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Kung Pao Shrimp

A stir‑fry of shrimp with hoisin sauce, chili paste, ginger, garlic, and peanuts.

From the Recipes Wiki (Fandom) · 11 ingredients
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Why it works: Garlic and peanut match in chemistry and in kitchens. They rank in the top 4% of all ingredient pairs, and cooks put them together in 877 recipes. Both carry 3-ethyl-2,5-dimethylpyrazine, which smells roasted, nutty. The science ↓

Kung Pao Shrimp

Ingredients

Directions

Prepare

  1. Combine hoisin sauce, sherry, sugar, and chili paste in a small bowl and mix well. Set aside.

  2. Combine egg white and cornstarch in a medium bowl and beat well. Add shrimp and mix well to coat. Set aside.

Cook and serve

  1. Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over medium‑high heat. Add shrimp, ginger, and garlic. Cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes or until shrimp are opaque pink.

  2. Add hoisin‑sauce mixture. Cook, stirring, for 1 to 2 minutes or until shrimp are well coated.

  3. Stir in peanuts and serve.

Nutrition, whole recipe (rough)

1005Calories
51 gProtein
35 gFat
118 gCarbs

Counts 10 of 11 ingredients. The other 1 aren't in our nutrition table and add nothing above, so the real totals are higher.

What these numbers assume: 10 portions
IngredientPortion assumedkcal
Flour1 cup (125g) all-purpose455
Peanut1 oz (28g)161
Olive Oil1 tbsp (14g)119
Shrimp100g cooked99
Egg1 large egg (50g)78
Sugar1 tbsp (12.5g) granulated49
Wine2 tbsp cooking wine (30ml)25
Chili1 tsp (2.7g)8
Clove1 tsp ground (2g)7
Garlic1 clove (3g)4
Saucenot in our table0

One typical portion per ingredient; the recipe's quantities are not counted. A rough guide only, not for medical or dietary planning.

Recipe from the Recipes Wiki (Fandom).

Steps grouped into stages for easier reading; the method is the source's own.

Explore the science

The flavor team

The pairs that carry this dish. Each one is judged two ways: how much their aromas overlap, and how often cooks already put them together.

  1. Garlic + peanuttop 4% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together877 recipes

    Shared aroma: 3-ethyl-2,5-dimethylpyrazine (roasted, nutty).

  2. Garlic + clovetop 10% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together11,368 recipes

    Shared aroma: linalool (floral, citrus).

  3. Shrimp + garlictop 10% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together2,743 recipes

    Shared aroma: 3-ethyl-2,5-dimethylpyrazine (roasted, nutty).

  4. Shrimp + peanuttop 11% of all pairs
    Smell alikemoderate
    Cooked together183 recipes

    Shared aroma: 2-ethyl-3,6-dimethylpyrazine (roasted, nutty).

  5. Sauce + sugartop 13% of all pairs
    Smell alikestrong
    Cooked together5,147 recipes

    Shared aroma: ethanol (alcoholic, ethereal).

Ranks compare each pair with 20,000 random ingredient pairs on CompKitchen. How we score pairs

What each ingredient does

Shrimp
Provides the main protein, which turns opaque and firm when cooked through.
Egg white
Combined with cornstarch to form a light coating that helps the shrimp stay moist.
Cornstarch
Thickens the coating and sauce, helping the shrimp cling to the glaze.
Hoisin sauce
Adds sweetness, savoriness, and body to the glaze that coats the shrimp.
Peanuts
Add crunch and a toasted, nutty flavor that contrasts with the tender shrimp.

The step that matters

Cooking the shrimp until just opaque. Shrimp cook quickly, and overcooking makes their proteins contract, leaving them rubbery and tough. Removing them at the first opaque, pink stage keeps them tender.

Swap the clove

How well each one fits the dish's main ingredients (sauce, sherry, sugar, egg, shrimp, garlic, peanut):

  1. Gingerfits better
  2. Corianderfits better
  3. Capersfits better
  4. Clovethe original

Fit is the average pairing score against sauce, sherry, sugar, egg, shrimp, garlic, peanut. Candidates are from the same food group and used in at least 100 recipes.

“What each ingredient does” and “The step that matters” were written by Claude from this recipe’s own method and reviewed in samples by CompKitchen.

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