This Firecracker Shrimp is sweet, sticky, spicy and crunchy – it's a perfect appetizer or main dish when served with broccoli and rice.
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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.
More restaurant copycat recipes
Meal prep tools for this recipe
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Firecracker Shrimp
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
Sauce
- 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
Instructions
- Mix together sauce ingredients in a bowl. Microwave for 2-3 minutes until heated through and slightly thickened.
- Heat oil in a large skillet over med-high heat.
- Meanwhile, add flour to a bowl, then whisk eggs in another bowl. Dip shrimp in egg, then coat in flour.
- Add shrimp to skillet, cooking in two batches 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, then add cooked shrimp to a large bowl.
- Toss shrimp with sauce, then garnish with chili flakes, sesame seeds and green onions. Serve and enjoy!
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Bob says
We had this for supper last night. It is very simple to make and absolutely delicious. We cut back the sriracha to 1 tsp because some family members are not fans of spicy food. This left just a touch of heat that everyone enjoyed. Another great recipe!
Taylor Stinson says
So happy you enjoyed!