Kung Pao Shrimp

This recipe for Kung Pao shrimp is chock full of veggies and peanuts and is cooked in a savory yet spicy sauce. Make your own take out in just 20 minutes!

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I’ve back with yet another make your own take-out recipe. I hope you all like Chinese food as much as we do, I’ve been on a stir frying roll lately! This Kung Pao shrimp is so very easy to make, I can have it on the table in 20 minutes flat! I added lots of veggies for color and crunch, and the sauce is spicy enough to add a little kick, but not so hot that you’ll be reaching for a glass of water.

I like to use extra large shrimp for this recipe, just because the shrimp are really the star of the show here. The shrimp get cooked with peppers and onions and are tossed in a savory sauce. You probably already have most of the ingredients that you’ll need to make this Kung Pao shrimp, the only two ingredients you’ll need to look for are the hoisin sauce and dried chilies. Hoisin sauce can be found in the ethnic aisle of almost all grocery stores. I actually bought dried chile de arbol peppers for this dish, which are typically located in the Mexican aisle; you can really use whatever small dried chilies you can find at your store. I start with 4-6 dried chiles for a moderate spice level – that sounds like a lot of peppers, but I break them open and shake out the seeds before I add them to the stir fry, which greatly diminishes their heat. If you can’t find dried chilies or don’t want to buy them, try using red chile flakes instead (like the kind you’d sprinkle on pizza).

Can I just tell you how delicious this Kung Pao shrimp is? Since there’s plenty of veggies already in the mix, simply steam up some rice and dinner is served!

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5 from 4 votes

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Kung Pao Shrimp

This recipe for Kung Pao shrimp is veggies, peanuts and plenty of shrimp, cooked in a savory and spicy sauce. Make your own take out in just 20 minutes!

Course Main Course

Cuisine Asian

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 10 minutes

Total Time 20 minutes

Servings 4 servings

Calories 265 kcal

Author Dinner at the Zoo

Ingredients

• For the stir fry:
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 pound large shrimp peeled and deveined
• 1 inch red bell pepper cut into 1 pieces
• 1 inch green bell pepper cut into 1 pieces
• 1/2 of a white or yellow onion cut into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 teaspoon minced garlic
• 4-6 dried red chilies seeded and cut in half (you can use more or less chilies to adjust the heat level to your preference)
• 1/2 cup roasted unsalted peanuts
• salt and pepper to taste

• For the sauce:
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons water

Instructions

1. Heat the oil in a large pan over high heat. Add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes or until just softened. Add the red and green bell pepper and cook for 3-4 minutes or until tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
2. Add the shrimp to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes, or until shrimp are pink and opaque. Add the chilies and peanuts to the pan.
3. While the shrimp and vegetables are cooking, make the sauce. Whisk together all of the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
4. Add the sauce to the shrimp mixture and bring to a boil; cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, or until sauce is just thickened. Serve immediately.

Nutrition Facts

Kung Pao Shrimp

Amount Per Serving

Calories 265 Calories from Fat 135

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 15g 23%

Saturated Fat 2g 10%

Cholesterol 173mg 58%

Sodium 988mg 41%

Total Carbohydrates 12g 4%

Dietary Fiber 3g 12%

Sugars 5g

Protein 35g 70%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Things You’ll Need (or Want!)

Large Skillet I use this large deep nonstick skillet for stir fry; it’s big enough to hold enough shrimp and veggies to feed my family and it gets blazing hot so the shrimp get nicely browned.

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Rice Cooker Get some rice going in your rice cooker as you start your Kung Pao shrimp and you’ll have a complete meal in no time!

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Shrimp Peeler and Deveiner This handy little tool makes quick work of the somewhat unpleasant task of peeling and deveining shrimp.

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