13 Best Recipes With Shrimp Paste To Try

Try these simple and tasty Recipes With Shrimp Paste! From classic Malaysian noodles to crispy fried chicken, we've got something for everyone!

What is Shrimp Paste?

Shrimp paste, or shrimp sauce, is a condiment made from ground or crushed shrimp. Traditionally, the shrimp is mixed with salt, then spread onto wooden trays and left to ferment under the sun for several weeks.

It has a savory and salty flavor with a strong concentrated shrimp taste. However, across Asia, its taste, saltiness, color, and consistency can vary depending on factors like the process and the type of seafood used.

Types of Shrimp Paste

Shrimp paste comes in various forms, including liquid sauces, thick pastes, and solid, dried blocks, depending on where it's from and how it's made.

Throughout Asia, shrimp paste is recognized by different names and may contain different ingredients. For example, in Malaysia, it's called Belacan and is made from steamed krill.

How To Use It?

Shrimp paste is typically used as a condiment. Depending on its consistency, it may be easier or harder to incorporate.

If it's thin, it can be easily mixed into dishes, but if it's thick or dry, you might need to stir it vigorously or dissolve it beforehand.

Char Kway Teow is a traditional rice noodle dish from Malaysia. It has charred rice noodles mixed with Chinese sausage, bean sprouts, shrimp, fish cakes, and more.

The flavorful sauce has soy sauce, dark soy sauce (for color), fish sauce, and shrimp paste!

For the most authentic flavor, use a smoking hot, carbon steel wok to achieve the perfect smoky flavor.

This sweet and garlicky shrimp dish is tasty and easy to make. It has juicy shrimp and chunky garlic pieces in a sweet and salty sauce.

The sauce is made with oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar, shrimp paste, pounded peppercorns, garlic, and cilantro stems!

Pair it with steamed rice and a side of sautéed vegetables for a wholesome meal!

This isn't your average fried chicken recipe! In this recipe, chicken pieces are marinated in shrimp paste and oyster sauce before being double-fried in hot oil.

I highly recommend marinating the chicken overnight. This will infuse more flavor, and give the marinade plenty of time to tenderize the chicken.

My favorite way to eat this is with a side of spicy mayo dip and pickled vegetables for contrast.

Try sautéed eggplants in a savory Indonesian shrimp sauce for a flavorful vegetarian dish. The umami-rich sauce complements the tender eggplants perfectly.

You can serve this plainly with steamed rice or alongside a grilled protein for one of our favorite recipes with shrimp paste.

Although any type of eggplant can be used, I recommend using Chinese or Japanese eggplants. They're longer, more tender, and have fewer seeds than globe eggplants.

This Steamed Lemongrass Pork is juicy, savory, and easy to make. It's incredibly aromatic, and the shrimp paste adds an extra dimension of flavor.

To make it, cut pork belly into small chunks. Then, mix with finely chopped lemongrass, garlic, shrimp sauce, sugar, and chicken bouillon powder. Steam for one hour, and voila!

Serve with steamed jasmine rice and a side of stir-fried vegetables for a complete meal.

This traditional dish is a staple in many Thai homes, and while it takes some getting used to, there's nothing quite like it once you do!

The recipe takes only a few minutes to make since it's just pounding a bunch of ingredients into a dip. You can adjust the spice level by adding more or less chili.

Serve the dip with accompaniments such as jasmine rice, vegetables, pan-fried mackerel, vegetable omelet, boiled eggs, or egg-fried eggplant.

Kangkung Belacan is a traditional vegetable stir-fry found in Southeast Asian countries. It features water spinach cooked in a spicy and savory shrimp sauce.

It pairs beautifully with plain white rice or fragrant coconut rice for one of the tastiest recipes with shrimp paste.

To get a vibrant green color in the water spinach, you have to cook it quickly over high heat. Don't cook it for too long; otherwise, it will turn brownish.

Learn how to make Chicken Khao Soi, a coconut curry noodle soup from Northern Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos that features chewy and crispy noodles!

I love this dish because you have a little of everything in terms of flavor and texture.

You have savory and rich flavor from the chicken, coconut milk, and fish sauce, but it's balanced by the freshness of cilantro and lime wedges.

You have soft, chewy noodles, but you also have crispy noodles on top!

This Prawn Sambal is simple to prepare and requires only a few key ingredients: shrimp, sambal, Belacan, and tamarind.

To make, blend chili peppers into a puree, fry with oil, add prawns, water, tamarind juice, kaffir lime leaves, salt, and sugar, then simmer until the sauce thickens.

I love pairing this with freshly steamed rice and a tangy cucumber salad.

Treat yourself to a classic Pad Thai with juicy prawns and crunchy peanuts in a sweet and spicy sauce. Bold flavors and ready in only 30 minutes!

Start by soaking rice noodles and frying potted/dried shrimp until golden; then cook king prawns with garlic and chili flakes before adding beaten eggs. Mix in the soaked noodles, potted shrimp, and all the seasonings until heated through.

Serve hot with lime wedges and garnish with fresh chili, coriander, spring onions, peanuts, and chili flakes!

Shrimp Paste Chicken, also known as Har Cheong Gai, is one of my favorite shrimp paste recipes! It has crispy and juicy chicken infused with the umami of shrimp sauce.

The recipe is as simple as marinating the chicken and then deep-frying it. The last time I made this, I used my air-fryer instead. Simply coat each side with oil and air-fry at 400˚F for 8 minutes on each side.

Serve hot with a side of tangy pickles and a refreshing cucumber salad.

This recipe is very similar to the stir-fried water spinach from earlier. Instead, though, it has sweet potato leaves. Sweet potato leaves don't have the same hollow stalks as water spinach.

The recipe is very much the same in terms of flavor. Like the other one, stir-fry the veggies on high heat so they retain their vibrant color!

Belacan sauce is a Malaysian-style sambal that includes dried shrimp, fresh and dried chili, and Belacan, a fermented shrimp paste.

It has a super strong garlic and shallot flavor and goes great with grilled meats or stir-fries.

Make sure you toast the Belacan in a dry pan before blending it with other ingredients to enhance its aroma.

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