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Learn how to make shrimp mousse with fresh shrimp, egg white, and potato starch for a springy, bouncy texture. This homemade shrimp paste is perfect for Shrimp Toast, tau hu ky, and more.
Recipe Summary
- 🔪 Prep Time: 15 minutes
- 👨🍳 Cook Time: 0 minutes
- ⏱️ Total Time: 15 minutes
- 🍽️ Servings: 1.2lb (550g)
- 🏷️ Calories: ~522 calories
- 🍳 Cook Method: No-Cook
- ✨ Flavor Profile: Mildly savory and delicately seasoned, with a fresh shrimp flavor and a springy, bouncy texture when cooked
- 🧩 Difficulty: Easy (Perfect for making homemade shrimp appetizers)
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Shrimp Paste
Shrimp paste in this recipe, also known as shrimp mousse (虾滑), is made from fresh shrimp minced with seasonings until sticky and springy. It’s different from fermented shrimp paste, such as belacan, which has a strong, fermented flavor. This type of shrimp paste is similar to the mixture served at Chinese hot pot restaurants like Hai Di Lao, where it’s used to make bouncy shrimp balls. It’s a popular hot pot ingredient, loved for its fresh shrimp flavor and springy texture. It’s also commonly used in Chinese dim sum, appetizers, and other dishes.
Making shrimp paste at home is simple. Egg white and potato starch help bind the mixture, while pounding develops its signature QQ texture, meaning springy, bouncy, and pleasantly chewy. For the best results, use the freshest shrimp you can find. For more ideas, check out the Ways to Use This Shrimp Paste section below.
I’ll be using this recipe to make prawn cakes and tau hu ky (fried bean curd wrapped shrimp). Stay tuned for both recipes coming soon!
Shopping Guide: Shrimp
You can make shrimp mousse with fresh or frozen shrimp. Here’s what to look for when buying shrimp and how to choose the right size for this recipe.
- Fresh shrimp: Whether you buy shrimp peeled or shell-on, look for firm flesh with a mild, fresh smell. Avoid shrimp with a strong ammonia-like odor, slimy texture, or mushy flesh. If buying shell-on shrimp, the shells should look clean and intact.
- Frozen shrimp: Plain, raw frozen shrimp works well for this recipe. Thaw it overnight in the refrigerator, or place it in a sealed bag and submerge it in cold water until thawed if you’re short on time. Avoid thawing shrimp at room temperature or in warm water.
- Shrimp size: You can use small or medium shrimp for this recipe. I used small shrimp, which are easy to handle when smacking and mincing with a cleaver. There’s no need to buy large or jumbo shrimp specifically for this recipe.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Shrimp
- Chicken bouillon powder
- Sesame oil
- Egg white
- Potato starch
Please refer to the recipe card at the bottom of this post for full details on each ingredient.
Pro Tip #1: Do Not Skip The Sugar
Sugar balances the salt and chicken bouillon powder while bringing out the shrimp’s natural sweetness. It rounds out the savory flavor without making the shrimp paste taste sweet.
Pro Tip #2: Use Knorr Chicken Bouillon Powder
I use chicken bouillon powder to give the shrimp paste a deeper, savory flavor. I recommend Knorr chicken bouillon powder, which comes in a plastic bottle with a yellow label and contains fine, pale yellow powder.
Pro Tip #3: Use Ground White Pepper
White pepper adds a mild, peppery flavor that complements the shrimp. I don’t recommend black pepper because white pepper is more commonly used in Chinese cooking.
Pro Tip #4: Use Egg White To Bind
Egg white helps bind the shrimp mixture and contributes to its springy texture. I don’t recommend using a whole egg, as the yolk adds fat and moisture that can make the shrimp paste softer and less bouncy.
Pro Tip #5: Use Potato Starch For The Best Texture
Potato starch is my first choice because its sticky properties help give the shrimp paste its chewy, bouncy QQ texture. Tapioca starch is another good option. Both come from root vegetables and help create that springy texture. If you don’t have either, cornstarch is the closest alternative, but the shrimp paste may be less chewy and bouncy.
How To Make Shrimp Mousse
Start by patting the shrimp dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture.
Pro Tip: The drier the shrimp, the easier it is to work into a sticky paste. Too much moisture can make the mixture loose.
Divide the shrimp into two portions, about one-third and two-thirds.
Pro Tip: Keeping part of the shrimp separate gives you two textures in the finished mousse: a smooth, sticky base that holds together and small pieces of shrimp that add a little bite.
Cut the smaller portion into small pieces and set aside. These pieces will be mixed back into the paste later.
Place the larger portion of shrimp on a cutting board. Using the flat side of a Chinese cleaver, smack the shrimp repeatedly to break down the flesh.
Pro Tip: Smacking the shrimp with a cleaver is the traditional way to prepare shrimp paste for a springy, bouncy texture. You can use a food processor instead, but the texture may be slightly less springy.
Use the cleaver to mince the smashed shrimp finely until it forms a sticky paste.
Pro Tip: Scrape the shrimp together with the blade as you mince. The paste should cling together when gathered, without large, separate chunks.
Transfer the reserved shrimp pieces to a bowl and add the minced shrimp, salt, sugar, chicken bouillon powder, white pepper, and sesame oil. Mix until the seasonings are evenly distributed.
Pro Tip: It’s best to mix with your hands because it’s easier to work the seasonings through the sticky mixture. A spoon works, too, but be sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl.
Add the egg white to the shrimp mixture and work it in until the mixture looks uniform.
Pro Tip: The mixture should look uniform, with no visible streaks of egg white. This helps ensure the egg white is evenly distributed throughout the shrimp.
Next, add the potato starch and mix until the mixture becomes sticky and holds together.
Pro Tip: You’ll know the starch is well incorporated when the mixture looks smooth and sticky, with no visible dry patches of starch. It should cling together rather than look wet and loose.
To develop the texture further, scoop up some of the mixture and firmly throw it back into the bowl about 20 times.
Pro Tip: Pounding helps the shrimp mixture bind together and develop its signature springy, bouncy texture when cooked. By the end, it should feel noticeably sticky and cohesive.
The shrimp mousse is now ready to use. Shape it into prawn cakes, wrap it in bean curd sheets to make tau hu ky (fried bean curd shrimp rolls), or use it in other shrimp dishes like my Shrimp Toast.
Ways To Use This Shrimp Paste
This shrimp paste is versatile and works well in a variety of Chinese dishes, from stuffed vegetables to fried appetizers. Here are a few ways to use it, along with some of my recipes to try.
- Black Bean Sauce Yong Tow Foo: Use this shrimp paste in place of the fish paste to stuff okra, red chilies, and tofu puffs, then cook them in a savory black bean sauce. For the full recipe, check out my Black Bean Sauce Yong Tow Foo post.
- Fried Shrimp Balls: Shape the shrimp paste into small balls, coat them with thin strips of spring roll wrappers, and deep-fry until golden and cooked through. Serve with Thai sweet chili sauce for dipping. You can find the full instructions in my Fried Shrimp Balls recipe.
- Shrimp Toast: Spread the shrimp paste over pieces of bread, coat the shrimp side with sesame seeds, and deep-fry until golden. My Shrimp Toast recipe walks you through the process step by step.
- Shrimp Wrapped in Tofu Skin: Use the shrimp paste as the filling for tofu skin rolls, then deep-fry until golden and crispy. Since the shrimp paste is already seasoned and contains egg white and starch, adjust the extra seasonings and binders in the original recipe as needed. See my Shrimp Wrapped in Tofu Skin post for the full instructions.
- Soup and Hot Pot: Use this shrimp paste to make homemade shrimp balls for soup or hot pot. For a restaurant-style presentation, spoon the paste into a zip-top bag and snip off one corner. Squeeze the paste directly into the simmering broth, making the shrimp balls as long or short as you like. Cook until firm and cooked through.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Prepare the mixture up to 24 hours ahead and store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. For the best texture, use it within 24 hours.
Yes. You can adjust the salt, white pepper, and other seasonings to your taste. If you’re unsure, cook a small portion first to check the flavor before adjusting the rest.
Make sure to pat the shrimp thoroughly dry with paper towels before preparing the mixture to remove excess moisture. If the mixture is still too loose, add potato starch, 1 teaspoon and mix until it becomes sticky and holds together.
I don’t recommend freezing it, as freezing and thawing can affect the texture and make it less springy.
This recipe yields 1.2lb (550g) of shrimp mousse and is 552 calories.
Other Shrimp Recipes You Might Like
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Shrimp Mousse
Ingredients
- 500 g peeled shrimp
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon sugar
- ¼ teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
- 3 heavy dashes ground white pepper
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons egg white
- 1 tablespoon potato starch
Instructions
- Pat the shrimp dry with paper towels to remove excess moisture.
- Divide the shrimp into two portions, about one-third and two-thirds.
- Cut one-third of the shrimp into small pieces and set aside. These pieces add texture to the shrimp mousse.
- Place the larger portion of shrimp on a cutting board. Using the flat side of a Chinese cleaver, smack the shrimp repeatedly to break down the flesh.Pro Tip: Smacking the shrimp helps develop the sticky texture needed for a springy shrimp mousse. If you don't have a cleaver, you can use a food processor to process the shrimp into a paste.
- Use the cleaver to mince the smashed shrimp finely until it forms a sticky paste.
- Transfer the minced shrimp to a bowl and add the reserved shrimp pieces, salt, sugar, chicken bouillon powder, white pepper, and sesame oil. Mix well, preferably with your hands, until evenly combined. You can also use a spoon if you prefer.
- Add the egg white and mix vigorously until fully incorporated.
- Add the potato starch and continue mixing vigorously until the mixture becomes sticky and cohesive.
- Scoop up a handful of the shrimp mixture, lift it, and throw it firmly back into the bowl. Repeat about 20 times.Pro Tip: Pounding the mixture helps it bind together and develop a springy, bouncy texture when cooked.
- The shrimp mousse is ready to use for prawn cakes, tau hu ky (fried bean curd shrimp rolls), and other shrimp dishes.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
