Vietnamese-Style Caramel Shrimp
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Large shrimp are quickly sautéed with garlic and onions and then simmered in a short-cut Vietnamese caramel sauce.
This caramel shrimp recipe was sent to me by one of my readers from San Diego (thank you, Kim!), and I knew right away it was going to be a winner. Large shrimp are quickly sautéed with garlic and onions, then simmered in a Vietnamese-style caramel sauce. Every time I make it, my family literally scrapes the pan clean!
This recipe is a simplified take on traditional Tôm Rim, a classic Vietnamese dish where shrimp are simmered in a deeply caramelized sugar sauce. While the original requires caramelizing sugar to a rich amber hue, this version takes a shortcut by whisking brown sugar into the fish sauce, water, and aromatics, making it quicker but still delicious. The sauce is thinner and less bitter than the traditional method, but it retains the sweet and savory balance that makes this dish so irresistible.
What You’ll Need To Make Vietnamese Caramel Shrimp
The key ingredient in this recipe is fish sauce, a dark and pungent liquid used in Southeast Asian cooking. It adds wonderful depth and complexity to a dish. You can find it at most large grocery stores, and don’t worry about buying a large bottle—it keeps forever in the pantry.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by whisking together the fish sauce, brown sugar, crushed red pepper flakes and water in a bowl and set aside.
Heat the vegetable oil in a large sauté pan and cook the onions over medium-low heat until soft and translucent.
Add the garlic and cook a few minutes more.
Add the shrimp to the pan and cook until just pink and still translucent in some spots.
Add the sauce and simmer until the shrimp are cooked through.
Add the scallions and cilantro.
Stir to combine, then taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. The dish is intensely flavorful, so it goes best with steamed jasmine rice. Enjoy!
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Vietnamese Caramelized Shrimp
Large shrimp are quickly sautéed with garlic and onions and then simmered in a short-cut Vietnamese caramel sauce.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar, packed
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 pounds extra large shrimp, peeled and deveined, thawed if frozen
- 3 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Combine the fish sauce, dark brown sugar, crushed red pepper flakes and water in a medium bowl and whisk until brown sugar is dissolved.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook a few minutes more. Do not brown.
- Turn the heat up to medium-high and add the shrimp. Cook, stirring frequently, until the shrimp are just barely pink and still translucent in spots, a few minutes. Add the fish sauce mixture, turn heat down to medium, and simmer until shrimp are cooked through, a few minutes more. (Note: the sauce will be thin.) Off the heat, stir in scallions and cilantro. Serve immediately with jasmine rice.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 219
- Fat: 11 g
- Saturated fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Sugar: 4 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Sodium: 1789 mg
- Cholesterol: 191 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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This recipe is simple and the shrimp are delicious! I did reduce the amount of fish sauce slightly and the red pepper flakes. Next time, I’ll increase the red pepper to add just a little more zip. Will definitely be a go-to meal when company is coming. Served it with a coconut jasmine rice that is baked in the oven
Have made this before, delicious. Will be making for guests, possible to double the recipe? Best to make two separate recipes? Thank you very much for this recipe!
Hi Mary, So glad you like it! You can definitely double the recipe. You don’t need to make two separate batches, but unless you have a very large saute pan, you may want to cook them in two pans. Hope everyone enjoys!
Thanks so much, Jenn, very timely! They’ll be here in a few hours and all my prep is done!