Kung Pao Shrimp

Spice up your dinner with this quick and tasty Kung Pao Shrimp recipe! This classic Chinese-American dish is a perfect blend of spicy, sweet, and savory flavors that will have you craving for more. Kung Pao shrimp combined with the crunch of cashew nuts and fragrant bell peppers is an easy takeout recipe ready within 10 minutes.

5 from 12 votes

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Prep Time 5

Cook Time 10

Course Dinner

Cuisine Asian, Chinese

Servings

Calories 223 kcal

Ingredients

1 lb shrimps deveined, peeled with tail on (453 g)
salt and ground black pepper, to taste
1 teaspoon rice wine, optional
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 medium green bell pepper, cut in cubes 1 inch (4.2 oz | 120 g)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon freshly grated (or minced) ginger
1 teaspoon red chili flakes, or to taste
1 cup cashew nuts 4.5 oz | 128 g

Kung Pao Sauce

¼ cup soy sauce 2.02 fluid oz | 60 ml
2 tablespoons honey, or to taste
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon cracked black pepper, adjust to taste

Instructions

Wash and drain shrimp. Make sure to remove the excess water with kitchen towels. Place in a medium bowl and season lightly with salt and pepper plus the rice wine, if using.

Kung Pao Sauce:

Prepare the sauce. Add all sauce ingredients in a bowl and stir. You can also adjust the flavor of the sauce to your taste, if you like. It should have a balance of sweet and salty. I usually just taste it and adjust it to my liking. Set aside when done.
Heat a medium skillet on medium high heat with oil. Sear shrimp on one side for 2 minutes.
Add bell pepper, garlic, ginger, chili flakes, and cashew nuts. Cook by stir-frying for another 2 minutes until bell pepper is fragrant.
Add the sauce to the skillet and bring to a simmer until the sauce thickens. Add a bit of water if you want more sauce.
Remove, garnish with green onions and sesame. Serve with steamed rice. Enjoy!

Nutrition

Calories: 223kcalCarbohydrates: 10gProtein: 21gFat: 12gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 3gMonounsaturated Fat: 6gTrans Fat: 0.02gCholesterol: 122mgSodium: 1027mgPotassium: 422mgFiber: 1gSugar: 3gVitamin A: 176IUVitamin C: 16mgCalcium: 67mgIron: 2mg

Keyword Asian shrimp recipe, Asian shrimp recipes, cashew nut shrimp, cashew shrimp