How to Make Vietnamese Grilled Shrimp with Chili Salt
Learn how to make grilled shrimp with chili salt using an air fryer at home to treat your family. This dish is incredibly enticing, both in color and flavor, making it hard to resist.
The shrimp is marinated in rich, flavorful spices, grilled to perfection using foil in an air fryer. The marinade process and grilling time are detailed in this article.
Ingredients
- 450g shrimp
- 1-2 spicy chili peppers, 1 mild chili pepper
- 5-6 garlic cloves, 3 shallots
- 1-2 stalks of lemongrass
- 2-3 lime leaves
- Spices: coarse salt, oyster sauce, MSG, seasoning powder, ground pepper, chili paste, sugar, honey, annatto oil, mild chili powder
- Bamboo skewers for grilling
- Vietnamese coriander, cucumber, mint for serving
Ingredient Notes
For grilling shrimp, you can choose from tiger prawns, white-leg shrimp, or other large varieties. It's best to select larger, evenly sized shrimp to ensure the meat stays juicy and tender, and the grilled shrimp looks more appealing.
You can buy bamboo skewers at dry goods stores, grocery stores, or local markets.
Instructions
Prepare the Ingredients
When making grilled shrimp, it's best to leave them whole with the shell on for a more visually appealing dish.
Trim the shrimp's antennae, remove the black digestive vein at the head, and devein along the back of the shrimp. Toss with coarse salt, rinse thoroughly, and drain.
Chop the shallots, garlic, lemongrass, chili, and lime leaves. Remove the seeds from the chili peppers. If you prefer a milder flavor, reduce the amount of chili used.
Soak the bamboo skewers in water to prevent them from burning and breaking during grilling.
Marinate the Shrimp with Chili Salt
This is a crucial step that determines the flavor of the grilled shrimp with chili salt.
First, blend the lemongrass, shallots, garlic, chili, and lime leaves in a food processor. Then, add the following seasonings to the mixture and blend together.
To marinate 450g of shrimp for grilling with chili salt, use:
- 1 teaspoon coarse salt
- 1 teaspoon seasoning powder
- 1/2 teaspoon MSG
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/2-1 teaspoon ground pepper
- 2 teaspoons oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon chili paste if you prefer a spicier dish
- 1 teaspoon mild chili powder
- 3 teaspoons annatto oil, 2 teaspoons cooking oil
Grill the Shrimp Using an Air Fryer
If you don’t have a charcoal grill, you can grill the shrimp using an air fryer. The result will still be delicious, and it’s more convenient and cleaner.
Just before grilling, skewer the shrimp from the tail through to the head, ensuring they remain straight and do not curl up during cooking. Make sure to remove any remaining bits of lemongrass, garlic, or shallots from the shrimp, as these can burn and turn black during grilling.
Pay particular attention to the shrimp heads, as they tend to absorb more seasoning than the body due to their hollow structure. If not cleaned properly, the heads can become overly salty.
Place the skewered shrimp on a grill rack lined with aluminum foil. If you have extra lemongrass, you can crush it and add it to the grill for additional fragrance.
Initially, set the temperature to 160°C for 7 minutes. Then, turn the skewers and grill for another 7 minutes at 160°C.
Next, remove the shrimp from the fryer. Add a bit of annatto oil to the remaining marinade and brush it over the shrimp skewers for extra flavor and a vibrant color. Return the skewers to the fryer and set the temperature to 180°C for 3 minutes on each side, just until the shrimp are cooked through and beautifully colored.
Aside from the marinating step, the grilling process may vary depending on the type of air fryer you use, so you may need to adjust the temperature and cooking time accordingly.
For subsequent batches, since the fryer will already be hot, you may want to reduce the cooking time or temperature slightly to prevent the shrimp from burning.
Grilled shrimp with chili salt is best enjoyed hot, to fully appreciate the crispy shrimp shell, the savory and sweet flavor of the shrimp, along with a hint of spicy chili. The shrimp's bright red-orange color is incredibly appealing.
Serve the grilled shrimp with Vietnamese coriander, mint, cucumber, and a dipping sauce of green chili salt and lime. The fragrant, slightly spicy flavor of the Vietnamese coriander pairs perfectly with this grilled shrimp dish.
