Ebi Chili is a quick, easy and delicious Chinese inspired dish that is well loved in Japan. Juicy prawns and fragrant spring onions served in a thick homemade sweet and spicy chili sauce. Perfect served with fluffy, Japanese rice!
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Ebi Chili
What is ebi chili?
Ebi chili is a popular dish made up of juicy stir-fried shrimp that have been coated in a mildly sweet and spicy sauce.
In Japanese, "ebi" (エビ) means shrimp and the "chili" part of the name comes from the English word.
Despite the vibrant red color and the name "chili" making it sound very hot, it's actually not that spicy. Japanese people are not so good with very spicy foods so this dish is often made quite mild.
It's enjoyed at home, in bento boxes, you name it! It's a well loved dish in Japan.
Origin
Ebi chili originated from Sichuan in China, a place well known for their love for bold spicy flavours. (Think mapo tofu, kung pao chicken and tantanmen!)
I'd say dishes from Sichuan are probably the most popular Chinese foods in Japan, but they are often adapted to suit Japanese tastes. That means making them less spicy.
Doubanjian
One of the most important ingredients in this dish is called "la doubanjian" (affiliate link). It can also be spelled toban djian and is commonly known in English as "Chili Bean Paste". It's a spicy fermented bean paste from Sichuan and it's delicious!
It's a pretty popular ingredient so if you live near an Asian supermarket, look for a label with "辣豆瓣酱" or ask for Chinese chili bean paste. I'm sure you'll find it!
Substitutes
If you can't get it, I've read about a few substitutions you can try. (I warn you though, the taste will be quite different!)
- Sambal Oelek (Thai chili paste)
- Gochujang (Korean chili paste)
- Mix black bean paste with chili flakes
- Mix oyster sauce with chili flakes
So you have a few options to try but if you like spice and you're interested in Chinese and Japanese cooking, I really recommend buying a small jar of la doubanjian. Once opened you can keep it for a year in the fridge so you don't need to rush to use it up and it really is delicious!
Prepping Shrimp
You can make this dish easily with shrimp that has already been prepared and cooked. If you're using fresh shrimp, follow these steps for the best results!
Shells
Remove the shells by splitting the shell in the middle of the legs and pulling it clean off.
Devein
Cut down the back of the shrimp to reveal the vein. You can pull it out using the tip of the knife, a toothpick or your fingers.
If you don't want to cut it, you can use a toothpick to pull it out from the top. (Although sometimes it snaps if you do this.)
Washing
Put the shrimp in a bowl with 1 tsp of corn starch and a few pinches of salt. Rub it all over the surface of the shrimp until completely covered and then rinse with water. This makes them super clean and they always taste better if you do this!
Let's get started!
Watch How to Make Japanese Style Ebi Chili Stir Fried Shrimp in Chili Sauce
Japanese "Ebi Chili" Stir fried Shrimp in Chili Sauce (エビチリ)
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Yield: 2 portions 1x
Description
How to make delicious and mildly spicy Japanese "Ebi Chili" Stir fried Shrimp in Chili Sauce (エビチリ)
Ingredients
- 230g (8oz) Shrimp
- 2 tbsp Oil
Washing (for fresh shrimp)
- 1-2 pinches salt
- 1 tsp corn starch
Sauce
- 1 inch piece of Ginger (1 tbsp/10g)
- 2 cloves Garlic
- 30g (1oz) Spring Onion
- 2 tbsp Ketchup
- 1 tsp Doubanjian (use 2 tsp for a spicier ebi chili)
- 150ml Water
- 1 tsp Chinese chicken stock powder or chicken buillon
- 1 tbsp water and 1 tsp cornstarch (mixed)
Seasoning
- 1 pinch Sugar
- 1 pinch Pepper
- 1 Pinch Salt
Garnish (optional)
- Spring onion (green part)
- Sesame seeds
- Chili threads
Instructions
Shrimp
(If you're using precooked shrimp, skip to "sauce")
- Deshell and devein your shrimp.
- Put them in a bowl and sprinkle with 1-2 pinches of salt and 1 tsp corn starch.
- Rub the salt and corn starch over the surface of the shrimp and leave for 1-2 minutes.
- Rinse the shrimp thoroughly under cold water.
- Preheat a frying pan to medium with 2 tbsp your choice of oil.
- Dry the shrimp and add them to the pan. Fry on both sides until they turn pink.
- Once cooked, transfer to a plate lined with kitchen paper and set aside for now.
- Don't clean the pan, we'll use it again for the sauce.
Sauce
- Finely dice a 1 inch piece of ginger and two cloves of garlic.
- Finely dice the spring onion and set 1 tbsp (green part) aside for garnish at the end.
- In the same pan that you cooked the prawns, add the ginger, garlic and spring onion.
- Fry for a few minutes (until fragrant) and then add 2 tbsp ketchup and 1 tsp of doubanjian (add 2 tsp for a spicier version and see post above for alternatives if you can't get this ingredient.)
- Stir fry for 1-2 minutes and then add 150ml water.
- Add 1 tsp chicken stock powder and mix well.
- Bring to the boil.
- Once bubbling, add the shrimp back in.
- Lower the heat to simmer and in a small bowl, mix 1 tbsp of cold water with 1 tsp of corn starch.
- Pour the corn starch mixture into the sauce and mix well. (This is to thicken it.)
- Sprinkle a pinch of salt, pepper and sugar into the sauce.
- Mix and simmer for a few minutes until the sauce is thickened and glossy.
- Garnish with sesame seeds, spring onion and chili threads (optional). Serve with rice and enjoy!
Notes
See post for substitutes for "doubanjian"
- Prep Time: 10 mins
- Cook Time: 10 mins
- Category: Fusion
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Japanese
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