Sweet and Sour Shrimp
This Sweet and Sour Shrimp recipe delivers crispy fried shrimp tossed in a glossy, tangy-sweet sauce with bell peppers and pineapple, all ready in under 30 minutes.
The Sweet and Sour Shrimp You Will Actually Crave
There is a reason sweet and sour shrimp has been a takeout staple for decades. That glossy, tangy-sweet sauce clinging to lightly crispy shrimp, tumbled with pops of pineapple and tender-crisp bell peppers, is genuinely hard to beat. But the version you make at home? It is better. Fresher, brighter, and ready in about 30 minutes flat.
This recipe nails the balance that makes sweet n sour shrimp so addictive. The sauce is punchy with rice vinegar, rich with a touch of brown sugar and ketchup, and it coats every piece in a glossy, restaurant-quality finish. The shrimp get a light cornstarch dredge that creates just enough crisp texture to hold up to the sauce without turning soggy.
Using the right pan is genuinely one of the biggest upgrades you can make to a stir-fry like this. A good wok or heavy-bottomed skillet holds high heat evenly, which is what creates that signature slightly charred, smoky depth. These are the tools and pantry staples that make a real difference in this dish:
What Makes This Sweet and Sour Sauce for Shrimp So Good
A lot of sweet and sour seafood recipes lean too hard on sweetness and end up tasting like candy. This one stays bright and balanced. Here is what each ingredient is doing:
- Rice vinegar brings clean tartness without the harshness of white vinegar
- Ketchup adds body, color, and a mild tomato sweetness
- Pineapple juice ties the fruit into the sauce itself so it does not taste like an afterthought
- Brown sugar gives a deeper, more caramel-like sweetness than plain white sugar
- Soy sauce adds a savory backbone that keeps the whole thing from being one-dimensional
Whisk these together before you start cooking and have everything prepped and ready. Sweet and sour fried shrimp moves fast once the wok is hot.
Chef's Tip: The single most important step for crispy shrimp is drying them thoroughly with paper towels before dredging. Any surface moisture will steam the shrimp instead of crisping them, and it can also cause hot oil to spatter.
Tips for the Best Sweet N Sour Shrimp
A few small habits will take this from good to genuinely great:
Do not crowd the pan. Fry the shrimp in two batches if needed. Overcrowding drops the oil temperature and steams everything instead of searing it.
Keep the vegetables crisp. Stir-fry the bell peppers over high heat for just 2 to 3 minutes. They should still have a little snap when you bite into them. Soft, overcooked peppers make the whole dish feel heavy.
Add the pineapple at the end. Pineapple contains an enzyme that breaks down proteins, so adding it too early can make your shrimp mushy. Toss it in right at the finish.
Serve this immediately. Sweet and sour shrimp is at its absolute best the moment it comes out of the pan, spooned over a bowl of fluffy steamed white rice.
Ready to bring it all together? Here is the full step-by-step recipe:
Sweet and Sour Shrimp
This Sweet and Sour Shrimp recipe delivers crispy fried shrimp tossed in a glossy, tangy-sweet sauce with bell peppers and pineapple, all ready in under 30 minutes.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lb large shrimp, peeled, deveined, tails removed
- 1/2 cup cornstarch, divided, for coating and sauce
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 3 tbsp vegetable oil, divided
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 cup pineapple chunks, fresh or canned in juice, drained
- 3/8 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 2 tbsp soy sauce, low sodium preferred
- 1/4 cup pineapple juice, from the can or fresh
- 3 tbsp brown sugar, packed
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 1 tsp sesame oil, for finishing
- 2 green onions, thinly sliced, for garnish
- 1 tsp sesame seeds, for garnish, optional
Instruction
Pat the shrimp completely dry with paper towels. Season with salt and white pepper.
In a shallow bowl, whisk the beaten eggs. In a separate bowl, place 6 tablespoons of cornstarch. Dip each shrimp in the egg, then dredge in the cornstarch, shaking off any excess.
In a small bowl, whisk together the ketchup, rice vinegar, soy sauce, pineapple juice, and brown sugar. In a separate small bowl, stir the remaining 2 tablespoons of cornstarch with 2 tablespoons of cold water to form a slurry. Set both aside.
Heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil in a large wok or heavy skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Working in batches to avoid crowding, fry the shrimp for 1 to 2 minutes per side until golden and just cooked through. Transfer to a paper towel-lined plate.
Wipe the pan clean. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil over high heat. Add the red and green bell peppers and stir-fry for 2 to 3 minutes until slightly tender but still crisp.
Add the garlic and ginger to the pan and stir-fry for 30 seconds until fragrant.
Pour the sweet and sour sauce into the pan and bring to a simmer, stirring well. Add the cornstarch slurry and stir constantly for 1 minute until the sauce thickens and turns glossy.
Add the pineapple chunks and the fried shrimp to the pan. Toss everything together gently to coat. Drizzle with sesame oil and toss once more.
Transfer to a serving platter and garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds. Serve immediately over steamed white rice.
Equipment
- Large wok or heavy-bottomed skillet
- Tongs or spider strainer
- Two shallow bowls for dredging
- Small mixing bowls for sauce
- Paper towels
- Fine grater or microplane for ginger
Notes
Serving, Storing, and Variations
This dish shines over steamed jasmine rice, but it is also excellent over fried rice or lo mein noodles if you want to change things up. A simple cucumber salad or steamed broccoli on the side rounds out the meal beautifully.
For storage, keep leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. The shrimp will soften as they sit, so if you anticipate having extra, consider storing the sauce separately and adding freshly cooked shrimp when you reheat.
Want to make it your own? Try swapping in mango chunks for the pineapple, or add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the sauce for a little heat. A drizzle of chili oil at the end works beautifully if you enjoy spicy sweet and sour seafood.
