Me and Ketchup Shrimp go a long way back. Pronounced “cure jup ha” in Cantonese dialect, it was a family dish that my mom used to make for special dinners and holidays. If you haven’t figured it out already, “cure jup” is simply a phonetic duplication of “ketchup” in the Cantonese dialect.
Large fresh shrimp were always a treat because they were (and still are) quite expensive, and we lived modestly back then, so I always looked forward to eating it. Plus, it’s not surprising that any kid would love something cooked with a decent glug of ketchup in it.
My Mom’s Go-to for Entertaining
My mom also used to make this ketchup shrimp dish when she would host a group of friends for a girls’ night of mahjong. I remembered she prided herself on her cooking and loved to serve exceptional meals to her friends on mahjong party nights.
Of course, she was always humble, but friends let her know how good her food was and showered all kinds of praise on her delicious cooking––for good reason! I’m sure they were like me and looked forward to a nice dinner almost as much as the mahjong. I say almost because you don’t get between a Chinese Cantonese woman and her seat at the mahjong table!
As kids, my sisters and I would sometimes tag along on visits to other friends’ homes to have dinner, and I have to say my mom’s cooking was usually the best with very few exceptions.
This succulent shrimp cooked in ginger, garlic, and scallions and coated with a tangy and savory sauce of stir-fried ketchup and soy sauce was proof of that. It was something that I only had at home, and it was darn good! Give this simple and homey family recipe a try, and I’m sure you’ll agree!
Why It’s Best to Buy Frozen Shrimp
Before we get to the recipe, one quick point worth noting is that I think frozen shrimp are always the best unless you can get actual fresh caught shrimp that has not yet been frozen.
For those of you who may not know, shrimp are often processed shortly after being caught and frozen right away. So buying fresh frozen shrimp and thawing them once is best. Buying the thawed shrimp sitting on ice at the market is hit or miss, because they may have been sitting on ice all day or for multiple days.
Worse yet, they might have been thawed and refrozen multiple times, which you don’t want. Trust me on that!
Here’s a snapshot of what you’ll need to make the dish:
Let’s talk about how to cook it!
Ketchup Shrimp Recipe Instructions
Start by rinsing your shrimp under running water, and thaw if frozen. Pat dry with a paper towel. If desired, you can peel the shells off for easy eating, but do leave the tails on, as they add extra flavor when seared in the wok. (Note: We cooked and photographed this ketchup shrimp with the shells on like my mom used to do, but I have to admit, this dish may be better if the shrimp are peeled with only the tails left on.)
Heat 1 tablespoon of canola or vegetable oil in your wok until it just starts to smoke. Fry the shrimp on both sides for 20 seconds on each side (15 seconds if you peeled the shells off), and set aside. The shrimp should be 80% cooked.
Turn the heat down to low, and add another tablespoon of oil to your wok. Add 7 slices of ginger cut into 1/8 inch slices, and let it infuse the oil for 15 seconds.
Add sliced garlic and the white parts of the scallions. Turn the heat up to medium high and stir-fry everything for 10 seconds.
Add ¼ cup ketchup and 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce if using. Thanks to reader’s comments jarring my memory, I added the Worcestershire sauce because I now remember my mom also used to add it sometimes!
Stir into the oil and fry for 15 seconds.
Next, stir in the shrimp and any juices on the plate, and add ⅛ teaspoon white pepper, ½ teaspoon sugar, and 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine.
Stir for 10 seconds, and add 1 tablespoon soy sauce. Continue to stir-fry until the sauce begins the reduce and coats the shrimp.
Finally, add the rest of the scallions (the green parts).
Stir for another 10 seconds and transfer to a dish. Serve this ketchup shrimp dish with white rice and a side of veggies. This ketchup shrimp is good hot out of the wok or at room temperature so keep this in mind if you are making multiple dishes in your wok for the table.
Ketchup Shrimp Stir-Fry: Bill's Mom’s Recipe
Ingredients
- 12 ounces large, shell-on headless shrimp (340g, 15 to 20 size)
- 2 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil (divided)
- 7 slices fresh ginger (cut ⅛-inch thick)
- 1 clove garlic (sliced)
- 2 scallions (cut at an angle into 2-inch pieces, with the white and green parts separated)
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce (optional)
- ⅛ teaspoon white pepper
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
Instructions
- Rinse your shrimp under running water, and thaw if frozen. Pat dry with a paper towel. If desired, you can peel the shells off for easy eating, but do leave the tails on, as they add extra flavor when seared in the wok. (Note: We cooked and photographed this ketchup shrimp with the shells on like my mom used to do, but I have to admit, this dish may be better if the shrimp are peeled with only the tails left on.)
- Heat 1 tablespoon of canola or vegetable oil in your wok until it just starts to smoke. Fry the shrimp on both sides for 20 seconds on each side (15 seconds if you peeled the shells off), and set aside. The shrimp should be 80% cooked.
- Turn the heat down to low, and add another tablespoon of oil to your wok. Add the 7 slices of ginger, and let it infuse the oil for 15 seconds. Add sliced garlic and the white parts of the scallions. Turn the heat up to medium high and stir-fry everything for 10 seconds.
- Add ¼ cup ketchup and 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce if using. Stir into the oil and fry for 15 seconds. Next, stir in the shrimp and any juices on the plate, and add ⅛ teaspoon white pepper, ½ teaspoon sugar, and 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine.
- Stir for 10 seconds, and add 1 tablespoon soy sauce. Continue to stir-fry until the sauce begins the reduce and coats the shrimp. Finally, add the rest of the scallions (the green parts).
- Stir for another 10 seconds and transfer to a dish. Serve this ketchup shrimp dish with white rice and a side of veggies. This ketchup shrimp is good hot out of the wok or at room temperature so keep this in mind if you are making multiple dishes in your wok for the table.
nutrition facts
This was super yummy! Not to mention also super quick and easy to whip up. Seriously, I am in awe of how something so simple could taste so good. I served my shrimp on a bed of blanched baby bok choy and my husband and I gobbled everything up with some rice. A definite make-again!
Hi Tiffany, thanks for sharing your comment and happy to hear you and your husband enjoyed my mom’s specialty :)
Thank you, Bill and your Mom for this recipe. I love this dish as a kid and miss it. I now know why you said to turn down the fire prior to adding the ketchup sauce. I didn’t and the sauce splattered out of the pan. Still tasted good, just had some extra cleaning to do. LOL!
Hi Alice, yes, watch that ketchup lol! The cleanup is a small price to pay for delicious food ;-)
Terrific easy recipe, Bill. I always love more ways to serve up shrimp, and this dish is tasty and quick to assemble from staples. It will absolutely make our regular rotation. Props to your Mom!
Thanks Todd and so glad to hear you enjoyed it!
Delicious! So easy yet looks and tastes like restaurant quality. Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome Monica – glad you liked it. My mom would have been proud that so many people are enjoying her dish :)
Fast and delicious! Used frozen shrimp and stirred in some chili garlic sauce at the end for a little kick. Next time will cut out the sugar — there was enough in the ketchup and that additional sugar made it a bit too sweet for our taste. Thanks for a new addition to my quick-dinner repertoire!
Hi Kavii, you’re welcome, and definitely adjust the sugar to your preference ;-)
THANK YOU BILL!!! This is one of my favourite dishes from childhood and thanks to you and the internet, you have brought us together once again. It is rare to find a recipe that needs no tweaking. This recipe is pretty well perfect as is, although I may add three or four dried Thai Chilies (or a sprinkle of chili seeds) the next time I make it just for a little bit of heat.
Thanks again for sharing this recipe.
Hi Vincent, glad you enjoyed this family classic!
Since you credited this to your mom, I will too. Great recipe Mom although I did cook the shrimp peeled with the tails on. I have about 30 more Woks of Life recipes to try and if they are all this good, I’m going to be a happy camper!
On behalf of my mom, thanks so much James!
This was so good, and I loved it, but the amazing thing to me was that it was even better the next day, which is never my experience with leftover seafood dishes. They were far more flavorful and even spicier. Next time I think I will double the recipe JUST to eat it for 2 or 3 days (it is just me and the husband , and I got the lions share) so I thought I would throw in my 2 cents worth in case people who don’t have a big family might be eased into making it and then have yummy leftovers for serving over rice, or as lettuce wraps.
Hi Barbara, yes, leftovers are great – I like eating them cold with hot congee or rice.
Ohhhhh. These in lettuce wraps would be great.
Thank you for the recipe!
My family also adds in yellow onion (in pieces) in this dish. Adds more flavor.
We also add a tad bit more ketchup so we have more “sauce” to mix in with our rice.
Thanks again!
Hi Joseph, onion is a nice addition. If you like this dish and stir-fried yellow onions, you definitely should try our butterfly Shrimp with bacon recipe too.
I made this tonight for my parents and it was fantastic! I served it alongside your chicken and broccoli w/ brown sauce and lobster potstickers of my own creation. And sent them home with a bunch of Baked (homemade) Char Siu pork buns…all courtesy of this wonderful site and family! Thank you for sharing all of these spectacular recipes…you guys are the absolute best! And thank you Bill’s mom!!
You’re welcome Heidi – sounds like you and your family had a fantastic meal!