Spicy Hunan Shrimp

Name: Spicy Hunan Shrimp
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 18 min
Total time: 23 min
Ingredients: 1 pound large shrimp (peeled and deveined); 6 ounces green beans (cut in 3" pieces); 2 garlic cloves (minced); 1 tablespoon oil; 4 tablespoons chopped green onions; 1 tablespoon spicy bean paste; 1 teaspoon soy sauce; 1/2 teaspoon oyster sauce; 1 teaspoon honey; 1 teaspoon rice vinegar; 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (Chinese rice wine); cornstarch slurry (2 teaspoons water mixed with 2 teaspoons cornstarch)

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This Spicy Hunan Shrimp recipe is made with plump and juicy shrimp and a hot and spicy stir fry sauce. It’s a quick and easy dinner that takes less than 25 minutes to make!

If you love spicy stir fries, you’ll love this one with shrimp and crisp green beans. The thick and spicy Hunan sauce is also super simple to make!

Overhead view of spicy Hunan shrimp on a white plate with chop sticks.

You can adjust the spice level if you need to and you can swap in your favorite veggies, so it’s a totally customizable stir fry recipe!

For an easy weeknight dinner, serve this stir fry with some steamed rice, fried rice or this coconut jasmine rice. You can also serve it over noodles!

If you love easy shrimp recipes like we do, you’ll also want to try this hibachi shrimp, sous vide shrimp, sweet chili shrimp and Instant Pot shrimp!

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What is Hunan shrimp?

Hunan shrimp is a Chinese American shrimp stir fry recipe with origins in the Hunan province of China. It’s savory and spicy with chili paste as a key ingredient.

Close up view of spicy Hunan shrimp with green beans.

Why this recipe works

This recipe requires minimal prep work, especially if you buy shrimp that has already been peeled and deveined.
It’s a quick, easy and flavorful stir fry. It takes less than 25 minutes from start to finish!
You can adjust the spiciness to suit your taste, and you can change up the veggies to use what you have on hand. (Suggestions included below).

Ingredients

For a full list of ingredients and quantities, refer to the recipe card below.

You’ll need 1 pound of large shrimp for this recipe, peeled and deveined. Any large or jumbo shrimp will work but I like to use 21/25 sized shrimp. If you only have shrimp with the shell-on, you can peel and devein them yourself by following this tutorial on how to peel and devein shrimp.

For the veggies, the recipe calls for 6 ounces of green beans, cut into 3-inch pieces and 4 tablespoons of chopped green onions. Green beans are a popular addition to this stir fry and you can use fresh or frozen (although I prefer to use fresh).

For the Hunan sauce, you’ll need a cornstarch slurry made with 2 teaspoons of water mixed with 2 teaspoons of cornstarch.

The sauce also includes 1 tablespoon of spicy bean paste, 1 teaspoon of soy sauce, ½ teaspoon of oyster sauce, 1 teaspoon of honey, 1 teaspoon of rice vinegar and 1 tablespoon of Shaoxing wine.

Spicy bean paste is also called Doubanjiang and it’s a fermented bean paste usually made from soybeans, broad beans and red chili peppers.

Shaoxing wine is a Chinese cooking rice wine. If you don’t have any, you can substitute with dry sherry or another type of rice wine.

The rice vinegar adds a tangy flavor to the Hunan sauce. In a pinch, you can use white wine vinegar.

Step by step instructions

Mix the sauce ingredients together. **Make sure the cornstarch slurry is fully mixed before adding to the remaining sauce ingredients.

Hunan sauce in a glass bowl with a spatula.

Heat the oil in a wok or high sided skillet over medium high heat.

Pat the shrimp dry and cook in the oil until pink throughout. Remove and set aside.

Add the green beans and fry until they start to blister on the outside.

Green beans cooking in a wok on the stovetop.

Add the garlic and green onions and cook for about 30 seconds, until the garlic starts to brown.

Add the shrimp and the sauce and cook until the sauce thickens and coats everything.

Green beans and shrimp cooking in a wok on the stovetop.

Remove and serve garnished with additional green onions and steamed white rice.

Expert tips

Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels to remove any excess moisture before frying them.
Instead of shrimp, you can use prawns or another protein like chicken. (Hunan chicken is also delicious!)
If you can’t find spicy chili bean paste, you can use another type of spicy chili paste like sambal oelek or use this homemade sambal belacan.
This stir fry is spicy. To reduce the heat, you can use less chili paste or use a milder paste.
Shrimp cook quickly so be careful not to overcook them as they will get chewy and rubbery.
Instead of green beans, you can add bell peppers, mushrooms, zucchini, broccoli and/or onions. Just make sure the veggies you choose cook quickly and at the same rate.

Hunan shrimp served on a white plate with chop sticks.

Common questions

What is the difference between Hunan shrimp and Szechuan shrimp?

Both Hunan shrimp and Szechuan shrimp contain similar savory and spicy ingredients, but Szechuan shrimp also has a slightly sweet taste thanks to the addition of some sugar (or other sweetener).

How do you thicken Hunan sauce?

The sauce will thicken as it cooks thanks to the cornstarch slurry. If it’s still not thick enough for you, try gradually stirring in a little more cornstarch slurry. If it gets too thick, just add a little water or chicken stock.

Can you use frozen shrimp in this Hunan shrimp recipe?

You can use fresh or frozen shrimp for this stir fry. If you only have frozen shrimp, you'll need to thaw them first so they cook faster and evenly.

How do you thaw frozen shrimp?

I normally defrost frozen shrimp in the fridge overnight. If you’re short on time, you can quickly thaw them by placing the shrimp in a ziplock bag and submerging in cold water for 20 minutes.

How do you know when shrimp are cooked?

Shrimp cook quickly so you’ll want to remove them from the heat when they go from translucent to opaque. I normally use an instant read thermometer to check that their internal temperature is 145F degrees.

What to serve with Hunan shrimp?

We love rice with this spicy Hunan shrimp. Steamed rice is great, but so is this Chinese fried rice, kimchi fried rice, Instant Pot basmati rice or Instant Pot jasmine rice.

Close up view of shrimp and green beans coated in Hunan sauce.

Storage and reheating

We prefer Hunan shrimp hot and fresh. If you have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container in the fridge for 2-3 days.

You can reheat this shrimp stir fry in the microwave or in a skillet on the stovetop. Be careful not to overcook as the shrimp will get chewy and the veggies will get soft.

More Chinese food recipes

Did you make this recipe? Leave a comment below and rate the recipe to let me know how it turned out!