This Firecracker Shrimp recipe features succulent shrimp smothered in a sweet and spicy firecracker sauce. Serve it over rice for a quick and easy 20-minute dinner solution - Better than takeout!
What is firecracker shrimp?
It’s a bold and spicy prawn dish with a fiery sauce made using sweet chili sauce that packs a punch. Think of it as easy shrimp stir-fry taken to the next level, with the perfect balance of sweet, spicy, and savory flavors—absolutely lip-smacking good!
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Reasons to love
- Irresistible Sauce – A sweet, spicy, and tangy firecracker sauce you can’t stop at one bite.
- Dinner in Under 20 Minutes – From pan to plate faster than your favorite takeout at Panda Express.
- Best Stir-Fry – Seriously, one of the best stir-fry recipes you'll make—it’s that good.
- Spice, Your Way – Dial the spiciness up or down to match your heat tolerance.
- Meal Prep Hero – Makes great leftovers, so you can plan ahead meals for busy days.
Ingredients you'll need to make sweet chili shrimp
Scroll down to the recipe card below for full information on ingredients and amounts.
- Shrimp: For this firecracker shrimp recipe, you'll need one pound of prawns. Be sure to pat them dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture, allowing them to crisp up perfectly in the pan.
- Garlic: Mince 2 cloves of garlic for the recipe. If you're short on time, simply skip the fresh garlic and add one teaspoon of garlic powder to the fiery sauce instead.
- Sriracha sauce: It adds thickness and an addictive spicy flavor.
- Brown sugar: Use light or golden brown sugar for the best flavor. Dark brown sugar contains too much molasses, which can alter the taste of the sauce.
- Rice vinegar: To balance the sweet and spicy flavors!
- Red pepper flakes: Add as much as you like, depending on your heat tolerance. Feel free to skip it if you are looking to reduce the spiciness.
- Soy sauce: Just 2 teaspoons of soy sauce to balance the sweet and spicy flavors.
- Corn starch: Helps to thicken the fiery prawn sauce!
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Is firecracker shrimp spicy?
Yes, it is typically bold and spicy, known for its sweet, tangy, and fiery flavors. Made with sriracha sauce, red pepper flakes, soy sauce, and rice vinegar, it delivers a bold, spicy kick with a tangy twist. However, you can easily adjust the spice level.
Firecracker Shrimp
Ingredients
- ¾ cup light brown sugar not packed
- ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons Sriracha sauce
- 1 ½ tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 pound shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 large garlic cloves minced
- 3 scallions chopped
Instructions
- Make firecracker sauce by mixing brown sugar, sriracha, rice vinegar, soy sauce and red pepper flakes together until sugar is dissolved. Set aside.
- Pat dry shrimp well with paper towels and toss with cornstarch.
- Heat oil in a large non-stick skillet, over medium-high heat.
- Arrange the shrimp in a single layer and cook for about 2 minutes, until golden. Flip and cook for another minute, until nearly cooked through. Transfer the shrimp to a plate.👉 If using a small pan, cook in two batches to avoid overcrowding.
- Reduce the heat to medium, sauté the garlic for a few seconds, then pour in the sauce. Bring to a boil and cook until the sauce thickens slightly.
- Stir in the cooked shrimp, along with any accumulated juices and scallions. Top with toasted sesame seeds and serve over cooked white rice.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutritional information, based on third-party calculations, should be seen as estimates, not guarantees, as various factors like product types, brands, processing methods, and more can alter the nutritional content in recipes.
Recipe tips
- Use a large pan to ensure the shrimp fit in a single layer. Overcrowding will steam them and may cause overcooking. If using a smaller pan, cook the prawns in batches.
- Use light or golden brown sugar and not dark brown sugar.
- Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels to ensure a crispy texture.
- Adjust the heat to your spice tolerance by reducing sriracha and skipping red pepper flakes. If you do, also cut back on the brown sugar to avoid making it too sweet.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container for 3 to 4 days. Reheat in the microwave when ready to enjoy.
👩🍳 Meal prep for the week: I like to prepare firecracker shrimp recipe and cooked rice in meal prep containers, so we have ready-to-eat dinners stored in the fridge.
🌶 Love this sweet and spicy firecracker sauce? Check out my air fryer firecracker tofu recipe or the baked fircracker salmon next.
More easy shrimp recipes for dinner
- Shrimp and broccoli stir fry is sweet, salty, spicy, and garlicky, and is delicious served with rice.
- Easy Chili Lime Shrimp features juicy and succulent shrimp in a flavorful spicy lime sauce.
- Air Fryer Mexican Shrimp is perfectly seasoned with simple pantry spices and ready in under 10 minutes.
- Buffalo Shrimp Tacos loaded with plump, crispy buffalo shrimp, drizzled with ranch dressing and more buffalo sauce, are an absolute flavor explosion.
- Garlic Butter Shrimp is simple yet outrageously delicious and ready in under 15 minutes.
I hope you love this delicious and easy recipe – be sure to give it a review below! Also don’t forget to follow Kitchen at Hoskins on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and YouTube!
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