This Hunan Shrimp recipe features juicy, lightly crispy shrimp and fresh blistered green beans, tossed together in a spicy, smoky chili sauce. It’s a quick and easy stir-fry that’s ready in less than 30 minutes!
Shrimp are quite possibly the most perfect protein for a weeknight – or any night, really – because they cook up lightning fast! While I love them in Blackened Shrimp and Jerk Shrimp, this recipe for Hunan shrimp wins my heart when I’m craving spicy-smoky flavor and a load of fresh green beans. I can have this dish on the table faster than the time it would take my family to agree on what to order for takeout!
What Makes This Hunan Shrimp Recipe Even Better Than Takeout
This Hunan shrimp recipe is a standout, with succulent shrimp and tender-crisp beans, and a savory sauce that coats everything in deliciousness. Here’s why we like it even more than the restaurant version:
- A lighter option. When you make your own takeout favorites, you’re in control over the ingredients, and you can skip the excess oil, sugar, and salt that are in so many classic restaurant dishes.
- Customizable heat. Prefer this shrimp dish on the mild side? Or maybe you want it blazing hot? This recipe lets you adjust the level of chili paste to suit your family’s tastes.
- Quick & easy. No need to wait for delivery or drive to pick up your takeout order — this recipe comes together in less than 30 minutes(!), making it a fantastic choice for busy weeknights.
What You’ll Need
If you like to cook Asian recipes like this at home, you most likely already have these ingredients in your kitchen. Scroll down to the printable recipe card to find the exact ingredient quantities and recipe instructions.
For the Sauce:
- Chicken stock – The base of our sauce, chicken stock adds a bit of flavor and helps coat the shrimp. Water or vegetable stock would also work.
- Chili paste – This gives the Hunan sauce its spiciness and smokiness. I like to use garlic chili sauce, but sambal oelek, gochujang, or toban djan would work as well.
- Soy sauce – For a bit of saltiness and umami. Swap in tamari sauce if needed.
- Rice vinegar – Vinegar adds a bit of acidity to cut through the heat.
- Oyster sauce – The secret ingredient in so many Asian-inspired recipes, oyster sauce adds an earthy sweetness that enhances the smokiness of the chili paste.
- Tomato paste – This adds a hint of rich tomato flavor.
- Garlic – A classic addition to Hunan shrimp. Instead of adding minced garlic to the stir fry, which runs the risk of burning it, I like to grate the garlic and add it to the sauce.
For the Stir-Fry:
- Shrimp – I use large (15 count) shrimp. Keep in mind that you may need to adjust the cooking time if you use larger or smaller shrimp.
- Cornstarch – This gives a lightly crispy edge to the shrimp, plus it helps to thicken the sauce.
- Olive oil – To sear the shrimp and green beans. Feel free to use your favorite neutral cooking oil.
- Green beans – These add fresh flavor and tender-crisp crunch.
- White rice, green onion, and/or sesame seeds – Optional, for serving.
How to Make Hunan Shrimp
You’re just a few minutes away from a takeout-style dinner at home! Here’s a step-by-step look at the process.
- Make the sauce. Whisk all of the Hunan shrimp sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
- Coat the shrimp. Pat the shrimp dry and toss them with the cornstarch, coating them evenly.
- Heat the skillet. Set a skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and let it heat until the oil is just shimmering.
- Sear the shrimp. Shake off the excess cornstarch and place the shrimp in a single layer in the pan. Sear for 3 minutes on each side, until golden on the outside and no longer translucent in the center. Transfer shrimp to a plate.
- Blister the beans. Add the remaining oil and green beans to the skillet. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beans are blistered in spots and crisp-tender to your liking.
- Put it all together. Add the sauce to the green beans and cook until the sauce is bubbling and slightly thickened. Return the shrimp to the pan and toss to coat.
- Serve. Serve all on its own for a lighter meal or over rice for a larger meal. Offer green onion and sesame seeds to sprinkle over the top.
Tips & Variations
Here are some tips and variations so you can customize this dish to your liking:
- Have your ingredients ready to go. Stir fries go VERY quickly, so you should have a mise en place next to the stovetop — that’s the fancy way of saying, have all your ingredients prepped and ready to go in the pan!
- Use frozen shrimp. Using frozen shrimp is absolutely not a problem; I do it all the time. You just need to plan ahead enough, to give the shrimp time to thaw first. You can do this in the fridge overnight or swish them around in a bowl of cool water until they’re thawed, then drain well and pat dry.
- Do not overcook. Take care to not overcook the shrimp or the green beans in the initial stir-fry sear. Because both of these ingredients will also cook a bit more in the pan after you add the Hunan shrimp sauce.
- Use different vegetables. Feel free to add or swap in vegetables like bell peppers, broccoli, mushrooms, or zucchini. If you add a LOT more veggies, you may want to double the sauce so everything can be well-coated.
Serving Suggestions
White rice is the classic, but Pineapple Fried Rice would also be fun. For a side, how about Cucumber Kimchi? And go all-out by also serving a restaurant-style appetizer. Maybe these Potstickers? Or Wonton Chips? I’ll choose both!
How to Store and Reheat Leftovers
- Refrigerator: Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. I really do not recommend freezing this dish, as cooked shrimp does not freeze with great results.
- To reheat: Gently warm the stir fry in a skillet over medium-low heat until heated through, being careful not to overcook the shrimp.
More Takeout Remakes
Hunan Shrimp
Yield: 4 servings
These Hunan Shrimp are lightly crisp and juicy, with a spicy, smoky chili sauce and fresh blistered green beans. Ready in less than 30 minutes!
Print
Ingredients
Hunan Sauce
- ¼ cup low-sodium chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon chili paste (see Notes)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon tomato paste
- 1 teaspoon grated garlic
Stir-Fry
- 1 pound raw shrimp (16-20 count), peeled and deveined
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
- 2 cups cut (1" pieces) fresh green beans
Optional for Serving
- sliced green onion
- sesame seeds
- cooked white rice
Instructions
Hunan Sauce
- Whisk together all sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Set aside.
Stir-Fry
- Pat shrimp dry with a paper towel and place them in a large bowl. Sprinkle cornstarch over the top and toss lightly to coat shrimp evenly.
- Heat a large skillet or a wok over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil and allow it to heat until very hot.
- Shake off excess cornstarch from the shrimp and carefully add them to the hot oil, making sure to put the shrimp in a single layer.
- Sear shrimp for 3 minutes, or until lightly browned, then flip and cook for an additional 3 minutes, or until they are plump and opaque. Remove shrimp to a large plate and set aside.
- Add remaining tablespoon of olive oil to the skillet. Once oil is shimmering, add the green beans. Cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, or until they are beginning to blister and brown.
- Add prepared Hunan sauce to the green beans and cook the sauce for 2-3 minutes, or until it is bubbling and slightly thickened.
- Add seared shrimp to skillet and toss to coat shrimp with the sauce.
- Serve immediately, garnished with green onion and sesame seeds. For a heartier meal, serve over cooked white rice.
Nutrition Information:
Calories: 238kcal Carbohydrates: 15g Protein: 18g Fat: 12g Saturated Fat: 2g Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g Monounsaturated Fat: 8g Trans Fat: 0.01g Cholesterol: 143mg Sodium: 1055mg Potassium: 305mg Fiber: 2g Sugar: 3g Vitamin A: 615IU Vitamin C: 8mg Calcium: 88mg Iron: 1mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated by Spoonacular. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee accuracy. If your health depends on nutrition information, please calculate again with your own favorite calculator.
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