Easy kung pao shrimp: An easy, quick and delicious stir-fried shrimp with a perfect combination of sweet, savory, and spicy flavors.
What is Kung Pao Shrimp
Kung pao, also spelled as Gong bao or Kung po is a traditional spicy stir-fried dish from Chinese Sichuan cuisine and is very popular in Westernised Chinese cooking.
The authentic kung pao shrimp uses plenty of Sichuan peppercorns and dried red chilies for the distinctive spicy and numbing flavor, but I have made ours mildly spicy by using a moderate amount of Sichuan peppercorns and red chillies. This take on the favorite also uses some bell peppers and onion, which make the dish even more irresistible.
Peanuts add an intense flavor and make Kung pao dishes visually distinct from other stir-fries. But it is essential to ensure that the peanuts you use are fresh, as stale peanuts can ruin the dish.
This dish is relatively easy to make at home and ready in just 20 minutes. Once you have all the ingredients prepared, you'll have shrimp kung pao ready on the table within minutes. Don't want shrimp? Make it with chicken or make it with tofu for a vegan version.
Pair this kung pao shrimp with my easy egg fried rice or with steamed rice and stir-fried broccoli, and you'll have a restaurant quality meal on a budget.
What You will need
Here is what you need to make Kung Pao Shrimp.
- Shrimp (or prawn): I am using 400g (14oz) fresh, medium-sized shrimps, weight after peeling and deveining. Leaving the tails on looks visually appealing. You can remove them if you like. If using frozen and thawed shrimps, be sure to drain excess water and pat them dry. You can substitute shrimp with your choice of meat, seafood, or tofu;
- Cooking oil: I used peanut oil, but any high smoke point neutral cooking oil will do;
- Garlic and ginger: the essential aromatics;
- Vegetables: onion, green and red bell pepper.
- Dried red chili: adds heat and a smoky flavor. I use less chilies than typically called for in this dish. Feel free to add more chilies if you like.
- Red sichuan peppercorns: for a numbing spiciness. You can find these in Asian supermarkets or you can order them online. These add the signature flavor to the dish. You can adjust the amount as per your taste. For ease of eating, I would recommend grinding the sichuan peppercorns with a mortar and pestle;
- Scallion: scallion greens for freshness and color;
- Peanuts: freshly pan-roasted peanuts are best. If you have roasted peanuts, toast them lightly for a minute. Be sure to use unsalted peanuts;
For Kung Pao Sauce
- Soy sauce: a combination of dark and light sauce gives the perfect savory umami touch. If you don't have dark soy sauce at hand, replace it with more light soy sauce;
- Rice vinegar: I used rice vinegar as it is readily available. Some recipes use Chinkiang vinegar or Chinese black vinegar. Both yield quite similar tastes. So use whatever is available to you;
- Granulated white sugar balances the flavor and adds some sweetness to the dish. Feel free to add more or less based on your preference. You can also substitute it with brown sugar if you prefer;
- Cornstarch: OR you can use potato starch instead. Cornstarch acts as a thickening agent in the sauce;
- Ground white pepper: white pepper is commonly used, but black pepper works fine too;
- Toasted sesame oil: toasted sesame oil is commonly used in Asian recipes to add depth of flavor. It has a strong flavor. Don't use it for cooking;
- Water: OR substitute with chicken or seafood stock if you wish;
For measurements please see the recipe card below.
Step By Step Preparations
- Marinate the shrimp: Toss the shrimp together with cornstarch, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
- Make the kung pao sauce: Mix light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, cornstarch, ground white pepper, and toasted sesame oil in a medium bowl until the sugar dissolves.
- Cook the shrimp: Heat the pan or wok over high heat, then add one tablespoon of oil and shrimp. Sear them for 1 minute from each side and transfer them to a plate.
- Stir fry the aromatics and dried chilies: Heat remaining oil, add dried red chilies, ground sichuan peppercorn, garlic, and ginger. Stir constantly over medium flame for about 1 minute until aromatic.
- Add the veggies: Add onion and bell peppers, then stir-fry over high heat for about 2 minutes.
- Add the shrimp: add the shrimp back to the pan and stir-fry for a minute.
- Add kung pao sauce: Stir sauce once more to prevent clumping (the cornstarch usually settles to the bottom, so be sure it is well incorporated) and pour into the pan; stir fry for another minute.
- Add peanuts and scallion greens: Once the sauce is thick enough, turn off the heat and add scallion greens and roasted peanuts. Toss to combine.
- Serve: Dish out and serve immediately.
Top Tips
- Perfectly tender and juicy shrimps: Pan frying the shrimp gives the shrimp a nice sear on the sides and allows the shrimp to pick up more flavor. If you skip the pan-frying step and cook the shrimp directly with vegetables, the dish lacks flavor, and there are chances of overcooking the shrimp.
- Adjust spice level to taste: Leaving the dried chili whole doesn't release any heat. It only adds flavor. The heat level starts to increase when the chilies are chopped, and the seeds release. So add chillies accordingly based on your heat level preference.
Looking for more stir fry dishes? Try these!
If you try the recipe, please take a moment to leave a comment and rating. I love hearing from you and it also helps other readers who are thinking of making the recipe.
Recipe
Easy Kung Pao Shrimp
INGREDIENTS ( 1 CUP = 240 ML )
- 400 gram or 14 ounces shrimp (or prawn) peeled and deveined
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper freshly ground
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoon peanut oil
- 5 dried red chili
- 3-4 fresh garlic cloves minced
- ½ inch fresh ginger minced
- ¼ teaspoon red sichuan peppercorns freshly ground
- ½ green bell pepper cut into 1 inch square
- ½ red bell pepper cut into 1 inch square
- ½ medium-sized onion cut into 1 inch square
- 2 stalks scallion greens cut into 1 inch long
- ¼ cup roasted peanuts
For the sauce
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- ½ tablespoon dark soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon granulated white sugar
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- ¼ teaspoon white pepper freshly ground
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 3 tablespoon water or stock
INSTRUCTIONS
- Marinate the shrimp: Toss the shrimp together with cornstarch, salt, and pepper. Set aside.
- Make the kung pao sauce: Mix light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, rice vinegar, sugar, cornstarch, ground white pepper, and toasted sesame oil in a medium bowl until the sugar dissolves.
- Cook the shrimp: Heat the pan or wok over high heat, then add one tablespoon of oil and shrimp. Sear them for 1 minute from each side and transfer them to a plate.
- Stir fry the aromatics and dried chilies: Heat remaining oil, add dried red chilies, ground sichuan peppercorn, garlic, and ginger. Stir constantly over medium flame for about 1 minute until aromatic.
- Add the veggies: Add onion and bell peppers, then stir-fry over high heat for about 2 minutes.
- Add the shrimp: add the shrimp back to the pan and stir-fry for a minute.
- Add kung pao sauce: Stir sauce once more to prevent clumping (the cornstarch usually settles to the bottom, so be sure it is well incorporated) and pour into the pan; stir fry for another minute.
- Add peanuts and scallion greens: Once the sauce is thick enough, turn off the heat and add scallion greens and roasted peanuts. Toss to combine.
- Serve: Dish out and serve immediately.
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