Kung Pao Shrimp
Kung pao shrimp is made with a sweet and spicy sauce, juicy shrimp, and bell peppers for a colorful, high-protein meal ready in 30 minutes.
Easy Homemade Kung Pao Shrimp
Kung Pao Shrimp is a favorite stir fry amongst Team Fit Foodie. It’s spicy and sweet all at the same time and packed with protein and veggies.
I love this recipe because you can switch up the veggies and/or protein and have a different kung pao meal every time!
Why you’ll love it!
- Ready in less than 30 minutes
- Homemade, but restaurant quality
- Easy to modify
- Great leftovers
- High-protein
What is Kung Pao Shrimp made of?
Kung Pao Shrimp is a spicy Chinese dish that is traditionally made with hot chili peppers, soy sauce, other spices, and shrimp.
Our kung pao shrimp recipe is non-traditional in the sense that we swapped sriracha and red chili paste for actual hot chili peppers. The flavors are there, but we made this recipe our own by using ingredients easily found in American grocery stores.
What kind of shrimp is best for kung pao shrimp?
You can really use any kind of raw shrimp for kung pao shrimp. We prefer a larger shrimp such as large, XL, or jumbo, but any kind works.
We recommend buying raw shrimp over-cooked so that you don’t overcook your shrimp. For the easiest preparation, find a raw shrimp product that is peeled and deveined.
What is in Kung Pao Sauce?
As we mentioned above, traditional Chinese kung pao sauce is made of actual red chili peppers, but we made a few modifications. Check out an authentic kung pao sauce recipe HERE.
- Soy sauce
- Sriracha
- Chili paste
- Honey
- Ginger
- Cornstarch
How do you make kung pao shrimp less spicy?
Since kung pao sauce is traditionally very spicy, you can either use less chili pepper products or add more sweetness. In our case, we’re using honey, so you could add more of that or use an additional sugar product such as table sugar.
How to Thicken Kung Pao Sauce
The easiest way to thicken kung pao sauce (or any kind of stir fry sauce) is with cornstarch.
2 Ways to do it
- Whisk the cornstarch with the sauce before it’s been added to the heat. Just make sure it fully dissolves in the sauce. It should thicken right up once it’s been heated on the stovetop for a few minutes.
- If you’ve already added the sauce to the frying pan, whisk the cornstarch with 1-2 tablespoons of water to create a slurry. Then, add that to the hot frying pan and heat until thickened.
Serving Suggestions/Swaps
The great thing about this dish is that you can really make it your own! Switch up the protein, use a different veggie, and pick your grain!
Swap the protein
- Chicken breast
- Flank steak
- Garbanzo beans
Use different veggies
- Broccoli
- Water chestnuts
- Mushrooms
- Onion
Serve with your favorite grain
- White sticky rice
- Brown rice
- Quinoa
- Chicken fried rice
Storage
Store leftover kung pao shrimp stir fry in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
