Sweet & Spicy Gochujang Shrimp
This Gochujang Shrimp is an easy to make 20-minute dish that’s packed with flavor. This Korean Shrimp recipe requires just a handful of ingredients and results in delicious crispy pan seared shrimp smothered in a sweet and spicy gochujang sauce. 
I adore spicy food! And I love shrimp, so anytime I have the chance to combine the two, I’m all over it. This Korean Shrimp recipe is full of amazing flavors: spicy, sweet, and umami. If you have been following me for a while, you will know that I love to use Gochujang paste because of its depth of flavor. I love to add it to pasta and stir-fries, especially, and this Gochujang shrimp recipe will not disappoint anyone wanting to discover something new that will meet their spicy tastes. After cooking shrimp to crispy golden perfection, you will cook them in an amazing sauce with gochujang paste, soy sauce, and honey, and the result is amazingly bold flavors! I can’t rave about this enough, but I know that after you make this, it will become a regular on your families dinner rotation.
Why You Will Love This Gochujang Shrimp Dish
- This great recipe is quick, easy, and on the table in 30 minutes making it perfect for a weeknight meal.
- The shrimp are golden and delicious crunchy in texture and smothered in sauce
- The gochujang sauce is so tasty! It’s the perfect balance of sweet and spicy
- It is super versatile, and the spice can easily be adjusted to your taste.
- With little prep time this easy shrimp recipe is meal prep friendly and can be made in advance.
- This easy dinner is going to be a crowd-pleaser for all the spicy food lovers!
- This Korean Shrimp recipe is dairy-free and it is easily adjustable to be gluten-free, Whole30, and Keto.
Ingredients For This Gochujang Shrimp Recipe
- Large Shrimp: I recommend using raw shrimp, shelled but with the tails still on, for this recipe. Buying deveined shrimp is also convenient, but it’s not hard to devein it yourself.
- Egg: The egg will act as a binder to dip the shrimp in before coating it with the arrowroot powder.
- Arrowroot powder: This works as a wonderful thickening agent to dip the shrimp in. Feel free to use cornstarch or tapioca starch if you can’t find arrowroot. Coating the shrimp in arrowroot powder will give it a golden brown crunchy coating.
- Seasonings: Kosher Salt, black pepper, and garlic powder make a simple spice combination for this delicious shrimp recipe.
- Oils: I use avocado oil to fry the shrimp and then sesame oil to saute the garlic and scallions. You could use olive oil in place of the avocado oil if you prefer.
- Fresh garlic: Be sure to finely chop your garlic cloves or use a garlic press to ensure they are in tiny pieces to release all the delicious flavor.
- Scallions: Scallion and green onions are one and the same. You will both saute with these and use them as a garnish for a fresh onion taste.
- Gochujang paste: This is the best part! This thick red paste is spicy and full of umami flavor. See below for more information about what it is and where to find it.
- Honey: The sweetness of the honey is a perfect combination with the spiciness of the Gochujang paste. You could also use maple syrup.
- Soy sauce: Soy sauce adds to the umami flavor of this delicious recipe. To make it gluten-free, you can use a gluten-free soy sauce or coconut aminos.
- Apple cider vinegar: This will add a burst of acidity and blend perfectly with the sweet and spicy. You could also use rice wine vinegar, red wine vinegar, or white wine vinegar.
You can find a full list of ingredients in the recipe card below
How To Make This Gochujang Shrimp Recipe
- Place the shrimp in a small bowl, crack the egg into the bowl, and toss the shrimp around so that they are all well coated in the egg,
- Combine the arrowroot powder with spices in a medium mixing bowl and stir until well-mixed.
- Working one at a time, toss shrimp in the arrowroot powder and ensure that each shrimp is well coated on all sides. Place shrimp on a plate and repeat with the remaining shrimp until they are all well coated.
- Add the oil to a large skillet on medium-high heat. Add half of the shrimp to the hot pan and cook in a single layer for 2 minutes until golden in color. Then, flip and let the shrimp cook for another 1-2 minutes on the other side. Set the cooked shrimp aside on a plate and repeat with the second batch of shrimp. If the skillet looks dry, add a little bit more oil.
- Once all of the shrimp are cooked, wipe out the skillet with paper towels and then add in the sesame oil.
- Add the chopped scallions and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes before adding the sauce mixture.
- Bring to a simmer and leave to cook for 3-4 minutes until it begins to thicken. Add in the shrimp and toss to ensure they are all well coated in the gochujang sauce.
- Place on a serving platter and garnish with sesame seeds, chopped scallions, and lime wedges for a squeeze of fresh lime juice.
What Is Gochujang Paste?
Gochujang chili paste is a traditional paste used in Korean cooking, fermented red chili paste made from red chili powder, soybeans, glutinous rice, and salt. It has a unique combination of spicy, sweet, and savory flavor. It is often thick and sticky and bright red in color. It is bold, spicy, umami, mildly sweet, and just delicious! The heat levels all depend on the brand, as does the sugar content. So, feel free to try a few and find a favorite! Gochujang is often used as a thickener or to add depth because it is so concentrated. Try it in some of my favorite recipes like Korean Gochujang Chicken and this Creamy Gochujang Pasta.
Where to Find Gochujang Paste
You can find gochujang paste in the ethnic aisle of most local grocery stores or at any Asian market or grocery store. If you can’t find gochujang paste, you can also use chili paste, hot pepper paste, or Korean chili paste. They’re all basically the same thing. If you can’t find it locally, you can check out these links on Amazon.
Is This Gochujang Shrimp Dish Spicy?
This Korean Shrimp recipe definitely has a spicy kick to it because of the gochujang paste. I would give this Korean shrimp recipe a 7/10 on the spicy scale. However, if you have an aversion to spicy sauce, you can definitely adjust the spice level and use as much of the gochujang paste as your taste buds prefer. Alternatively if you like spice I recommend adding a pinch of chili flakes (red pepper flakes) or a drizzle of chili oil for additional heat.
What To Serve With This Gochujang Shrimp Recipe
I love to serve this with cauliflower rice to make it low-carb. You can also serve it in rice bowls with a white rice of your choice, like Jasmine Rice, or use brown rice if you prefer. This is perfect served with a delicious side salad with your favorite dressing or a simple side dish of green beans, broccoli or zucchini and peppers.
Can I Make This Gochujang Shrimp Recipe in Advance?
I recommend only combining the crispy shrimp and the sauce right before serving to ensure the shrimp coating doesn’t become soggy. You can cook the shrimp and make the sauce 3-4 days in advance and store them separately in the fridge. Quickly reheat the shrimp in a pan with a little oil, or pop them in the air fryer before adding them to a pan with the gochujang sauce.
What About Leftovers?
When stored in an airtight container, the gochujang honey shrimp will last in the fridge for 3-4 days. Be sure to bring to room temperature before storing. When reheating, do so gently so you don’t overcook the shrimp and make it rubbery. Warm in a skillet on low heat or in the microwave. I would not recommend freezing leftover shrimp, as it will change the consistency of the shrimp.
Here are a few more shrimp recipes you might enjoy:
- Honey Walnut Shrimp
- Shrimp and Chicken Fried Rice
- Spicy Garlic and Ginger Shrimp
- Crab and Shrimp Dip
- Dynamic Shrimp Sushi Bowl
If you make this Korean Shrimp recipe let me know in the comment section below, I would love to hear what you think or take a photo and tag me (@everylastbite_) on Instagram, I love seeing your photos!
Gochujang Shrimp
Ingredients
- 10 oz shrimp shelled but leave the tails still on
- 1 egg
- ½ cup arrowroot powder (or corn starch)
- ¼ tsp salt and pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- 1-2 tbsp avocado oil
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- ⅓ cup chopped scallions + 1 tbsp for garnish
- 2 tbsp gochujang paste
- 3 tbsp honey (or maple syrup)
- 1 tbsp coconut aminos (or soy sauce or tamari)
- 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp water
- 2 tsp white sesame seeds
Instructions
- Place the shrimp in a bowl, crack the egg into the bowl and toss the shrimp around so that they are all well coated in the egg,
- In a bowl combine the arrowroot powder, salt, pepper and garlic powder, stir until well mixed.
- Working one at a time, place the shrimp in the arrowroot powder and ensure that each shrimp is well coated on all sides. Place the coated shrimp on a plate and repeat with the remaining shrimp until they are all well coated.
- In a large skillet on medium high heat add the avocado oil. Once hot add in half of the shrimp and cook for 2 minutes until golden in color and then flip and cook for another 1-2 minutes on the other side. Set the cooked shrimp aside on a plate and repeat with the second batch of shrimp, add more oil to the skillet if it looks dry.
- Once all of the shrimp are cooked, wipe out the skillet with a paper towel and then add in the sesame oil.
- Add the chopped scallions and garlic and cook for 2 minutes before adding in the honey, gochujang, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar and water.
- Bring to a simmer and leave to cook for 3-4 minutes until it begins to thicken. Add in the shrimp and toss to ensure they are all well coated in the sauce.
- Garnish with sesame seeds and chopped scallions.
Nutrition
This Gochujang Shrimp recipe was originally posted on October 10, 2024.
LOVED THIS! The sauce was incredible and worked so well with the shrimp. I served it over rice and my husband asked for seconds and thirds!