Chinese Shrimp with Lobster Sauce
I received a few requests from my readers on how to prepare Shrimp with Lobster Sauce, a very popular Americanized Chinese dish.
Shrimp is always a great dish to serve, as the Cantonese pronunciation of 虾 sounds like 哈, which means laughter or happiness.
So, here I share with you my Shrimp with Lobster Sauce recipe, which you can prepare to celebrate Chinese New Year, or any other holiday.
(All Chinese New Year recipes can be found here.)
Chinese New Year is all about feasting, eating lots of good food that signifies great fortune, happiness, and prosperity.
Other Recipes You Might Like
What is Shrimp with Lobster Sauce Made of?
One thing that I need to clarify is that no actual lobster is used in this dish. The name actually originates from the use of fermented black beans in the sauce, which the Cantonese use in creating lobster.
I think whoever invented the dish is a smart marketing whiz, as it sounds so much more delicious with the word lobster in its name.
Is Shrimp with Lobster Sauce Healthy?
This recipe is very healthy, with one serving being only 197 calories.
What Dishes to Serve with this Recipe?
For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
Pairs well with:
Shrimp with Lobster Sauce Recipe
Shrimp with Lobster Sauce - quick, easy recipe that produces the most delicious shrimp in eggy lobster sauce!!
Ingredients
- 12 ounces raw large shrimp, shelled and deveined
- salt and sugar to taste
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1- inch piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
- 1 cup chicken broth
- 1/2 tablespoon Chinese cooking wine, Shaoxing wine
- 3/4 cup store-bought frozen vegetables, peas and carrots
- 3 dashes white pepper
- 1/2 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 egg white, lightly beaten
Directions
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1Lightly season the shrimp with salt and sugar to taste.
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2In a wok, heat up the oil on medium heat. When the oil is hot, add in the ginger and garlic. Stir-fry until aromatic, about 2 minutes.
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3Transfer the shrimp into the wok and stir-fry until half-cooked or surface turns opaque. Pour in the chicken broth and Chinese cooking wine. Let it boil.
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4Add the frozen vegetables and stir to combine. Add the white pepper, soy sauce, salt and sugar to taste.
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5Prepare the cornstarch mixture by adding the cornstarch and water, mix well. When the chicken broth is boiling, gently pour in the cornstarch mixture while stirring.
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6Bring it back to a boil, swirl the beaten egg and immediately stir 3 times with a pair of chopsticks. When the egg white begins to form into silken threads, quickly turn off the heat.
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7Dish out to serving plate. Best served with warm rice.
Recipe Notes
You can follow these steps to make your shrimp bouncy. This step is optional.
Sharon
Hello,
I was wondering if something else could be used instead of Chinese wine or wine period? Also, why are some lobster sauces white and some brown? Thanks
Rasa Malaysia
You can skip the wine. The sauce is brown because soy sauce or oyster sauce.
Leyna
Is there any recommendations of alternatives to use instead of shrimps where this sauce will go well with? Also a vegetarian ingredient option perhaps. My is partner highly sensitive to the smell or taste of anything seafood like even a dash of fish sauce or oyster sauce so prawns are a no no. My toddler daughter seem to have gone vegetarian from 14 months old (texture perhaps) so even tiny tofu or tempeh (thought that might go with this sauce?) is a bit of a struggle to sneak in her food so more options U have the better. Thank you.
Rasa Malaysia
You can try Bragg’s amino acid and use all vegetarian or soy based ingredients.
Andrew Sangkala
Excellent quick and easy….
Mahy Elamin
The best recipe for shrimp and lobster sauce I ever came across. Easy and delicious.
Wanda
I tried this and it tasted just like the restaurant version – really good! I didn’t have the wine but it was just as good (I will make it again AND use the wine this time). I don’t think I will EVER order from another Chinese restaurant again :)
Can’t wait to try the other recipes on this site! Thanks, Bee!
Debbie
No Lobster in “Lobster” sauce???
Rasa Malaysia
Yes, this is what the dish is called but no lobster.
Ann
I keep finding these recipes for “shrimp in lobster sauce” that have no lobster in them. I don’t understand.
Teesha
It’s to be served with seafood, including lobster. It doesn’t involve Lobster to make the sauce.
Rasa Malaysia
Yes, correct.
K
Where is the lobster!
Rasa Malaysia
There is no lobster but this dish is called shrimp with lobster sauce!
red
Hello,
Love your shrimp with lobster sauce recipe, but if I have left overs and refrigerated them, how can I reheat the lobster sauce so it is glowing and silky again rather than very thick since it has been in the refrigerator.
Can you please reply as to steps needed to reheat the refrigerated lobster sauce?
Thanks……and if you can also include what is needed to reheat leftover Chinese steamed white rice?
Rasa Malaysia
Just reheat in the microwave for 1 minute for both.
Cindy Fleenor
Your shrimp with Lobster Sauce recipe is so amazing that my family won’t even order this from Chinese restaurants any longer. They’d rather have me make it, and a lot of it! And since I make so much at one time, I was wondering if I can freeze this dish.
Rasa Malaysia
Of course, thanks for trying my shrimp with lobster sauce recipe. You can freeze it and just reheat when ready to eat. :)
Sherry Binion
Thank you; this is exactly what I was looking for. Made it tonight and my husband and I both enjoyed it. Will definitely make again and love that it calls for simple, easy to find ingredients.
Rasa Malaysia
Thanks Sherry! :)
magnoliasouth
One of the best reasonably priced Chinese restaurants in Atlanta is called Canton Cooks and it’s located on Roswell Road, or was. I’m assuming it’s still there. I used to work up the street from there and we were their every Friday customers. I had two recipes that were simply divine and my absolute favs. One was their Mongolian Chicken that was loaded with grilled green onions and some sort of crunchy something. I would give anything if you could replicate that recipe! The other was their shrimp with lobster sauce. Honestly, I’ve never been able to figure out how to make either of these as good as they did. I think this recipe may be the answer.
Oh and super please on that Mongolian Chicken? Super, duper please? Oh and since I’m throwing out a request, how about a Chinese (or is it Mongolian?) sesame flat bread too? The best I’ve ever had is at Wok-N-Roll in Ventura, CA. They’re served piping hot fresh and that’s a primary reason to go there!
diane lengyel
This looks delicious! However can’t find the wine. Any online source? Thanks!
Lisa
The link for the recipe is not working and I want to make this recipe so badly! could you please fix the link? thank you!
villagerfran
When I was first introduced to Asian cooking (16) my first date, Shrimp w/ Lobster Sauce was my favorite . Since then, I have tried just about everything on a menue (not at the same time) and love several, but I must admit the Shrimp w/ Lobster Sauce is still my favorite. Thanks for the recipe, love your site and try to check in every day. I can’t waite to try the Butter cake with Brownie layer soon.Keep the incrediable recipes comming.
Rasa Malaysia
Thanks for your comment VillagerFran. :)
Stephanie
It looks yummy.i’m gonna try.
I
Judy
Thank you so much for this recipe. It was delicious! it was so easy to make and I had all the ingredients. I did add a bit of fish sauce to mine. I look forward to trying more of your recipes because I don’t live in an area where I can get really good Asian food and I totally miss my Chinese mom’s cooking.
micquan
all those foods look good yummmm!!
mama marsha
I’m in california, this looks like the sauce we had in L.A. chinatown in the 1970’s. my father loves this clear lobster sauce. No pork please! Can’t wait to try. Thank You
Leigh
This looks like the best recipe I’ve found online. I’m from Boston & we like our lobster sauce dark, so I would add the oyster sauce. I’m just not sure how much to add as I don’t want it overly salty. Any suggestions?
Rasa Malaysia
Just add a bit or to taste.
Jonathan_Goh85
:) Thank You. I just cooked this last night and my family love it.. Mum said “Jon, this is like 生虾面 sauce” and asked me to try making it with noodle…
Suzanne Davis via Facebook
Looks amazing!
mary
Thank you for this recipe!! I’ve been wanting to make this for quite sometime.
Katy
WOW, this sounds good.
I usually use organic vegetable broth instead of chicken broth, and I’m crazy for garlic so I’d likely add a bit more.
I can’t wait to try it. I wonder what I could use to make it spicy?
Jill
We had this dish for our dinner tonight. DELICIOUS! My husband did sprinkle a few red pepper flakes on his serving. That was our only change. Easy to make. Will make again. Thank you.
Joeman
This recipe is really good! I have been wondering about a recipe which sounds similar, in some ways. There is a restaurant nearby that has a dish called Shrimp with Bean curd. It has shrimp, tomato, finely chopped Chinese celery, the tofu is soft and spread out, not cubed, and there is a taste of sesame oil (not overpowering).
There are no peas or carrots or any other vegetables. It’s delicious. It uses a similar white sauce. Have you ever heard of it, Bee? Could you venture a guess how to make it happen? My family really likes it.
Thank you!
Spice Quest via Facebook
Great picture and recipe, Gong Hei Fa Choi!
Angela Tellone Hatch via Facebook
Do you add anything to the ground pork – onions, garlic, ginger, spices or herbs?
Serene
Would like to try this recipe but what’s the best option for the cooking wine – can we (muslims) omit or sub with plain white vinegar? Thanks
Rasa Malaysia
Just skip the wine.
Jayne
The name of this is pretty ingenius. I guess for the Chinese, if you hear lobster then you’d be excited. haha… Seems like a simple shrimp dish to prepare!
Teresa
I like this recipe, I don’t always have black beans but I always have stock. Use this recipe different ways for different flavors.
Jayne
I don’t see black beans in the ingredients list…?
Rasa Malaysia
I opted out to make it more accessible to people who don’t have all the special ingredients in their pantry.
SALLY TEWS
Wow Bee~this recipe looks just Awesome~I am going to try it next.
Your recipes are great~thank you for all.
EngKeen Ken via Facebook
what about lobster with dragon sauce?
Rasa Malaysia via Facebook
Angela Tellone Hatch just add some ground pork and you have that version. :)
Charis Kelly via Facebook
Oh I miss this I don’t see it on menus down here so will be trying this at home thank you
Angela Tellone Hatch via Facebook
Are those green things peas or sliced green onions? There are two kinds of shrimp with lobster sauce. There is also a recipe that has ground pork in the sauce. Are you planning to publish that one?
justine
Hi Bee! I’m so excited to try this out. I’ve been looking for a recipe for fish fillet with crab meat sauce which I’ve tried in a Chinese restaurant and I’m amused to find out that it might actually be just egg white sauce. Just want to know if you made the chicken broth from scratch or is it okay to just use chicken powder or chicken cube?
I’ve also checked out your shrimp recipes and honestly, I don’t know which one to try first. They all look delicious and easy to make. By the way, just tried your Chinese honey chicken recipe for lunch and my husband and daughter loved it.
Thanks Bee for the cooking tips and secrets you share on Chinese cooking. I can say that now RASA MALAYSIA is my favorite cooking blog.
Rasa Malaysia
Thanks. You can just buy store canned chicken broth.
Jane
Have made this several times luv it
Rasa Malaysia
Awesome.
Catherine
My husband loves this recipe. Now he won’t go out for Chinese food because he likes mine better.
Rasa Malaysia
That’s great to hear. :)
James G
I’m pretty sure it’s called lobster sauce because it is often served with lobster (same reason why they call “duck sauce” “duck sauce”).
christine
Bee, try to add some black beans and oyster sauce. The taste will be totally different. More flavorful…
Rasa Malaysia
Yes, I know about black beans and oyster sauce but I wanted to make this recipe very accessible to everyone without buying many new ingredients. Hence I use chicken broth and salt and sugar to taste. :)
Lail | With A Spin
Happy New Year. The shrimp looks scrumptious.
Chae Cho via Facebook
YUMMERS! :D