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    Home » Asian foods » Spicy Lemon Garlic Shrimp

    Spicy Lemon Garlic Shrimp

    Published: Jun 22, 2022 Modified: Jun 22, 2022 by Tracy O.This post may contain affiliate links

    Jump to Recipe Jump to Video Print Recipe

    Spicy lemon garlic shrimp is a very refreshing appetizer, snack, side or main dish, but slightly different from chili garlic shrimp, steamed garlic shrimp with vermicelli noodles. Also, it’s great for summer because it tastes a little spicy, sweet, sour and savory which can increase your appetite. Besides, this spicy lemon garlic shrimp recipe is easy, simple yet delicious! Let's learn how to make this spicy lemon shrimp for a gathering or party. 

    Love seafood? Check out these ginger scallion crab stir fry, chili garlic shrimp, steamed garlic shrimp with vermicelli noodles, steamed fish, laksa noodle soup, shrimp & egg rice, pad Thai noodle recipes. 

    spicy lemon garlic shrimp in the white bowl top view with a blue towel background

    What is spicy lemon garlic shrimp?

    This spicy lemon garlic shrimp recipe is my son’s favorite shrimp dish. This recipe is not like others that use butter and lemon stir fry. It’s more like Asian style shrimp appetizer, snack, side or main dish. Also, it is an easy, simple and refreshing dish. It’s great for summer too because it tastes a little spicy, sweet, sour and savory which can increase your appetite.

    What are the ingredients for spicy lemon garlic shrimp?

    The ingredients for spicy lemon garlic shrimp are shrimp, garlic, paprika, chili pepper, vegetable oil, soy sauce, salt, sugar, lemon juice, cilantro and water. 

    spicy lemon garlic shrimp ingredients

    Cooking tips for spicy lemon shrimp:

    • Use bigger shrimp, (I like to use XL sized or jumbo raw shrimp. Also, I like to peel the shell and leave the tails on because it is easy to pick the tail and eat the shrimp.)
    • You can use raw shrimp or cooked shrimp. Of course using cooked shrimp, you don’t need to boil the shrimp and it is easier and faster. 
    • When you use the raw shrimp, boil them until the shrimp change color to orange red. Then, put them into an ice bath for a couple minutes. (Remember don’t over boil or cook the shrimp too long.) In this way, the shrimp will have a bouncy texture. 
    • Heat up the vegetable oil to 375-400F. The oil needs to be hot enough, so when you pour the hot oil into the bowl of garlic cilantro and spices. The fragrance and aroma from the garlic and cilantro will bring out. (Be careful when pouring the hot oil.) 
    • Then, add soy sauce, lemon juice and water. Mix the sauce well. 

    FAQs:

    What kind of shrimp do you use?

    I prefer to use XL sized or jumbo shrimp. Usually, I buy frozen shrimp with shells that are easy to peel because most of the shrimp are frozen. Also, I like to peel the shell off and keep the tails, so it is easier to pick up and eat. 

    Can I use cooked shrimp?

    Of course, you can use cooked shrimp. It is easier and faster. 

    What is the temperature for the hot oil?

    Hot oil is around 375-400F. The oil needs to be hot enough, so when you pour the hot oil into the bowl of garlic cilantro and spices. The fragrance and aroma from the garlic and cilantro will bring out. (Be careful when pouring the hot oil.) 

    How spicy is the spicy lemon shrimp recipe?


    This spicy lemon shrimp recipe is mild. You can increase or decrease the spiciness by adding or reducing the amount of chili peppers. Paprika is only used to add the bright red color to this dish. The idea is very similar to a mouth watering chicken dish. 

    Instructions for how to make spicy lemon garlic shrimp:

    minced garlic on chopping board

    Preparation:

    1. Peel, wash and mince 10 cloves of garlic.

    cut cilantro

    2. Wash and cut ½ bunch (Around 1 oz) of cilantro into pieces.

    squeezed lemon juice

    3. Then, wash and cut a lemon into half and squeeze lemon juice into the container. (Just need 4 teaspoons of lemon juice in this recipe.)

    cut lemon into slices

    4. After that, cut the other half of the lemon into slices for decoration. (Will add them at the end.)

    peel shrimp shell

    5. The following step, peel off 2 pounds of raw XL sized shrimp shell. (I prefer to leave the tails on because it is easier to pick up and eat.) You can use already cooked and peeled shrimp if you want to skip some steps and faster.

    peeled raw shrimp shell with tails on

    6. After peeling raw shrimp shells, put them on the plate.

    boil water in the pot top view

    Cooking:

    7. Pour 4 cups of water into the pot, turn on medium fire and let it boil.

    boil shrimp in the pot top view

    8. When the water is boiling, add the peeled raw shrimp from step 6 and let it cook until it changes orange red. (I usually wait until the water boils again and turn off the fire.)

    drain the cooked shrimp

    9. Next, drain the cooked shrimp.

    ice water bath in silver bowl

    10. Put 2 cups of ice and 4 cups of water into a bowl.

    boiled cooked shrimp in the ice bath

    11. Add the cooked and boiled shrimp from step 9 into the ice bath for a couple minutes. Then, drain it again.

    spices and seasoning in the white bowl

    Sauce:

    12. Meanwhile, put 1 teaspoon of paprika, 1 teaspoon of crushed red chili pepper, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon of sugar and mix it well. (You can add more chili pepper if you want it spicy. This recipe is mildly hot.)

    garlic cilantro chili pepper in the white bowl

    13. Put the minced garlic from step 1 and the chopped cilantro from step 2 into the bowl.

    heat up vegetable oil in the pan over the stove

    14. Pour 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil into a pan and turn on medium small fire. Let it heat up the oil around 375-400F. Or, you can dip a wooden chopstick to test it. When the oil is hot enough, you will see bubbles around it.

    cilantro garlic chili and hot oil in the bowl

    15. Immediately, pour the hot oil over the garlic cilantro spices in the bowl. The oil needs to be hot enough, so when you pour the hot oil into the bowl of garlic cilantro and spices. The fragrance and aroma from the garlic and cilantro will bring out. (Be careful when pouring the hot oil.) 

    spicy lemon garlic cilantro sauce in the bowl

    16. Next, pour 2.5 tablespoons of soy sauce, 4 teaspoons of lemon juice from step 3 and ½ cup of water into the bowl.

    spicy lemon garlic sauce mixture in the white bowl

    17. Mix the sauce well.

    boiled cooked shrimp mix with the spicy lemon garlic sauce in the bowl

    18. Put the cooked and boiled shrimp from step 11 into the sauce mixture.

    spicy lemon garlic shrimp in the white bowl

    19. Lastly, mix the shrimp and sauce. Add the sliced lemon from step 4 for decoration.

    Enjoy this simple, easy and refreshing spicy lemon garlic shrimp recipe! Also, check out these water spinach stir fry, dim sum siu mai, japchae, Vietnamese spring rolls and Thai chicken pizza recipes.

    You May Also Like These Recipes:

    • MOUTH WATERING CHICKEN
    • HAIRY GOURD VERMICELLI
    • MAPO TOFU
    • KUNG PAO CHICKEN

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    Spicy lemon garlic shrimp in the bowl close up

    Spicy Lemon Garlic Shrimp

    Spicy lemon garlic shrimp is a very refreshing appetizer, snack, side or main dish, but slightly different from chili garlic shrimp, steamed garlic shrimp with vermicelli noodles. It’s great for summer because it tastes a little spicy, sweet, sour and savory which can increase your appetite.
    5 from 2 votes
    Print Pin Rate
    Course: Appetizer, Main Course, Side Dish, Snack
    Cuisine: American, Asian
    Prep Time: 15 minutes
    Cook Time: 15 minutes
    Total Time: 30 minutes
    Servings: 5
    Calories: 32kcal
    Author: Tracy O.

    Video

    Ingredients

    • 2 pounds Shrimp (Raw XL sized shrimp with shells on & easy to peel)
    • 1 Lemon (Only use 4 teaspoons of lemon juice and slices lemon for decoration)
    • 2 cups Ice (For the ice bath)
    • 8 cups Water ( 4 cups for boiling the shrimp and 4 cups for the ice bath)

    Sauce Mixture:

    • 1 teaspoon Paprika
    • 1 teaspoon Chili pepper (Red crushed chili pepper)
    • ¼ teaspoon Salt
    • 1 tablespoon Sugar
    • 10 cloves Garlic
    • ½ bunch Cilantro (Around 1 oz)
    • 2 tablespoons Vegetable oil
    • 2.5 tablespoons Soy sauce
    • 4 teaspoons Lemon juice
    • ½ cup Water
    US Customary - Metric

    Instructions

    • Peel, wash and mince 10 cloves of garlic.
    • Wash and cut ½ bunch (Around 1 oz) of cilantro into pieces.
    • Then, wash and cut a lemon into half and squeeze lemon juice into the container. (Just need 4 teaspoons of lemon juice in this recipe.)
    • After that, cut the other half of the lemon into slices for decoration. (Will add them at the end.)
    • The following step, peel off 2 pounds of raw XL sized shrimp shell. (I prefer to leave the tails on because it is easier to pick up and eat.) You can use already cooked and peeled shrimp if you want to skip some steps and faster.
    • After peeling raw shrimp shells, put them on the plate.
    • Pour 4 cups of water into the pot, turn on medium fire and let it boil.
    • When the water is boiling, add the peeled raw shrimp from step 6 and let it cook until it changes orange red. (I usually wait until the water boils again and turn off the fire.)
    • Next, drain the cooked shrimp.
    • Put 2 cups of ice and 4 cups of water into a bowl.
    • Add the cooked and boiled shrimp from step 9 into the ice bath for a couple minutes. Then, drain it again.
    • Meanwhile, put 1 teaspoon of paprika, 1 teaspoon of crushed red chili pepper, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon of sugar and mix it well. (You can add more chili pepper if you want it spicy. This recipe is mildly hot.)
    • Put the minced garlic from step 1 and the chopped cilantro from step 2 into the bowl.
    • Pour 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil into a pan and turn on medium small fire. Let it heat up the oil around 375-400F. Or, you can dip a wooden chopstick to test it. When the oil is hot enough, you will see bubbles around it.
    • Immediately, pour the hot oil over the garlic cilantro spices in the bowl. The oil needs to be hot enough, so when you pour the hot oil into the bowl of garlic cilantro and spices. The fragrance and aroma from the garlic and cilantro will bring out. (Be careful when pouring the hot oil.) 
    • Next, pour 2.5 tablespoons of soy sauce, 4 teaspoons of lemon juice from step 3 and ½ cup of water into the bowl.
    • Mix the sauce well.
    • Put the cooked and boiled shrimp from step 11 into the sauce mixture.
    • Lastly, mix the shrimp and sauce. Add the sliced lemon from step 4 for decoration.

    Notes

    Cooking tips for spicy lemon shrimp:

    • Use bigger shrimp, (I like to use XL sized or jumbo raw shrimp. Also, I like to peel the shell and leave the tails on because it is easy to pick the tail and eat the shrimp.)
    • You can use raw shrimp or cooked shrimp. Of course using cooked shrimp, you don’t need to boil the shrimp and it is easier and faster. 
    • When you use the raw shrimp, boil them until the shrimp change color to orange red. Then, put them into an ice bath for a couple minutes. (Remember don’t over boil or cook the shrimp too long.) In this way, the shrimp will have a bouncy texture. 
    • Heat up the vegetable oil to 375-400F. The oil needs to be hot enough, so when you pour the hot oil into the bowl of garlic cilantro and spices. The fragrance and aroma from the garlic and cilantro will bring out. (Be careful when pouring the hot oil.) 
    • Then, add soy sauce, lemon juice and water. Mix the sauce well. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 32kcal | Carbohydrates: 7g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 1g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 646mg | Potassium: 88mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 101IU | Vitamin C: 18mg | Calcium: 35mg | Iron: 1mg
    Tried this Recipe? Pin it for Later!Mention @OhMyFoodRecipes or tag #OhMyFoodRecipes!

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    Tracy O.
    About Me

    Welcome to Oh My Food Recipes, where you can find inspiration for meals or dinner ideas specialty Asian cuisines. Oh My Food Recipes is tried and tested recipes with step by step photo tutorials.... Read more!

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