Chạo Tôm (Vietnamese Sugarcane Shrimp)

This easy chao tom (Vietnamese sugarcane shrimp) is made in the air fryer and comes together in under 20 minutes! It's high in protein, packed with flavor, and so much easier to make at home than it looks. Serve it with woven vermicelli noodles, fresh herbs and veggies, and nước chấm for a Vietnamese restaurant quality meal at home!

Prep Time15

Cook Time5

Total Time20

Course: Dinner, Lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: Vietnamese

Servings:

Calories: 42kcal

Equipment

Air Fryer

Ingredients

10 oz sugarcane fresh or canned
12 oz shrimp peeled & deveined
½ shallot
2 garlic cloves
2 scallions roughly chopped
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fish sauce
¼ teaspoon white pepper
½ teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
½ teaspoon mushroom or chicken bouillon powder

Instructions

If using fresh sugarcane, peel the outer layers until you reach the tender juicy center of the sugarcane. Cut the sugarcane into sections, following the natural indents.
If using canned sugarcane, drain the sugarcane.
10 oz sugarcane
Cut the sugarcane by carefully cutting each section in half vertically. Lay the flat side facing down and cut it in half again to create quartered sticks (if using canned sugarcane, one cut might be enough, depending on the size of the sugarcane). Set aside.
To a food processor, add shallot, garlic, and scallions. Pulse until finely minced.
½ shallot, 2 garlic cloves, 2 scallions
Add peeled and deveined shrimp, fish sauce, salt, sugar, white pepper, cornstarch, and bouillon powder. Process until it becomes a smooth paste, scraping down the sides as needed.
12 oz shrimp, ¼ teaspoon salt, 1 teaspoon fish sauce, ¼ teaspoon white pepper, ½ teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon cornstarch, ½ teaspoon mushroom or chicken bouillon powder
Oil a plate for the shaped chao tom and your hands or gloves. Take a few heaping tablespoons of shrimp paste and mold it firmly around each sugarcane stick, pressing tightly so it adheres. Leave ⅓ of sugarcane exposed on one end.
Preheat an air fryer to 375°F. Air fry for 5–7 minutes or until cooked through and lightly golden.
Serve immediately with lettuce, fresh herbs, noodles, and Vietnamese nước chấm.

Notes

Pat shrimp dry. Wet shrimp will create a watery paste that won't stick well together.
Oil hands or gloves when shaping the paste. Add more oil as needed if it begins to stick.
Don't overcrowd the air fryer. Make sure there's space for air to circulate so the chao tom can get golden brown.
Store leftover chao tom in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Nutrition