Shrimp with lobster sauce is a classic takeout style dish that’s a bit of a misnomer. There’s really no lobster in the dish at all!
This fact didn’t stop millions of people from enjoying the dish at many Chinese restaurants over the years, however. The delicious shrimp speak for themselves, and the luxurious egg and pork sauce complements everything nicely. The best part? You don’t have to spend a huge amount of money on lobster.
This shrimp with lobster sauce recipe is very easy to make at home. Once you have the ingredients prepared, you’ll have a Chinese takeout classic on the table in less than 10 minutes (and that’s a generous estimate).
Is there any lobster in lobster sauce?
In short, no. There is no lobster in Shrimp with Lobster Sauce. So why is it called that?
Was it some fancy name that an early Chinese restaurant entrepreneur invented? Was there lobster in the dish at one time, but later omitted due to the high cost of lobster?
The most likely theory is that it evolved from the sauce used in an old classic Lobster Cantonese recipe. The dish was made more affordable with shrimp instead of lobster.
Lobster Cantonese has all but completely disappeared from Chinese restaurant menus. In the last 20 years, its successor, Cantonese-style Ginger Scallion Lobster, has become so much more popular. But don’t fret, you can always try our Lobster Cantonese recipe when lobster season kicks in again!
Fun Fact!
If you’re from New England/the Boston area, you may be wondering why there are no black beans in this shrimp with lobster sauce recipe, and why the sauce is white rather than dark brown. I grew up in the New York/New Jersey area, and restaurants around here feature a white lobster sauce like we make in this recipe. It was news to me that in Chinese restaurants surrounding Boston, they add fermented black beans and dark soy sauce!
Not to worry, though. If you’re looking for that version, we have it right here. To us, it’s technically Shrimp with Black Bean Sauce. But I guess it depends who you ask!
My Years of Cooking Shrimp with Lobster Sauce
On muggy summer weekend nights back in the Catskills resort town I grew up in, I would peel and prepare shrimp to make at least a hundred orders of shrimp with lobster sauce every day!
This was the Chinese restaurant I used to work in during my teen years, and my father (the chef) would have two large woks running at the same time for hours on end.
Usually, at least one of these two woks were cooking this dish. Shrimp and lobster sauce was one of the two finale dishes in the last course of the “Polynesian Luau for Two.” The other dish was the roast pork fried rice, another classic favorite.
(What’s a Polynesian Luau for Two? And what does Polynesia have to do with Americanized Chinese takeout food? Don’t ask. Because I have no idea.)
When I realized that Sarah and Kaitlin never had shrimp with lobster sauce before, I decided it was time. They enjoyed it immensely, and I hope you will too!
If you’re looking for a more traditional shrimp dish, take a walk on the wild side and check out our Scallion Ginger Shrimp recipe and Stir Fried Shrimp and Eggs or maybe a more progressive Steamed Shrimp with Glass Noodles.
But for now on with the classic!
Watch Bill make it!
Shrimp with Lobster Sauce: Recipe Instructions
It’s easiest to just buy peeled, de-veined shrimp, but if your shrimp are shell-on, see tips below for peeling and de-veining them yourself.
Notes on Shrimp
But if you have shell-on shrimp, here’s how to do it:
First, peel the shrimp. Then use a pair of kitchen shears to open up the back of the shrimp and expose the vein. Pull it out, and rinse.
You can make the cut slightly deeper along the back of the shrimp, which will give the shrimp a slightly butterflied look and make the shrimp curl up nicely into a ball. This is optional! For more tips on cleaning and preparing shrimp, see our post on how to prepare shrimp for stir-fry.
Boil 2 cups of water in a large wok and stir in the ground pork (or ground chicken or turkey). Break up any clumps and cook for about 1 minute, until the meat is no longer pink.
Drain in a mesh strainer and give it a quick rinse. This will give you a much clearer, cleaner sauce.
Wash your wok and place over medium high heat. Add the neutral oil, garlic, ground pork, and shrimp and stir-fry for 10-20 seconds.
Add the wine, and stir-fry for another 10 seconds. Add the chicken stock, sesame oil, sugar, salt, MSG (if using), and white pepper.
Stir in the peas.
Once the mixture comes to a simmer, stir in the cornstarch slurry a little bit at a time. Let the mixture bubble and thicken. It should be able to coat a spoon, but it shouldn’t have a gloopy consistency.
You can also add the slurry gradually to control the thickness of the sauce, and remember, you don’t have to use it all! If it gets too thick, add a little more chicken stock. If it’s too thin, add more slurry.
For more tips on how to use cornstarch effectively, see our post on How to use Cornstarch for Chinese cooking.
Spread the slightly beaten egg and scallion across the mixture and let simmer for 5 seconds.
Use your wok spatula to fold the egg into the sauce with a few strokes.
Serve your shrimp with lobster sauce over white rice.
Shrimp with Lobster Sauce
Ingredients
- 12 ounces shrimp (21/25 size)
- 4 ounces ground pork (can substitute ground dark meat chicken or turkey)
- 2 tablespoons neutral oil (such as vegetable, canola, or avocado oil)
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 1 tablespoon clear rice wine (or Shaoxing wine or dry cooking sherry)
- 1 1/2 cups low sodium chicken stock
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (fine sea salt)
- 1/4 teaspoon MSG (optional)
- 1/8 teaspoon white pepper
- ½ cup frozen peas
- 2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 egg (beaten slightly)
- 1 scallion (chopped)
Instructions
- Peel and de-vein your shrimp (or skip if your shrimp are already peeled/deveined). Boil 2 cups of water in a large wok and stir in the ground pork (or ground chicken or turkey). Break up any clumps and cook for about 1 minute, until the meat is no longer pink. Drain in a mesh strainer and give it a quick rinse. This will give you a much clearer, cleaner sauce.
- Wash your wok and place over medium high heat. Add the neutral oil, garlic, ground pork, and shrimp and stir-fry for 10-20 seconds. Add the wine and stir-fry for another 10 seconds. Add the chicken stock, sesame oil, sugar, salt, MSG (if using) and white pepper. Stir in the peas.
- Once the mixture comes to a simmer, combine the cornstarch and water into a slurry, and stir it into the sauce a little bit at a time. Let the mixture bubble and thicken. It should be able to coat a spoon, but it shouldn’t have a gloopy consistency. Add the slurry gradually to control the thickness of the sauce; you don't have to use it all. If it gets too thick, add a little more chicken stock. If it’s too thin, add more slurry.
- Spread the slightly beaten egg and scallion across the mixture and let simmer for 5 seconds. Use your spatula to fold the egg into the sauce with a few strokes. Serve over white rice.
