Chinese Stir-Fried Ketchup Shrimp

A quick and easy recipe for a classic Chinese stir-fried ketchup shrimp tossed in an easy sweet and sour sauce made with ketchup and Worcestershire sauce.

What is Ketchup Shrimp?

Ketchup shrimp is a Chinese classic favorite dish that is more well-known as a homemade dish than something that is ordered from a restaurant and since it is a homemade recipe, there is something very nostalgic and cozy about this dish.

If you love anything sweet and sour, like Chinese sweet and sour sauce, sweet and sour chicken or sweet and sour pork, then this ketchup shrimp recipe will be right up your alley.

Not only is this dish very flavorful, but it is also very easy to make which is why it's always in our dinner rotation whenever we are craving something sweet and sour without the work of deep frying. It literally takes about 20 minutes to make.

Ketchup shrimp at its core is a simple sweet and sour stir-fry made with stir-fried shrimp tossed in ketchup, a bit of Worcestershire sauce, and onions and is served with steamed white rice.

My version of Cantonese ketchup shrimp has a bit of garlic as well for a bit of extra flavor.

If you're looking to pair this ketchup shrimp with another simple and easy Cantonese dish, definitely try our Steamed Spare Ribs with Black Bean Sauce and Scrambled Egg with Shrimp recipe as well!

Ingredients for Chinese Ketchup Shrimp

• Shrimp - You can use frozen or fresh shrimp for this ketchup shrimp recipe. There is the option of either using whole shrimp with the shell and head on, shrimp with just the shell (no head) or peeled shrimp (with the tail-on). Use what you enjoy the most. If you don't like the hassle of peeling shrimp, then definitely use peeled shrimp.
• Onion - You can use yellow onions or white onions for this dish, both give a lot of great flavor to this ketchup shrimp after it has been stir-fried and soften.
• Ketchup - Use any type of ketchup you have on hand.
• Worcestershire Sauce - I personally think you should not omit this ingredient. It gives the ketchup sauce an umami flavor but the spices in it also give this sweet and sour sauce a unique and delicious flavor as well.
• Soy Sauce - I use soy sauce to balance out the sweet and sour flavor and give an umami boost. You can also use fish sauce as well.
• Green Onions (Scallions) - Stir-frying green onions with the shrimp adds a lot of additional flavor and I think it's a must-have.
• Ginger and Garlic - This aromatic duo are also must-have ingredients for this dish and you should not omit it.

How to Make Ketchup Shrimp Stir-Fry

Step 1: Prepare the Shrimp, Aromatics, and Ketchup Sauce

If you're using whole shrimp with the head on, snip off the sharp spikey bit at its head and all the antennae. I find it easiest using scissors to do this.

Mix the ketchup sauce ingredients together in a bowl and set this aside.

Prepare all the aromatics but slicing the ginger, green onions, and finely mincing or grating the garlic.

Step 2: Pre-Cook the Shrimp

Pre-cook the shrimp until it is about 80%-90% cooked.

Step 3: Stir-fry Shrimp, Sauce, and Aromatics Together

Stir-fry all the aromatics first to soften it and bring out all the flavor, then add the ketchup sauce, and the shrimp and cook it for another minute.

Plate it, and serve it with steamed white rice!

Variations

• Spicy - If you like it spicy, you can add a few squirts of sriracha chili sauce into the ketchup sauce.
• Tomato Paste - Adding ½ tablespoon of tomato paste gives the sauce a umami boost.
• Sweeter - You can add a bit of sugar to this to make this a sweeter sauce but I personally find ketchup on its own is sweet enough. If you have rock sugar, you can also stir fry it with the sauce to make it a glossier-looking dish.

More Chinese Recipes You May Like

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If you're looking for more seafood recipes, definitely check out this is a collection of Asian seafood recipes that I have put together that uses fish, shrimp and shellfish.

Recipe Card

Chinese Stir-Fried Ketchup Shrimp

A quick and easy recipe for a classic Chinese stir-fried ketchup shrimp tossed in an easy sweet and sour sauce made with ketchup and Worcestershire sauce.

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Cantonese, Chinese, Chinese Food

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 8 minutes

Total Time: 18 minutes

2 servings

5 from 13 votes

Made with ♡ by Joyce Lee

Recipe Notes

• If you don't like the mess of peeling shrimp, you definitely can use pre-peeled shrimp. I like to buy the ones with the tails still intact though but it's definitely not necessary. Using pre-peeled shrimp also makes this dish more flavorful as well since the sauce coats the shrimp directly and is not lost the shrimp skins.
• If you are using frozen shrimp, make the shrimp is completely thawed out before you use it.
• Be careful when buying fresh shrimp with the heads on - if the shrimp has been sitting around for too long (not fresh, or thawed from frozen for over a few days), the enzymes in the head will seep into the shrimp's body and make the shrimp texture mushy after it has been cooked.

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Ingredients

 

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• ▢ 12 Shrimp (size: 9/14 or 21/25) (frozen or fresh, peeled or shell-on)
• ▢ 2 stalks green onions
• ▢ 1 small yellow onion (or ¼ of a white onion, sliced approx ½ cup)
• ▢ 5-6 slices ginger (sliced ⅛ thick)
• ▢ 1 clove garlic (approx. 1 tablespoons)

Ketchup Sauce

• ▢ ⅓ cup ketchup
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• ▢ ½ teaspoon soy sauce (or fish sauce)
• ▢ 3-4 tablespoons water

Instructions

 

Prepare the Shrimp

• If you are using frozen shrimp, run cold water from the sink to thaw the shrimp.
• If you are using shrimp with the heads on, take a pair of scissors and snip the whiskers and the sharp spike on top of its head.

  If you prefer peeled shrimp, peel the shrimp and leave the tails on.
  

Prepare the Aromatics and Sauce

• In a small bowl, mix all the ingredients under for the 'Ketchup sauce'.
  ⅓ cup ketchup, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, ½ teaspoon soy sauce, 3-4 tablespoons water
  
• Wash the green onions and remove and discard the roots end.

  Cut the green onions into 2-inch sections and keep the whites and the greens separated.

  Slice the white part of the green onion lengthwise and set it aside.

  (Optional) Take a few pieces of green onions, finely mince them as a garnish and set it for the very end.
  
• Slice the ginger ⅛ inch thick, and set it aside
• Finely mince the garlic and set it aside
  

Putting Everything Together

• Set the stove to medium-high heat and put a bit of oil in and wait for the oil to get hot and shimmer
• Add in the shrimp and stir fry it for about 1-2 minutes.

  You want to cook it until it is about 80-90% done
  
• Remove the shrimp and set it aside for later.
• Add more oil to the pan and add the ginger and the white part of the green onion, and stir fry it for about 1-2 minutes
  
• Add in the minced garlic and stir fry it for about 1 minute
  
• Add the cooked shrimp, the sweet and sour ketchup sauce, and green onions into the pan and stir-fry it until the sauce thickens. (Approx. 1 minute)
  
• Plate it and sprinkle the minced green onions on top.
• Enjoy with a bowl of steamed white rice!
  

Nutrition

Calories: 110kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 9g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 76mg | Sodium: 792mg | Potassium: 320mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 11g | Vitamin A: 436IU | Vitamin C: 8mg | Calcium: 63mg | Iron: 1mg

*Nutritional information is calculated using online tools and is an estimate*

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