Salt and Pepper Shrimp

Salt & Pepper Shrimp is crispy, salty and slightly spicy. This quick and easy recipe is one of our favorites to make at home when we want to skip takeout and make it ourselves!

What is your favorite thing to get when you go out to a Chinese restaurant? For us, it’s salt and pepper anything. Salt and Pepper Chicken Wings, Salt and Pepper Calamari and also Salt and Pepper Shrimp. There is just something about the light and crispy batter and the salty, slightly spicy oil.

Really what is not to love?

Another great thing to love about Salt and Pepper Shrimp, besides the deliciousness of it, is the ease of making it. The shrimp is not heavily battered, instead it is simply coated with cornstarch and then fried. The cornstarch yields a light, crisp batter. It gives you that crunch that you are looking for with fried food but it’s not heavy at all.

Let’s talk about what else you need to make this Chinese favorite at home:

Salt and Pepper Shrimp Ingredients:

• SHRIMP: When you buy shrimp you usually buy them by size. For this recipe, you’ll want to use large or medium large shrimp. This means that there will be about 30 – 40 shrimp per pound. To learn how to devein shrimp, check out my easy how to devein shrimp guide.
• CORNSTARCH: This is all you will need to batter the shrimp. It will give them a light crisp coating.
• GARLIC: Fresh chopped minced garlic will work the best in this recipe.
• SALT
• PEPPER: Some recipes for Salt and Pepper Shrimp call for Szechuan peppercorns, some use white pepper and some use black pepper. I prefer to use black pepper because it’s readily available and usually what I have on hand.
• GREEN ONIONS: They add a pop of color and a subtle oniony flavor.
• OIL: You’ll be using an oil to fry the shrimp but also an oil to toast the salt, pepper and garlic. Use a neutral oil with a higher smoke point like vegetable, canola or peanut.

Step by Step Photos and Instructions:

Salt and Pepper Shrimp comes together really quickly. There isn’t a lot of prep work and shrimp don’t take long to cook. The biggest tip is to not over cook the shrimp, they will only need a few minutes.

• STEP #1: Peel and devein the shrimp but leave the tails on. Pat the shrimp dry.
• STEP #2: Toss the shrimp with cornstarch. Set aside.
• STEP #3: Heat 1/2 inch of oil in a large pot to 375 degrees. Depending on the size of your pan and the shrimp you use you’ll need to do this part in batches. You don’t want to overcrowd the pan or you run the risk of your shrimp not getting crispy while they cook. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the shrimp to a paper towel lined plate.
• STEP #4: Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, salt and pepper. Cook just until the garlic is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat and stir in green onion. Spoon the mixture over the top of the shrimp and toss to coat.

Storage and Leftovers:

Like most fried food, Salt and Pepper Shrimp is really best served the day that it is made. If you reheat it you run the risk of over cooking the shrimp and it will turn rubbery.

Looking for more Shrimp Recipes? Try these!

Shrimp Tacos with Cilantro Lime Sour Cream are perfect for taco Tuesday!

Popcorn Shrimp are a crispy poppable appetizer that everyone will love!

Shrimp Linguine with Zucchini and Tomatoes is my absolute favorite pasta dish! I’ve been making it for years!