Sweet and Sour Shrimp Recipe Made In 10 Minutes

This sweet and sour shrimp is a flavor combination made in heaven—the sweet and sour sauce coats each crispy piece of shrimp to create an irresistible dish. And best of all, this recipe comes together in just 10 minutes! 

Sweet and sour shrimp is my favorite takeout meal. I just love it, but honestly, this shrimp recipe is so much better than anything you can get from a restaurant!

You just can't get the flavor of this homemade sweet and sour sauce anywhere else. I have a few secret ingredients that bring out the best of each flavor, creating a perfect balance between the two.

Along with an upgraded sauce, you can get creative with how you pair the shrimp when you cook it at home. For instance, you can put it over a bed of rice or mix it with some noodles and veggies. 

Honestly, after you make this recipe, you'll never want to eat sweet and sour shrimp from anywhere but your own kitchen - just like this general tso shrimp.

Oh, and this sweet and sour shrimp recipe takes only 10 minutes to make! When it comes to easy shrimp recipes, it doesn't get any quicker than this.

Ingredients

So, for this sweet and sour shrimp, you will need a few simple ingredients. And the majority of them will probably be in your cupboard.

Check out what we will be using to create one of the most classic Chinese shrimp recipes at home. 

Ingredients for the shrimp:

• ½ lb raw shrimp, peeled and deveined, tail on
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoon oil for frying
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced

And for the sauce:

• ¼ cup of honey
• 3 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 2 tablespoon soy sauce
• 2 tablespoon tomato paste
• 2 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
• 1 tablespoon of cornstarch
• 2 tablespoon of water

Optional for serving: 

• White rice
• Sesame seeds and sliced green onion for garnish

Not bad, am I right?

I actually use a lot of the same ingredients to make this firecracker shrimp recipe. So if you want a shrimp recipe with the same sweetness but with a little kick, you should definitely check it out. 

How To Make Sweet and Sour Shrimp

So you have all your ingredients, your shrimp is ready to go, now it's time to bring everything together. 

And, as I mentioned earlier, the whole thing will only take about 10 minutes to make!

Now, let's dive into some deliciousness.

Step 1: Prep work

The first thing you will do is whisk the sauce ingredients - the honey, rice vinegar, soy sauce, tomato paste, sugar, and hoisin sauce - together in a small bowl. Once they are well combined, you can set the bowl aside.

In another small bowl, you are going to whisk together the cornstarch and water, then set it aside.

After that, you can season the shrimp with salt and pepper to taste. 

Step 2: Cooking The Shrimp

Take out a skillet or pan, put it on the stovetop over medium-high heat, and cover the surface with oil.

Once the oil is hot, add the shrimp to the skillet and make sure each shrimp is flat on the surface. Cook for about 1 minute without moving, then flip the shrimp and cook for about another minute.

Next, add the minced garlic to the skillet and cook for about 10 seconds until fragrant. 

Step 3: Adding the Sauce

To complete this sweet and sour shrimp, pour the sauce into the skillet and cook for a couple of minutes. 

As the sauce begins to boil, add the cornstarch and water mixture into the skillet and cook until the sauce thickens, then stir the cooked shrimp around to coat them thoroughly.

Serve the sweet and sour shrimp over white rice, with sesame seeds and green onion on top.

Enjoy!

My Tips To Make The Best Recipe

• I love buying frozen shrimp because you can get a big bag and use it in various recipes over several weeks. For example, you can make this blackened shrimp or this shrimp lo mein. 
• Turn this recipe into a shrimp stir fry-like dish. You can add some bell peppers, green onions, and broccoli. Or any veggies you want. I personally love bell peppers, green onions, and broccoli.
• For a classic sweet and sour shrimp dish, put the shrimp over this Instant Pot sushi rice. Or you can add it to this pastalaya for one flavorful dish.
• I've used this to make shrimp tacos before in tortillas with some fresh pineapple slices and green onions to complement the sweetness of the sauce. 

How I Recommend Storing Sweet and Sour Shrimp

Now, I would be surprised if you have any leftover sweet and sour shrimp. But if this is the case, you can store it and enjoy it for the next few days.

This shrimp will last in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 4 days.

If you want to store it for longer, you can keep it in an airtight container or freezer-safe bag in the freezer for up to 3 months.  

How I Reheat Shrimp

When eating this shrimp leftover, you either enjoy it cold or reheat it. 

I personally like to reheat it on the stove top. First, heat a pan over medium heat, then cover the surface with oil. Next, add the shrimp to the pan in a single layer and heat for about a minute or so, then flip the shrimp and do the same on the other side. 

My Final Thoughts

This sweet and sour shrimp recipe is a fantastic quick and easy meal that you can make any time throughout the week. 

Usually, meals that are done in 10 minutes lack flavor - but this recipe tastes like it took an extravagant cooking process to make.

Seriously, the flavor of this shrimp is too good to be true - add this recipe to your meal rotation, and your tastebuds will thank you. 

I hope you enjoy this sweet and sour shrimp recipe, and if you make it, let me know how it turns out!

By the way, if you're looking for a delicious recipe that you can make with this shrimp next time, you have to make this hibachi fried rice.