One of my favorite dishes at our local Chinese restaurant is their sweet and spicy shrimp. There’s something about lightly fried shrimp tossed in a sweet sauce that makes me so happy. My Sweet and Spicy Shrimp recipe has all of the goodness of a Chinese restaurant version but mine is healthier and faster to make. I used honey, soy sauce, and sriracha to make a fantastic sauce that takes these shrimp over the top! I paired these shrimp with some lightly sautéed bok choy and topped everything off with a sprinkle of sesame seeds!
What kind of shrimp should I buy?
The key to creating perfectly cooked shrimp is in the size of shrimp that you pick out at the grocery store. I always prefer jumbo or large shrimp because they are thicker which gives you more time with them in the pan without having to worry about overcooking. I like to use a cast-iron skillet, get it nice and hot and then toss in the shrimp. I cook the shrimp for about 2 minutes per side, or until they are nice and browned.
What other vegetables would these shrimp go well with?
If you can’t find or don’t like bok choy, these shrimp would go amazingly well with sautéed broccoli, asparagus, or green beans. You can use the same portions of oil and soy sauce with those alternative vegetables but, if you choose broccoli, make sure you cut the pieces no larger than the thickness of asparagus because it will take a long time to cook if you don’t.
How long will these shrimp stay good for in my refrigerator?
Cooked shrimp will typically stay good in your refrigerator for 3 to 4 days and raw shrimp can stay good in the freezer for 6 months.
If you like this recipe, check out these other recipes on my blog:
Sweet and Spicy Shrimp
Ingredients
- 1 lb large peeled and deveined shrimp
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp pepper freshly ground if possible
- 1/2 tsp chili powder
- chopped cilantro for garnish
- 1 bunch bok choy
- sesame seeds for garnish
Sauce
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tbsp soy sauce or coconut aminos
- 3 cloves garlic minced or grated
- 2 tsp sriracha hot sauce
- 1 lime juiced
Instructions
- Place shrimp in a bowl and pour on olive oil. Toss and then season shrimp with salt, pepper, and chili powder. Set aside.
- Whisk together honey, soy sauce, garlic, sriracha and lime juice in a bowl to make the sauce. Set aside.
- Heat a skillet over medium-high heat and cook shrimp until both sides are browned and cooked through. Add sauce and toss for a minute.
- In a separate pan add 1/2 tsp of olive oil and 1/2 tsp of soy sauce and saute boy choy leaves for 2 minutes or until slightly wilted.
- Plate shrimp on top of rice or direclty on plate alongside bok choy. Garnish with cilantro and sesame seeds.