Szechuan Shrimp is a hot, spicy, and authentic Chinese dish from Szechuan cuisine and it is packed with bold and complex flavors. It is prepared with shrimp, dry red chilies, Szechuan sauce or peppercorns, and other fresh ingredients. In this post, I have shared the recipe for Szechuan Shrimp with easy step-by-step instructions for you to try and enjoy at home.
I have also shared a detailed video of this stir fry recipe to make the cooking process clear and simple. This Szechuan Shrimp process is similar to Szechuan chicken but with a bold seafood flavor. And it is usually served as a side dish with rice, Szechuan fried rice, and noodles for lunch and dinner.
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What is Szechuan Shrimp?
Szechuan Shrimp is a classical Szechuan cuisine stir fry dish that is usually packed with unique bold flavors. The Szechuan peppercorns used in the recipe play an important role to give that tongue-tingling sensation that Szechuan cuisine is usually known for. And the best part is it can be prepared in under 30 minutes.
What does the Szechuan Shrimp taste like? The dish is traditionally hot and spicy and has a mild numbing effect when consumed. Even though the recipe calls for a good amount of dry red chilies, you can always customize them according to your spice tolerance level.
Ingredients
The ingredients you will need to make this Szechuan Shrimp are mostly Asian ingredients that should be available in most Asian grocery stores. If not I have also suggested some substitutions to achieve a similar taste and flavor.
- Shrimp - Freshly cleaned and deveined shrimps work best for this recipe but you can also use frozen ones if fresh are not handy. But make sure to thaw to room temperature before cooking. This helps to avoid them turning rubbery and hard
- Soy Sauce & Brown Sugar -Gives a sweet and unique Asian flavor to the dish
- Ginger Garlic Paste (optional) - This is an optional ingredient that helps to remove the raw fragrance from the shrimp. But you can also use garlic and ginger powder instead
- Szechuan Peppercorns - Gives the unique tongue-tingling and numbing flavor to the dish
- Ginger, Garlic & Scallions - Chopped or julienned ginger, garlic, and scallions for stir-frying
- Chinese Five-Spice Powder - It is a powder made with star anise, cloves, fennel seeds, cinnamon, and Szechuan peppercorns that gives the fresh and authentic taste to your dish
- Corn Starch - To coat and marinate the shrimp
- Dry Red Chilies, Pepper powder - I have used a good amount of dry red chilies for heat, but you can reduce the quantity according to your preference
- Oil - I have used sesame oil and you could use the preferred cooking oil of your choice
How to make Szechuan Shrimp?
The recipe I have shared here is inspired by Szechuan cuisine. I have tried to replicate the authentic recipe without comprising its taste and flavor.
Following are the high-level instructions to make this dish but for detailed step-by-step instructions with photos and video, please check out the recipe card below.
- Marinate the Shrimp - In a bowl, add cleaned and deveined shrimps, pepper powder, salt, baking soda, Chinese five-spice powder, ginger garlic paste (optional), and corn starch
- Combine - Mix well everything and it is ready to be fried. You can also rest the shrimp for 10 to 15 minutes
- Fry the Shrimp - In a pan with medium heat, pour sesame oil and place the marinated shrimp one by one
- Fry on Both Sides - Allow the shrimp to fry for 3 to 5 minutes on both sides. Make sure not to over-fry which makes the shrimp hard and chewy
- Remove and Reserve - Remove the fried shrimp from the oil and reserve it for later use
- Saute the aromatics - In the same pan with the remaining oil, add ginger, garlic, and dry red chili, and saute until it turns aromatic. Add the scallions and give a quick stir
- Stir fry the Fried Shrimp - Now add the fried Shrimp, crushed Szechuan Peppercorns, or 1 tsp of Szechuan sauce and give a good mix
- Serve - Now the delicious Szechuan Shrimp is ready for you to taste and enjoy
Tips
- Taste and Flavor - I have used the Szechuan Peppercorns which give the tongue-tingling taste and flavor to the dish. But if that is not handy, you can substitute it with Szechuan sauce or regular peppercorns
- Marinating Time - I haven't rested the marinated shrimp here, but you can feel free to rest it for 10 to 15 minutes
- Chinese Five Spice powder - It is an authentic spice powder that gives a nice flavor to your dish but if it is not handy skip and add paprika. But note that paprika will not give that authentic flavor to the dish
- Sweetness - Even though I have used only brown sugar here, you can also use palm sugar or other sweeteners for the slight sweet touch
- Serving - This Szechuan Shrimp tastes great with rice, noodles, or similar dishes of your choice
Calories
The Szechuan Shrimp shared here contains 298 calories per serving and it is just an estimation of the nutrition calculator. This calorie count may change if the ingredients are changed. You could also find the detailed nutritional information on the recipe card below.
Storage Suggestions
This shrimp dish tastes great when it is served immediately as soon as possible. But you can store the leftovers in the refrigerator for a day. But the stored dish may turn to lose its crispy stir-fried texture and you may miss the fresh flavor and taste.
Serving Suggestions
You can serve this Szechuan Shrimp with rice dishes such as white rice, basmati rice, brown rice, stir-fried noodles, or soups.
Related Recipes
You could also find similar recipes below and more at Szechuan Recipes
More Shrimp Recipes
- Shrimp Alfredo
- Garlic Butter Shrimp Pasta
- Garlic Butter Shrimp
- Fried Shrimp
- Air Fryer Shrimp
- Honey Garlic Shrimp
- Shrimp Biryani
- Indian Shrimp Curry
- Indian Shrimp Fry
More Chinese Recipes
Szechuan Shrimp Recipe video
I have also shared a detailed video of this recipe below that I hope will help you to make a delicious dish at home. For a quick reference, you could also find this recipe in story format.
📖 Recipe
Szechuan Shrimp
Ingredients
- 1½ lb Shrimp, cleaned
- 1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste
- 1 tsp Pepper Powder
- 1 tsp Chinese Five spice powder
- 2 tsp Cornstarch
- ½ tsp Baking soda
- ½ tsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 3 tbsp Oil
- 1 tsp Ginger, julienned
- 2 tsp Garlic, julienned
- 3 tsp Scallions, cut
- 1 tsp Szechuan Peppercorn, use ½ tsp, if new to this flavor
- 15 Dry Red Chili, remove seeds if needed
Instructions
To Marinate Shrimp
- In a bowl, add cleaned and deveined shrimp, pepper powder, salt, baking soda, Chinese five-spice powder, ginger garlic paste (optional), and cornstarch
- Mix well everything and it is ready to be fried. You can also rest the shrimp for 10 to 15 minutes
To Fry the Shrimp
- In a pan with medium heat, pour sesame oil and place the marinated shrimp one by one
- Allow the shrimp to fry for 3 to 5 minutes on both sides. Make
sure not to over fry which makes the shrimp hard and chewy - Remove the fried shrimp from the oil and reserve it for later use
To Make Szechuan Shrimp
- In the same pan with the remaining oil, add ginger, garlic, dry red chili, and sauté until it turns aromatic
- Add the scallions and give a quick stir
- Now add the fried Shrimp, and crushed Szechuan Peppercorns and give a good mix. Now the delicious Szechuan Shrimp is ready for you to taste and enjoy
To Serve
- Serve this hot and spicy Szechuan Shrimp with rice, noodles, or dishes of your choice
Video
Notes
- Taste and Flavor - I have used the Szechuan Peppercorns which give the tongue-tingling taste and flavor to the dish. But if that is not handy, you can substitute it with Szechuan Sauce or regular peppercorns
- Marinating Time - I haven't rest the marinated shrimp here, but you can feel free to rest it for 10 to 15 minutes
- Chinese Five Spice powder - It is an authentic spice powder that gives a nice flavor to your dish but if it is not handy skip and add paprika. But note that paprika will not give that authentic flavor to the dish
- Sweetness - Even though I have used only brown sugar here, you can also use palm sugar or other sweeteners for the slight sweet touch
- Serving - This Szechuan Shrimp tastes great with rice, noodles, or similar dishes of your choice
Nutrition
FAQ
It is an authentic seafood dish from Szechuan cuisine that is known for spicy and bold flavors. The dish is usually made with fresh ingredients and unique flavored Szechuan peppercorns which gives a tongue-tingling and numbing effect when consumed. Szechuan Shrimp is usually prepared the same way Szechuan chicken is done and is served with rice or noodles.
It is usually made with dry red chili paste, Szechuan peppercorns, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, brown sugar, and other fresh ingredients
Szechuan Peppercorns has different flavor and taste from regular peppercorns, but you can feel free to use the regular ones if Szechuan peppercorns are not handy.
Hunan Shrimp is a popular seafood dish from Hunan Province while Szechuan Shrimp is from Sichuan Province. While both the dishes are usually hot and spicy, the Szechuan Shrimp has a unique tongue-tingling sensation that comes from the Szechuan Peppercorns.
The Szechuan Shrimp shared here contains 298 calories per serving and it is just an estimation of the nutrition calculator. This calorie count may change if the ingredients are changed. You could also find the detailed nutritional information on the recipe card above.
I hope you enjoyed the recipe that I have shared here and I would love to hear from you on how it turned out for you. Please let me know.
If you have any other questions, feel free to post them in the comment section below and I will try to get back to you as soon as possible.
Happy Cooking!
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