Description
Firecracker Shrimp is a crispy, spicy, and sweet dish featuring golden-fried shrimp tossed in a flavorful buffalo-inspired sauce. Perfect served over fluffy rice and garnished with green onions, sesame seeds, and red pepper flakes, this recipe is a crowd-pleaser that balances heat and sweetness with a satisfying crunch.
Ingredients
Scale
Shrimp
- 1 lb large uncooked shrimp, peeled and deveined
- 1/3 cup flour
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/4 cup peanut oil (can substitute vegetable or olive oil)
Sauce
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 3/4 cup buffalo sauce
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder (optional)
- 1/2 teaspoon mustard powder
For Serving
- Red pepper flakes, green onions, and/or toasted sesame seeds for garnish
- Cooked rice (white long grain rice recommended)
Instructions
- Prepare the Sauce: In a bowl, combine the chicken broth with cornstarch and mix well to avoid lumps, ensuring the broth is cool to prevent activating the cornstarch. Then stir in the buffalo sauce, light brown sugar, apple cider vinegar, soy sauce, garlic powder, chili powder (if using), and mustard powder. Set the sauce aside until ready to cook.
- Prep the Shrimp: Thaw shrimp completely if frozen and pat dry. Remove shells, tails, and veins if needed. In a large gallon-size freezer bag, combine flour, cornstarch, and garlic powder. Add shrimp and shake until shrimp is evenly coated.
- Heat the Oil: Heat peanut oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot enough for frying; the oil should sizzle immediately when shrimp is added to ensure crispiness.
- Fry the Shrimp: Fry shrimp in batches for 3-4 minutes per batch, turning once or twice, until golden brown and crispy on all sides. Avoid overcrowding the pan to prevent sogginess. Transfer shrimp to a cooling rack to drain excess oil and maintain crispness.
- Cook the Sauce: Remove excess oil from the skillet carefully, then add the prepared sauce mixture to the skillet. Bring the sauce to a boil over medium heat and stir constantly until it thickens, which will happen quickly.
- Toss Shrimp in Sauce: Lower the heat to low, add the fried shrimp back into the skillet and toss to coat evenly with the thickened sauce. Heat through gently for 1-2 minutes.
- Serve: Serve the sauced shrimp over cooked rice. Garnish with red pepper flakes, sliced green onions, and toasted sesame seeds as desired for extra flavor and texture.
- Cook the Rice (Optional): For perfectly cooked rice, bring 2 cups of chicken broth to a boil, add 1 cup of white long grain rice, cover tightly and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes, then remove from heat and let it sit covered for 10 minutes before fluffing with a fork.
Notes
- If the sauce is too thick, stir in additional chicken broth a little at a time until desired consistency is reached.
- Shrimp size used is large, approximately 26-30 shrimp per pound, but fresh or frozen works well.
- Frank's Buffalo Sauce is recommended for authentic flavor, but any buffalo-style hot sauce can be substituted.
- Ensure oil is properly heated before adding shrimp to keep the coating crisp and prevent sogginess.
- Garnish options include diced green onions, toasted sesame seeds, red pepper flakes, or honey roasted peanuts for variation.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Other rice varieties will require adjustments in liquid amount and cooking time.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 420 kcal
- Sugar: 18 g
- Sodium: 850 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 180 mg
