Name: Firecracker Shrimp
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 15 min
Total time: 30 min
Ingredients: 1/4 cup canola oil; 1 lb shrimp; 1 cup flour; 2 eggs; Salt & pepper, to taste; Chili flakes, for garnish; Sesame seeds, for garnish; Green onions, for garnish; 1/4 cup sweet chili sauce; 2 tbsp orange juice; 2 tbsp soy sauce; 1 tbsp sriracha; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 1 tsp orange zest

This Firecracker Shrimp is sweet, sticky, spicy and crunchy – it's a perfect appetizer or main dish when served with broccoli and rice.

Ingredients in this recipe

You don't need a ton of ingredients to make this yummy shrimp! Here's what you need on hand:

canola oil
shrimp
flour and eggs for the breading
Chili flakes, for garnish
Sesame seeds, for garnish
Green onions, for garnish

Firecracker sauce ingredients

sweet chili sauce
orange juice
soy sauce
sriracha
garlic
orange zest

How to make firecracker shrimp

This easy dish comes together in 30 minutes or less! Here's how to make it:

Mix together sauce ingredients in a bowl, then microwave sauce for 2-3 minutes until slightly thickened.
Meanwhile, add flour to a bowl, then whisk eggs in another bowl. Dip shrimp in egg, then coat in flour.
Heat oil in a large skillet, then fry shrimp for 2-3 minutes per side.
Add cooked shrimp to a paper towel lined plate to get rid of excess oil, seasoning with salt & pepper.
Add cooked shrimp to a large bowl, then toss with sauce.
Garnish with chili flakes, sesame seeds and green onions. Serve and enjoy!

Ingredient substitutions

canola oil – any neutral flavor cooking oil, such as avocado or vegetable will work fine
shrimp – this is the star of the show, but for a fun change, you could swap it for boneless chicken breasts or thighs
all-purpose flour – good substitutes are whole wheat flour or gluten free 1:1 flour
eggs – This is used to hold the flour on the shrimp for frying. For an egg-free option, use mayonnaise or buttermilk

Sauce ingredient substitutions

sweet chili sauce – this is basically a spicy version of sweet and sour sauce. Just add a few crushed red chili flakes to the sweet and sour sauce for heat.
soy sauce – a gluten-free option is tamari and a soy-free option is coconut aminos
sriracha – although the flavour profile may differ, you can use any type of hot sauce
garlic cloves – minced garlic from a jar will also work

What is firecracker shrimp?

This popular breaded shrimp dish is sold at Panda Express restaurant, and is available at some other Asian restaurants as well.

It has a delicious sweet and spicy flavour, but the spicy heat is adjustable. Simply use more or less chili sauce to adjust the spice level to your palate.

What to serve with this dish

Taking the dish from an appetizer to a full meal is as simple as adding a healthy grain and veggies. Any of these would be great alongside firecracker shrimp:

steamed brown or white rice
rice pilaf or risotto
cauliflower fried rice
baked potato or sweet potato
steamed veggies (I like to make Instant Pot steamed veggies)

Grilled vs fried

To reduce the calories in this dish, you can skip the breading altogether, and simply grill the shrimp on a BBQ.

This way, you won’t have breading on the shrimp, so there will be fewer calories and less carbs! You can still serve the shrimp with the sweet and spicy firecracker sauce.

To grill the shrimp, place them on wooden or metal skewers. Preheat your grill to 400 F, then grill the shrimp for 2 minutes per side.

Serving ideas

Want to use the shrimp as part of another dish? I have some great ideas!

Use the Firecracker shrimp to make a shrimp cocktail
Add it to tacos or quesadillas
Make a shrimp salad with it
Serve it on hot dog or hoagie buns, similar to a Po Boy sandwich

Storing and reheating

Refrigerate any leftovers in an airtight container and use them within 5 days.

You can reheat your leftovers in a microwave, using 50 percent power. However, microwaving can change the texture of the shrimp, and the breading may become soggy.

To retain a bit of the desirable crunchy exterior, reheat the shrimp by placing them on a sheet pan under the broiler of an oven for 2 minutes. Watch carefully to prevent them from burning.

Can you freeze this dish?

The meal will keep well in the freezer for 2 to 3 months. Before transferring the food to an airtight storage container for freezing, be sure to allow it to cool completely.

Before reheating, place the container in a refrigerator overnight so the food can thaw. Another method I recommend is reheating from frozen in the oven. You can reheat at 400 F for 10-15 minutes from frozen.

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Firecracker Shrimp