Korean Chili Shrimp

I know, I know, I make way too many recipes with shrimp. But I can’t help it. Shrimp is just such a great alternative to the typical beef/chicken/pork dinner options and it’s healthier. And just because I’ve already posted some really good shrimp recipes that I love (like this one, or this one), doesn’t mean that I can’t find even more to love. My heart can take it. And it turns out, this one was pretty darn fantastic, definitely a keeper. I found it on Heart, Mind & Seoul (see what they did there?) and I’m not exactly sure what makes it Korean but let’s go with it. The recipe was incredibly simple, and I didn’t have to buy any of the ingredients except the shrimp, so bonus for my checkbook! I cut down on the amount of Asian chili sauce (reflected below) and it still was incredibly spicy, so if you don’t like spicy food… this isn’t the shrimp recipe for you. We served it with Soba noodles and I think they added more than regular pasta would have. They soaked up the sauce really well, plus they have a slight sweetness and a tiny hint of peanut buttery-ness that was perfect for this dish. You can also serve it with crushed peanuts on top, but we opted not to and I didn’t miss them.

24 prawns or shrimp, peeled and deveined

Salt & pepper

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon crushed garlic

1 tablespoon chili oil

2 tablespoons Asian chili sauce (original called for 3)

2 tablespoons ketchup

1 tablespoon sugar

3 tablespoons water

Soba noodles

The Asian Chili Sauce is kind of vague since there are tons of chili sauces and some are sweet, some aren’t. We went with a chili garlic sauce like sambal oelek. Start by patting your shrimp dry and then seasoning them with salt and pepper, and tossing them in corn starch. Then mix up your sauce using the chili oil, Asian chili sauce, ketchup, sugar, and water. I accidentally threw the garlic in there too which turned out ok but you’re actually supposed to cook it. Oops. At this point you want to get your water ready for the noodles. They only take about four minutes to cook, and shrimp cooks fairly quickly as well.

In a wok, heat up some olive oil and add your garlic. Cook for just a minute or so and then add in the shrimp. Cook the shrimp for just about 3 minutes, flipping midway, and then add in your sauce. Stir it in to coat the shrimp. Cook for a few more minutes until the shrimp is cooked through and the sauce thickens. Then drain your soba noodles and toss them into the wok. Stir for one minute and then serve. We kept the tails on our shrimp and I think in the future we would take them off to make them easier to eat with the noodles. But if you are making the shrimp alone for an app, I would leave the tails on. Hope you enjoy and add this shrimp recipe to your dinner rotation, too!