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A Dash of Sanity

Easy family friendly recipes: dinner to dessert.

Firecracker Shrimp

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Firecracker Shrimp – a sweet & spicy combination with tantalizing flavors, this gorgeous meal is ready in 20-minutes.

I love easy meals that I can throw together in less than 30 minutes. My family loves meals with shrimp, so this recipe for Firecracker Shrimp is a win for us all. Full of flavor you can adjust the heat factor of this recipe to your taste. Which is fantastic when you have little kids like mine.

Photo of Firecracker Shrimp in pan with wooden spoon

I made this Firecracker Shrimp recipe after being inspired by a recent trip to a Mongolian style restaurant. Our family loves going to restaurants like this and trying to pile as much as humanly possible into those smaller-than-we-expected bowls, making the typical Mt. Everest like combinations of vegetables, sauces and unnatural amounts of meats. We always leave with full bellies and smiling faces.

What was different about this place was they had pre-made menu ideas, of course, you could still create your own combination but they had some ready for you just in case you were having trouble deciding.

My husband got the Firecracker Shrimp and I did too quickly after trying his. What I loved about this recipe was the amount of spice and that the shrimp wasn’t breaded. It reminded me of Bang Bang Shrimp but without all the breading and additional calories. We all loved the recipe so much that I came home and tried to replicate it and after 2 tries, we got it!

Photo of girl holding bowl of firecracker shrimp

What is Firecracker sauce made of?

  • Sweet Chili Garlic Sauce
  • Lemon Juice
  • Honey
  • Sriracha
  • Fresh Ginger
  • Salt

How do you make Firecracker Shrimp?

  • In a large bowl, season shrimp with salt and pepper, to taste.
  • Lightly toss the shrimp in the cornstarch, then dip them individually into the egg mixture.
  • Heat canola oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add shrimp about 4-6 at a time depending on your saucepan and cook until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate; discard excess oil. Repeat the process with the remaining shrimp.
  • Make the sauce.
  • Wipe out the pan you just used to cook the shrimp. Combine the sweet chili garlic sauce, lemon juice, and zest, honey, garlic salt ginger and Sriracha. and bring to boil over medium-high heat, about 2-3 minutes.
  • Add the shrimp back in – into pan and toss to coat with the sauce. Serve immediately with rice or over fresh veggies.

Close up photo of firecracker shrimp in skillet

What can I serve with Firecracker Shrimp?

  • Rice
  • Rice Noodles
  • Lettuce Wraps
  • Salad, like a mix of simple greens or our favorite Chopped Asian Salad (just omit the chicken from the recipe and substitute with the shrimp instead)
  • Tortillas, either Corn Tortillas or Flour Tortillas will work, my family prefers flour tortillas

You will love this simple recipe friend, the sweet & spicy combination is just perfection. And the fact that you can make it in 20-minutes means the Firecracker Shrimp will be a repeat offender in your home.

Enjoy! XOXO San

Don’t forget to pin this FIRECRACKER SHRIMP to your favorite Pinterest board for later.

FIRECRACKER SHRIMP IN BOWL AND PAN TOPPED WITH FRESH CILANTRO

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4.78 from 45 votes

Firecracker Shrimp

Firecracker Shrimp - a sweet & spicy combination with tantalizing flavors, this gorgeous meal is ready in 20-minutes.
Servings: 6
Calories: 225kcal
Author: Sandra

Ingredients

  • 1 pound medium shrimp peeled and deveined (about 25 shrimp)
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
  • 1/2 cup cornstarch
  • 2 large eggs beaten
  • 1/4 cup canola oil for frying

Sauce

  • 1/2 cup sweet chili garlic sauce in the ethnic food aisle at the grocery store
  • 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1-2 tablespoons lemon zest
  • 1/2 teaspoon Sriracha
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt

Instructions

  • Heat canola oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat.
  • In a large bowl, season shrimp with salt and pepper to taste.
  • Lightly toss the shrimp in the cornstarch until coated. Dip them individually into the beaten eggs right before frying.
  • Add shrimp about 4-6 at a time depending on your saucepan and cook until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate. Repeat the process with the remaining shrimp, discarding any excess oil.
  • Wipe out the pan you just used to cook the shrimp. Combine the sweet chili garlic sauce, lemon juice, and zest, honey, garlic salt ginger and Sriracha. and bring to boil over medium-high heat, about 2-3 minutes.
  • Add the shrimp back in - into pan and toss to coat with the sauce. Serve immediately with rice or over fresh veggies.

Nutrition

Calories: 225kcal | Carbohydrates: 27g | Protein: 18g | Fat: 5g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 245mg | Sodium: 1025mg | Potassium: 88mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 16g | Vitamin A: 79IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 118mg | Iron: 2mg

It was a pleasure to partner with bd’s Mongolian Grill to bring you this FIRECRACKER SHRIMP recipe. All opinions expressed are my own. This post may contain affiliate links. See my Full Disclosure for further details.

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Comments

  1. Angela Phillips says

    This looks really easy and Delicious. In the instructions, you say to add the honey, lemon , etc. to a pan and heat. There is no honey in the ingredíents list. How much honey goes into the sauce pan?

    Reply

  2. Steve says

    I really like the recipe and your blog. It does need a little more liquid. That can be anything from shrimp stock to ketchup depending on what you’re looking for or have in the kitchen. My wife loved it! I just needed a little more fire in my cracker.

    Reply

    • Steve says

      I meant before tossed together. Add that extra anything you choose to the sauce. And take 30 seconds to watch it bubble. It changes flavor drastically. An orange peel chopped?

      Reply

  11. Justine says

    5 stars
    The only challenge that I see is in ordering the right type of shrimps/prawns from the market because 5 years into self cooking I still haven’t figured them out. Is there a specific name you can use while shrimp shopping at the fish market? Also, the size here looks sufficient. I think I’ll go tomorrow and get my hands on a couple pounds. Some for the firecracker and rest I will roast.

    Reply

  12. Ann says

    5 stars
    Oh My! I’m drooling over this recipe. The meal is gorgeous! Dying to give it a go. My family would devour it!
    Thank u so much for sharing such a fab idea with us. I’m so inspired! I will definitely be back for more of the awesome recipes. Your blog is incredible. You put so much love into what you’re doing.

    Reply

  13. Kimberly says

    Looks amazing! With honey and cornstarch in the recipe, I’m concerned it’s not keto-friendly. Any suggestions how to make it keto-friendly without sacrificing taste? I’d love to try this!!! Thank you!

    Reply

    • Jenn @A Dash of Sanity says

      Hi Kimberly! The honey does add flavor to the sauce and balances the sour lemon juice and chili sauce. You can definitely try replacing it with a keto-friendly sweetener or honey replacement if you have one you like! The cornstarch will just add a light crispy coating to the shrimp. You can definitely skip the frying step and just cook the shrimp in the prepared sauce without the corn starch. All that will change is the texture, but it should still taste as delicious. Let us know what you try and how it turns out!

      Reply

    • Jenn @A Dash of Sanity says

      You can use either raw or cooked! Just make sure it is thawed. If you are using raw, add to the sauce and remove from heat right when the shrimp are done. If they are already cooked, add to the sauce and turn off the heat. Stir with the sauce until the shrimp are just heated through to not overcook them. I hope you enjoy the recipe!

      Reply

  15. Jacque Hastert says

    5 stars
    This dinner has stolen my heart! I love the heat that comes with it, but it’s not overbearing. Can’t beat how quickly it is on the table either!

    Reply

    • Jenn @A Dash of Sanity says

      Hi Max! Doing a quick search, 1 shrimp contains 3g of protein, so it will have about 12g per serving just from the shrimp. It is also calculating in protein from other ingredients such as the eggs used in the batter so it may be a little off!

      Reply

    • Jenn @A Dash of Sanity says

      Hi! The Chili Garlic Sauce has no sugar added and is much hotter than the sweet chili sauce used in the recipe. I’m not quite sure exactly how it would affect the taste, but it will be less sweet and much more spicy.

      Reply

  19. Scott says

    2 stars
    Seemed easy to make but I was wondering why lemon juice and lemon zest? I always do the recipe as listed and if good modify the next time. This was over powered by the lemon smell and taste. Might try it again with just one of the lemon items instead of both.

    Reply

  35. Beth says

    5 stars
    We love this recipe. Definitely one of our favorites for lunch and dinner! Can’t wait to make this again!

    Reply

  37. Kamila Lee says

    The first thing my husband said after he finished he plate? “ That was friggin delicious!” Glad I tried it. Felt odd not to put any wine in it, but clearly it was not needed!

    Reply

    • Jenn @A Dash of Sanity says

      Hi Annie, this dish is best served fresh. Since you’re frying the shrimp you’ll want to serve it as soon as possible so it stays nice and crispy.

      Reply

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