Looking for a delicious fried shrimp appetizer or side dish? Check out this very simple Vietnamese fried shrimp recipe (Tôm Chiên Muối Tiêu).

To bring out the essence of the salt, the Chinese and Vietnamese traditionally dry fry the salt. This supposedly changes the salt flavor. I’ve done this several times in the past and the flavor profile of toasted or fried salt is quite subtle. To be completely honest, you probably wouldn’t detect a change if you weren’t actively looking for it.

In the name of simplicity, we are completely skipping the frying salt part. Just simply mix the spices together. This spice mixture is used on many fried proteins. For that reason, it’s best to double, triple, or quadruple the spice mixture and have it ready to go in your pantry. It goes great with fried tofu, fried pork ribs, and fried beef.

For this recipe, I’m using large shrimp (size 21/25) with head-on, tail-on, shell-on, legs-on, everything-on. 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. If there’s no shell, a small sharp knife works more efficiently.

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. Add a bit of the spice mixture to taste. Toss, toss, toss to evenly combine, and boom, you’re done.

If you are looking for a more traditional recipe that includes frying the salt and colorful aromatics such as garlic, shallots, green onions, and colorful peppers, check out this older post.

Recipe below. Happy cooking!

PRINTABLE RECIPE Quick View Totole Granulated Chicken Bouillon Powder (Soup Base Mix) 9.99 Quantity: Add To Cart

Simple Crispy Salt & Pepper Shrimp (Tom Chien Muoi Tieu)

Serves 2

Ingredients

Shrimp

• 12 oz (about 12 21/25 size large devein shrimp; head tail head optional)
• ¼ cup corn starch
• Vegetable oil as needed for deep-frying

Spice Mixture

• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
• ¼ teaspoon five-spice powder
• 1 teaspoon garlic powder
• ¼ ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Fill a large wok or skillet 2 inches high with vegetable oil and heat until 375°F. If you don't have a thermometer, drop a speck of corn starch or insert a wooden chopstick into the oil. If it sizzles and bubbles around the corn starch or chopstick, the oil is ready.
2. In a medium-size bowl, toss shrimp with corn starch until covered. Carefully add floured shrimp into the oil, one at a time to prevent sticking. Cook for 2-3 minutes. Transfer shrimp to a wire rack or pat dry with paper towels to drain off excess oil. Transfer the fried shrimp to a large mixing bowl and set aside.
3. In a small bowl, combine salt, chicken bouillon powder, five spice powder, garlic powder and ground black pepper. Add ¼ teaspoon of the spice mixture to the shrimp. Toss to combine. Add more if needed. Serve immediately for best results.