the hot oil and cook for about 2-3 minutes. Drain the garlic and let it sit in the drainer. We'll use it for topping in the final step. The garlic oil will be used to fry the shrimp.
Making the sauce
- In a bowl, add 1tbsp. of fish sauce, 2 tbsp of sugar, and 1 tbsp. of siracha, 1 tbsp. of water, a pinch of pepper, and mix everything together.
- We'll use the sauce later when you cool the shrimp in the wok/skillet.
Marinate the shrimps
- Add 1 lb of shrimp in a bowl and add olive oil, a pinch of salt, and pepper, mix them together and let it sit until you're ready to fry them.
- Before frying, add 1 tbsp. of corn starch and 2 tbsp. of flour to the shrimps. This will give you a nice golden color and will help give a crunchy texture to the shrimp.
Fry the shrimp in a wok/skillet
- Now that you have your shrimp ready, you can fry them in a skillet or wok. I like to use the wok for this because it has a higher wall and deep rounded bottom which is ideal for frying.
- use about 1 cup of vegetable oil and add one tsp. of flour while heating up the oil. Doing this will keep the oil from splashing everywhere when you fry the shrimp.
- Heat up the garlic oil in a large skillet and add the shrimp.
- Fry them for about 3-5 minutes until it turns brown.
- Place the shrimp on a wire rack and let it rest for 3-5 minutes to blend the flavors together.
Final step
- On an empty wok/pan, sate the rest of the minced garlic, shallot, and ginger.
- Add the shrimp and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes, then add the sauce.
- Cook the shrimp until the sauce is reduced and thickened.
- Now, you can top it off with the fried garlic you did in the early step.
