These deliciously marinaded firecracker shrimp are the perfect appetizer for your next gathering!
Prep work
To start, peel and clean your shrimp but leave the tail on. Then dry it very well with paper towels. I like to lay out the shrimp on a plate and place it in the fridge for about an hour to dry it naturally. This step is essential because you don’t want water to seep through the wrappers. It also makes for a dangerous situation when frying. Then you’re ready for the next step: seasoning and rolling.
Marinade
Here’s what you’ll need:
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- ½ tsp grated ginger
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- ½ tsp fish sauce
- black pepper to taste
All of these ingredients are commonly used in Asian cooking and can easily be found at any Asian grocery store.
It’s important to crush your garlic, not chop it. This brings out more flavor and allows the garlic to cling to the shrimp. I use a mortar and pestle to crush garlic, but there are many other ways to do it. Place the garlic cloves in a plastic bag and crush it with a meat hammer or rolling pin. It’s also important to grate your ginger with a cheese grater. This brings out more flavor by transforming the ginger into a fine paste. The marinade isn’t touching a hot pan directly, so the ingredients need to be very fine.
Tips for rolling firecracker shrimp
- Peel apart the correct amount of spring roll wrappers before starting. This will make it easier for you when rolling and will prevent the entire batch of wrappers from drying out. You’ll need 12 wrappers to roll 24 shrimp.
- Cover the wrappers with a damp paper towel to prevent it from drying out
- Make a few slits in the shrimp to straighten it
Here’s a less than 30 second video demonstration!
How to cook
These firecracker shrimp are deep fried for extra crispiness. Start by testing the temperature of your oil by using the chopstick test. It’s a very easy method I use all the time. First heat the oil in a pot on medium-high heat. Next, dip a wooden chopstick in the oil and look for bubbles. The oil will immediately form bubbles around the chopstick when the oil is hot enough.
Make sure not to overcrowd the pot when cooking. Adding too many shrimps at once will lower the oil temperature and will result in not so crispy shrimp. Also make sure to use a fine mesh sieve to remove the food debris from the oil. You want the oil to stay clean so the bits and pieces that break off into the oil don’t burn and because it’ll give you better looking shrimp without burnt spots clinging to it.
click here for my shrimp fried rice recipe!
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Firecracker Shrimp
Description
These deliciously marinaded shrimp are the perfect appetizer for your next gathering!
Ingredients
- 24 large raw shrimp, peeled and tail-on
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- ½ tsp grated ginger
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- ½ tsp fish sauce
- black pepper to taste
- 12 sheets of spring roll pastry/wrappers
Instructions
- Peel and clean the shrimp, but leave the tail on. You can choose to remove it if you don’t mind the appearance.. I just looks a lot better with tail on!
- Pat dry the shrimp with a paper towel, or let it sit in the fridge on a plate, uncovered, for about an hour to dry naturally.
- Add all of the seasonings – crushed garlic cloves, grated ginger, oyster sauce, fish sauce and black pepper. Make sure to use crushed garlic, instead of chopped garlic. I use a mortar and pestle but you can also place it into a ziplock and crush it with a rolling pin. Also make sure to use finely grated ginger. It makes a big difference, so don’t use chopped ginger. Use your hands to mix the shrimp with the marinade.
- Cut 12 sheets of spring roll wrappers into 2 for 24 pieces of shrimp. Then cut slits in the shrimp so it lays straight. Place the shrimp about ⅓ of the way from the bottom, roll it up, bring over the left flap and roll the entire shrimp all the way to the top. Leave some room at the top to seal it with a small amount of egg wash. Watch my 30 second video for a tutorial on how to wrap.
- Heat oil in a pan on medium-high and test the temperature with a wooden chopstick. Small bubbles will form around the chopstick when the oil is hot enough. Drop a few shrimp in the oil and cook for about 2 minutes, or until golden brown. Serve with sweet chili sauce & enjoy!
