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Shrimp with Lobster Sauce is a Cantonese-style takeout dish featuring sweet tender shrimp in a rich and velvety white sauce and ready in under 20 minutes. I love seafood as a healthy lean protein, and this simple yet tasty dish lets the succulent shrimp shine!
I first discovered this Chinese American takeout dish in college. While I love shrimp, it’s a bit pricey at Chinese restaurants and the sauce can be too starchy for me. Cooking this dish at home lets me control the flavor and thickness of the sauce and save money.
Table of Contents
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Umami tips
- Is there lobster in Chinese Lobster Sauce? No, there’s no lobster in this dish! The name comes from the Cantonese-style sauce, which was originally used in lobster dishes, but here, it’s paired with shrimp to create a delicious, velvety sauce.
- Don’t overcook the shrimp: The shrimp should be springy, bouncy, tender, and sweet. As soon as they turn a light pale pink, it’s time to add the stock or broth and simmer. Overcooking will make them tough, so keep an eye on that color change.
- Perfect egg ribbons: Gently whisked eggs add a smooth, silky texture to the sauce. Pour the whisked eggs slowly from a high height and let set before stirring into the sauce.
- Types of shrimp to use: I like to use 26-30 count per pound of fresh white shrimp that are raw, peeled, deveined, and with the tail off. This makes it easier to eat and gives the shrimp that perfect texture in the sauce.
- Use gentle heat: Unlike most Chinese stir-fry dishes, Shrimp in Lobster Sauce uses much gentler heat to keep the shrimp tender, bouncy, and perfectly cooked.
Ingredients
Simple seasonings and flavorful aromatics allow the natural sweetness of the shrimp to shine in this dish. The luxurious sauce is umami-rich and has such a pleasing velvety texture thanks to the addition of egg ribbons. Accessible Chinese pantry staples give it an authentic takeout flavor.
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- Garlic cloves and fresh ginger: Finely chopped aromatics form the simple flavor foundation of this dish.
- Starch: I use tapioca starch to thicken the sauce. You can adjust the amount of starch you use to reach your desired sauce consistency.
- Substitution: Potato starch or cornstarch works as well.
- Eggs: Gently whisk into the sauce to give it a smooth, velvety finish.
- White shrimp: About 26-30 shrimp per pound, peeled, deveined, and with the tail removed.
- Avocado oil
- Coarse sea salt
- Ground white pepper: Opt for white over black pepper for authentic Chinese flavor.
- Chinese cooking wine (optional): Shaoxing rice wine is used in many Chinese dishes. We add just a splash to deglaze the pan and deepen the sauce with a distinct Chinese flavor.
- Substitution: Use gluten-free sake, dry sherry, or michu also work.
- Chicken broth or stock: The base of the sauce and used to simmer the shrimp.
- Oyster sauce: Gives a nice umami flavor to the sauce.
- Substitution: You can also use soy sauce or coconut aminos.
- Frozen peas and carrots
- Toasted sesame oil: Drizzle as a garnish for an authentic Chinese flavor boost.
- Chopped scallion: Used as a fresh garnish.
Optional add-on
Adding Pork to Your Sauce
This dish traditionally includes a bit of ground pork, which adds a nice depth of flavor. I omitted it for simplicity, but feel free to add it if you like. Just cook the pork with the aromatic ingredients and follow the rest of the recipe as written.
How to make shrimp and lobster sauce
It may sound fancy (thanks to the non-existent lobster) but this saucy shrimp stir fry is so quick and easy to make. After some simple prep of the shrimp, aromatics, and a starch slurry, the cooking process takes just 10 minutes or less!
- Prep aromatics, slurry, and eggs: Finely chop garlic and ginger. Mix starch with water. Whisk the eggs. Keep everything separate.
- Butterfly the shrimp: Pat shrimp dry and make a shallow slit along the back.
- Sauté garlic and ginger: Heat a skillet or wok over medium, add oil, garlic, ginger, and a pinch of salt. Cook for 5-8 seconds until fragrant.
- Cook shrimp: Add shrimp, season with salt and white pepper, and sauté for 1 minute until they turn pale pink.
- Add cooking wine and stock: Pour in Shaoxing wine and cook for 10 seconds. Then, add chicken stock, oyster sauce, peas, and carrots. Cover and simmer on medium-low for 2-3 minutes.
- Thicken sauce, add eggs, and finish: Stir the slurry, add to the pan, and stir for 1 minute until thickened. Drizzle in whisked eggs, let them set briefly, and gently stir. Turn off heat, drizzle with sesame oil, adjust seasonings, and garnish with green onion. Serve hot over rice.
What to serve it with
This humble, homestyle dish is typically served over steamed white rice. It can be a simple meal on its own or served as part of a larger, family-style spread. Here are some of my favorite pairings for prawns with lobster sauce:
- Rice: Serve with simple white rice in a rice cooker or kick things up a notch with my Panda Express fried rice.
- Vegetable sides: I love these stir-fried Shanghai rice cakes with Napa cabbage and bok choy. Or keep it simple with this easy bok shoy stir fry or charred Chinese garlic green beans. This simple Chinese smashed cucumber salad with vinaigrette is a refreshing side dish option.
- Soup: My Westlake beef soup with beautiful egg ribbons, shitake, and tofu is so hearty and comforting. Wonton egg drop soup and shrimp wonton soup are classic takeout dishes with silky wontons in a flavorful broth.
FAQs
It’s called Shrimp in Lobster Sauce because the sauce was originally used in Chinese lobster dishes. Over time, the same savory, velvety sauce was paired with shrimp instead, but the name stuck, even though there’s no actual lobster in the dish.
Lobster sauce is a savory Cantonese-style sauce made with garlic, ginger, and chicken stock. It’s thickened with a cornstarch slurry and flavored with soy sauce or oyster sauce for extra umami. Eggs are stirred in to create silky ribbons, and sesame oil adds a nutty finish. Despite the name, it doesn’t contain lobster.
Fresh shrimp will result in the best texture. To save prep time, you could use pre-prepared frozen shrimp. Make sure they’re thawed completely before cooking.
More Chinese shrimp recipes you might like
If you’ve been on my blog for a while, you know I love seafood dishes! Shrimp is one of my favorite lean protein options. Here are some of my favorite Asian-style shrimp dishes to try:
- Din tai fung fried rice with shrimp is a light, flavorful, and aromatic Din Tai Fun copycat dish with perfectly seasoned, crisp rice and tender and juicy shrimp.
- Sha cha shrimp with homemade sha cha sauce is a classic Taiwanese one-pan shrimp stir-fry dish loaded with garlic and ginger.
- Shrimp scrambled eggs are another classic Cantonese dish that can be enjoyed any time of the day!
- Chinese shrimp and broccoli stir fry is an easy and healthy dish featuring crisp broccoli with perfectly tender and springy shrimp.
Shrimp with lobster sauce recipe
Ingredients
- 0.4 oz garlic about 2 large cloves, finely chopped
- 0.25 oz ginger about 1.5 tsp, finely chopped
- 1.5 tbsp starch
- 2 large eggs gently whisked
- 1 lb white shrimp 26-30 counts per pound, peeled and deveined
- 1 tbsp avocado oil
- A Pinch of coarse salt or to taste
- A Pinch of white pepper or to taste
- A Splash Chinese cooking wine optional, or gluten-free cooking sake
- 1.25 cups chicken stock
- 1.5 tbsp oyster sauce or 1.5 tbsp soy sauce, or 2.5 tbsp coconut aminos
- 1 cup frozen peas and carrots
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 bulb scallion diced
Instructions
- Prep aromatics, slurry, and eggs: Prepare the garlic and ginger in one bowl. In a second bowl, make a slurry by mixing 1.5 tbsp starch with 2.5 tbsp water. Gently whisk the eggs in a third bowl. Set them all aside.
- Prep the shrimp: Pat the shrimp dry and butterfly them by making a shallow slit along the back with a small paring knife.
- Preheat the pan: Heat a sauté pan or wok over medium heat. Test the heat by holding your palm 2-3 inches (5-7 cm) away; it should feel gently warm.
- Sauté aromatics: Add the oil, garlic, ginger, and a pinch of salt. Sauté for 5-8 seconds.
- Cook the shrimp: Add the shrimp and season with another pinch of salt and white pepper. Sauté over medium heat for about 1 minute. The shrimp should be barely cooked and in translucent light pale pink color.
- Add wine: As soon as the shrimp turn pale pink, add a splash of Chinese cooking wine and cook for 10 seconds to let the alcohol evaporate.
- Add stock and veggies: Pour in the chicken stock, oyster sauce (or your chosen substitute), and frozen peas and carrots. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover and bring to a gentle simmer, about 2-3 minutes.
- Thicken with slurry: Turn the heat to medium. Stir the slurry again, then pour it into the pan while stirring continuously to thicken the sauce, about 1 minute.
- Add eggs: Slowly drizzle in the whisked eggs from high up to create egg drops. Let the eggs simmer for a few seconds to set, then gently stir the sauce to break them up.
- Garnish and serve: Turn off the heat. Season with sesame oil and adjust salt or pepper if needed. Garnish with chopped scallions. Serve hot or warm with steamed white rice.
Notes
- Use gentle heat throughout to keep the shrimp tender and snappy. Overcooking the shrimp can make them tough, so as soon as they turn light pale pink, add the stock or broth and simmer.
- If you don’t have oyster sauce, substitute with soy sauce or coconut aminos. Keep in mind that oyster sauce gives a richer flavor.
- Butterflying the shrimp improves texture, making them more tender, bouncy, and evenly cooked.
- Use tail-off shrimp to make it easier to eat and enjoy, without needing to remove the tails during the meal.
- Storage and reheat: Store in an airtight container and best use in 2 days. Reheat over a stovetop (thin with a little water) or microwave on medium for 1 minute or until warmed through.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
