Spicy Trinidad Style Pepper Shrimp Recipe

Protein: Shrimp

Origin: Taste of the Islands, Trinidad and Tobago

Method: Stovetop

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Craving a taste of the Caribbean? Look no further than this Trinidad Pepper Shrimp recipe! This Trini classic is all about bold flavors and a fiery kick, guaranteed to transport you to the sunny shores of Trinidad and Tobago. Get ready to make this spicy restaurant-style dish that's surprisingly easy to whip up at home.

Turn Up the Heat: Trinidad Pepper Shrimp Recipe (Trini-Style!)

Trinidad and Tobago's cuisine is a vibrant blend of influences, from African and European to Chinese and Indian. This pepper shrimp recipe showcases the Chinese heritage with a touch of Trini heat. The best of spicy Caribbean peppers and vegetables melds perfectly with Chinese inspired flavors like sesame oil and soy sauce.

Making the Trinidad Style Pepper Shrimp

To make the Trini pepper shrimp recipe you just need to prep the shrimp and cook the flavorful sauce. The entire meal can be ready to eat in under 30 minutes.

Ingredients for your Fiery Feast:

Making the Trinidad pepper shrimp is easy and requires mainly common ingredients:

1 lb fresh shrimp: You can use shell on, tail on or no tail shrimp for the recipe. Do try to get shrimp that has been deveined. We find the optimal size to be jumbo (21-25) or colossal shrimp (16-20).

Cornstarch: Dusting the shrimp with cornstarch prior to cooking helps give the shrimp a little bit of crunch after cooking it. Similar to velveting done with many proteins in Chinese cooking, this practice was likely adapted from Chinese immigrants.

Salt and black pepper: To simply season the shrimp before cooking

For the Sauce:

Sesame oil-You will need some sesame oil or vegetable oil for sauteing the vegetables.

Veggies: A blend of onion, bell pepper, and carrots provide the base of the pepper shrimp sauce. Red, orange, green, or yellow bell peppers can be used. We prefer yellow onion in the recipe, but you can use white or red if you prefer.

Scotch bonnet peppers: Caribbean Scotch bonnet peppers provide the heat in this Trini dish. If you do not have access to Scotch bonnet chiles, you can substitute habaneros.

Garlic and Ginger: Garlic and ginger round out the aromatics. You can use fresh minced garlic and ginger, or substitute garlic and ginger paste if you want to go for simplicity.

Sauce liquids and flavoring: The Trinidad pepper shrimp sauce is finished with a combination of ketchup, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and water. These ingredients can be adjusted to your preference if you want the sauce to be a little saltier or have more umami flavor.

Green Seasoning or Dried chadon beni: Green seasoning is the heart and soul of cooking in Trinidad and Tobago. Typically consisting of chadron beni and other herbs, this versatile sauce is used in dishes, as a marinade, and as a condiment. You can substitute a little dried chadon beni if desired. Our favorite version is Chief Brand Green Seasoning, which is available on Amazon.

Pimento pepper: Diced pimento peppers are classically used in the Trini shrimp dish. Our favorite substitution is using diced hot Peppadew peppers.

Lime juice: Lime juice adds a little acidity to the Caribbean shrimp recipe.

Brown sugar (optional): We typically do not add sugar, but if you like your pepper shrimp to have a little sweetness, you can add a little brown sugar.

Green onions: Green onion or chives finish the pepper shrimp dish as a garnish.

Cooking the Pepper Shrimp Recipe

Prep the Veggies:

Dice the onion and bell pepper. Finely chop the Scotch Bonnet and pimento peppers. Roughly chop or mince the garlic. Cut the carrot into thin coins. Rinse the thyme and remove the leaves from the stems.

Prep the Shrimp: 

Pat the shrimp dry and toss them in a bowl with cornstarch, salt, and pepper. This creates a light coating for a restaurant-style texture.

Sauté the veggies: 

In a wok or large skillet, heat sesame or vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion, carrot, and scotch bonnet pepper (be careful, the fumes can irritate your eyes!). Sauté for 3-4 minutes, until the onions are softened. (For a milder dish, remove the seeds from the scotch bonnet before chopping.)

Spice Up the Sauce: 

Add the garlic and ginger to the pan and cook for another minute, releasing their fragrant aromas. Next, add in the ketchup, soy sauce, water, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar (if using), lime juice, pimento pepper, and Green Seasoning or chadon beni (if using). Bring the sauce to a simmer and let it simmer for a few minutes to allow the flavors to meld.

Increase the heat to high and carefully add the coated shrimp to the pan or wok. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes, or until the shrimp turn opaque and pink. Don't overcook them – you want juicy, tender shrimp! To help the shrimp cook more evenly, flip them over halfway through the cooking time.

Once the shrimp are cooked through, stir the pepper shrimp together to get the shrimp covered in sauce, and remove the pan from the heat.

Looking for more of the best recipes from the Caribbean islands? Try some of these classic Caribbean dishes:

• Keshi Yena: Aruban Meat Stuffed Cheese
• Jamaican Jerk Chicken Rasta Pasta
• Karni Stoba: Caribbean Beef Stew
• Grilled Red Snapper Escovitch
• Grilled Jamaican Jerk Chicken
• Smoked Pernil- Puerto Rican Roast Pork Shoulder
• Jamaican Style Cast Iron Oxtail Stew

The Finishing Touches:

Garnish your fiery masterpiece with chopped green onions or chives and serve immediately over a bed of white rice, or with a side of macaroni pie for a truly Trini experience. For even more flavor, serve with our Puerto Rican Arroz Con Gandules: Rice with Pigeon Peas or Caribbean Coconut Rice and Black Beans.

Tips and Variations

• Heat Level: Scotch bonnet peppers are incredibly hot! Adjust the amount you use based on your preferred heat level. You can also substitute with habanero peppers for a similar fiery kick.
• Fresh is Best: Use fresh local produce for the best flavors.
• Shrimp Options: You can use peeled and deveined shrimp if preferred, but leaving the shells on adds extra flavor to the dish.
• The "Trini Trinity": For an extra dose of Trini goodness, add a few dashes of Angostura bitters to the sauce just before serving.

For more of the best shrimp recipes, try some of our other international shrimp recipes:

• Pina Colada Shrimp Skewers
• Greek Grilled Shrimp with Basil-Orange Orzo
• Roasted Chicken and Shrimp Curry Stuffed Coconuts
• Cast Iron New Orleans Barbeque Shrimp
• Shrimp Mozambique: Spicy Portuguese Shrimp
• Spicy Caribbean Shrimp with Mango-Chile Sauce
• Spicy, Bacon Wrapped Shrimp: Bottle Rocket Shrimp

This Trinidad Pepper Shrimp recipe is a fiery adventure for your taste buds. So, crank up the music, grab your favorite beverage, and get ready to experience the bold flavors of Trini cooking in your own kitchen.  

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