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Spicy Szechuan Shrimp Stir-Fry

Shrimp hit a hot wok with ginger and scallion, then a ketchup-chili glaze thickens in minutes. Fast heat for noodle or rice nights—add chile paste at the end if you want it fiercer.

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Spicy Szechuan Shrimp Stir-Fry plated Chinese dinner

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Spicy Szechuan Shrimp Stir-Fry

Yield4
Prep20 min
Cook5 min
Total25 min

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Ingredients

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Method

4 steps

  1. 1

    Whisk 2 tablespoons ketchup, 1 tablespoon chili sauce (sambal-style or sweet chili, to taste), 1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine or dry cooking sherry, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, ½ teaspoon sugar, ¼ teaspoon salt, ½–1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, and 2 teaspoons cornstarch into a smooth sauce. Set it by the stove — shrimp wait for no one.

  2. 2

    Heat a wok or large skillet over high until hot; swirl in 2–3 tablespoons neutral oil. Stir-fry 2 sliced green onions, 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger, and 2 minced garlic cloves a few seconds until fragrant — you should smell ginger before anything browns.

  3. 3

    Add 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined, and stir constantly about 2 minutes until they turn pink and curl into loose C shapes. Splash in a spoonful of water if anything sticks.

  4. 4

    Stir the sauce again (cornstarch settles), pour it in, and cook, stirring, until it thickens and coats the shrimp, about 1 minute. Serve immediately with rice or noodles. Stir in extra chile paste at the table if you want more heat. You want plump shrimp in a glossy spicy-sweet sauce — not rubbery shrimp or a thin ketchup puddle.

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