Why are my shrimp tough?

If they're chewy or tough, they're probably overcooked. The velveting process provides a little protection from overcooking (oftentimes, overcooked shrimp will still have a pleasant 'squeak' to them if they've previously been velveted). However, most shrimp only takes 4-5 minutes total when cooking on medium high heat.

I'm sensitive to spice. How spicy is this?

That depends on the chili crisp. I used Laoganma chili crisp for this recipe. I find it to be more smoky than overtly spicy. But some brands go further with the heat, so test before adding it to the sauce. Start with a little. You can always add more. Also, you can add a bit less sriracha for less heat. That said, if you don't like spicy food at all, I'd recommend making this Chinese style shrimp donburi instead.

Why does the total time say 26 minutes? The recipe card says it should take me 11 minutes to make.

You can do the prep in 5 minutes - and the cook time is roughly 6 minutes. It's a quick one! But there's a 15 minute brine for the shrimp (passive time) that I'm also taking in to account. Do the velveting step first and chop your garlic, ginger and shallots while the shrimp is brining to shave some time off that 26 minutes.

Garlic Shrimp With Chili Crisp

Name: Garlic Shrimp With Chili Crisp
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 6 min
Total time: 26 min
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined; 1/2 teaspoon baking soda; 1 teaspoon salt; 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 5 cloves garlic, finely chopped; 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped; 1 large shallot, finely chopped; 6 stalks green onions, roughly chopped; 1 tablespoon chili crisp; 2 tablespoons mayonnaise; 2 tablespoons soy sauce; 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce

Description

I make my garlic shrimp with chili crisp and sriracha for shimmering heat and tons of umami.

Ingredients

Units Scale

1 pound large shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
1 large shallot, finely chopped
6 stalks green onions, roughly chopped

For the sauce

1 tablespoon chili crisp
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sriracha sauce

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Instructions

Velvet the shrimp. Put shrimps in a bowl and add salt and baking soda. Mix using your fingers until the shrimps are evenly coated. Brine for 15 minutes. Then rinse the shrimp under cold water and pat dry.
Mix the sauce. Mix all the ingredients for the sauce and set aside.
Stir fry the aromatics. In a pan over medium high heat, add oil and when the oil is hot, add garlic, ginger and shallot and cook for 1 minute.
Stir fry the shrimp and green onions. Add shrimp and cook for 4-5 minutes, until shrimps are cooked through. Add green onions and cook for 1 additional minute.
Sauce and serve. Add sauce and toss until the shrimp are evenly coated. Transfer to a bowl or plate and serve with rice.

Notes

This garlic shrimp with chili crisp recipe will keep refrigerated for up to 2 days. Reheat gently in the microwave.

Nutrition

Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 220
Sugar: 1.7g
Sodium: 1233.8mg
Fat: 11.8g
Saturated Fat: 2.4g
Unsaturated Fat: 4g
Trans Fat: 0g
Carbohydrates: 4.4g
Fiber: 0.5g
Protein: 24g
Cholesterol: 188.9mg