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    Home » Main Dishes » Shrimp Recipes

    Salt and Pepper Shrimp

    LAST UPDATED: December 6, 2021 PUBLISHED: December 6, 2021 By Pam Greer Leave a Comment As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    You're going to love this lightened version of the classic Salt and Pepper Shrimp.

    Instead of deep frying the shrimp is seasoned and the sautéed until crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.

    Click here to pin this now!

    Bowl of salt and pepper shrimp on top of noodles.

    A few weeks ago, I made one of my favorites (and yours too!) my Thai Peanut Noodles.

    While I usually serve the noodles plain, I wanted to add a little more to them. This Salt and Pepper Shrimp was perfect. I made a quick Cucumber Sambal and had the most amazing dinner!

    The shrimp are excellent alone, especially as an appetizer. Or you can serve them over rice or noodles add them to a salad, the possibilities are endless!

    This is a very old Cooking Light recipe that I've had printed off for ages!

    Ingredients.

    Shrimp, oil, cornstarch, brown sugar, salt and pepper.

    To make this tasty shrimp dinner, you'll need:

    • Shrimp - I used a large shrimp. Depending on how you are going to serve the shrimp, you could use larger or smaller.
    • Oil - I used peanut oil, which is my usual stir fry oil.
    • Cornstarch - this is what makes it crispy.
    • Brown sugar - helps the shrimp caramelize and adds sweetness.
    • Salt and pepper - I use Himalayan Sea Salt and ground black pepper. This is a fun dish to really experiment with the pepper. Sichuan peppercorns are excellent and more traditional.

    Step by step instructions.

    Shrimp in a bowl, tossed with seasonings.

    In a bowl combine the cornstarch, brown sugar, salt and pepper.

    Peel and devein the shrimp and add it to the bowl. Stir to make sure each shrimp is coated.

    Shrimp in a cast iron skillet.

    Heat one tablespoon of peanut oil in a wok or cast iron skillet over medium high heat. I used a cast iron skillet so that I could cook the shrimp in one layer, making sure that each individual shrimp was browned perfectly.

    Do this in two batches to ensure that the shrimp gets crispy and doesn't just steam. Add more oil in between batches if the wok or skillet seems to dry.

    Cook the shrimp for about a 1 ½ minutes per side or until golden and crispy.

    Platter of salt and pepper shrimp.

    Serve on a platter with a little chives or cilantro for garnish, or use the shrimp to top other noodle or rice dishes.

    This shrimp is so easy, if you buy your shrimp already peeled and deveined, this is ready in under 20 minutes!

    We love this recipe, as a matter of fact, we love shrimp so much, they have their own category - Shrimp Recipes!

    Recipe.

    **As an Amazon affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Platter of salt and pepper shrimp.
    Print Pin Save Saved!
    5 from 9 votes

    Salt and Pepper Shrimp

    There is no deep frying in this easy, lightened up version of Salt and Pepper Shrimp!
    Course Main Course
    Cuisine Asian
    Prep Time 5 minutes minutes
    Cook Time 10 minutes minutes
    Total Time 15 minutes minutes
    Servings 4
    Calories 40kcal

    Ingredients

    • 2 teaspoons cornstarch
    • 1 teaspoon brown sugar
    • ¼ teaspoon salt
    • ¾ teaspoon ground black pepper
    • 1 tablespoon peanut oil
    • chives or cilantro for garnish optional
    • 1 pound shrimp peeled and deveined

    Instructions

    • Combine cornstarch, brown sugar, salt and black pepper in a bowl.
    • Add shrimp to bowl and stir to make the shrimp is coated.
    • Heat the peanut oil in a wok or cast iron skillet over medium high heat.
    • Add ½ the shrimp in a single layer and cook for about 1 ½ minutes per side.
    • Remove the shrimp and the add the other half cooking it the same way. If the skillet seems dry, add more oil.
    • Remove the shrimp and serve topped with chives or cilantro.

    Notes

    Serve this on top of noodles, rice or a salad.
    If you are serving this alone as a main dish, you will probably want to double the recipe.
    Sichuan Peppercorns crushed are excellent in place of the black pepper. 

    Equipment

    Cast Iron Skillet

    Nutrition

    Calories: 40kcal | Carbohydrates: 2g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 4g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 2g | Sodium: 146mg | Potassium: 5mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 2IU | Calcium: 2mg | Iron: 1mg

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    Pam Greer from Sidewalk Shoes

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