11 Asian Shrimp Recipes for a Crustacean Celebration

Shrimp are delicate but they can take big flavor, too. Here are some of my favorite recipes to make the most of the little crustacean. As with any ingredient, buy the best shrimp you can find and afford. If buying shrimp seems fuzzy or vexes you, you're not alone. I'm often in the same boat. For that reason, I put together a Shrimp Buying Guide and Prep Tips to hopefully help you along. (There's a shrimp sizing chart in the article too!).

I've developed and published lots of shrimp recipes in my cookbooks and on this site. Here are ten to consider, cook and keep!

Salt and Pepper Shrimp Recipes

Every time I order salt and pepper shrimp at a restaurant, there never seems to be enough to go around. For that reason, I make it at home to ensure there's plenty to satisfy. The general approach to Chinese-style salt and pepper shrimp is two-pronged cooking. First the shrimp is fried to establish a delicate crunch on the outside and succulent, flavor on the inside. Then the shrimp is quickly stir-fried with aromatics to coat the exterior with salty, spicy, pungent notes.

On this website are different cooking options for the first cooking phase -- deep fried, pan-fried, and air-fried. Deep-fried, as pictured at the top, is most succulent and true to what's done at restaurants. The deep-fried Spicy Salt and Pepper Shrimp recipe is an impressive winner any day.

But if you'd rather not deep-fry, the dish is still doable. Try the Wok-Seared Salt and Pepper Shrimp recipe. It's a bit less crunchy but delicious in its own right. I let it pick up some char for character, as you can see.

Have an air-fryer? I used a Cuisinart air-fryer for making Air-Fried Salt and Pepper Shrimp. Its comes together quickly, but as with all air-frying, watch the shrimp because it can quickly go from nearly done to overdone.

Shrimp Sandwich Recipe

And, if you're willing to deep-fry, how about battering up some shrimp and frying them to a crisp for banh mi? This recipe for Fried Shrimp Torpedo Banh Mi hits the spot! Yes, the tails are quite delectable and a source of nutrients.

Saucy, Stir-Fried, and Soupy Shrimp Recipes

Shrimp curry is not usually my jam because what's typically used to spice such as dish can conflict too much with shrimp's flavor. I favor the nuances of South Asian preparations such as Meen Molee, a shrimp in coconut milk from Kerala, India. It's seasoned with curry leaf. The Kerala Shrimp in Coconut Milk recipe on this site comes from a Betty Crocker cookbook. It's written by a legit food authority and is delicious.

When fresh asparagus is around, I think of a Chinese-Vietnamese shrimp and asparagus dish that my friends Eric and Sophie Banh prepare at their Seattle establishment, Monsoon. They fry shallot and other aromatics to create deep flavor to match that of the shrimp. Their Shrimp and Asparagus Stir-Fry recipe is lusty with alluring savors.

Southern Vietnamese cooks love to make surf-and-turf noodle soups, such as the super popular Hu Tieu. Usually, there is more turf than surf involved. However, the surf prevails in Bun Ca Kien Giang (Fish and Shrimp Rice Noodle Soup from Kien Giang province). It's a quirky and spectacular dish. I got the recipe from Albee Tran, the Kien Giang native who produces Son fish sauce, one of my favorite brands of nuoc mam.

Classic Viet Grilled Shrimp Recipe

If you prefer a classic, consider making Vietnamese chao tom, which involves a shrimp paste that's wrapped around a sugarcane stick. The combo is steamed then grilled for a briny-savory-sweet sensation. If you don't have sugar cane sticks, I suggest options in the Grilled Shrimp on Sugarcane recipe.

Shrimp Dim Sum and Dumpling Recipes

Fried shrimp is glorious, and dim sum restaurants have a knack for tantalizing you with shrimpy morsels. No matter how full I am, I always look for fried shrimp balls, which are sadly not as common as they were in the past. It's alright, they're easy to make. They're often made from a paste that's whirled up in a processor. You can coat the shrimp balls many ways but one of the fun ways is to use rice noodles. It's an easy trick to do in this recipe for Crunchy Shrimp and Rice Noodle Balls.

How about a lower carb approach? If that's what you're after, or just wanting a tidier look, make Shrimp Almond Balls. You may already have the sliced almonds in your pantry.

When shrimp is featured in a dumpling filling, it's rarely used in as handsome of a manner as is done for these Korean Shrimp Mandu. As is with many Korean dumpling fillings, there's tofu involved. Each shrimp is cleverly placed so it serves as a handle of sorts. Hello there, shrimp mandu!