Shrimp Fried Rice with Nam Prik Pao and Crispy Lemongrass Recipe

By
Leela Punyaratabandhu
Leela Punyaratabandhu
Leela Punyaratabanhu is a food writer, recipe developer, and award-winning author specializing in Thai cooking. She has written three cookbooks: Simple Thai Food, Flavors of the Southeast Asian Grill, and Bangkok, which won the 2018 Art of Eating Prize.
Learn about Serious Eats' Editorial Process
Updated March 07, 2019
shrimp-fried-rice
Leela Punyaratabandhu

A quick Thai-style fried rice with shrimp flavored with Nam Prik Pao—Thai chili jam.

Notes: Nam Prik Pao, also known as Thai chili jam, is available at most well-stocked Asian grocery stores and online. It also goes by "roasted chili paste" or "roasted chili paste in soybean oil."

Recipe Details

Shrimp Fried Rice with Nam Prik Pao and Crispy Lemongrass Recipe

Cook 25 mins
Active 20 mins
Total 25 mins
Serves 4 servings
Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

  • 4 stalks lemongrass, bottom 4 to 5 inches only, outer leaves discarded, tender core thinly sliced (about 90g sliced lemongrass)

  • 1/2 cup (120ml) vegetable oil

  • 3/4 pound (340g) medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

  • 4 cups (720g) leftover cooked long-grain rice

  • 1/4 cup (68g) store-bought or homemade nam prik pao (see note)

  • 2 tablespoons (30ml) fish sauce, plus more to taste

  • 1 lime, quartered

  • 1/2 English cucumber, peeled and sliced

Directions

  1. In an 8-inch skillet or 1-quart saucepan, combine lemongrass slices and oil. Place over low heat and cook, stirring constantly, until lemongrass turns light brown, about 20 minutes. Pour lemongrass mixture through a fine-mesh strainer set over a medium bowl (lemongrass will continue cooking for a brief period after draining, so do not allow them to get too dark). Set aside.

  2. In a 12-inch skillet or wok, heat 2 tablespoons of the reserved lemongrass oil over high heat until shimmering. Add shrimp and cook, stirring frequently, until shrimp starts to turn opaque, about 2 minutes. Add rice, nam prik pao, and fish sauce and stir until rice is thoroughly coated with nam prik pao. Season rice with additional fish sauce to taste.

  3. To serve, garnish with fried lemongrass and slices of cucumber and lime wedges alongside.

This Recipe Appears In

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
570Calories
31gFat
66gCarbs
7gProtein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories570
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 31g40%
Saturated Fat 2g12%
Cholesterol 5mg2%
Sodium 939mg41%
Total Carbohydrate 66g24%
Dietary Fiber 1g4%
Total Sugars 7g
Protein 7g
Vitamin C 7mg34%
Calcium 51mg4%
Iron 4mg24%
Potassium 350mg7%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

More Serious Eats Recipes