Vietnamese Crispy Salt and Pepper Shrimp with Five Spice (Tôm Rang Muối)
This popular Vietnamese dish is made with shrimp that are simply coated in corn starch, deep fried in plenty of oil then seasoned with a sprinkle of salt, bouillon powder, five spice powder, garlic powder, and ground black pepper.
- 1 lb shrimp (about 12 21/25 size large devein shrimp; head tail optional)
- ¼ cup corn starch
- Vegetable oil (for for deep-frying)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon chicken bouillon powder (see notes)
- ¼ teaspoon five-spice powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- ¼ teaspoon ground black pepper
- Fill a large wok or skillet 2 inches high with vegetable oil and heat to 375°F. If you don’t have a thermometer, drop a speck of cornstarch or insert a wooden chopstick into the oil. If it sizzles and bubbles around the cornstarch or chopstick, the oil is ready.
- In a medium bowl, toss the shrimp with cornstarch until covered. Dust off any excess cornstarch. Carefully add the floured shrimp to the oil, one at a time to prevent sticking. Cook for 2-3 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Transfer the shrimp to a wire rack or a plate lined with paper towels to drain off excess oil. Transfer the fried shrimp to a large bowl and set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine the salt, chicken bouillon powder, five spice powder, garlic powder, and ground black pepper. Starting with half of the seasoning mixture, sprinkle it over the freshly fried shrimp. Toss to combine. Add more of the seasoning mixture if needed. Serve immediately for best results.
It’s crispy, flavorful, and best of all, easy to make. This recipe is perfect for a party or holiday appetizer. For a complete meal, serve with rice or noodles.
Shrimp
For this recipe, I’m using large shrimp (size 21/25) with head-on, tail-on, shell-on, legs-on, everything-on. But feel free to use any size and type of shrimp of your choice.
I give the shrimp a good rinse to wash away any fishy smells and then devein with a sharp pair of kitchen shears. The kitchen shears work well with the shell. Butterfly the shrimp open with the kitchen shears from the base of the head then remove the vein. If there’s no shell, a small sharp knife works more efficiently. Give the shrimp a final rinse to remove any lingering vein.
Prepping the large shrimp/prawns – Use a pair of sharp scissors or knife to cut through the shell of the shrimp to devein it. This also makes a beautiful presentation when fried. I keep all extremities (head, shell, legs and tail), but that’s entirely up to you.
Deep Fry
No need to marinate the shrimp. It’s simply get coated with a light layer of corn starch. Dust off the excess and in it goes in a hot pool of oil at 375°F for 2-3 minutes or until golden. Drain off the excess oil and transfer shrimp to a large mixing bowl.
