Easy Salt & Pepper Shrimp Recipe
Restaurant-style salt and pepper shrimp made fast at home: juicy, crispy shrimp tossed with garlic, scallions, and chile for a fragrant, salty-peppery finish.
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Servings:
Calories: 120kcal
Ingredients
Main Ingredients
- 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined, tails on
- 0.5 cup cornstarch
- 1.25 tsp kosher salt
- 1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
- 0.5 tsp white pepper, ground optional but traditional
- 2 clove garlic, minced
- 1 whole jalapeno, seeded and minced or use a red chili
- 2 whole scallions, thinly sliced
- 1.5 cup vegetable oil for frying
- 1 whole lemon cut into wedges, for serving
Instructions
Preparation Steps
- Pat shrimp very dry with paper towels. In a small bowl, mix the salt, black pepper, and white pepper (if using). Reserve 0.25 tsp of the mixture for finishing.
- Toss the shrimp with the remaining pepper-salt mixture until lightly seasoned. Add cornstarch and toss again until every piece is evenly coated and dry to the touch.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat to about 350°F (shimmering and hot).
- Fry shrimp in batches without crowding, 1 to 2 minutes per side, until just pink and crisp. Transfer to a rack or paper towels to drain.
- Pour off all but about 1 tbsp of the oil. Add garlic and jalapeno; stir-fry 30 seconds until fragrant. Add scallions and cook 15 seconds more.
- Return shrimp to the pan and toss to coat. Sprinkle the reserved pepper-salt over the shrimp and toss once more. Serve immediately with lemon wedges.
Notes
For extra crackle, let the cornstarch-coated shrimp rest 5 minutes before frying. Swap jalapeno for red chili if you prefer. Work in batches so the oil stays hot and the shrimp crisp instead of steam.