Salt and pepper shrimp is the dish that proves seasoning is the recipe. Crisp shrimp tossed in hot oil with garlic and chilies, finished with a seasoned salt where freshly ground pepper does the heavy lifting. Ready in about 30 minutes.
Ingredients (serves 4)
- 1 lb large shrimp, peeled and deveined (tails on)
- ½ cup cornstarch
- Neutral oil for shallow frying
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 jalapeño or 2 red chilies, thinly sliced
- 3 scallions, sliced
- Seasoned salt: 1 tsp fine sea salt + 1½ tsp freshly ground black pepper (medium-coarse) + ½ tsp sugar + optional ¼ tsp ground toasted Sichuan peppercorn
Method
- Make the seasoned salt. Grind the pepper fresh — this is where the flavor lives. Pre-ground pepper has already lost the volatile oils that make this dish sing. A good pepper mill set to medium-coarse gives you the right crunch. Mix with the salt, sugar, and Sichuan peppercorn if using.
- Dry and dredge. Pat the shrimp very dry, then toss in cornstarch until lightly coated. Shake off the excess.
- Fry. Heat ½ inch of oil in a wok or skillet over high heat until shimmering. Fry shrimp in batches, 1–2 minutes per side, until golden and crisp. Drain on a rack.
- Aromatics. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of oil. Over high heat, stir-fry the garlic, chilies, and most of the scallions for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Toss. Return the shrimp, sprinkle the seasoned salt over everything, and toss for 30 seconds so every shrimp is coated. Finish with the remaining scallions.
Tips
- Grind coarse, grind fresh. The signature of this dish is pepper you can taste in crunchy flecks — use Tellicherry peppercorns for a fruity, complex bite.
- Shell-on option: for the true restaurant experience, fry shell-on shrimp — the shells crisp up and are entirely edible.
- Serve immediately with steamed rice; the crunch fades as it sits.
More heat-and-seasoning ideas: try our gourmet burger spice guide or browse whole spices for grinding.