Vietnamese Crispy Salt and Pepper Shrimp
One of my favorite party dishes is this Vietnamese fried shrimp or prawn recipe, also known as Tom Chien Muoi Tieu or Tom Rang Muoi Tieu.
This popular Vietnamese/Chinse/Asian dish is made with whole large shrimp or prawns, which are deep-fried whole until crispy then quickly tossed in a hot wok with garlic, shallot, chili peppers, and jalapenos, and seasoned with a roasted salt mixture.
This recipe is perfect for a party or holiday appetizer. For a complete meal, serve with rice or noodles.
Deep-fried prawns
What You Will Need
Large Shrimp or Prawns — For this recipe, I’m using large shrimp and prawns with everything on. Head, tail, shell, legs, you name it. The shell, head, legs, and tail all fry up so crispy that they taste like crunchy potato chips. And the head is my favorite part. It’s like a crispy potato chip on steroids, thanks to the delicious roe inside. If you’ve never tried fried shrimp head, you absolutely should give it a try!
Corn starch — for coating the shrimp
Vegetable Oil — for deep-frying the shrimp
Scallions, chili peppers, garlic and shallots
Aromatics — Jalapenos or green onions for a less spicy version, red chili peppers or red bell peppers for a less spicy version, garlic and shallots
Salt, Ground Black Pepper and Sugar — for seasoning the shrimp
How to Make It
Step 1: Clean the Shrimp
If preferred, cut off the whiskers, sharp point on the head and trim off the eyes with a pair of kitchen shears. I prefer to keep it all intact because they do fry up nicely.
Devein the shrimp by inserting a toothpick underneath the vein on the back of the shrimp. Slowly pull the toothpick up to remove the vein. Rinse off the shrimp to remove any lingering fishy smell and veins. Set aside.
Step 2: Make the Roasted Salt Mixture
In a small pan, dry toast the salt on medium-low heat until it starts to turn color (about 2 minutes). Turn off heat and transfer the roasted salt to a small bowl. Mix in the ground black pepper and sugar until well combined. Set aside.
Step 3: Deep Fry Shrimp
In a wok or pot, heat vegetable oil to 350°F for deep frying. Dredge shrimp in corn starch and tap off excess.
Dredging the prawns with corn starch
Deep fry the shrimp in batches, dropping them in oil one at a time, and cook for about 3 minutes or until golden and crispy. Transfer the shrimp onto a plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil.
Step 4: Toss in Aromatics and Season
In a large wok or skillet, add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and heat on medium high. Add jalapenos or chili peppers, garlic, and shallots. Sauté until fragrant (about one minute). Add the fried shrimp and sprinkle with the salt-pepper-sugar mixture. Lightly toss until evenly coated. Serve immediately for best results.
Sauteing garlic, shallot, and scallions
Related Post
If you are looking for a five-spice version of fried shrimp, check out this recipe.
Get Your Shrimp Fix!
If you enjoy this recipe, you might also enjoy:
Vietnamese Crispy Salt and Pepper Prawns (Tom Rang Muoi)
- Total Time: 15 minutes
- Yield: 5 1x
Description
Bite-sized bursts of savory, salty, and spicy (optional) flavors, these crispy fried shrimp are the perfect easy-to-make appetizer for any occasion.
Ingredients
Shrimp
- 2 lbs whole shrimp (about 25-30 21/25 size large devein shrimp; head tail optional)
- 1/2 cup corn starch
- Vegetable oil (for deep-frying)
Seasoning Mixture
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon granulated white sugar
Aromatics
- 1 jalapeno (see notes)
- 2 fresh or dried red chili peppers (see notes)
- 2 garlic cloves (peel and slice thin)
- 1 shallot (peel and slice thin)
Instructions
- Prep the shrimp: If preferred, cut off the whiskers, sharp point on the head and trim off the eyes with a pair of kitchen shears. I prefer to keep it all intact because they do fry up nicely. Devein the shrimp by inserting a toothpick underneath the vein on the back of the prawn. Slowly pull the toothpick up to remove the vein. Rinse off the shrimp to remove any lingering fishy smell and veins. Set aside.
- Prepare the salt mixture: In a small pan, dry toast the salt on medium-low heat until it starts to turn color (about 2 minutes). Turn off heat and transfer the roasted salt to a small bowl. Mix in the ground black pepper and sugar until well combined. Set aside.
- Deep fry the shrimp: In a wok or pot, heat vegetable oil to 350°F for deep frying. Dredge shrimp in corn starch and tap off excess. Deep fry the shrimp in batches, dropping them in oil one at a time, and cook for about 3 minutes or until golden and crispy. Transfer the shrimp onto a plate lined with paper towels to absorb excess oil.
- Stir fry finish: In a large wok or skillet, add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and heat on medium high. Add jalapenos or chili peppers, garlic, and shallots. Sauté until softened and fragrant (about one minute). Add the fried shrimp and sprinkle with the salt-pepper-sugar mixture. Lightly toss until evenly coated. Serve immediately for best results.
Notes
- If you don’t like it spicy, omit the jalapenos and chili peppers and replace with a small amount of cubed red and green bell peppers.
- When using dried red chili peppers, I like to keep it whole. This also lessens the spiciness. If using fresh chili peppers, slice into thin discs.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: side dish, appetizer
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: asian, vietnamese, chinese
