Szechuan Prawns are one of my all-time favorite takeout dishes, and I promise you this recipe is one of the best! The sauce is savory, spicy, and so addictive. They're ready in 20 minutes!
Can't get enough of Szechuan Recipes? Try my Sichuan Pork & Celery Stir-fry next!
๐ฅก About This Recipe
Growing up, Szechuan Prawns were one of my FAVORITE Chinese takeout dishes. My family used to always eat them at this Chinese buffet called Sichuan City, and they cooked them the best. I loaded my plate with them every time.
My absolute favorite part about Szechuan prawns is the sauce. It's savory, spicy, and slightly sweet. The key ingredient is doubanjiang (or chili bean sauce), which is a condiment used in Sichuan-style cooking. More on this below.
The owners of the buffet shared their recipe with me before they closed down in 2022. Although they didn't specify exact amounts, I've managed to come up with a recipe that tastes pretty close!
Interestingly, the version I had didn't contain Sichuan peppercorns. As far as I know, it isn't considered an authentic Sichuan dish. It's more of a Western creation.
๐ง Ingredients
- Prawns: This recipe works best with large prawns, as the sauce is very flavorful, and we want big chunks of meat with each bite. Tiger prawns and king prawns are my favorite. You'll need a pound for this recipe, around 16-20 large prawns.
- Doubanjiang (Chili Bean Sauce): This is the key ingredient that gives the sauce its Szechuan flavor. It's made from fermented broad beans and has a rich, savory flavor. It can't really be substituted, so I highly recommend you buy a jar. Lee Kum Kee brand is widely available at Asian grocery stores.
- Ketchup: Ketchup has a special role in a lot of Chinese cooking, especially when you want a more sour-sweet, tomato-y flavor. It's really good in this recipe because it blends well with the doubanjiang.
- Other Seasonings: Hoisin sauce, Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, and sugar to taste. Hoisin sauce is also a bean paste, but it has a saltier and sweeter taste.
- Oil: Any neutral oil like canola, vegetable, soybean, or corn.
- Ginger and Garlic: As always, freshly minced for the best flavor; feel free to double or triple the amount.
- Chicken Stock: Homemade is the best; otherwise, use chicken bouillon powder.
- Cornstarch: This is incredibly important for thickening the sauce so that it clings to the shrimp.
๐ช Instructions
STEP 1: Heat 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil in the wok over low heat. Add ginger and garlic, and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Then, add doubanjiang and stir-fry for another 2 minutes. The oil should turn red and smell delicious.
STEP 2: Add ketchup, hoisin sauce, Shaoxing wine, and soy sauce. Increase the heat from low to medium and fry for 1 to 2 minutes to develop a rich color and flavor. Stir in chicken stock and sugar, then turn the heat to high and allow the mixture to come to a boil.
STEP 3: Add the prawns, bring the mixture to a simmer again, and gently stir and flip them until they turn pink on both sides. Stir in the cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce. Serve the prawns over rice immediately.
๐ค Deep-Fried Variation
Some restaurants deep-fry the prawns before cooking them in the sauce. This adds another layer of richness and also helps the sauce cling to each shrimp better.
If I'm making this recipe for a special occasion, I will usually go through the effort to deep-fry them to make it extra special.
To deep-fry the shrimp, first toss them with 1 egg white, 1 tablespoon of rice cooking wine (or water), and ยฝ a teaspoon of salt. Then, place 1 cup of cornstarch in a bowl and individually coat each shrimp in the cornstarch. Deep-fry in hot oil at 350ยฐF for 1-2 minutes until golden brown. Then, proceed with making the sauce.
๐ Recipe
Szechuan Prawns
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons neutral oil
- 1 tablespoon ginger (minced)
- 1 tablespoon garlic (minced)
- 1 tablespoon doubanjiang (chili bean sauce) (or chili oil with flakes)
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 2 teaspoons soy sauce
- ยฝ cup chicken stock
- ยฝ teaspoon sugar
- 1 pound prawns (size 16-20, peeled and deveined)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch (mixed with 1 ยฝ tablespoons of water)
Instructions
- Heat 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil in the wok over low heat. Add ginger and garlic, and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add doubanjiang and stir-fry for another 2 minutes until the oil is red and smells delicious.
- Add ketchup, hoisin sauce, Shaoxing wine, and soy sauce. Increase the heat from low to medium and fry for 1 to 2 minutes to develop a rich color and flavor.
- Stir in chicken stock and sugar, then turn the heat to high and allow the mixture to come to a boil.
- Add the prawns and gently stir and flip them until they turn pink on both sides. Stir in the cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce. Enjoy!
Jackie J Gramse
What if i wanted veggies too? Like, carrots, celery and bamboo shoots. Would I saute those in the oil before the garlic and ginger?
Grump
I think either method could work, but I would suggest cooking the garlic and ginger first. Also, you'll need to turn up the heat to cook the other veggies, but make sure to turn it down again when you add the doubanjiang.