Home-styleMedium 35 min serves 2

Spicy Shrimp Dry Pot

Name: Spicy Shrimp Dry Pot
Total time: 35 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Home-style
Ingredients: large shrimp, peeled and deveined (with tails on); Sichuan doubanjiang (fermented broad-bean chili paste); fresh ginger, julienned; garlic cloves, minced; dried red chilies, stemmed and roughly broken; light soy sauce; Shaoxing wine

香辣虾 · xiāng là xiā

家庭快手版 · Home version: Family version uses less oil and no deep-frying—shrimp are pan-seared then stir-braised for tender-crisp texture, just like Aunt Mei’s wok in her Qingyang District apartment.

My uncle ran a small dry-pot stall near Jianshe Road in Chengdu in the 1990s. He’d toss fresh river shrimp with fermented broad-bean paste and Sichuan peppercorns before sizzling them in lard—he always said the key was ‘hot wok, cold oil’ to lock in sweetness without toughness.

Recipe author: HǎoWèi Test Kitchen

Home-cooking research team

Reviewed by HǎoWèi editorial team · Last updated 2026-08-29

Quick & Easy Spicy

Ingredients

large shrimp, peeled and deveined (with tails on)大虾（去壳去线，留尾）🛒 local300 g
Sichuan doubanjiang (fermented broad-bean chili paste)郫县豆瓣酱🏮 asian20 g
fresh ginger, julienned鲜姜丝🛒 local15 g
garlic cloves, minced蒜末🛒 local12 g
dried red chilies, stemmed and roughly broken干红辣椒（去梗掰段）🏮 asian10 g
light soy sauce生抽🏮 asian15 ml
Shaoxing wine绍兴酒🏮 asian15 ml

large shrimp, peeled and deveined (with tails on): Use fresh or fully thawed frozen; pat very dry before cooking.

dried red chilies, stemmed and roughly broken: Substitute crushed red pepper flakes (6 g / 1 tsp) if unavailable — but reduce by half for heat control.

🌶️ Adjust to your taste

Pick a level and we'll show exactly how much to change — no more "适量".

Spice level

Saltiness

Oiliness

Make it vegetarian

Instructions

1Pat shrimp completely dry with paper towels. Season lightly with white pepper (optional) and set aside.
务必擦干！
2Heat 30 ml (2 tbsp) neutral oil in a heavy-bottomed wok or skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering but not smoking.
热锅凉油
🔍 Look for Medium-high 45–60 秒 · 45–60 seconds
Visual: 油面微微泛起涟漪，无青烟升腾Oil shimmers with faint ripples, no smoke rising
You know it's right when: 滴入一滴水立即爆裂汽化A drop of water sizzles and vanishes instantly
3Add shrimp in a single layer. Sear undisturbed for 1 minute, then flip and cook 30 seconds more until edges turn pink and opaque. Remove and set aside.
单层煎，不翻动
🔍 Look for Medium-high 共约1分30秒 · 1½ minutes total
Visual: 虾边泛粉红，虾身微卷，无灰白半透明区域Shrimp edges blush pink, bodies curl slightly, no gray translucency remains
You know it's right when: 筷子轻提，虾仁轻松离锅不粘底Shrimp release easily from pan when lifted with chopsticks
4Reduce heat to medium. Add doubanjiang, ginger, garlic, and dried chilies. Stir-fry 1 minute until fragrant and oil turns reddish.
小火煸香酱料
🔍 Look for Medium heat 1 分钟 · 1 minute
Visual: 油开始微析出，呈深橙红色Oil separates slightly and gains a deep red-orange hue
You know it's right when: 升腾浓郁辛香蒸汽，边缘无焦糊变黑Aromatic steam rises, no burning or blackening at edges
5Return shrimp to wok. Add light soy sauce and Shaoxing wine. Toss constantly over medium-high heat for 1½ minutes until sauce coats evenly and shrimp are glossy and hot through.
快炒收汁
🔍 Look for Medium-high 1分30秒 · 1½ minutes
Visual: 虾身油亮泛光，酱汁薄而紧裹，锅底无多余汁水Shrimp glisten with a thin, clinging glaze; no pooling liquid remains
You know it's right when: 飘出轻微焦糖香，非焦糊味A faint caramelized aroma emerges, not burnt

Tips

· For best texture, never overcrowd the wok when searing shrimp—cook in batches if needed.
· Doubanjiang must be stir-fried long enough to mellow its raw bean taste; undercooking leaves bitterness.
· Serve immediately in a pre-warmed clay pot or heavy bowl—the dish cools fast and loses its 'dry pot' character.

Sources & references

Quantities, technique notes, and substitution ratios are cross-checked against established Chinese cookery references and standard food-science sources.

Read our editorial policy
Fuchsia Dunlop, Land of Plenty: A Treasury of Authentic Sichuan Cooking
USDA FoodData Central — ingredient nutrition and portion data
Traditional Chinese family-kitchen practice and regional taste records

Common questions

Can I skip Shaoxing wine? What's the substitute?

Dry sherry is the closest 1:1 swap (fidelity ~80%). No sherry? Use a splash of white wine plus a little water, or just skip it and add a tiny extra pinch of sugar — the wine's job is depth and removing meat's gamey notes, and a good marinade covers most of it.

Source: HǎoWèi substitution engine

It's too spicy. How do I tone it down?

Add a dairy element (a swirl of yogurt, milk, or a spoon of peanut butter) — dairy fat binds the capsaicin. Sugar or honey also helps balance heat. For next time: remove chili seeds (they hold most heat) or halve the dried chilies and add chili oil at the table instead.

Source: HǎoWèi flavor guide

Why do you cook the aromatics (garlic/ginger) first on low heat?

Aromatics contain oils and sugars that turn bitter if scorched. Gentle heat (low-medium) lets garlic and ginger release their fragrance without browning too fast. If the pan is too hot, garlic goes bitter within seconds — that's why we always add aromatics first, before the main ingredients.

Source: Chinese Cooking Demystified technique library