Vietnamese Caramelized Shrimp (Tom Rim)

Close up shot of caramelized shrimp in a bowl garnished with scallions and black pepper.

Vietnamese Caramelized Shrimp (Tom Rim)

This Vietnamese caramelized shrimp (tom rim) recipe is a classic Vietnamese dish, made in 15 minutes! It's a sweet, savory, and umami packed weeknight dinner that's high in protein and pairs perfectly with a bowl of jasmine rice.

Prep Time8

Cook Time7

Total Time15

Course: Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: Vietnamese

Servings:

Calories: 166kcal

Ingredients

12 oz large shell-on shrimp
2 garlic cloves minced
½ small shallot minced
¼ teaspoon MSG
½ teaspoon salt
2 tbsps sugar
2 tbsps oil
1 ½ tbsps fish sauce
1 tablespoon water
2 scallions thinly sliced
Black pepper for garnishing

Instructions

In a bowl, add the shrimp, minced garlic, minced shallot, MSG and salt. Toss everything together until the shrimp is well coated. Let them marinate while we caramelize the sugar.
In a pan over low heat, add oil and sugar. Give it a light stir so the oil coats the sugar. Allow the sugar to heat up and begin melting, until it turns into a dark amber color.
Once the caramel is a dark amber color, add the marinated shrimp. Cook on one side until they begin curling and start to turn opaque. Give the shrimp a flip, pour in the fish sauce and water and continue cooking on the other side.
Allow the sauce to begin thickening into a glossy glaze. If the shrimp is cooking faster than the sauce is reducing, remove the shrimp from heat until the sauce thickens. Add back in the shrimp and toss to coat. Top with freshly cracked black pepper and sliced scallions. Enjoy with a fluffy bowl of jasmine rice and cucumbers.

Notes

Don't rush the caramel: keep the heat on low until it turns a deep amber color.
If the shrimp is cooking faster than the glaze is thickening, remove the shrimp from the pan until the glaze has reduced and then add the shrimp back in and toss to coat.

Nutrition