Bouncy, sweet shrimp tossed in a mouth-watering sweet and tangy sauce, this classic Chinese ketchup shrimp recipe is the perfect weeknight dish you can whip up quickly on a busy night. Made with simple ingredients, this nostalgic recipe will hit the spot every time!
Ketchup shrimp, also known as 茄汁蝦, was a staple for me (and my partner!) while growing up. The shrimp is coated in a sweet and tangy sauce that is primarily made of ketchup. It was definitely a hit for both kids and adults.
Want another ketchup-y recipe from my childhood? Try my ketchup fried rice! I don’t know what it is about ketchup, but if my mom put ketchup on something, I would 100% willingly eat it haha.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- It comes together with less than 10 ingredients! You might already have everything on hand. It’s also the perfect last minute dinner idea since shrimp can be quickly thawed. Have dinner ready on the table in 20 minutes or less.
- It is very flavorful. The sweet and tangy sauce makes it perfect to serve over some rice or with some bread or even mashed potatoes. Anything that can soak up the delicious sauce makes for a perfect pairing.
- It’s very versatile. You can use any shrimp you have on hand. Traditionally, my (and my partner’s) family made them with shell-on prawns, but I prefer using pre-peeled and deveined shrimp for my own ease.
Ingredients You’ll Need
ketchup — the ketchup is the base of the sauce as it’s both sweet and tangy.
Worcestershire sauce — for that deep, savory, umami flavor note in the sauce, you’ll need some Worcestershire sauce. It also has a sweeter flavor profile than soy sauce, so I don’t recommend subbing it out for purely soy sauce.
soy sauce — similar to Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce adds umami flavor, but it also leans salty. It helps cut through the sweetness of the ketchup.
white pepper — I always thought my mom used white pepper because I was a picky child and didn’t want to eat black specks, but it might be because its flavor is more delicate and subtle than black pepper.
oil — you can use whatever neutral oil to cook the shrimp and aromatics in. I usually just use olive oil.
shrimp — my mom usually used prawns, but I’m using peeled, deveined shrimp with their tails on. This saves me from having to peel and devein them myself. You can truly use any type of shrimp for this. My mom would just use what was on hand whenever my cravings kicked in.
aromatics — I use green onions and garlic. Shallots are a great alternative.
How to Make Ketchup Shrimp
- In a small bowl, mix together ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, white pepper, and 2 tablespoons of water. Set aside.
- In a large non-stick skillet or wok, heat up a tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add shrimp as close to in a single layer as possible. Cook in batches if needed.
- Cook the shrimp for 1 to 2 minutes on each side or just until firm and pink. Set aside on a clean plate.
- In the same skillet, heat up the rest of the oil before adding the white (and light green) part of the green onions and saute for 1 to 2 minutes before adding the minced garlic. Cook for another minute.
- Add the cooked shrimp back to the skillet, the dark green parts of the green onions, and the sauce.
- Toss everything together until well combined and evenly coated in sauce, cooking for at least a minute.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- Always pat dry shrimp before adding them to the pan. If there’s moisture on the shrimp, they may end up steaming instead of searing, and the texture won’t be as crisp when you bite into them.
- Avoid overcrowding the pan, or the shrimp will steam instead of sear.
- Feel free to use fresh or frozen shrimp! I personally usually use frozen shrimp because I try to pick up a few bags from Costco whenever I’m there, so I can have a quick and easy protein on hand at all times. They thaw so quickly, making them perfect for a busy weeknight when I’ve forgotten to thaw anything ahead of time.
- I personally recommend using peeled shrimp. I find that it makes the dish more flavorful as the sauce coats the shrimp directly and is not lost to the skin when you peel off the shrimp before you eat.
- Overcooked shrimp will be rubbery, so don’t let them cook too long!
- I garnish with some toasted sesame seeds. You don’t have to add this if you don’t want to!
Recipe Variations
- Add some heat: you can add some sriracha sauce or chili crisp oil to the sauce. Red pepper flakes are a great option too.
- Add some vegetables: you can make this into a shrimp and vegetable stir fry! Before cooking the green onions and garlic, you can stir fry some carrots, broccoli, snow peas, snap peas, baby corn, bell peppers, mushrooms, bok choy, yu choy, or whatever vegetable you have on hand before adding the shrimp back to the skillet!
Make Ahead Tips
- Meal prep: once cooled, store the ketchup shrimp in an airtight container for up to 3 days in the fridge.
- Reheat: Reheat the shrimp in the microwave, air fryer, or gently on the stovetop until warmed through.
To quickly thaw shrimp, place the bag of frozen shrimp into a cold bowl of water or run it under cold water in a colander.
Ketchup Shrimp Recipe
Ingredients
For the Sauce
- ½ cup ketchup
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- ⅛ teaspoon white pepper
- 2 tablespoons water
For the Shrimp
- 2 tablespoon oil, divided in half
- 1 pound shrimp, peeled, deveined
- 2 green onions, white & light greens diced and dark greens cut into long 2 inch strands
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- toasted sesame seeds, optional garnish
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix together ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, white pepper, and water. Set aside.
- In a large non-stick skillet or wok, heat up a tablespoon of oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add shrimp as close to in a single layer as possible. Cook in batches if needed.
- Cook the shrimp for 1 to 2 minutes on each side or just until firm and pink. Set aside on a clean plate.
- In the same skillet, heat up the rest of the oil before adding the white (and light green) part of the green onions and saute for 1 to 2 minutes before adding the minced garlic. Cook for another minute.
- Add the cooked shrimp back to the skillet, the dark green parts of the green onions, and the sauce.
- Toss everything together until well combined and evenly coated in sauce, cooking for at least a minute.
Nutrition Per Serving
More Shrimp Recipes to Try
- Shrimp and Noodles Stir Fry
- Garlic Shrimp Stir Fry
- Shrimp and Broccoli Stir Fry
- Gochujang Honey Shrimp
- Fried Shrimp Balls
- Salt and Pepper Shrimp
Other places to connect with me
@carmyshungry on Instagram
Facebook
Shop my Amazon faves
Email: [email protected]
Leave a Reply