Braising · FFET10237
Oil-braised shrimp (youmen daxia)
Whole large shrimp are fried in oil until red, then simmered with wine, soy sauce and sugar and reduced to a glossy coat.
A round white porcelain plate holds whole large red head-on shrimp coated in a glossy brown sauce, with pale yellow ginger slices and green scallion scattered among the shrimp, with wooden chopsticks resting beside the plate.
Cooking in a moderate amount of liquid: red, white and dry braising and covered braising.
Oil-braised shrimp are shell-on large shrimp fried in oil until red, then covered and simmered briefly with cooking wine, soy sauce and sugar, and the sauce is reduced until it coats them. Part of Shandong cuisine, the dish appears among the province's signature dishes in an entry updated in 2018, using wild sea shrimp from Bohai Bay. A 2025 recipe newsletter mentions a Hubei origin claim but names no proponents; it is not treated as fact here. The available references give no date for the dish's origin.
What
Shell-on large shrimp are fried in oil until red, then wine, sugar and soy sauce go in and the pan is covered for a short braise. The sauce is then reduced over high heat until it coats the shrimp.1,2,3
Where
The dish belongs to Shandong's Lu cuisine and appears among the province's signature dishes in an entry updated in 2018, using wild sea shrimp from Bohai Bay. Traditionally, spring white shrimp from the Bohai Sea are used. A competing claim of a Hubei origin names no proponents and is not treated as fact here.1,2,3
How
The shrimp are trimmed, deveined and fried in hot oil for 1 to 2 minutes per side until red. Wine, sugar and soy sauce are added, the pan is covered and the shrimp simmer for about 5 minutes, then the sauce is reduced over high heat.2,3
Why
Frying comes before braising: the shrimp are fried until the shells turn red, then braised briefly so the sauce clings. The available references give no further reason.1,2,3
No tale about this food has been found.
Grandma Li
This is a simplified home version, not the traditional restaurant method.
This is how I make oil-braised shrimp at home. The amounts and timings follow a signed recipe; the other recipe comes from a source that names no individual author and uses fewer seasonings, so I just compared it. I judge doneness myself: the shells are red all over and the flesh is white and firm all the way through.
Ingredients
- Large head-on shrimp 450 g; thaw them beforehand if frozen
- Ginger 15 g, sliced
- Scallions 3, cut into sections
- Cooking oil 3 tablespoons
- Cooking wine 3 tablespoons
- Sugar 1 tablespoon
- Salt 1/2 teaspoon
- Light soy sauce 1 tablespoon
- Dark soy sauce 1 teaspoon
- White pepper 1/4 teaspoon
- Sesame oil 1 teaspoon, optional
Steps
- Rinse the shrimp, trim off the feelers, remove the vein along the back and blot them dry with paper towels.
- Slice the ginger, cut the scallions into sections and measure out the seasonings.
- Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a wok over medium heat and add the shrimp. Following that recipe, fry each side for 1 to 2 minutes, until the shells turn red.
- Pour 3 tablespoons of wine down the side of the wok. Add 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of salt, 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce, 1 teaspoon of dark soy sauce, 1/4 teaspoon of white pepper, the ginger and the scallions, cover and simmer for about 5 minutes.
- Lift the lid and reduce the sauce over high heat, turning the shrimp constantly, until it thickens and coats them. Check that the shells are red all over and the flesh is white and firm through to the middle. Switch off the heat and drizzle on the sesame oil, if using.
Tips
- I braise the shrimp with the heads on because the sauce comes out with more color and aroma; this is my own experience.
- While the sauce reduces I stay at the wok and keep turning the shrimp, so that nothing sticks and scorches.
Allergens: shellfish, soy, wheat, sesame