This Kung Pao Shrimp is developed from authentic Sichuan style Kung Pao Chicken with a slightly spicy and sweet taste.
If you ever eat the most famous Chinese Sichuan dish—Kung Pao Chicken, I guess you love the taste of the sauce used in the recipe. Kung pao sauce is firstly used in the famous Kung Pao Chicken and then further developed into a type of flavor in China which can be used in many other recipes. It goes well with different types of protein, chicken, shrimp and fish. It goes even better with vegetables and mushrooms like lotus root, cauliflower and king oyster mushrooms.
The development process of the special kung pao taste is quite similar with Chinese garlic sauce or Yu Xiang sauce (鱼香汁). When we get a closer looking on those two types of sauces, then we might find there are some similarities between the ingredients used in Kung Pao sauce and Chinese garlic sauce. The basic garlic, scallion and ginger are the same. Both vinegar and sugar are used. Chinese sauces are always quite confusing since only small differences, either ingredients themselves or the amounts, can cause big differences in final flavors. There aIn Kung Pao dishes, dried peppers are used to create a strong spicy taste while pickled red peppers or fermented peppers are used in Chinese garlic sauces. There is a strong sweet and sour taste with a mild spicy taste in Chinese garlic sauce. While Kung Pao sauce has a strong spicy taste with a mild sweet and sour taste.
Cook’s Note
- About the sauce, the amount of cornstarch used in the mixed stir fry sauce (碗芡) can be slightly different based on the very single dish. For example, in this kung pao chicken or shrimp, small amount of cornstarch is enough since starch is previously used in the marinating process. In other veggie kung pao dishes, more cornstarch is needed to make the sauce thicker and consequently can attach to the main ingredients.
- Key step of this dish is to be quick and accurate. Fry the shrimp only for a short time over high fire and be quick after adding the stir frying sauce as it thickens very quickly.
Detailed Steps
Devein the shrimp and then cut a small line on the back of the shrimp (for better flavoring). And then marinate the shrimp with light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, white pepper and cornstarch. Mix all the ingredients for kung pao sauce in a small bowl.
Cut all the ingredients and break chili pepper into halves. If you want to reduce the hotness, use whole dried chili peppers.
Heat oil in a pan and fry ginger, garlic, Sichuan peppercorn and dried chili pepper until aromatic. Then place the shrimp in. Fry for 20 seconds over high fire.
Place peppers and scallion. Continue frying until the peppers are slightly soft (around 20 seconds). Pour in kung pao sauce and place in the nuts. Mix well and transfer out immediately.
Other Kung Pao Dishes
- 300 g unshelled shrimp
- 3 tbsp. vegetable cooking oil
- 7-15 dried chili pepper
- 1 tsp Sichuan peppercorn
- 3 garlic cloves , chopped
- 1 thumb root ginger, chopped
- 1/2 green pepper , cut into small pieces
- 1/2 red bell pepper , cut into small pieces
- 2 Chinese large scallion , white part only
- 1/4 cup roasted peanuts or cashew
- 1/2 tbsp. dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp. light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp. black vinegar
- 2 tsp. cornstarch
- 1 tsp. sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 2 tbsp. stock or water
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 1/2 tbsp. dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp. light soy sauce
- 1/8 tsp. ground pepper
- 1 tsp. cornstarch
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Devein the shrimp and then cut a small line on the back of the shrimp (for better flavoring). And then marinate the shrimp with light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, white pepper and cornstarch.
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Mix all the ingredients for kung pao sauce in a small bowl.
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Cut all the ingredients and break only 2-3 whole chili pepper into halves. If you want to reduce the hotness, use whole dried chili peppers only.
-
Heat oil in a pan and fry ginger, garlic, Sichuan peppercorn and dried chili pepper until aromatic. Then place the shrimp in. Fry for 20 seconds over high fire.
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Place peppers and scallion. Continue frying until the peppers are slightly soft (around 20 seconds). Pour in Kung Pao sauce and place in the nuts. Mix well and transfer out immediately.
There’s a typo in this recipe. It says cook for 30mins, surely it means 30 seconds.
Thanks for the catch. Corrected!
Just made this tonight with my friend! The sauce was just the right amount and had a nice depth of flavor. I added two green peppers for some extra veggie. Thanks for sharing this.
Thank you Bonnie for your nice feedback. Happy cooking ahead.
This was outstanding… thank you for sharing it!
Excellent. I used honey in place of sugar, otherwise as written. It was outstanding. I served it over spaghetti squash in place of rice and it worked really well.
Thanks Mark. Happy cooking!
This looks amazing! I have a quick question: I use Tamari because it is gluten free. How would you substitute the dark and light soy sauce with tamari? Thank you!
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Wanda,
Thanks so much for giving me your suggestion about the ads. I understand that they are quite annoying. But the site is not a hobby now. We have put lots of time and energy in the site and I still need to pay necessary expenses. I hope I can figure out a way to find a balance. But a site with zero ads is hard to maintain.
Hi Elaine, can this recipe be used for kung pao chicken as well, adjusting the cooking time for chicken? I’ve never found a good kung pao chicken recipe. Thank you in advance!
Yes, Shirley! This works fine with chicken too.
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Oh, I love this dish! I used to order it all the time when I lived in Changsha. Ma la do fu was my other great favorite. Hunan style is the very best! Thank you for posting this!
Thanks. Happy cooking. Paige.
Hi there,
It’s not clear or listed with the ingredients how much sugar or honey should be used for this dish, am I missing something?
Sorry Brian. It seems that the sugar is really missed. I have already updated the recipe.