Sweet and Sour Shrimp

One of my favorite proteins to work with is shrimp as they take only a couple of minutes to cook. They're such a great ingredient to keep in the freezer as they go from frozen to thawed in 10 to 20 minutes in some cold water! This means you can make this sweet and sour shrimp in next to no time on busy weeknights. It's definitely faster than heading out to pick up take out.

This recipe always hits the spot as the sauce is the perfect balance between sweet and sour. It's sticky enough to coat the shrimp and runny enough to drizzle it over some rice if you'd like. Make it for dinner tonight!

Key Ingredients You Need

• Shrimp — Make things easy for yourself by purchasing shrimp that is already peeled and de-veined. It's one less thing that you have to do when prepping the ingredients.
• Bell peppers — We love red bell peppers as they're sweeter than their green counterparts. They pair really well with the sweet and sour sauce.
• Pineapple — Both pineapple juice and pineapple chunks are used in this recipe. Be sure you cut your pineapple chunks into bite-sized pieces if they're not already.
• Rice vinegar — Rice vinegar is a sweet delicate vinegar. Do not swap for white vinegar. The closest swap, if you don't have rice vinegar, is apple cider vinegar.
• Tomato Paste — This sauce is tomato-based so we use tomato paste as it also helps thicken your sauce. While some recipes use ketchup, the tomato paste has less sugar in it.

How to Make Sweet and Sour Shrimp

Step 1: Whisk together honey, rice vinegar, soy sauce, tomato paste, and pineapple juice in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Step 2: Whisk together cornstarch and water in a small bowl. Set aside.

Step 3: In a mixing bowl, add shrimp with salt and pepper and mix to coat evenly.

Step 4: Heat 1 tbsp of oil in a wok or large pan over medium-high heat then add shrimp and cook for a couple minutes until fully cooked. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Step 5: In the same wok/pan, add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to the pan and add the bell pepper. Stir-fry for 2 minutes.

Step 6: Add in the garlic and ginger, stir-fry for 30 seconds.

Step 7: Add in the pineapple and stir-fry for 30 seconds.

Step 8: Next, pour in the sweet and sour sauce mixture, stir and cook at a simmer for 2 minutes.

Step 9: Whisk in the water & cornstarch mixture, stirring constantly until the sauce is thickened (approximately 30 seconds).

Step 10: Add the cooked shrimp, stir to combine, and cook until shrimp are warmed through (approximately 1-2 minutes).

Step 11: Serve with chopped green onions and toasted sesame seeds.

Tips For This Recipe

• If you are using tomato paste from a can, you can freeze any leftovers into 1 tablespoon servings to pull out and use in the upcoming months. I like using the paste from a tube so we can put a cap on it and store it in the fridge.
• If you'd like to add a spicy kick to this, you can add a tablespoon or two of sriracha into your sauce.
• You don't have to serve this over rice, you can try quinoa, cauliflower rice, stir fry noodles, ramen, or whatever you have on hand.
• This recipe goes really well with my Vegetable Stir Fry.
• To tell when your shrimp is done, keep an eye on the thickest part, where the curve is. Once that goes from translucent to opaque, your shrimp is cooked. Any longer in the pan and you risk it overcooking which will make it rubbery.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you’ve tried this recipe then don’t forget to leave me a rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!