Black Pepper Shrimp
- Total Time
- 20 minutes
- Rating
- Notes
- Read community notes
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Ingredients
Yield:4 servings
- 2tablespoons neutral oil, such as grapeseed or canola
- 2tablespoons coarsely ground black peppercorns
- 1small white onion, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 6scallions, trimmed and thinly sliced
- 4garlic cloves, peeled and grated
- 1medium green bell pepper, cored and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1medium red bell pepper, cored and cut into 1-inch chunks
- 1pound peeled, deveined raw medium shrimp (fresh or frozen)
- 2teaspoons soy sauce, plus more to taste
- 1teaspoon fish sauce (optional)
- 3tablespoons cornstarch
- 2tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
- Cooked white rice, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
272 calories; 8 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 5 grams monounsaturated fat; 2 grams polyunsaturated fat; 26 grams carbohydrates; 3 grams dietary fiber; 3 grams sugars; 26 grams protein; 406 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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- Step 1
Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high. Add the black peppercorns and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the onion and half the scallions, and sauté, scraping the bottom of the pot as necessary, until the onions turn translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Step 2
Add the green and red bell peppers and sauté until they begin to soften, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the shrimp and sauté for 1 minute, then stir in 2 cups water, the soy sauce and fish sauce (if using). Bring the liquid to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook the shrimp just until they turn pink, about 2 minutes. (Keep an eye on them: The shrimp can turn rubbery quickly.)
- Step 3
Working quickly as the liquid cooks, mix the cornstarch with 2 tablespoons water in a small bowl to form a slurry. Add this mixture to the saucepan as soon as the shrimp turns pink, and cook over medium heat until the sauce thickens, about 30 seconds. Remove from the heat and add more soy sauce, to taste, if desired. Garnish with the cilantro and remaining scallions. Serve hot or warm with rice.
Private Notes
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Cooking Notes
Sissy Ashby
Make the corn starch slurry before starting....then no danger of overcooking shrimp
Sophia
Wish I could say that this was better than the recipe that’s written! I think his grandmother likely did it MUCH better than me, but if you need a crutch like me, this recipe needs some kind of tangy kick, like some sugar, oyster sauce, or lime—hard to say!
Melanie
I love black pepper and this dish certainly delivers on that flavour! I likely used a touch more than the recipe called for. I added snap peas, napa cabbage, and mushrooms for extra veggie bulk. I also thinned the cornstarch slurry, using about 2-3 times more water in the starch/ water mix. The sauce was still plenty thick for our taste. This dish comes together quickly and is a grey weeknight meal. The shrimp were plump and popping! Looking forward to trying with thin cut beef.
jeff
Instead of h2o 3tbl of lemon juice to 1 teas of cornstarch. For the dish, I use shelled shrimp. De-shell shrimp; cook shells in 1tbl EVO, 1C white wine-5minutes. Remove to sieve, squeeze out shrimp juice into a bowl and add to dish.
Rob DiCarlo
I see no value in using canned soup laden with salt as a substitute for a very easy recipe.
D Chapman
Very peppery but not much flavor. Disappointed
Colleen
Disappointing. I love black pepper, but this was just too much. I used homemade chicken stock in place of water, added lime juice and extra soy sauce, but the resulting dish was bitter from so much pepper and bordered on inedible. I wonder if the recipe as written has an typo/error - perhaps it should be 2 TBS whole black peppercorns, ground (i.e., measure then grind), vs 2 TBS coarsely-ground black pepper?
Robin
This was a meal that was Meh. Even with doctoring up the sauce with more soy sauce, half a jalapeño and some ginger plus more acid, it still tasted two dimensional. Note to self: when reading a recipe, avoid anything that requires a slurry of corn starch and two cups of water.
Chantal
This was the first time in over 10 years that my husband and I did not finish a dinner/ threw it out. No other flavour than pepper, even with some of the other suggestions incorporated.
emily
We did NOT like this one! Too spicy but still not a lot of flavor
Kristin
This was a really easy weeknight recipe. I have two comments: 1) It was a LOT of pepper. Next time I make this, I will reduce by 1/4 or 1/2. Packed a little too much pepper heat as written (for our taste). 2) Similar to some other commenters, I felt it needed an acidic kick to brighten and complicate the flavor of the sauce. I used the juice of 2 limes.
Victoria Pond
I followed the recipe carefully and would up with a very soupy dish. I would cut the water in half next time.
Lindsay
This is a great base for a recipe, but I found it lacks flavor. I wound up using A LOT more soy sauce than called for, a splash of rice vinegar, chili paste for heat, and additional seasonings. Also, while generally easy to make, it comes together very quickly. I’d recommend making sure you have everything prepped and measured out before starting, including the slurry. If I made again I would use vegetable broth in place of water
TallowBreeched
Doubled every seasoning except for the black pepper (do not!! there is plenty!!) and added the juice from a whole lime which turned out great. Heads up: you are going to be moving FAST.
K361
I’m perplexed, why is no ginger called for, to be added with the garlic?
Matt
This is a miss. No one in my family liked this dish and we ended up throwing it out. Too bad as it looked interesting. (To be honest, I'm a bit surprised by the good ratings).
hbweightlifter
This was awful. I like black pepper and this was nothing but pepper taste and then nothing else. I took one bite and told my husband to throw it out without even having him taste it himself. Have not had a bad meal from NYT in a while and this one took the prize of being one of the worst.
Paul
We didn't use water but used homemade seafood broth. We collect shrimp shells, fish skins oyster juice, etc for a while and then boil and reduce. Helps any dish like this such as paella or risotto. Water would be dilutive.
Paul
We loved this. Used just one pepper --- red for color --- and we thought that was plenty. Tossed in six smallish curry leaves early with the crushed peppercorns. Thickened up OK but may go a bit heavier on the cornstarch next time.
Sarah
I think this is a great base for something very good and weeknight friendly. I love black pepper and yes the title is black pepper shrimp… but that was really the only flavor, made exactly as written. Next time I’d add way more soy and fish sauce, and probably let the 2 cups of liquid reduce down a bit to get saucy before adding the shrimp. I’d probably also add ginger with the garlic, and maybe a splash of Chinese black vinegar. It’s so fast and fresh, so I’ll definitely give it another go.
Tim
Good return on effort, but strikes a single note loudly. Next time I’ll halve the pepper, double the soy sauce, and add some acid. Sweet corn is a nice addition.
judy
Wait, I thought it was delicious! I loved the 1 inch square cut peppers and onion. I used a shrimp stock instead of water and good Louisiana shrimp so maybe that helped.
orlando bloom
Very good. Sauce was a bit thin- like broth instead of gravy but good
Molly White
I skipped the water and cornstarch and it was delicious.
Amber
This could be good with shrimp. I tried this as a treatment for catfish and decided that for catfish, frying is the only treatment that works.
mike g
Instead of water, I used chicken stock. Also, make the slurry ahead of time.
Jeff F
Just made this last night with a few tweaks: (1) Any time a recipe asks for 2 cups of water, I consider using a can of "light" chicken broth. The extra flavor goes a long way. (2) I squeezed some lime juice over the top and put some additional wedges out when it was served. The lime added a ton of character. (3) Just on a lark, I lightly pan-fried a package of soba noodles instead of serving over rice. WOW! Bon Appetit!
Jeff F
Oh, PS to the earlier note: I used only 1 Tbsp of cracked black pepper. Trust me, it was plenty spicy and didn't need the extra fire.
Catherine
It’s good, but I found the sauce to be very peppery and lacking some depth. I added about 2 tbsp of palm sugar to the sauce and simmered, then added a cap full of rice vinegar right when I took it off the heat. This really helped to balance and brighten up the dish.
Mark
The radical simplicity of black pepper, garlic, and onion has its appeal, but the teeny amount of soy sauce made for a bland dish—no salty note to hold it all together. The words "plus more to taste" are easily overlooked but crucial here. Like other commenters, I also missed some of the classic stir-fry ingredients, such as ginger and Shaoxing. But maybe those belong in another dish.
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