Ketchup Shrimp

Most people know ketchup as a sweet-and-tangy condiment for burgers and hot dogs, but it’s also the cornerstone of this Cantonese-inspired ketchup shrimp recipe. Ketchup has a long history as a flavoring agent, so it’s not that unusual. One of the many fascinating facts about ketchup is that it grew out of a Chinese sauce made from fermented fish, and the first versions were a far cry from the modern one. Its umami taste is one reason it plays nicely with seafood like shrimp and makes an excellent base for sauces.

Our ketchup shrimp features a tangy sauce made with ketchup, garlic, fresh ginger and soy sauce. Serve it with fluffy white or brown rice and a side of bok choy or steamed broccoli for an effortless, flavorful dinner.

Ingredients for Ketchup Shrimp

• Ketchup: Most of the best ketchup brands differ in appearance, taste and color. The brand of tomato ketchup you use will affect the overall flavor of this recipe, so cook with your favorite.
• Sugar: Ketchup is already sweet, but this recipe adds a touch more sugar to balance the other ingredients and help the sauce cling to the shrimp.
• Cider vinegar: Thanks to its sweet-tart flavor and mild acidity, cider vinegar is the best type of vinegar for this shrimp recipe.
• Soy sauce: Soy sauce adds an even richer umami taste to the sauce. Reduced-sodium soy sauce does that job here without making the sauce overly salty.
• Sesame oil: This aromatic oil adds nuttiness to the sauce. It’s usually used as a finishing oil to make the biggest flavor impact.
• Canola oil: You need a neutral-tasting cooking oil to cook the aromatics and shrimp.
• Aromatics: Aromatics like crushed red pepper flakes, fresh gingerroot and garlic cloves enhance the flavorful tomato-based sauce.
• Uncooked shrimp: Medium shrimp (31-40 per pound) cook quickly. Frozen, shell-on shrimp are the ultimate time savers. Thaw them under cool running water, pat them dry and cook them in their shells. Peel the saucy shrimp as you eat them.
• Garnishes: A shower of chopped green onions and toasted sesame seeds adds flavor, texture and color to each serving.

Directions

Step 1: Mix the sauce

In a small bowl, combine the ketchup, sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil and crushed red pepper flakes. Set the sauce aside.

Step 2: Cook the shrimp

In a large nonstick skillet or wok, stir-fry the shrimp and ginger in the canola oil until the shrimp turn pink. Add the garlic and cook for one minute longer.

Editor’s Tip: One way to know when shrimp are done is if they curl into a C shape. If they curl into an O shape, they’re verging on overdone.

Step 3: Coat the shrimp in sauce

Add the ketchup mixture. Cook and stir until they’re heated through, two to three minutes. Sprinkle the saucy shrimp with the sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds. If desired, serve ketchup shrimp with hot cooked rice.

Ellie Crowley for Taste Recipes

Ketchup Shrimp Variations

• Add vegetables: Stir-fry other vegetables in the hot oil along with the gingerroot, and then add the shrimp. Diced onion, sweet peppers, chopped zucchini, sugar snap peas and other fresh vegetables turn the dish into a restaurant-quality stir-fry.
• Give the sauce even more flavor: If you sample the sauce and still recognize the ketchup taste, stir in a couple of tablespoons of Worcestershire sauce or chili garlic sauce. A splash of hot sauce or a spoonful of prepared horseradish will make the mixture spicier. Homemade salt-free seafood seasoning will enhance the spices often found in bottled ketchup.
• Reduce the sweetness: Make a quick, less-sweet ketchup substitute by mixing an 8-ounce can of tomato sauce with 2 to 3 tablespoons of cider vinegar and then adding sugar, onion powder and salt to taste. To remove the sugar entirely, make sugar-free ketchup and skip the sweetener when you mix in this shrimp recipe’s other ingredients to create the sauce.
• Use tomato-free ketchup: Ketchup started as a tomato-free condiment, and home cooks continue to make it from all sorts of fruits and vegetables. Sweet-tart cranberry ketchup is one recipe that complements shrimp and works well with the sauce’s other ingredients.

How to Store Ketchup Shrimp

To store ketchup shrimp, put the cooled leftovers in an airtight container and set it in the fridge. If you cooked rice to go with the shrimp, let it cool completely and then refrigerate it in a separate airtight container.

How long does ketchup shrimp last?

Ketchup shrimp will last three to four days in the refrigerator. But because this recipe comes together so quickly, it’s worth avoiding leftovers and eating it as soon as it’s cooked.

How do you reheat ketchup shrimp?

It can be challenging to reheat ketchup shrimp without turning the shrimp chewy and tough. You might prefer to serve the cold leftovers in a salad or on shrimp tostadas. If you decide to reheat the shrimp, do so in a skillet over medium-low heat until the sauce and shellfish are warmed. Avoid the microwave; the sugary sauce will heat too quickly, and the shrimp will turn rubbery.

Ketchup Shrimp Tips

Ellie Crowley for Taste Recipes

What’s the best way to clean and devein shrimp?

To clean shrimp, thaw them completely and then pinch and twist off the heads if still attached. Any legs will come off when you remove the body shell. Pinch the shrimp flesh with one hand, and then grip the back ridge of the shell in the other hand and pull it away from head to tail. Give a little wiggle when you reach the tail end, and the entire shell should pop free.

How do you cook shrimp without it becoming rubbery?

The first step to cooking tender, juicy shrimp is to start with raw shellfish. Precooked shrimp will always be more likely to turn rubbery if cooked again. Color matters more than time when cooking shrimp, so have everything ready and keep your eyes on the skillet once you add the shrimp. As soon as the shrimp turns an opaque pink and curls into a C shape, add the garlic and then the sauce. Those additional minutes of heating these ingredients are enough time to cook the shrimp. As soon as the sauce is heated through, remove the shrimp from the pan. If you leave the shrimp in the skillet, the residual heat will continue to cook the shrimp, which could make your perfectly cooked shrimp rubbery.

What should you serve with ketchup shrimp?

Serve saucy ketchup shrimp over steamed white rice, seasoned brown rice or homemade cauliflower rice. Add sauteed or roasted vegetables on the side. For a shellfish feast, add other seafood dishes, like baked crab rangoons and crumb-topped clams. Recipes that use the same ingredients as the sauce also go well with ketchup shrimp, such as Asian green beans and ginger-sesame steamed vegetable salad.