Although kung pao chicken is the one of the most popular dishes that uses kung pao sauce, kung pao shrimp is something I crave once in a while when I want seafood cooked in a bold sauce. My version of kung pao shrimp uses a rich kung pao sauce that I ate growing up. It uses Chinkiang vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, chili pepper and peppercorns to create a rich yet well balanced taste. Although the kung pao dish I ate in China usually only contains scallion and peanuts on top of the protein, I also like to add some pepper to my kung pao shrimp, for added color and texture.
Ingredients for making kung pao shrimp
Although my ingredient list might look a bit long, trust me, the dish will be so delicious and rewarding that you’ll want more!
What type of vinegar to use
Kung pao sauce can use either rice vinegar or Chinkiang vinegar. I’ve had both versions back in China. Here I want to share the version that uses Chinkiang vinegar, which is stronger than rice vinegar. I like it because it gives the dish a richer taste and a nice brown color. However, if you need to create a gluten-free dish or you only have rice vinegar on hand, you can use rice vinegar to replace the Chinkiang vinegar. It creates a milder dish but is still very tasty.
One word about the peanut
Restaurant kung pao shrimp usually uses fried peanuts, which requires you to deep fry raw peanuts in oil until crispy. I found that to be very time consuming and it uses a lot of oil. I simply used store-bought roasted peanuts and the result was great.
Dried chili pepper and Sichuan peppercorns
Both ingredients add a ton of umami to the stir fry without adding much heat (if you use Chinese or Korean dried chili peppers and don’t break them). For a spicier dish, you can cut the dried chili pepper into 3 to 4 pieces and include the seeds in the stir fry. I love using Sichuan peppercorn in my kung pao sauce for another layer of flavor. But you can skip it if you do not have them on hand.
Mise en place
When you’re ready to cook, your table should have:
Chopped aromatics (garlic, ginger) and dried chili pepper Ground Sichuan peppercorns Marinated shrimp Chopped vegetables (pepper and green onion) Mixed sauce Peanuts Chili oil
It’s very important to have all your ingredients prepped and placed near your stove. Because the cooking goes very fast when you start the stir fry.
How to make kung pao shrimp
I used a lot of aromatics in this recipe, and you’ll be amazed by how flavorful the result is. Serve with some steamed rice, you’ll have a restaurant style meal at home!
More delicious Sichuan recipes
Chinese Potato Stir Fry (炝炒土豆丝) Sichuan Spicy Wonton in Chili Oil (红油抄手) Spicy Eggplant Salad (凉拌茄子) Authentic Mapo Tofu (麻婆豆腐) Shredded Pork with Garlic Sauce (鱼香肉丝, Yu Xiang Rou Si)
