This Shrimp with Oyster Sauce recipe is super easy to make and flavorful. Plump shrimp are cooked in a sweet and savory sauce for finger-licking goodness. Perfect with steamed rice!
My mother was not one you'd find puttering around in the kitchen. She kept a very immaculate house but mostly left preparing everyday meals for our house help. When I was growing up, her cooking was more of a special occasion than a regular occurrence. Although she didn't cook often, she had a repertoire of special recipes.
Call me biased, but I have yet to find one shrimp dish that can beat my mom's shrimp with oyster sauce. And I say that even with twenty-plus of my shrimp recipes on the blog, including my favorites, baked cheese shrimp and salted egg yolk shrimp ๐
Her recipe is one of the easiest and simplest dishes you can make, but it is full of finger-licking goodness. It requires basic pantry ingredients you probably already have and takes under 30 minutes from prep to dinner!
Ingredient notes
- Shrimp- for best results, use head-on and shell-on. I used a large 31/35-count shrimp in the recipe.
- Aromatics- onions and garlic act to add depth of flavor
- Fish sauce- adds an umami boost
- Tomato sauce- thickens the sauce and enhances the flavor
- Oyster sauce- rich, syruplike condiment that adds a slightly sweet and salty taste
- Salt- seasons the dish
How to make Shrimp with Oyster Sauce
- Saute onions and garlic in a wide pan until softened. Add fish sauce.
- Add tomato sauce and simmer until reduced and thickened.
- Add shrimp and cook until coated with tomato sauce and the color has turned pink.
- Add oyster sauce and continue to cook until the shrimp are cooked and the sauce clings to the shrimp. Season with salt to taste.
Helpful tips
- Drain the shrimp well before cooking or you'll end up with way more liquid. This is a sort of "dry" dish with the sauce mostly clinging onto the shrimp.
- Do not overcook lest they turn tough and hard to peel.
How to serve and store
- Shrimp with oyster sauce is delicious as a main dish with steamed rice. Perfect for kamayan!
- Store leftovers in a container with a lid and refrigerate for up to 3 days.
- Reheat in the microwave at 2 to 3-minute intervals until warmed through.
More shrimp recipes
Ingredients
- 1 pound large shrimp, shell and head on
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 1 onion, peeled and sliced thinly
- 4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- ยฝ cup tomato sauce
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- salt to taste
Instructions
- Using scissors, trim the shrimp tendrils. Rinse and drain very well.
- In a pan over medium heat, heat oil. Add onions and garlic and cook until softened.
- Add fish sauce and cook for about 1 to 2 minutes, stirring regularly.
- Add tomato sauce and allow to simmer until reduced and thickened.
- Add shrimp and continue to cook, stirring to combine, until coated with tomato sauce and the color has turned pink.
- Add oyster sauce and continue to cook for about 3 to 5 minutes or until shrimp are cooked and the sauce clings to shrimp.
- Season with salt to taste. Serve hot.
Notes
Video
Nutrition Information
โThis website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.โ
Paul says
If you don't have tomato sauce, can you use watery ketchup?
Rick Stutzel says
Delish! I modified with double fish sauce and 3 tablespoons of oyster sauce, and fresh arugula.
Sonia Hofstadt says
Iโ made the oyster sauce shrimp and got eave reviews. They were really good. Thank you.
Saludos from Chile ๐จ๐ฑ
Lalaine Manalo says
Thank you so much for the feedback. Glad you enjoyed it!
Edmond Lopez says
Love it! Tyvm
Nicole Rodgers says
When do you use the fish sauce? The recipe or video does not show the fish sauce being used.
Malu Lagman says
Thank you for sharing all your recipes. Everything looks yummy and delicious. More power to your cooking. Stay safe! God bless!
Fe says
Excellent
Al says
The kids ejoyed this recipe so much.