Sweet Chili Mandarin Shrimp

I just created this sweet and spicy dish this evening. It turned out delicious. If you like crispy shrimp glazed in a sweet and spicy, 'citrusy' glaze this is the recipe for you.

Sweet Chili Mandarin Sauce
-3/4 can of Mandarin Oranges (I had an 11 oz can of Mandarin Oranges and used about 3/4 of it-so 8 oz or so)
-2 tbsp of High Fructose Corn Syrup
-1 tsp of Sugar
-2 tbsp of Soy Sauce
-1/2 tsp of Red Pepper Flakes
-1/2 tsp of Chili Powder
-1/4 tsp of Ginger Powder
-1/2 tsp of Garlic Salt
-Extra Salt and Pepper to taste
-2 tbsp of cornstarch (approx.) 


Shrimp Batter
- about 1 lb of peeled, deveined small shrimp
-3/4 cup of cornstarch
-1/4 tsp of salt


How to make Sweet Chili Mandarin Sauce
1.) Pour 3/4 can of Mandarin Oranges into a bowl and smush oranges with a fork (be sure all the juice in the can is poured into the bowl).

2.) Use a medium saucepan on stove top- set heat to medium. Using a tea strainer pour mandarin juice into the pan as pictured below.

                                                Sorry about the mess- I spilled while pouring the juice!
3.) Once all juice is in the sauce pan add about 1-2 Tbsp of the smushed Mandarins to the sauce to add some texture. Bring to a boil and set heat to low.

4.) Add high fructose corn syrup, sugar and soy sauce. Mix everything together with a whisk. 


5.) Add red pepper flakes, ginger powder, garlic salt, chili powder and salt and pepper. (Tip: If you want extra heat add more red pepper flakes- don't be afraid to add more or less of any of these spices to your liking-AND if you have cayenne and want an extra kick add some of that too... I ran out unfortunately!)

6.) Stir all ingredients for about 5 minutes (again make sure heat is on low).


7.) In a small bowl add a couple spoon fulls of the sauce and 1 tbsp of water then mix in 1 tbsp of cornstarch and whisk together. Once the cornstarch is completely dissolved add the mixture back into the sauce pan and whisk everything together for a few more minutes. (Tip: The cornstarch is used to thicken the sauce-if your sauce isn't thick enough then use the same method to add more cornstarch- the sauce should have a honey consistency .)

Here is the finished Sweet chili Mandarin Sauce.


How to fry the shrimp:
1.) Fill large sauce pan 1/4 of the way up with oil and turn heat to medium.
1.) Take the peeled and deveined shrimp and set on a plate.

2.) Pour cornstarch and salt into a bowl and mix with a fork.

***Please ignore the middle bowl- it's egg whites I used on the first batch of shrimp but the shrimp turned out much better without the egg whites so please omit it!*** 

3.) Take shrimp one hand full at a time and drop in bowl of cornstarch, covering shrimp completely. Set on separate clean plate. Repeat until all shrimp is covered.


4.) Take 1/3 of the shrimp and place them in the oil (carefully!) Fry shrimp for about 1-2 minutes on each side. I fried the shrimp in 3 batches to ensure even cooking.

5.) Place fried shrimp on paper towel to soak up excess oil. 

6.) Place shrimp into serving bowl. Pour Mandarin sauce over shrimp and toss together until all shrimp is covered.

7.) Serve over rice and you have yourself one tasty dinner!

Pour any leftover sauce in container and refrigerate! This can be used for chicken nuggets, panini's... anything you want!