Asian-Glazed Shrimp and Calamari with Wilted Basil
Asian-Glazed Shrimp and Calamari with Wilted Basil is a recipe that has big yet subtle flavors happening simultaneously. It’s sweet and spicy (but not too spicy!) with the perfect amount of umami-ness from the fish sauce to bring it all home. This is such a simple recipe to prepare. And best of all, once it hits the pan, it’s ready to serve in less than 10 minutes!
Jump to RecipeMarinade Ingredients
Prepare the marinade ingredients–fish sauce, garlic cloves, sugar, jalapeno and red pepper (or fresno chiles. See NOTE section in recipe below).
Stir Fry Marinade
Put all marinade ingredients into a blender, add salt and 3 tablespoons oil and blend until marinade is a smooth consistency. Put marinade in a medium-large bowl.
Shrimp and Calamari Preparation
Peel and devein shrimp and cut calamari into 1/2″ rings.
Add shrimp and calamari to the marinade and let marinate for 10 minutes.
Basil
Rinse and pat dry basil. Remove leaves and set aside.
Cooking the Shrimp and Calamari
Heat a large pan with oil on medium-high/high heat. Once pan and oil are very hot, add the shrimp and calamari in the pan leaving behind the marinade. (Avoid the temptation to add the marinade in the pan because this prohibits the caramelization process on the shrimp and calamari.) Cook on each side for 2-3 minutes, until edges begin to brown and caramelize. Place shrimp and calamari on a platter.
Wilting the Basil
Remove seafood from the pan and place on a platter. Do NOT clean pan. Lower heat and add basil. Cook for less than 1 minute, until just wilted. Remove basil and all of the delicious crispy bits on the bottom of the pan and add to the shrimp and calamari.
Asian-Glazed Shrimp and Calamari with Wilted Basil
Add some lime wedges and serve with rice, optional.
Asian-Glazed Shrimp and Calamari with Wilted Basil
Ingredients
- 1/2-1 jalapeno (See NOTE section below) coarsely chopped (adjust amount according to spice preference)
- 2-3 tablespoons red bell pepper chopped
- 6 garlic cloves peeled
- ¼ cup sugar granulated
- 2 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 4 tablespoons vegetable or canola oil divided
- 3/4 lb. large uncooked shrimp (U8-12 size) peeled and deveined (1 lb. large shrimp if omitting calamari)
- 1/4 lb. calamari tubes if using (optional), cut into 1/2" rings
- 2 cups basil leaves,about 1 large bunch (or more!) rinse and pat dry
- lime wedges for garnish, optional
- white rice (your favorite kind) for serving, optional
Instructions
- Blend jalapeno, red pepper, garlic, sugar, fish sauce, salt, and 3 Tbsp. oil in a blender until smooth. Transfer marinade to a bowl and add shrimp and calamari; toss to coat. Let sit 10 minutes.
- Heat remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high/high. Make sure oil is very hot before adding the seafood. (Oil should almost be smoking.) This is important for achieving crispy edges on the shrimp and calamari. Working in batches if needed, add shrimp and calamari, leaving marinade behind, and cook, turning once, until lightly caramelized and browned around the edges, about 2-3 minutes per side. (Actual cooking time depends on the size of the shrimp. If using smaller shrimp, cooking time will be less.)
- Remove shrimp and calamari from the pan and place on a platter.
- Turn down heat and add basil. Cook until basil is wilted, less than 1 minute.
- Using tongs, add wilted basil to the shrimp and calamari. Then use a spatula to scrape up as much of the caramelized brown-bit goodness remaining in the pan and add to the dish. Serve with lime wedges and rice, if desired.
Notes
Recipe is from Bon Appetit magazine and slightly modified by me.
If you like this recipe, you may also like these GFchow recipes. Sauteed Shrimp Cocktail, Thai Red Curry Noodle Soup and Korean-style Steak Lettuce Wraps.
GLUTEN FREE DISCLAIMER
The recipes you find here are considered by me to be gluten free. However, it is up to you to make sure the ingredients you use are gluten free. Whenever possible, I will list specific brands of ingredients that I use, but always be sure to check the labels yourself to verify the item is gluten free.
This dish was amazing. So tasty. My family loved it. Next time will use more basil as it wilts down to very little.
I highly recommend this dish. So. easy and so tasty
It’s a family favorite of ours. It’s amazing how a big bunch of basil can wilt down to nothing!
This recipe is insanely good. I was in the unique position to be the taste tester and … O…M…G!!! I have since made Asian Glazed Shrimp and Calamari several times and my family is a big fan. I always reduce the sauce because it is delicious and tastes great spooned over rice. Would give more than 5 stars if it were an option.
We’re both in total agreement on this one!
Oh wow! That looks absolutely amazing!
It tastes as amazing as it looks!
Don’t usually cook seafood, but I can’t wait to try this recipe!
I can’t wait for you to try this! It’s a perfect recipe to try for your first venture into cooking seafood.