Firecracker Shrimp Made in 15 Minutes

This firecracker shrimp is lightly breaded, crisped to perfection, and tossed in a sweet and spicy firecracker sauce - it is super versatile and can be eaten as an appetizer, side, or main dish. Plus, it takes under 15 minutes to make the whole thing! I think it's safe to say that this is one of the best spicy shrimp recipes you can make. 

The Best Firecracker Shrimp Recipe

If you've never made firecracker shrimp before, you're in for a treat - it is one of the most straightforward and flavorful shrimp recipes you can make. 

Honestly, the combination of how easy and delicious this firecracker recipe is has made it a go-to recipe for me! And, let met tell ya this right now, this recipe is even better than panda express firecracker shrimp. I know, the firecracker shrimp over there is pretty good, but, not as good as this stuff!

Anyway, I love eating this spicy shrimp over a bed of white rice to balance out the flavors - the rice absorbs some of the spicinesses and turns this into a delicious shrimp dinner. Or, if you want to take the heat up a notch, you can pair the shrimp with this cajun fried rice.

Having said that, you can totally eat this firecracker shrimp recipe all by itself and enjoy it as an appetizer or side too.

And, as I mentioned earlier, one of the best parts about this firecracker shrimp recipe is it takes under 15 minutes to make! All you have to do is coat the shrimp, cook it for a few minutes, then mix it in the shrimp sauce. It's as easy as that!

Plus, all you need to make this firecracker shrimp recipe is some really basic ingredients.

Oh, and if you're looking for another crispy shrimp recipe that has a little spice to it and a whole lot of crunchiness, you have to make this bang bang shrimp.

Ingredients 

All you'll need are some basic ingredients to make this firecracker shrimp recipe. In fact, odds are, you have everything you need to get started!

Anyway, here's what you'll need for the shrimp:

• ½ pound raw shrimp, peeled and deveined, tail on
• ¼ cup cornstarch
• 1 egg
• 2 tbsp. oil for frying
• Salt and pepper to taste

And for the sauce:

• ¼ cup sweet chili sauce (or thai sweet chili sauce)
• 2 tbsp. lime juice
• 2 tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tbsp. hoisin sauce
• 1 tbsp. sriracha sauce
• 1 tsp. lemon zest
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced

Optional ingredients for serving:

• Rice
• Sesame seeds

Now, the majority of the spice in the sauce comes from the sriracha. So if you want to bring down the heat, use a little less than one tablespoon. And if you want to take it up a notch, you can use some more for an extra kick in this fried shrimp. 

Oh, and if you want something with more of a sweet flavor and a little bit of spice, I highly suggest making this general tso shrimp!  Or, if you want a sweet and sour flavor, you can make this sweet and sour shrimp recipe. 

And for something savory, whip up this Red Lobster shrimp scampi!

What Shrimp Are Best For Firecracker Shrimp

Let's talk about the star of this recipe - the shrimp. 

When you go to pick out your shrimp, I suggest looking for wild-caught shrimp. This shrimp will have a cleaner, sharper, more true shrimp flavor. 

Now, you may be wondering if you should use fresh or frozen shrimp, and the short answer is that you can use both. 

Just keep in mind that fresh shrimp have already been thawed, and are typically stacked on ice in the grocery store, which means that they are losing their freshness by the hour. 

So unless you are going to cook the shrimp you buy that day, I suggest buying frozen shrimp. You will have more time to use it, and the shrimp will have an overall better taste, cook better, and have a better texture.

But if you do buy fresh shrimp, just make sure you use it within two days. 

How To Thaw Frozen Shrimp 

If you are going to use frozen shrimp, you will want to make sure that it is thawed correctly. 

Thawing frozen shrimp is super easy - just fill a large bowl with cold water, seal the shrimp in a Ziploc bag, and place the bag in the bowl of cold water.

Then, you'll want to let the shrimp sit in the bowl for about 10-20 minutes - or until they are fully thawed. Once they defrost, you can place the shrimp on a plate lined with paper towels and pat them dry. 

And that's it - your shrimp are ready to go!

How To Make Firecracker Shrimp

Now it's time to make some firecracker shrimp!

And 15 minutes is all you'll need to have some amazingly crisp, sweet, and spicy shrimp. 

Step 1: Prep

Start by putting salt and pepper on your shrimp to taste, and then coat each shrimp in corn starch.

Then, once the shrimp are coated, you can set them aside.

Next, heat a skillet over medium-high heat, and cover the surface with oil. While the skillet is heating up, you can make the sauce to get it ready to go for later.

So, in a small bowl, whisk together all of the firecracker sauce ingredients until they are well combined, then set it aside.

Step 2: Cooking The Shrimp 

By now, the skillet should be hot and ready to go. 

So, the first thing you'll want to do is whisk your egg in a medium-sized bowl. 

Then dip your shrimp in the egg, and coat each piece - shaking off any excess egg. 

Next, transfer the shrimp to the skillet and make sure each piece is lying flat on the skillet's surface - and cook the shrimp for about 2 minutes on each side. 

Now, after the shrimp cook, transfer them to a plate lined with a paper towel. 

Step 3: Sauce It Up

Before you mix in the sauce, carefully wipe out the skillet. First, lightly scrape the pan with a rubber spatula, then with an oven mitt on, grab a wad of paper towels and wipe out the skillet. 

Then, when that's cleaned out, put the skillet back over medium-high heat, and pour the sauce into the skillet. And you're then going to bring the sauce to a boil. 

Now, once the sauce is boiling, add the cooked shrimp back into the skillet. Then, move the shrimp around with a spatula and thoroughly coat each piece of shrimp in the sauce. 

After the cooked shrimp are covered in the sauce, top with sesame seeds and serve with fried rice or any way you want. Enjoy!

How To Store Firecracker Shrimp

Ok, so you made your firecracker shrimp, and you loved it so much that you want to save some.

If you have any leftover shrimp, you can store the cooked shrimp in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 days. 

But if you want to keep it for longer, you can store the cooked shrimp in the freezer for up to 3 months. Just make sure the shrimp has cooled completely before transferring it to an airtight container or freezer-safe bag.

How To Reheat Cooked shrimp

Now, to reheat your shrimp and maintain the crunchy exterior, you have two options. 

The first one is to reheat the fried shrimp in the oven at 300°F.

To do this, lay out a large piece of aluminum foil over a baking sheet. Then, place the shrimp in a single layer on top of the aluminum foil, and gently cover the shrimp with the remaining aluminum foil. Bake for 15 minutes, checking the shrimp half-way through. 

Another way is to reheat the shrimp in a pan on the stovetop. Just heat a pan over medium heat, and then once the pan is hot, coat the surface of it with oil.

Now all you'll have to do is add the shrimp to the pan in a single layer and heat for about a minute or so. Then, flip the shrimp, and cook it for the same amount of time on the other side. 

Ways To Eat This Firecracker Shrimp

So, I mentioned earlier that you could serve this spicy shrimp over some rice to balance the spiciness.

But you can enjoy this firecracker shrimp in a variety of other ways too. 

You can also balance the heat in this shrimp by putting it in a tortilla shell to make shrimp tacos. Add any fillings you'd like, such as lettuce, cheese, and sour cream.

Or you could put the shrimp in a hot dog or submarine roll similar to a shrimp Po Boy sandwich. 

But, if you want to stick with the rice theme, you can serve it over rice pilaf or risotto. And if you want to lower the number of carbs, go with some cauliflower rice.

Also, for a healthy addition to the meal, serve the shrimp with a mix of steamed veggies. All the veggie options in this shrimp lo mein recipe would pair well with the firecracker shrimp too. 

These are just a few ways you can jazz up this shrimp to eat as a meal, but it is just as delicious by itself!

Wrapping It All Up

That is how to make firecracker shrimp with an unbelievable flavor. It's just so delicious, as you can see from above, and is pretty versatile.

So next time you want a crispy shrimp recipe that has a little heat to it, you have to give this a try!

Anyways, I hope you like this firecracker shrimp as much as I do. If you make it, leave a comment below and let me know your thoughts.

More Shrimp Recipes

If you love shrimp, we have a ton of other easy shrimp recipes on the blog you have to try!

Check all of these out next:

• Benihana fried rice
• Texas Roadhouse grilled shrimp
• Panda Express honey walnut shrimp
• Vietnamese shrimp toast
• Loaded shrimp fries
• Shrimp pasta

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