I really enjoy Thai cuisine and the first time I was introduced to Firecracker Shrimp was in a restaurant name Thaipoon which is located in Arlington, VA. They removed them from the appetizer menu a few years ago but I have been able to recreate them at home! I love shrimp and I love fried food so this appetizer is a win/win in my book. If you are looking for a non traditional holiday appetizer, give these Firecracker Shrimp rolls a try. They are crispy and flavorful and such a fun bite size appetizer. The most tedious part of making this dish is deveining the shrimp and on the first try wrapping the shrimp tight enough so they don't fall apart in the oil. Once you get the hang of it, you wrap each shrimp fairly quickly. They are best served hot with Thai Sweet I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!
Ingredients Needed to Make Firecracker Shrimp
1 pound large shrimp, peeled with tails on and deveined
4 tablespoon sweet chili sauce
4 tablespoon fish sauce (or soy sauce)
3 teaspoon sesame oil
3 teaspoons garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoons ground ginger
12 large spring roll pastry wrappers, cut in half into 2 triangles
2 tablespoons water
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Oil for frying
Sweet Thai chili Sauce for dipping
Sliced green onions for garnish
Directions to Make Firecracker Shrimp
Thaw the spring roll pastry wrappers.
Wash and devein the shrimp. Using a sharp knife, nick the bottom of the shrimp a few times to allow them to lay flat and no longer curve.
Marinate the shrimp in the sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic and ground ginger in the fridge for 30 minutes.
In preparation to wrap the shrimp, cut the pastry wrappers in half. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and water to make a slurry.
On a dry surface, lay the halved wrapper with the point facing you. Pat the shrimp dry and wrap them in the spring roll wrapper leaving the tails out and seal the wrapper with the cornstarch mixture.
Fry the shrimp in small batches in oil over medium-high heat until golden brown, crispy and cooked through, about 2-3 minutes and set aside on paper towels to drain. Serve with Thai Sweet Chili Sauce and garnish with green onions.