Vietnamese-Style Caramel Shrimp
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Large shrimp are quickly sautéed with garlic and onions and then simmered in a short-cut Vietnamese caramel sauce.
This caramel shrimp recipe was sent to me by one of my readers from San Diego (thank you, Kim!), and I knew right away it was going to be a winner. Large shrimp are quickly sautéed with garlic and onions, then simmered in a Vietnamese-style caramel sauce. Every time I make it, my family literally scrapes the pan clean!
This recipe is a simplified take on traditional Tôm Rim, a classic Vietnamese dish where shrimp are simmered in a deeply caramelized sugar sauce. While the original requires caramelizing sugar to a rich amber hue, this version takes a shortcut by whisking brown sugar into the fish sauce, water, and aromatics, making it quicker but still delicious. The sauce is thinner and less bitter than the traditional method, but it retains the sweet and savory balance that makes this dish so irresistible.
Table of Contents
What You’ll Need To Make Vietnamese Caramel Shrimp
The key ingredient in this recipe is fish sauce, a dark and pungent liquid used in Southeast Asian cooking. It adds wonderful depth and complexity to a dish. You can find it at most large grocery stores, and don’t worry about buying a large bottle—it keeps forever in the pantry.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Begin by whisking together the fish sauce, brown sugar, crushed red pepper flakes and water in a bowl and set aside.
Heat the vegetable oil in a large sauté pan and cook the onions over medium-low heat until soft and translucent.
Add the garlic and cook a few minutes more.
Add the shrimp to the pan and cook until just pink and still translucent in some spots.
Add the sauce and simmer until the shrimp are cooked through.
Add the scallions and cilantro.
Stir to combine, then taste and adjust seasoning as necessary. The dish is intensely flavorful, so it goes best with steamed jasmine rice. Enjoy!
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Large shrimp are quickly sautéed with garlic and onions and then simmered in a short-cut Vietnamese caramel sauce.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar, packed
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
- ½ cup water
- ¼ cup vegetable oil
- 1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 pounds extra large shrimp, peeled and deveined, thawed if frozen
- 3 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced
- ⅓ cup chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Combine the fish sauce, dark brown sugar, crushed red pepper flakes and water in a medium bowl and whisk until brown sugar is dissolved.
- Heat the vegetable oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook, stirring frequently, until soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook a few minutes more. Do not brown.
- Turn the heat up to medium-high and add the shrimp. Cook, stirring frequently, until the shrimp are just barely pink and still translucent in spots, a few minutes. Add the fish sauce mixture, turn heat down to medium, and simmer until shrimp are cooked through, a few minutes more. (Note: the sauce will be thin.) Off the heat, stir in scallions and cilantro. Serve immediately with jasmine rice.
Pair with
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (6 servings)
- Calories: 219
- Fat: 11 g
- Saturated fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 8 g
- Sugar: 4 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 22 g
- Sodium: 1789 mg
- Cholesterol: 191 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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Recipe delicious as is!
Awesome! I loved how spicy it was for me but may need to temper it down a notch with kids. It was also so easy to make. Thank you!
This was delicious! Will certainly make again. For those who are afraid to use fish sauce, try the Red Boat brand.
This recipe was amazing. It reminded me of the recipe my Vietnamese brother in laws mother used to make that made me fall in love with the cuisine.
Whooooaaaa, 1/4 CUP of fish sauce is just WAAAAYYYYY too much for any dish. 1 tbsp is plenty for this dish. A little bit of fish sauce goes a long ways.
Made this for the first time last night and it is superb. Tonight I had a serving and it tasted even better for having sat in the fridge for 24 hours, the flavours having melded together. It is a perfect combination of hot, slightly sweet and tangy all in one. I have discovered the way to perfectly cooked shrimp also thanks to this recipe! It is uncomplicated and the ingredients are few and fairly simple, available and yet a perfect blend. I can’t get enough of this gorgeous flavour and plan to try it using beef or chicken.
Hi! This recipe was “me going out on a limb”, in that I’ve made recipes that call for fish sauce (it’s been a minute but I’m thinking it was pad thai) and had less than authentic results. I have to say, THIS RECIPE IS A KEEPER! Just ask my family! I’m glad I risked the 2 lbs of shrimp- super easy as long as I pre-measure all ingredients and nobody interrupts me once the shrimp hit the pan…🤣 (Obviously make your rice in advance!)
I made this for my husband and I. We enjoyed it, especially me. He’s not a food lover like me, so as long as he eats it, that’s a thumbs up. I had read to use caution with the fish sauce, so I only used one teaspoon and it was perfect. Not too salty or sweet, just perfect. I made enough for 4 so we’ll have it again tomorrow. Shrimp only lasts in the fridge 3-4 days.
Absolutely outstanding, made it with fresh Thai chilis. Superb!
Hi, do you think I can substitute the shrimp for scallops? Thank you for all your wonderful recipes.
Sure, Mimi, that should work. Hope you enjoy!