Butterfly Shrimp with Bacon is a retro recipe that has graced Chinese restaurant menus going back to the 60s, before I was born.
Similar to early Chinese American dishes like Egg Foo Young, Chop Suey, and Chicken Chow Mein, this recipe barely resembles anything you can find in China, but that doesn’t mean it’s not delicious!
What is Chinese Butterfly Shrimp with Bacon?
Butterfly Shrimp with Bacon is made by layering bacon on a large butterflied shrimp, dipping it in egg, searing in a wok, and serving on a bed of savory ketchup-y onions. Serve this dish with some steamed rice, and you will wonder why you went so long without bacon wrapped butterfly shrimp in your life!
The first time I saw this dish prepared was by my father in a restaurant kitchen.
He would butterfly all the shrimp, arrange them nicely on aluminum foil—six per order—and place slices of bacon on top of each shrimp.
The shrimp then got wrapped flat on the foil, and were stored away in the freezer, ready for whenever a customer placed an order. It was one of my first lessons in restaurant preparation (I also pre-made tons of egg rolls back in the day!)
Shrimp wrapped in bacon was probably not invented by a Chinese chef, but it’s a delicious dish that quickly spread to Chinese restaurant menus.
How Do You Butterfly Shrimp?
Don’t let butterflying shrimp scare you away from this recipe! Luckily, I got a first-hand lesson from my father. After that, I got plenty of practice prepping shrimp in the back room for busy summer weekends. Here are some guidelines and tips for success:
- Buy large shrimp. We use size 15 or larger (15 shrimp per pound). You can also use 16/20 shrimp, which are more readily available and cheaper.
- Shrimp should be headless with the shells on. But make sure the shrimp are not deveined, because a successful butterflied shrimp should have the back of the shrimp intact. You’ll also keep the tails in place for the final dish.
- Tiger shrimp, commonly sold in supermarkets, are often de-veined with the backs cut. Don’t use de-veined shrimp, or you will have a very tough time.
- Use a sharp chef’s knife or paring knife.
Butterfly Shrimp Recipe Instructions
First, butterfly the shrimp:
Peel the shrimp, only leaving the small segment of shell that connects to the tail.
Place the shrimp on its side with its underbelly facing you. Holding the shrimp with one hand, use the tip of your knife to split the tail shell.
Next, use a steady, yet light pressure to push the knife into the shrimp, splitting it evenly down the middle until it just reaches the outer membrane.
No sudden or quick cutting motions, and if you’re a beginner, you can use a cut-proof glove. At this point, you should be able to spread the shrimp out flat on the cutting board. Press the shrimp lightly into the board to flatten it out further if needed, especially on the tail shell.
Next, carefully remove the vein from the middle of the shrimp that runs along the backside. There may also be a vein along the edges of the shrimp from the underside of the shrimp as well. You can use your knife to gently scrape these veins away if you see them. There you have it! A perfectly butterflied shrimp!
Next, assemble the shrimp
Next, rinse the shrimp clean under running water. Pat the shrimp dry with a kitchen towel and return to the cutting board, backside down.
Season the shrimp with a light sprinkle of salt. Cut the slices of bacon to match the length of the shrimp. Gently press them onto the shrimp.
Mix 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce, 2 teaspoons tomato ketchup, ¼ teaspoon white pepper, and ½ teaspoon sesame oil in a small bowl. Set aside.
Heat your wok over medium high heat; don’t let the wok get to the point where it’s smoking. Spread 2 tablespoons of oil around the wok to coat it thoroughly. Dip the shrimp into the beaten egg. Let the excess egg drip off, and place the shrimp in the wok, bacon-side down.
Work quickly to place all of the shrimp. Turn up the heat as needed to make sure the egg and bacon cook through.
Cook the bacon-side of the shrimp for 60-90 seconds or until the bacon is golden brown. Carefully use your wok spatula to turn the shrimp and cook for another 30-60 seconds, flipping them in the same order you placed them.
Transfer the shrimp to a plate.
Heat the wok over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Retain all of the flavor in the wok from frying the shrimp. Add the minced garlic and onions, and turn the heat up to high.
Stir-fry the onions for 30 seconds, and add the Shaoxing wine.
After another 30 seconds, add the sauce mixture, and stir to coat the onions. Add the scallions.
Cook until the onions are done to your liking. I like them only just cooked through, but you can cook them until they’re totally soft. Plate the onions, and arrange the shrimp on top. Garnish with chopped scallions and serve!
Butterfly Shrimp with Bacon
Ingredients
- 8 large shrimp (shell on, heads removed; size 15 or larger; 9 ounces or 255g total)
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- 3 slices bacon (about 70g)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (optional)
- 2 teaspoons tomato ketchup
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil (or canola oil, divided)
- 1 egg (beaten)
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 2 medium yellow onions (sliced, about 350g)
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 2 scallions (cut at an angle into 1-inch pieces, plus more chopped scallions for garnish)
Instructions
Butterfly the Shrimp
- Peel the shrimp, only leaving the small segment of shell that connects to the tail. Place the shrimp on its side with its underbelly facing you. Holding the shrimp with one hand, use the tip of your knife to split the tail shell.
- Next, use a steady, yet light pressure to push the knife into the shrimp, splitting it evenly down the middle until it just reaches the outer membrane. No sudden or quick cutting motions, and if you’re a beginner, you can use a cut-proof glove. At this point, you should be able to spread the shrimp out flat on the cutting board. Press the shrimp lightly into the board to flatten it out further if needed, especially on the tail shell.
- Next, carefully remove the vein from the middle of the shrimp that runs along the backside. There may also be a vein along the edges of the shrimp from the underside of the shrimp as well. You can use your knife to gently scrape these veins away if you see them. There you have it! A perfectly butterflied shrimp!
Assemble the Shrimp
- Next, rinse the shrimp clean under running water. Pat the shrimp dry with a kitchen towel and return to the cutting board, backside down. Season the shrimp with a light sprinkle of salt. Cut the slices of bacon to match the length of the shrimp. Gently press them onto the shrimp.
- Mix 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce, 2 teaspoons tomato ketchup, ¼ teaspoon white pepper, and ½ teaspoon sesame oil in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Heat your wok over medium high heat; don’t let the wok get to the point where it’s smoking. Spread 2 tablespoons of oil around the wok to coat it thoroughly. Dip the shrimp into the beaten egg. Let the excess egg drip off, and place the shrimp in the wok, bacon-side down. Work quickly to place all of the shrimp. Turn up the heat as needed to make sure the egg and bacon cook through.
- Cook the bacon-side of the shrimp for 60-90 seconds or until the bacon is golden brown. Carefully use your wok spatula to turn the shrimp and cook for another 30-60 seconds, flipping them in the same order you placed them. Transfer the shrimp to a plate.
- Heat the wok over medium heat and add 1 tablespoon of oil. Retain all of the flavor in the wok from frying the shrimp. Add the minced garlic and onions, and turn the heat up to high. Stir-fry the onions for 30 seconds, and add the Shaoxing wine. After another 30 seconds, add the sauce mixture, and stir until the onions are coated. Add the scallions.
- Stir-fry until the onions are done to your liking. I like them only just cooked through, but you can cook them until they’re totally soft. Plate the onions, and arrange the shrimp on top. Garnish with chopped scallions and serve!
nutrition facts
Excellent directions. Yummy meal. As good as what we used to get at the Kowloon Restaurant in Ma. I made my own pungent sauce: onion, garlic, ginger, hot Chile paste, catsup, lemon juice ,vinegar, sugar and salt.
Hi Jane, Thanks for commenting and sharing your own sauce recipe :)
Hello, Bill,
Prepared this dish for New Year’s Day as our family’s tradition for decades had been to eat at a Chinese restaurant, as a wonderful way to begin all of our new years. Do not know if I am even qualified to comment because it wasn’t possible to locate shrimp large enough to butterfly – the closest shrimp available where we live were frozen, deveined, colossal shrimp with tails. As one of my adult sons was reminiscing and lamenting our inability to still be able to gather as a family as was our tradition, decided to surprise him and proceed anyway.
Instead of being butterflied, the shrimp were each wrapped in 1/2 slice of bacon and the egg was eliminated. Otherwise, followed the recipe exactly. As I do not anticipate ever being able to locate shrimp large enough to butterfly where we live, would you recommended for the future, dipping bacon wrapped shrimp in egg before frying? That was the ONLY thing eliminated. The bacon stayed adhered to the shrimp throughout the quick cooking and browned on both sides beautifully.
Your instructions were flawless. Son was elated and said that the dish and taste were exactly as he had remembered – it had always been the favorite New Year’s day dish of his dad, he, and his brothers in the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, and he thanked me repeatedly. You are to receive all of the credit. As mentioned, preparing Butterflied Shrimp without actually butterflying any of it perhaps should prohibit me from commenting but it is felt that the results were as close as possible to the taste, if not to the exact beautiful presentation, of your original.
Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe – it will become the new homemade traditional dish for our new year holiday. Being elderly, do not know how many years that may be, but am hoping that it may still be for a little while and your recipe will be tucked away for them to use to continue the tradition after I am gone.
Bill, you are a very gifted instructor and cook/chef and a tribute to the skills and upbringing of your parents. So happy that this site was found. Am looking forward to preparing many of your other recipes.
Thank you, again. Both you and your lovely family are wished nothing but blessings and joy throughout this new year.
Hi Carolyn, so glad you found us and our butterfly shrimp with bacon recipe! Loved reading your thoughtful comment and experience :) I think if you dipped the bacon-wrapped shrimp in egg, your dish would taste even more like the restaurant version you and your son remember, so maybe try that next time. Happy cooking!
We like the combination, but not piled up like this. The Mexican restaurant does it better and they use a char grill of some sort. The eat with the eyes is a big fail on this recipe. Looks too much like Criadillas. not for me. No offense, there’s some great stuff on woks of life <3
no worries k jones. this just means this recipe was not for you ;-)
My family and I used to go to The Golden Lily in Toledo Ohio that served this wonderful dish! I made it for my brother last night since it was our favorite Chinese dish. Delicious! Thank you!
You’re welcome Becky – enjoy!
Do you know of a dish with butterfly shrimp with bacon served on top of fried rice and then covered with mushroom sauce on top. I used to have this in Montreal back in the 90s. I can’t find any recipe. I guess it is more of a Polynesian or Tiki style of dish.
Hi Renaldo, the dish you describe sounds like it may be a restaurant specialty, but I’m sure you could use the same method here for preparing the shrimp and make some mushroom gravy to pour over it. ;-)
My favorite foods of the 60’s – Dewy Wong – Bill Hong
D’Oreintal
Hi Keith, this butterfly shrimp with bacon is a classic indeed!
These were delicious! I can’t wait to make more of your recipes.
Hi Tisha, great to hear you enjoyed this retro butterfly shrimp with bacon :)
Recently moved to Florida from NJ. This dish is unheard of down here. I already had a bag of frozen,devained big shrimp. I tried to butterfly them the best I could. The presentation wasn’t great, but the flavor was 100% spot on! I actually had tears in my eyes as I was eating it, I was that happy…… I tripled the sauce because I made a lot of onions. It was just perfect. You made me very,very happy. Thank you 😊
Hi mMelanie, so happy to hear your enjoyed our butterfly shrimp recipe!
I was able to order this years ago. War Dip Har? Or something like that. What is the proper name for this dish? Thanks Joe
Hi Joe, yes, I have heard that Chinese name with different phonetic spellings. It literally means butterfly shrimp in Cantonese/toysan dialect.
Woo Dip Har, It was 1st meal I ever ordered in our (soon to become) favorite Chinese restaurant in 1975. They didn’t use any ketchup on the onions tho. Been 45 years since I’ve had it but never forgot the dishes name, lol.
Can I use white wine or sherry in place of the Shaohsing/Shaoxing? I can never find it.
Hi How, dry sherry is best as a substitute for Shaoxing wine if you can’t find it.