Ketchup Shrimp Stir-Fry: Bill's Mom’s Recipe (2024)

Me and Ketchup Shrimp go a long way back. Pronounced “cure jup ha” in Cantonese dialect, it was a family dish that my mom used to make for special dinners and holidays. If you haven’t figured it out already, “cure jup” is simply a phonetic duplication of “ketchup” in the Cantonese dialect.

Large fresh shrimp were always a treat because they were (and still are) quite expensive, and we lived modestly back then, so I always looked forward to eating it. Plus, it’s not surprising that any kid would love something cooked with a decent glug of ketchup in it.

My Mom’s Go-to for Entertaining

My mom also used to make this ketchup shrimp dish when she would host a group of friends for a girls’ night of mahjong. I remembered she prided herself on her cooking and loved to serve exceptional meals to her friends on mahjong party nights.

Of course, she was always humble, but friends let her know how good her food was and showered all kinds of praise on her delicious cooking––for good reason! I’m sure they were like me and looked forward to a nice dinner almost as much as the mahjong. I say almost because you don’t get between a Chinese Cantonese woman and her seat at the mahjong table!

As kids, my sisters and I would sometimes tag along on visits to other friends’ homes to have dinner, and I have to say my mom’s cooking was usually the best with very few exceptions.

This succulent shrimp cooked in ginger, garlic, and scallions and coated with a tangy and savory sauce of stir-fried ketchup and soy sauce was proof of that. It was something that I only had at home, and it was darn good! Give this simple and homey family recipe a try, and I’m sure you’ll agree!

Why It’s Best to Buy Frozen Shrimp

Before we get to the recipe, one quick point worth noting is that I think frozen shrimp are always the best unless you can get actual fresh caught shrimp that has not yet been frozen.

For those of you who may not know, shrimp are often processed shortly after being caught and frozen right away. So buying fresh frozen shrimp and thawing them once is best. Buying the thawed shrimp sitting on ice at the market is hit or miss, because they may have been sitting on ice all day or for multiple days.

Worse yet, they might have been thawed and refrozen multiple times, which you don’t want. Trust me on that!

Here’s a snapshot of what you’ll need to make the dish:

Let’s talk about how to cook it!

Ketchup Shrimp Recipe Instructions

Start by rinsing your shrimp under running water, and thaw if frozen. Pat dry with a paper towel. If desired, you can peel the shells off for easy eating, but do leave the tails on, as they add extra flavor when seared in the wok. (Note: We cooked and photographed this ketchup shrimp with the shells on like my mom used to do, but I have to admit, this dish may be better if the shrimp are peeled with only the tails left on.)

Heat 1 tablespoon of canola or vegetable oil in your wok until it just starts to smoke. Fry the shrimp on both sides for 20 seconds on each side (15 seconds if you peeled the shells off), and set aside. The shrimp should be 80% cooked.

Turn the heat down to low, and add another tablespoon of oil to your wok. Add 7 slices of ginger cut into 1/8 inch slices, and let it infuse the oil for 15 seconds.

Add sliced garlic and the white parts of the scallions. Turn the heat up to medium high and stir-fry everything for 10 seconds.

Add ¼ cup ketchup and 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce if using. Thanks to reader’s comments jarring my memory, I added theWorcestershire sauce because I now remember my mom also used to add it sometimes!

Stir into the oil and fry for 15 seconds.

Next, stir in the shrimp and any juices on the plate, and add ⅛ teaspoon white pepper, ½ teaspoon sugar, and 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine.

Stir for 10 seconds, and add 1 tablespoon soy sauce. Continue to stir-fry until the sauce begins the reduce and coats the shrimp.

Finally, add the rest of the scallions (the green parts).

Stir for another 10 seconds and transfer to a dish. Serve this ketchup shrimp dish with white rice and a side of veggies. This ketchup shrimp is good hot out of the wok or at room temperature so keep this in mind if you are making multiple dishes in your wok for the table.