From Kung Pao To Garlic – Try These 20 Simple Chinese Shrimp Recipes

For a change from chicken or pork, try some shrimp as the key component in a Chinese dish. You may be surprised at how versatile it proves as it can go with many sauces and flavor combinations.

Use it in a stir-fry or fried rice dish with noodles and vegetables, there really is no end to how it can be used.

Here are 20 simple Chinese shrimp recipes with a bonus section for side dishes.

1. Kung Pao Shrimp

Kung Pao Shrimp packs a punch but is so easy to prepare in 15 minutes. Sauté garlic then add bell peppers to cook until softened before adding shrimp to cook until pink.

Stir in whisked soy sauce, sesame oil, maple syrup, Sriracha, red pepper flakes, cornstarch, and water with peanuts to cook until thickened. Serve with cooked rice and garnish with sliced green onions. 

2. Szechuan Shrimp

With a thick sauce, this Szechuan Shrimp works really well with rice. Stir together ketchup, water, soy sauce, cornstarch, honey, ground ginger, and red pepper flakes.

In a skillet over a medium-high heat, sauté garlic and green onions then stir in the shrimp and toss to coat. Incorporate the mix with the sauce and cook until thickened.

3. Shrimp Stir-Fry

With a healthy portion of vegetables, this stir-fry is so simple. Sauté the shrimp with onion then mix in green bell pepper, mushrooms, and garlic, then throw in minced ginger to stir.

Pour in oyster sauce and water then ensure the shrimp is cooked through. Mix in cooked noodles and beansprouts and serve.

4. Shrimp Stir-Fry With Ginger And Garlic

This Shrimp Stir-Fry only takes 15 minutes so toss your shrimp in cornstarch to start, sear them, and set them aside.

Turn down the heat then cook grated ginger, garlic, and green onion before pouring in a sauce of whisked together oyster sauce, soy sauce, and cilantro. Return the shrimp to the pan to cook through.

5. Honey Garlic Shrimp

To create your own Feng Mi Da Suan Xia, marinate shrimp in rice vinegar, soy sauce, and salt. Fry the shrimp until pink then remove while you sauté garlic and finely chopped ginger until lightly browned.

Combine more rice vinegar and soy sauce with sriracha sauce and honey then add to the pan and return the shrimp.

Toss together and finish with lime juice to serve with a garnish of either chopped cilantro, scallions, or sesame seeds. 

6. Chinese Salt And Pepper Shrimp

To use its full Chinese name, Jiao Yan Xia, is a simple and spicy dish. On a low heat, toast sesame seeds, fennel seeds, salt, pepper, and star anise then remove and grind. Evenly coat the shrimp in cornstarch and either shallow or deep fry until pink then remove.

Fry the shallots, chili peppers, minced garlic, and ginger then return the shrimp with more seasoning and garnish with scallions.

7. Chinese Sautéed Shrimp

To properly sauté shrimp, heat up a pan over a high heat then first sauté green onion, garlic, and chopped ginger.

Add the shrimp with soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and Shaoxing cooking wine until pink. Simmer and add more green onion and garlic then serve.

8. Shrimp With Garlic Sauce

Flavorful and full of vegetables, try this Shrimp With Garlic Sauce Stir-Fry by sautéing garlic and minced ginger then adding Thai chilies, snow peas, carrot, and red bell peppers.

Once crisp-tender, add the shrimp to cook until pink. Add in a sauce of chicken broth, soy sauce, dry sherry, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and chili paste with a cornstarch slurry to thicken. Remove from the heat and serve as soon as possible. 

9. Shrimp Lo Mein

You can create your own Shrimp Lo Mein to rival a takeout by preparing Lo Mein noodles until al dente.

Sauté carrots, water chestnuts, snow peas, and bamboo shoots until crisp-tender then remove before sautéing the shrimp until pink then removing that too (find more quick and easy eater chestnut recipes, read here).

Add garlic, grated ginger, sliced scallions then return the sautéed vegetables, shrimp, and noodles with beansprouts. 

Toss the ingredients in a mix of dark and light soy sauces with Shaoxing wine, oyster sauce, sesame oil, sugar, and white pepper. Season and serve with soy sauce and chili oil.  

10. Shrimp With Broccoli Stir-Fry

If you see Shrimp With Broccoli Stir-Fry on a takeout menu, you may be tempted to make your own. Cook the shrimp in a skillet over a medium-high heat until pink then add broccoli to cook until tender.

Whisk together a sauce of oyster sauce, soy sauce, rice wine vinegar, grated ginger, garlic, brown sugar, sesame oil, cornstarch, and Sriracha to add and thicken.

Serve straight away with green onion and sesame seeds. 

11. Shrimp Fried Rice

Chinese Shrimp Fried Rice, also known as Xia Ren Chao Fan, can be so simple to make. Boil up water in a large pot and, meanwhile, fry some long-grain rice in a skillet over a medium heat until golden.

Place the rice in the large pot and simmer until the water has been soaked up then allow it to cool. Fry the shrimp in butter, remove, then fry the mixed vegetables and add garlic and onion. 

Shift the vegetables to one side of the pan then add in beaten eggs to scramble and mix in. Return the shrimp and add the rice to the pan and stir then season. Serve with a good drizzle of soy sauce. 

12. Chili And Garlic Shrimp

Fragrant and delicious, this Chili And Garlic Shrimp is sure to get your taste buds racing.

Create a marinade from olive oil, garlic, freshly squeezed lemon juice, chili powder, sugar, and salt in a Ziploc bag and seal with the shrimp then toss around and leave for 15 minutes.

Sauté garlic in a skillet over a medium-high heat and sprinkle on sugar then add the shrimp and cook through to serve immediately.   

13. Bang Bang Shrimp

Tender shrimp can be deep fried too so coat your shrimp in cornstarch and heat oil to 375°F (190°C). Cook your shrimp in batches until lightly browned then remove to a bowl.

Coat in a sauce of whisked mayonnaise, Sriracha sauce, and sweet chili sauce then serve with a green onion garnish.

14. Shrimp Wonton Noodle Soup

Shrimp Wonton Noodle Soup can take over an hour to cook but is well worth the wait.

Mince or blitz the shrimp then add more shrimp pieces with egg white, salt, pepper, cornstarch, chicken broth, green onion, and grated ginger until a paste forms to use as the wonton filling. Prepare egg noodles and strain but keep the water. 

Add chicken broth into a pot and add Napa cabbage to cook until soft. Throw in salt, pepper, and sesame oil then add wonton water, remove from the heat and add sliced green onions.

Add the noodles and wontons into a bowl and pour over the soup. 

15. Shrimp Omelet

Put simply, this is a Chinese Shrimp Omelet served with a sauce. Fry beansprouts, prawns, green onions, and seasoning in both vegetable oil and sesame oil in a skillet over a medium heat with garlic.

Add whisked eggs in quarters to create four omelets then pour on a thickened and simmered sauce of soy sauce, cornflour, oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, water, and white pepper. Sprinkle it with green onions and sesame seeds.   

16. Shrimp Chop Suey

Of course, you can add shrimp to a stir-fry with vegetables like this Chop Suey. Pan-fry the shrimp then remove and sauté onion slices with bell peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, snow peas, and baby corn.

Return the shrimp to the pan and add seasoning then a mix of chicken broth with cornstarch. Toss to fully combine and serve once thickened. 

17. Shrimp With Broccoli In A Garlic Sauce

In just half an hour you can have this takeout-esque meal. Steam the broccoli florets until tender then heat peanut oil and sauté garlic, reduce the heat and add soy sauce, oyster sauce, chicken broth, and grated ginger.

Bring to a boil then add the shrimp to cook until pink with the florets and water chestnuts. Coat in the sauce then add cornstarch to thicken until ready to serve. 

18. Shrimp Chow Mein

The umami flavors of shrimp work really well in a stir-fry so try this Chow Mein. Cook the noodles and set them aside while you toss the shrimp in oil, salt, and cornstarch.

Mix together hot water and sugar then add dark and regular soy sauce with oyster sauce, sesame oil, Shaoxing wine, and pepper.

Fry the noodles until evenly lightly browned then remove and fry the mushroom with ginger to caramelize. 

Add the shrimp with Shaoxing wine until nearly done then return the noodles with the soy sauce mixture and mix together. Toss in mung beansprouts, and scallions and serve with chili oil.   

19. Sweet And Sour Shrimp

To create your own Tang Cu Xia, start by whisking together ketchup, pineapple juice, apple cider vinegar, honey, soy sauce, chili garlic sauce, ground ginger, and cornstarch for your sauce.

Sauté carrots and red bell pepper then add shrimp, green onions, and seasoning to cook until the shrimp turns pink.

Add garlic and pineapple juice then quickly sauté before adding in the sauce and cooking until thick to serve over rice. 

20. Chinese Garlic Shrimp

It should only take 25 minutes to create this Chinese Garlic Shrimp. In a hot skillet, sauté ginger and garlic then add snow peas, water chestnuts, mushrooms, red pepper flakes, shrimp, and seasoning.

Cook until the shrimp turns pink then add combined rice vinegar, chicken broth, fish sauce, and dry sherry. Stir to combine then add cornstarch slurry to thicken.  

Bonus: Side Dishes

Shrimp can be the prime component in a main dish but it can also be used in several side dishes.

From egg rolls, to toast and potstickers which you can nibble on the side or dip into your mains. 

1. Shrimp Egg Rolls

Create your own egg rolls and you may never order them from a takeout menu again. Sauté the shrimp in sesame oil until almost cooked then add grated ginger, garlic, and scallions until fragrant then add carrots, cabbage, rice vinegar, and soy sauce.

Once tender crisp, leave to drain and let cool then wrap in egg roll wrappers, spray with oil and bake at 370°F (188°C) until golden brown, turning halfway.

2. Shrimp Toast

Known as Xia Duo Shi, Shrimp Toast is a great side dish to dip into a main. Blitz together shrimp, salt, and egg then add scallions and blitz again.

Evenly spread the mousse on top of white bread triangles, dip in breadcrumbs, and fry in inch-deep oil until both sides are golden. Serve warm and garnish with parsley.  

3. Shrimp Potstickers

Shrimp Potstickers, or pan-fried dumplings, are a great side dish to dip into a main. Cut the shrimp and combine with scallions, salt, pepper, rice wine, sesame oil, and cornstarch for your filling.

Once you have formed your dumplings, pan fry them until crispy and golden brown then steam under a lid. Serve warm with rice vinegar or dip away. 

Final Thoughts

As a fairly mild seafood, shrimp can take on several different flavors really easily. Left alone it has a umami taste yet can be used with chilies or alongside vegetables, even as a wrapped side dish or spread as a mousse over toast.

However you like your Chinese cuisine, there are many recipes that use shrimp (see also 23 Healthy Keto-Friendly Shrimp Recipes‘).

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Dried Shrimp Supposed To Be Soaked?

Should a recipe include dried shrimp then it should be expected that it needs to be soaked before cooking. This is mainly to release more flavor and may only require half an hour to an hour of soaking just to loosen up. 

Which Is The Spicier Dish, Kung Pao Or Szechuan?

When comparing Szechuan with Kung Pao dishes, it is typically accepted that Szechuan dishes are spicier. This is typically down to the combination of dried red chilies with Szechuan peppers for a spicy and complex flavor.