Tender sautéed shrimp, crunchy vegetables in a slightly sweetened spicy sauce is all you need for a quick healthy meal. This delicious Mongolian shrimp recipe is so full of flavor and balanced with just a bit of sweetness. You can easily control how much heat you want in this stir fry dish.
Why this recipe is just so good....
- This savory, spicy shrimp recipe comes together in less than 30 minutes.
- You can increase the sauce's heat by opening up the chili peppers and letting the seeds simmer in the sauce. Leave the peppers whole for a more savory, less spicy sauce.
- The shrimp provides healthy protein in this recipe. There are 24 grams of protein per 3.5 ounces of cooked shrimp! And by substituting some ingredients in the sauce and serving with cauliflower rice instead of white rice or brown rice, it is also a low carb, keto friendly meal.
- If you love shrimp, be sure to try my Shrimp Louie Salad, General Tso Shrimp or Air Fryer Garlic Shrimp.
Recipe Ingredients & Substitutions
- I used frozen, deveined large shrimp that was sold with 26-30 shrimp per pound in the package. I defrosted them overnight in the refrigerator and cut off the tails. Lobster Everywhere is a good bit of information about buying and sizes of shrimp.
- Dried chili peppers are the ingredient that gives the shrimp and sauce its spicy heat. Left whole the flavor is very mild, but cut a few open and the chili seeds will spice up the sauce. Start with the peppers closed, let the sauce simmer a bit, taste and cut open a few if you want to increase the heat.
- Most people don't eat the chili peppers, but they are edible. If you prefer not to use the chili peppers, you can substitute with some red pepper flakes. I would start with a half teaspoon, taste the sauce and add more as desired.
- This recipe calls for using ginger and garlic. Instead of fresh ginger and garlic, I took a shortcut and used a paste variety that is stored in the refrigerator. They are delicious and save time.
- Sweet chili sauce adds the sweetness in this recipe. But you can substitute a few tablespoons of white or brown sugar or sugar substitute for a lower carb version.
FAQ
My version of Mongolian Shrimp is a combination of both Hunan style and Szechuan shrimp chinese dishes. Szechuan shrimp is sweeter and usually has some sugar or honey in the recipe. Hunan shrimp is hotter with the addition of chili peppers or a spicy bean paste called Doubanjiang.
Yes! Since shrimp are mostly protein and water, they are a perfect choice for a keto, low carb diet. The stats from WebMD are as follows: per 100 grams,
3 ½ oz. of shrimp are 99 calories, 24 grams of protein and 0.2 grams net carbs. It also has many other health benefits such as high in antioxidants and in vitamins magnesium, calcium and potassium. They are a great source of minerals phosphorous, copper and zinc.
Cooking Tips for Mongolian Shrimp
- The secret to tender shrimp is to not overcook them. Watch them carefully when they are placed in the hot pan. Shrimp only take about 2-3 minutes to stir fry. As soon as they turn pink, they are done.
- Stir fry the hardest vegetables such as carrots first and leave the softer ones for last so they don't get mushy.
- Make sure the pan or wok is very hot and don't crowd the shrimp or vegetables. You want them to fry not steam.
How to make Mongolian Shrimp?
- In a wok or large frying pan or skillet, heat the oil over medium high heat and stir fry the chili peppers for 1-2 minutes Add the shrimp and cook for 2-3 minutes or until they turn pink. Remove shrimp from pan.
- Add remaining oil and stir fry vegetables until crisp tender.
- Add sauce ingredients and stir with the shrimp and vegetables. Bring sauce to a simmer.
- Serve shrimp and vegetables over white, brown or cauliflower rice.
If you tried this delicious Shrimp Recipe and enjoyed it, I'd love if you gave it a 5 star rating. This tells me what you like and want to see more of. Thank you!
Here are more seafood recipes to try:
Slow Cooker Manhattan Clam Chowder
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Mongolian Shrimp
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Total Time: 30 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Asian
Description
Tender sautéed shrimp and crunchy vegetables in a slightly sweetened spicy sauce is all you need for this healthy version of Mongolian Shrimp. You can easily control how much heat you want in this dish.
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 garlic cloves, minced *
- 4 dried chili peppers *
- 2 green onions, chopped
- ¼ cup sweet chili sauce*
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- ¼ cup soy sauce, low sodium
- 2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger*
- 1 pound cleaned, deveined shrimp (approximately 26-30 per pound)
- 2 cups broccoli, chopped in small florets
- 1 red bell pepper, chopped into medium sized pieces
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a wok or large skillet and fry the chili peppers. Cut open a few for a spicier dish.
- Add the shrimp and cook for 2-3 minutes over medium heat until they turn pink. Remove from pan.
- Heat the remaining oil and stir fry the vegetables until they are crisp tender. If you like them a bit softer, cook an additional minute or two.
- Stir in the sauce mixture and bring to a simmer to thicken slightly. Add back the shrimp and heat through.
- Serve with chopped green onions over brown, white or cauliflower rice.
Notes
*I used garlic paste instead of cloves. It is found in the refrigerator section of the grocery stores.
*The dried chilis are not that spicy when kept whole. Slice a few open and it will be spicier as the seeds mix in the sauce.
*For a low carb version of the sweet chili sauce, use regular chili sauce and add 2 tablespoons of sugar substitute. Always taste the sauce first before adding more sweetener or spice.
*If you want a thicker sauce, stir in 2-3 teaspoons of cornstarch or Arrowroot powder to thicken. For a thinner sauce, add ¼-1/2 cup vegetable or chicken broth. Stir to simmer to fully combine in the sauce.
Keywords: spicy shrimp, Szechuan shrimp, stir fry
Kalyn says
I love the sauce on this dish! Great easy weeknight dinner!
★★★★★