Firecracker Shrimp Recipe

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This Firecracker Shrimp recipe is the ultimate quick meal: juicy shrimp cooked in minutes and tossed in a sticky sweet-and-spicy firecracker sauce. It’s light, satisfying, and perfect for rice bowls or lettuce wraps, an easy shrimp recipe you’ll want on repeat.

Prep Time5

Cook Time20

Total Time25

Course: Appetizer, Dinner, lunch

Cuisine: American

Diet: Low Calorie

Servings:

Author: Kellie

Cost: $13

Equipment

skillet
mixing bowls
whisk
tongs

Ingredients

Shrimp

1 lb large shrimp peeled and deveined (tails on optional)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup cornstarch
2 eggs lightly beaten
Olive oil for frying (or spray oil, if air frying)

Firecracker Butter Sauce

1/3 cup sweet chili sauce
2 tablespoons sriracha
1 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar or lime
2 cloves garlic grated
3 tablespoons butter melted
1 teaspoon honey optional

To finish (optional but great)

Sliced scallions
Sesame seeds
Lime wedges

Instructions

In a bowl, whisk together sweet chili sauce, sriracha, honey, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and garlic. Taste and adjust (more sriracha for heat, more honey for sweetness, more vinegar for tang). Sauce can be made up to 3 days in advance.
Pat the shrimp dry with a paper towel and season with salt and pepper.
Put cornstarch in one bowl and beaten eggs in another. Dip shrimp in egg, then coat well in cornstarch. Shake off excess cornstarch.
Heat 1/2 inch of oil to 350°F. Fry the shrimp in batches 2–3 minutes, just until golden and cooked through. Drain on a wire rack or paper towels.
While hot, toss the shrimp with just enough sauce to coat (don’t drown them or they crispy coating will soften). Top with scallions or sesame seeds and serve immediately with lime.

Air Fryer Instructions

Preheat air fryer to 400°F.
After coating, spritz shrimp lightly with oil and air fry 7–9 minutes, flipping halfway, until crisp and cooked. Toss with sauce and serve.

Notes

Pat the shrimp dry before coating/cooking, this helps everything cook up nicely and keeps the sauce from getting watery.
Shrimp cooks fast: pull it off the heat as soon as it turns pink and opaque so it stays tender.
Adjust the heat to your taste by increasing or decreasing the sriracha (or your favorite chili sauce).
For gluten-free, use tamari instead of soy sauce.
The sauce thickens as it cools—add a squeeze of lime or a splash of water when reheating to loosen it back up.
This is best served right away, but leftovers still make an amazing lunch the next day.

Easy Variations
Extra firecracker: add 1–2 tsp chili crisp or a pinch of crushed red pepper to the sauce.
No mayo: swap mayo for plain Greek yogurt + an extra drizzle of honey.
Make it a meal: serve over jasmine rice with cucumber slices and quick pickled carrots.

Nutrition