Fried Garlic Shrimp
This is one of those dishes that you probably wouldn’t order at a restaurant unless you were feeling particularly daring, but that is so much better than you might expect. Also known as fried garlic shrimp, this dish uses a combination of garlic and fish sauce to create an umami flavor that clings perfectly to the crispy shrimp. The result is a garlicky and savory combination of flavors that will impress your friends and family with its ease and casual elegance.
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.
Video
Notes
I always sprinkle in a little bit of sesame and green onions to the shrimp. This dish is great with rice.
I hope you enjoyed this recipe as much as I did! If you try this recipe, drop me a comment and rating below! :)