Wow a Crowd With This Simple Savory-Sweet Garlic Shrimp Recipe (2024)

Darlene Schmidt is a cookbook author and culinary teacher who specializes in Thai cuisine.

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Updated on 01/12/23

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Southern-cuisine expert and cookbook author Diana Rattray has created more than 5,000 recipes and articles in her 20 years as a food writer.

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Prep: 10 mins

Cook: 3 mins

Total: 13 mins

Servings: 2 servings

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Enjoy the taste of sumptuous, succulent shrimp stir-fried in a tangy Thai garlic sauce. This recipe is simple and should take just about 15 minutes to make.

Salty-sweet, garlicky, and a little spicy, it's the perfect dish to serve any night of the week. It is also beautiful enough to serve at a party as an appetizer or finger food. Even your kids will go wild for it, though you may want to reduce the chili toknock down the spice.

For dinner, pair it with Thai rice and spring rolls.

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Wow a Crowd With This Simple Savory-Sweet Garlic Shrimp Recipe (3)

"This is a tasty dish, and takes just a few minutes to prepare. It took about 5 minutes to butterfly the shrimp and another 5 minutes to measure and prepare the marinade. You could do this any night of the week. It’s a great meal with leftover reheated rice and some sliced cucumbers and tomatoes." —Diana Rattray

Wow a Crowd With This Simple Savory-Sweet Garlic Shrimp Recipe (4)

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Ingredients

For the Marinade:

1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons oyster sauce(Thai oyster sauceor Lee Kum Kee)
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
4 to 6 cloves garlic, minced, or to taste
2 tablespoons lime juice
1 red chile pepper, minced, or1/3 teaspoon dried crushed chili, or to taste

For the Stir-Fry:

12 to 15 medium to large shrimp or prawns, shelled or unshelled, butterflied
2 to 3 tablespoons oil, for stir-frying
1 lime, cut into wedges, garnish
2 to 4 tablespoons fresh coriander, garnish

Steps to Make It

Gather the ingredients.
In a bowl, combineoyster sauce, soy sauce, fish sauce, brown sugar, garlic, lime juice, and chili pepper. Stir until the sugar has dissolved.
Place shrimp in the marinade and stir well to coat.
In a wok or frying pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Once hot, add the shrimp along with the marinade.
Stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes or until the shrimp are plump and pink. They will also be lightly browned from the sauce. Avoid overcooking or the shrimp will turn rubbery.
Test the sauce for taste and adjust as needed to achievea salty-sweet balance. Add more sugar if it's too sour. If it's too salty or sweet, add more lime juice.
Top the shrimp with coriander and add some lemon slices on the side. Enjoy!

How to Store and Freeze

Refrigerate Thai garlic shrimp in an airtight container for up to 4 days. Reheat gently in a skillet until hot.
To freeze, transfer the shrimp to a food storage bag and remove as much air as possible. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw frozen leftover shrimp in the refrigerator overnight and reheat in a skillet until hot.

How to Butterfly Shrimp

With a small, sharp knife, cut down the back of the shrimp, cutting about 3/4 through it. If not deveined, remove the vein and then spread the meat until flattened.

Ways to Serve

This shrimp stir-fry works perfectly as either a light entree for two people or an appetizer for a group. Either way, it can be plated to make a great presentation.

For a dinner or lunch entree: Simply slide the shrimp onto a serving platter and sprinkle with coriander, plus an extra fresh chili (if using). Add lemon or lime wedges to the side and serve with rice or a crusty French loaf of bread.

For party service or as an appetizer: Use tongs to pick shrimp out of the pan, allowing most of the sauce to drip back into the pan. Arrange the shrimp on a serving platter with tails up and stick a toothpick into each to make eating them easier. Pour sauce over the platter and sprinkle with fresh coriander. Garnish with lime wedges.

What Is a Good Substitute for Oyster Sauce?

Oyster sauce is a thickened mixture of oyster juices, salt, sugar, cornstarch, and other ingredients. If you can't find oyster sauce, use a combination of equal amounts of soy sauce and hoisin sauce.

Helpful Links

Top 15 Classic Thai Food Dishes

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
327	Calories
22g	Fat
25g	Carbs
12g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2
Amount per serving
Calories	327
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 22g	28%
Saturated Fat 2g	8%
Cholesterol 79mg	26%
Sodium 2006mg	87%
Total Carbohydrate 25g	9%
Dietary Fiber 3g	12%
Total Sugars 9g
Protein 12g
Vitamin C 80mg	398%
Calcium 145mg	11%
Iron 3mg	16%
Potassium 512mg	11%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

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